Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Designer Brands Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  810 Dsw Dr Columbus, OH 43219-1828

• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  3710 Easton Market Columbus, OH 43219-6024

• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  3704 W Dublin Granville Rd Columbus, OH 43235-7985

• 

  DSW

  One Walden Galleria Space DP01 Buffalo, -, NY 14225

• 

  The Shoe Co.

  44 Kodiak Cr North York, ON M3J 3G5

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/02/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made a purchase order number ********** the amount was $59.61. I sent the shoes back and received the confirmation email that the refund would process 7-10 business days. However, I never received the refund. I called in and spoke with a customer service representative who did not know what she was doing so I asked for a manager. The manager was just as clueless m, so now I am here. The card that was used for the purchase was lost so I had to order a new one. That card is on file in my online account. If that is not possible, I would like to have a check sent to me. Thank you for taking time to review my complaint .

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I
  apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the delay
  in receiving your refund for the Lucky Brand-Erlasida Loafer from your order **********.
  While reviewing your order, I can see that the $43.62 refund was issued on 5/16
  to MasterCard ending in ****. Please note that the difference in refund amount
  is due to the return shipping fee of $8.50. I understand that the MasterCard
  ending in **** was reported lost and you received a new card number. Rest
  assured, as long as your account associated with the original card used stayed
  the same, the refund will still reflect in your account, regardless of the card
  being updated. The return reference number (ARN) confirming the refund was successfully
  processed is ***********************.
  
  As a token of apology for your experience
  with this, I have sent you a $25 electronic gift card to your email address **********************. You can expect
  to receive the confirmation of this gift card shortly, and the activation email
  within 24-36 hours. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Elite member!
  
  Sincerely,
  Nicole, DSW Inc.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased a pair of rhinestone heels for $66.14 on 4-27-24 and wore the shoes for 3 hours and the rhinestone fell off of the shoe. Went back to the store the next day 4-28-24 and the store manager refused the return a defective pair of shoes.
  The name of the shoes is Nina, the Manager said to contact the Vendor and the Vendor said to go back to the store.
  These shoes are defective and they should have been able to be returned, as they did not last more than 3 hours.
  The shoes were not going to be returned and used for another event and now I am having to purchase another pair of shoes somewhere else.
  I have a copy of my receipt shoes are still in the box.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi ******,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the poor quality of the ****************************** you purchased on 4/27. I completely understand your frustration regarding this and being denied returning this item back to us from your local DSW store. I will be sharing your feedback with our upper management team to make sure your thoughts and concerns are addressed.
  
  I have sent a request to have your full refund of $66.14 processed back to your debit card used for this purchase. It can take ***** hours for the request to be processed, and then three to five business days for the refund to reflect on your debit card ending in 4561. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/29/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 3/14/24 returned 2 pr. Tennis shoes and on that same time I repurchase the same 2 pr of tennis with a coupon $60.00 so the tennis shoes was $200.00 which I used my welfargo card. They refund the $231.00 to credit one but a week later they recharged me $231.00 which the refund for them was supposed to 0 because it was my money card.
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi ****,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint. I had a chance to investigate your concerns and with thorough investigation I figured out what occurred.When the refund of $231.61 was returned/refunded on 3/14, it was refunded to a **** card ending in 5563. A request was sent from the ******* VA store on 3/18 to have the refund processed to a debit card ending in 2039 instead. On 3/19,our back-office team processed this request from the Roanoke VA store and reversed the initial refund of $231.61 from the **** ending in ************************************************ 2039.
  
  Rest assured; we did not charge you again for the $231.61. You can see the reversal on the **** ending in 5563,because it was refunded to the debit card ending in 2039 instead. You were not owed two refunds of $231.61, which is why you are still seeing the charge of $231.61 reflecting on the **** ending in 5563. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Gold member!
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered two pairs of shoes online, and they came with the sales discount that would be applied to all purchases (regardless) and free shipping. I got an email that said "update" and "unfortunately we had to cancel your items," and they included a coupon of regret for future purchase. I did not know they would then send just ONE pair of shoes in next update, when I had not agree to that, and, worse, it was stripped of the order discount and I was charged full shipping. I would never have agreed to that, such a purchase would never have been worth it to me, I was not asked to OK the change, and I was already shopping elsewhere. When shoes arrive, I reached out to them, and I have both screenshots and their full emailed transcript of the chat that I had with support. They said they would offer me a "full refund". I did not recieve any further emai or info then or in the future about shipping shoes back, returning them to a store (which, with long covid, would be exertion I would've been miffed about), nothing more at all. Then much time goes by and no refund. I dispute the purchase with my credit card, but I was turned down, because the merchant said shoes were never returned. I was never given any instructions or requirement to do so, and I have the paperwork to prove it. It's a scam to strip buyers of sales prices or coupons or free shipping, as I'd never, EVER have bought the shoes if it were not for the sales price and free shipping with a larger purchase. I never agreed to changed terms or loss of entitled, agreed upon sales price. Further, they NEVER sent me an email with any instructions for further action beyond their simply initiating a full refund with regret over what had happened. They certain had my email, because they had my account info, the chat transcript came to me, etc. There is a reason this company already has an F with the BBB

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi Jodie,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I
  apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the
  customer service you received while contacting us about your order **********.
  I completely understand your frustration regarding this and will be sharing your
  feedback with our upper management team to investigate further.
  
  Unfortunately, a full refund cannot be processed at this time due to a chargeback of $51.66 being submitted and won through Apple Pay as of 4/30/24. DSW will not take any further action on this matter and considers the issue closed.
  
  Sincerely,
  Nicole, DSW Inc.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  
  
  Complaint: 21631763
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because the chargeback was only temporary. Once notice was received that there was no response from DSW, and thus no resolution, the charge was put BACK on my credit card on April 26. So, I was indeed charged in full.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  DSW Customer Service is NEVER available via phone or email. I've placed two different orders in 7 days and choose to ship my items to the River Forest Store and they got cancelled. Both shoes are currently in stock, but my order was cancelled. Then I received a coupon for 30% off but it doesn't work. I want the shoes I ordered and a valid coupon. Also, how can a business mailbox be full and they don't take calls. Someone needs to work on fixing this issue because millions of consumers shop at DSW and they should have better customer service.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi Atisha,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the Converse *********************** All Star Move Sneaker from your order ********** being cancelled. Unfortunately, due to a system upgrade, when the first fulfilling location for ship to store orders reports they are out of stock of an item, the order is cancelled instead of being sent to another location to fulfill. Our back-office and IT teams are currently attempting to correct this so that this issue does not continue to happen. The cancellation 30% offer that was sent to you has the same exclusions that our other promotions have and because the Converse *********************** All Star Move is excluded from all promotions, that is why it would not apply to the item.
  
  I was glad to see that you were able to receive the Converse *********************** All Star Move with your replacement order ********** that was shipped directly to you. As a token of apology for your experience with this, I have reissued the $30 in Rewards that have previously expired in your account. This $30 in Rewards will be valid until 8/28/2024. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Gold member!
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/22/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I returned four pairs of shoes within a couple of months as I was going on vac
  ation. None of the shoes fit properly, which created the need for the returns. All of my returns have been within a day or two of purchase in pristine condition and the tags attached. Because of this I am now on a return- restricted list (TRE file). All of my receipts originally said that returns were allowed if done within 30- 90 days (with no mention of how many returns would be allowed). This is embarassing as a consumer as I spend significant amounts of money with retial businesses. I will now restrict my own purchaes, thus making my purshases much less as well, and I will not return items. I demand my personal information removed from retailers.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi ******, 

  We have noted your request to cease further communication from our end. Your wish for no further contact will be honored. Should you require any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to our corporate team at ************ Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST.

   

  Sincerely, 

  ******, DSW Inc.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/21/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Issue: Store Assistance, Stock Availability, Overall Experience
  
  I purchased at the * ******* Store in Las Vegas NV and the shoe I bought seemed to fit fine and the color seemed right. But, a day later I went back to the store, spoke with the manager, explained that the color was not right and would like to exchange for the same shoe different color that was available in-store except my size. Unfortunately, because of the obscene way that this company does business, in order to get the CORRECT size - I would have to repurchase the shoe then wait for a refund on the existing shoe that was already charged to my card.
  
  I don't know what 3rd world country business model this company thought was an acceptable platform to run on, but this is absolute garbage. There is no reason why I should have to buy the replacement shoe online - wait for that to deliver - then revisit the store to refund the one that didn't work out. This is garbage. But evidently this is the only workaround that your store manager provided.
  
  I just did a phone request with the Henderson store to locate the SHOE that I need that was SEARCHED UNDER HENDERSON that THEY. DO NOT HAVE and now I have to drive clear across town again to the original store to do the exchange.
  
  Someone somewhere at Designer Brands dropped the ball when you hired and put whomever it is in charge now that overseas web and in-store policies, procedures, and stock. Its a SHOE STORE. They should be able to handle inventory and exchange as this is NORMAL in the industry.
  
  No one in your store had the capacity of understanding why repurchasing the shoe to exchange for another color of the same shoe was an inconvenience and all that tells me is that your hiring criteria must be in the tank. Why do you just fill positions just to have warm bodies and not bother putting someone in place who can provide the best experience for the customer and make lucid, leadership decisions???

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi *********,
  
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the customer service you received at our N ************* in *********************************** store. I will be sharing your feedback with our upper management team to make sure your thoughts and concerns are addressed.
  
  As a token of apology for your experience with this, I have sent you a $25 electronic gift card to your email address ***************** You can expect to receive the confirmation email shortly, and the activation email within ***** hours. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a pair of shoes on Dec 29.
  The shoes turned out to be defective.
  I trried to return them to store but they gave me a customer service number to call
  
  I called the customer service but they asked me to go back to store.
  
  Thus neither place addressed my issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi *****,
   
  Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the delay in responding to your BBB complaint and for the poor quality of the *********************** *********************** Loafer you purchased on *****. I completely understand your frustration regarding this and being denied returning this item back to us from your local DSW store. I will be sharing your feedback with our upper management team to make sure your thoughts and concerns are addressed.
  
  I have sent a request to have your full refund of $46.96 processed back to your debit card used for this purchase. It can take ***** hours for the request to be processed, and then three to five business days for the refund to reflect on your Amex 9000. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member! 
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  April 10, 2024 shoes were purchased from DSW online site. There was an issue with the details of purchase so we requested a cancellation no more than 10-30 minutes after purchase. Was denied cancellation in lieu of "[return it at local DSW]" to get me into their store, presumably to spend money, even though the order hasn't shipped. As of filing this, order is in "released" which I'm not sure anyone has ever heard of. This practice of being unable to cancel an order a few minutes of making it and requiring the customer to go to a physical location to return it, requiring travel expenses and time, just to get a customer in store to potentially make a purchase is exploitive.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Hi *********,
  
  Thank
  you for contacting DSW. I apologize that were unable to cancel your
  recent dsw.com order number of **********, and for the customer service that
  you received when emailing about this order. I had the opportunity to
  investigate your concerns, and unfortunately, there is a very limited timeframe
  in which we can cancel an order once it has been placed. If you wish to cancel
  your order within the first half-hour to forty-five minutes of the order being
  placed, please contact us via live chat or at our customer service line of
  ###-###-####, and any member of our team will be more than happy to cancel
  your order. If you are emailing to cancel your order, our email team will not
  be able to cancel your order, because it would have progressed past the point
  in which they can cancel it.
  
  In the meantime, you can use
  the following link of ****************,
  to return/exchange your item. You can of course, return your item at any DSW
  store within 90 days of your order to receive your refund. Due to all the
  inconvenience surrounding this issue, I have gone ahead and added a $10 Reward
  to the VIP account linked with the order. You can redeem this Reward on your next dsw.com order or
  at any of our DSW locations within the next 75 days. Thank
  you for being a DSW VIP Club member!

  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order with DSW on 9/19/23 for five items. One item in my order was cancelled by DSW. A different pair of shoes arrived noticeably worn and scuffed. I was in disbelief DSW would sell these as new and reached out to customer service for a replacement. A replacement was not available in the same size and after back and forth, they refunded me $10. A separate customer service rep reached out apologizing for the situation and fully refunded me $42 for the shoes. Jump to February 2024, I have a $63 pending charge on my credit card from DSW. I email back and forth with their customer service to have this removed. They confirm it will be removed and it never is. I reach back out in March and again, am told it will be removed. March 11, the charge goes through on my card. I email to have this refunded and they tell me I need to be charged because they didn't charge me enough for the initial order. I have had multiple customer service agents tell me conflicting messages and no one can confirm or explain exactly why I'm being charged this $63. To have this issue drag out 6 months is unnacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Hi ******,
  
  Thank
  you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the billing issues that impacted on
  your recent order **********. I completely understand your frustration and the
  customer service you received while contacting us about this issue. As I am
  sure that you are aware, there were some major system issues (both system and
  payment) with this order, and again I apologize for any inconvenience this has
  caused you. The reason why the $63.84 pre-authorization was continuing to
  appear on your Visa **** was because we were unable to collect the full balance
  of the items on your order until 3/9/2024.
  
  I
  do completely understand and agree with your frustration regarding this, and
  the fact that it took over six months for this amount to be collected. Because of
  this, I have issued the refund of $63.84, and you can expect to see this reflected
  on your Visa ending in **** within 3-5 business days. The return confirmation
  number (ARN) that confirms this refund was processed successfully is ***********************.
  As a token of apology for your experience with this, I have issued you a $50
  electronic gift card *********** to your email address ********@gmail.com. You can
  expect to receive the confirmation email shortly, and the activation email within
  24-36 hours, please check your spam or junk folder if you do not see this
  activation email within your inbox as they sometimes go there instead. Thank
  you for being a DSW VIP Gold member!
  
  Sincerely,
  ******, DSW Inc.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2024

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.