Many consumers reaped a bountiful harvest during the Double Eleven shopping spree. However, recently, “Consumer Reports” received several complaints about Skechers shoes, with feedback focusing mainly on issues such as glue separation and leather cracking. In response, reporters conducted interviews to investigate.
Glue separation after normal wear for over a month?
In September of this year, Ms. Zhang from Inner Mongolia spent 351 yuan to purchase a pair of women’s athletic shoes from the “Skechers Shengdao Official Store” on JD.com. She stated that after normal wear for just over a month, both shoes developed cracks on the side of the leather along with glue separation.
After reporting the issue to customer service, they refused her exchange/return request, citing the “one-month warranty for non-genuine leather sports and casual shoes.” The only option offered was a cash compensation of 35 yuan.
On the discernment app, “Skechers Shengdao Official Store” is marked as “Verified” and “Buy with Confidence – Fake one, compensate three.”
In June, Mr. Hua spent over 200 yuan to buy a pair of men’s shoes from the “Skechers Men’s Shoes Flagship Store” on Tmall. He claimed that, under normal wear, the shoes experienced side glue separation in early October, affecting more than half of the shoe.
The app confirms that the “Skechers Men’s Shoes Flagship Store” is an officially verified store.
Mr. Hua expressed dissatisfaction as he requested the store to provide a qualified product quality certificate, which they did not. Furthermore, the store did not explain or compensate for the shoe issue. Currently, he has only received a compensation of 119 yuan from the Tmall platform.
Article 8 of the “People’s Republic of China Consumer Rights Protection Law” stipulates that consumers have the right to request information about the price, origin, producer, use, performance, specifications, grade, main ingredients, production date, expiration date, inspection certification, instructions for use, and after-sales service of goods or services.
Consumers are dissatisfied with the customer service’s suggestion to “subsidize for glue purchase”
In fact, complaints about Skechers shoes’ glue separation are not isolated incidents. The reporter noticed several similar complaints on the Black Cat Complaint Platform.
Some complainants mentioned severe stitching issues within 15 days of purchase. Customer service tentatively asked if the shoes had been washed, attempting to use it as a basis for refusal. However, after filing a complaint, they were offered an exchange.
One complainant was unhappy when the shoes experienced glue separation, and the customer service suggested compensating 10 yuan for them to buy glue themselves.
Another complainant reflected that the quality of Skechers shoes did not match the price; after wearing them once and washing them, the shoes experienced glue separation and peeling.
Regarding the consumer complaints mentioned in this article, “Consumer Reports” sent an interview letter to Skechers but has not received a response as of the time of publication.
Article 24 of the “People’s Republic of China Consumer Rights Protection Law” states that if the goods or services provided by operators do not meet quality requirements, consumers can return the goods according to national regulations or the parties’ agreement, or request the operator to fulfill obligations such as replacement or repair. If there are no national regulations or agreements between the parties, consumers can return the goods within seven days of receiving them. If conditions for statutory contract termination are met after seven days, consumers can promptly return the goods; otherwise, they can request the operator to fulfill obligations such as replacement or repair.
In the past three years, Skechers has only had one record of failed inspections. In the Liaoning Provincial Market Supervision Administration’s report on the quality supervision spot checks for home gas stoves and other products in 2023, a batch of Skechers Business Co., Ltd.’s knitted short-sleeved polo shirts were deemed unqualified for “moisture absorption and quick-drying performance (unidirectional transfer index).”
Skechers’ Chinese agent is Zhejiang Aokang Shoe Industry Co., Ltd. Skechers brand products cover children aged 3 and above and adults, including sports shoes, clothing, and accessories, with prices ranging mainly from 399 yuan to 899 yuan.
“Consumer Reports” learned from ST Aokang (603001.SH) semi-annual reports over the past three years that Skechers’ operating income, operating costs, and gross profit margin have not shown significant changes. However, by the end of the first half of 2023, the number of retail stores had significantly decreased by 26 compared to the same period last year.
It is understood that the direct sales model involves selling directly to consumers, with the company bearing responsibility for store management, services, supply, fund settlement, inventory management, income recognition, and other rights and obligations. The advantage of the direct sales model lies in its strong control over the terminal, quick response to market changes, but it requires substantial resources in terms of funds and management. The distribution model involves the company signing distribution contracts with distributors, designating distributors to sell the company’s products in a certain region. Distributors purchase goods from the company at a certain percentage of the suggested retail price. The advantage of this model is its simplicity in management, ease of operation, low inventory risk, and the ability to quickly expand outlets through distributor channel resources, saving on capital investment. The reduction in distribution stores indicates an increase in Aokang’s inventory risk.