An online Vancouver boot designer is under fire for allegedly taking customers money and not delivering the product.
Elizabeth Anne LeGear is the creator of Purse n’ Boots, footwear with hidden pockets for your cash, credit cards and smartphone.
“I kind of came up with this idea so I could avoid having the cab drive away with my purse on the back seat," she told CTV Vancouver when she spoke about her invention four years ago.
Roxanne Davidson ordered a pair of the unique boots in October 2014, but says nearly eight months later she still hadn’t received them. She says the company told her the delay was due to new suppliers, back orders and processing glitches.
But Davidson doesn’t believe it.
"I think they're in big trouble and customer service is deplorable," she said.
Frustrated customers on both sides of the border have joined a Facebook page to vent about their experiences.
Meanwhile, the company is still actively accepting new orders online, despite having an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau, and over 100 complaints on file relating to service and delivery problems.
"This is an organization that seems to be failing in a few key points in terms of running their business," said Evan Kelly of the Better Business Bureau.
Consumer reporter Lynda Steele tried to catch up with Elizabeth LeGear at her last known Vancouver address, but discovered she is now operating her online boot business from Alberta.
"Well, it's just one of those things that we grew within one year. We went from a couple of customers a month to a few thousand a month," said LeGear during a telephone conversation with Steele.
LeGear blames the backlog on being swamped, with no staff and having to deal with a quality control issue that forced her to switch suppliers midstream.
"I swear we're about six to 10 weeks away from fixing everybody's problems," she told Steele. “I just want to apologize. It wasn't my intention for things to take this long. I would be so mad too. I completely understand where they're coming from, but if they could just give me eight more weeks, then I can get it all sorted out."
LeGear is promising to make it up to her frustrated customers with offers of free product. She also claims to have a new high-end supplier who manufactures famous name brands. She insists the Canadian boot orders are shipping out now and the American orders will follow shortly after.
