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.

close

Find a Location

Designer Brands Inc. has 111 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

BBB accredited

Near

Country

USUnited States

Please enter a valid location.

Filter

• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  810 Dsw Dr Columbus, OH 43219-1828

• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  1200 Polaris Pkwy Columbus, OH 43240-2036

• 

  Designer Brands Inc.

  300 Mishawum Rd Ste 130 Woburn, MA 01801

• 

  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:11/28/2022

  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 Skechers on dsw.com, order placed on 11/22)2022. I received the order and there was no packing info or receipt. I threw out the box and packaging. I have a similar pair of Sketchers also purchased on DSW.com.
  
  I only wore them for a few days, inside my home, and the inside stitching is already coming apart on one of the shoes. I contacted DSW via customer chat. I got the runaround from one rep, and she refused to connect me to a supervisor. I offered to provide a picture of the shoe. We got disconnected and I tried two more times. The chat system kept crashing and disconnecting. I used a Reward certificate of $10 to buy these shoes. This was not a store purchase. It was an online purchase. This has happened a few times in the past with the website. I have even gotten shoes that were used. I am not sure if these are even authentic Skechers. The store employees are far more courteous. The online reps are terrible.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2022

  Hello ****,  
  Thank you for contacting the DSW shoephoria! Center and
  being a DSW VIP Club member.
  We sincerely apologize that you received defective
  merchandise, and you were having difficulty speaking to a customer service
  agent via Chat. It is not DSW’s intention to provide unsatisfying service as we
  strive to always make a great experience with our customers. We have processed
  a replacement order for the Skechers Summit Sneaker in the Grey/Pink size 8.5M.
  It is attached to your original order number, and you have not been charged for
  the new pair. You will receive an email with tracking details once the new pair
  has shipped out.  For the defective pair
  that you have received, you can mail them back with a prepaid FedEx label you
  can obtain from our dsw.com website. We have also added your $10 Reward back to
  your VIP account & it is available for use on our website, or in a DSW
  store.
  We hope we were able to help.
  Thank you,
  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Delivery 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 placed order online with ***, Tracking number showed packages were delivered several times, however I never received them, I spoke to a manager who said she would setup a in store pick up to have my order replaced, I received notification my order was ready for pickup then as I arrived to the store notifications said my order had been
  cancelled, I called back spoke with another manager who said they would not replace my item, He was extremely rude and did not care if the inconvenience this issue has caused me. I would just like to have my items replaced. Order number is **********

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello ******,  

  Thank you for contacting the *** shoephoria! Center and
  being a *** VIP Club member.

  We apologize that your original orders #********** & #**********
  were not received, as well as the cancellation for order #**********. The third
  order appeared to be cancelled due to the items not having any inventory in the
  sizes that were selected. Unfortunately, we cannot place a new order for you at
  the time, due to the history of multiple lost orders under the VIP account. ***
  has a guideline that allows our customers to claim a lost package or order one
  time under their account. It appears the VIP account has 3 within the past
  couple of years. If you would still like to purchase shoes, we have added a $20
  Reward to the account that you can use on your next purchase.

  Thank you,
  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/29/2022

  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.

  Within the last week I have Purchased two pairs of shoes. I was told when I went to go return the shoes today which I had at my receipts that I was flagged in the system and I was denied to return the shoes the shoes were never worn brand new I’ve been having medical issues with my feet and unfortunately not able to wear these shoes so now I am stuck with two pairs of brand new shoes and they Told me that there isn’t anything they can do for me I contacted customer service and the resolution was to give me a $10 coupon here I’m out of my $65 for two pairs of shoes that I just wanted to return and get a refund for on my credit card and they weren’t able to do that. The thing that upsets me the most is that they took my money I didn’t say anything about you can’t return these items and they were purchased within the last week.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2024

  The business stated they have resolved this directly with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2022

  Type:Delivery 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 placed an order with a live person at their customer service department (###-###-####) on October 19, 2022 at 3:15 pm. The call lasted for 30 minutes and 5 seconds. I was having trouble placing an order. Item number ****** size 6.5. The real person on the line processed the order, said she was using my available promos so the shoes ended up being free. I never received the shoes nor notification of shipping. When I looked at my account online I didn't see any detail about the order. I called customer service again and told them to review their call log (aren't all calls recorded now?) to verify what I was saying and they kept telling me that they didn't see the order. I'm asking for them to review the call to confirm what I am saying is true and SEND THE SHOES! I spoke with a lady and she transferred me to a supervisor named **** (male). 10/25/2022 at about 2:40 p.m.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello ****,  

  Thank you for contacting the *** shoephoria! Center and
  being a *** VIP Club member.

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in response to your inquiry.
  We are sorry to inform you that unfortunately we do not have a record of any orders
  placed under your account with your provided details. We were unable to find
  any orders for a ***** & ***** item under the account. As we have searched,
  and the only orders we found from the provided date are orders # **********
  & # **********, which were for a ******** sneaker & a ****** sneaker. Unfortunately,
  we cannot send the shoes at no cost, but if you are wanting to order any other shoes,
  we have added a $30 Reward to the account that can be used on your next
  purchase. The Reward will be valid for 75 days & can be used either in
  store or online.

  
  Thank you,
  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/18/2022

  Type:Billing 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 made a purchase from *** ON 10/5/2022. My total for this purchase was $216.20 which includes tax, no shipping charge. I then paid with 4-$25 gift cards (birthday gifts) bringing the total down to $116.20. I then paid for my purchase via ********. Here's where the problem occurs. ******** says I owe them $191.20 for this order. Which would be the $216.20 - $25(one gift card). First, I do not have a balance on either of the gift cards, I checked, I still have them. Also, I've contacted *** and ******** and both is placing blame on the other. *** says it's an ******** issue and that they only charged $116.20 to ********, however, ******** says *** charged them $191.20. Meanwhile, I don't have any money on my gift cards and I now owe ******** and have a loss of the gift cards. I've contacted both but they won't contact each other. My *** order number is **********. This same order from *** has an ******** order number of #************ with ********. I have uploaded responses from both companies as well as my *** ORDER CONFIRMATION, and my ******** account showing what I owe. I have not made a payment towards this order yet from ********, due to my payment history I am not required to make the first payment upon purchase from ******** (I make the 4 payments starting two weeks after my purchase). Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  The customer has been taken care of by our customer service specialists & has been refunded the extra $75 they were charged. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/17/2022

  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 9/16/2022, I placed an order for 5 pairs of shoes out of the entire order I only received one pair which were the crocs. I have been told to go to afterpay for a refund and AfterPay is referring me to ***. My order number is **********. I need the refund for the shoes I never received. I am tired of the back and forth.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello ******,  

  Thank you for contacting the *** shoephoria! Center and
  being a *** VIP Gold member.

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in response to your inquiry.
  We apologize you only received one out of the five items from your order #**********.
  We have tracked the items on the order & they are marked as delivered, so
  we have considered the order as lost in transit. It appears the members of our
  customer service team were following guidelines in which do not allow them to
  provide a refund for a lost order over the amount of $250. Which resulted in
  them being unable to assist with a refund for the missing items on your order. However,
  at this time I have consulted with my team & we are able to issue a refund
  for the lost items on the order, since this is the first time a lost order has
  been claimed on the account. We have provided a refund of $253.73 for the 4 missing
  items. The refund will be available on the account attached with your afterpay
  account ending in 0907 within 3-5 business days.

  Thank you,
  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/14/2022

  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 10/12/22, I purchased 2 pairs of shoes for $285 at DSW in Charlottesville, VA. I went home & noticed one of the boots is tight when I add my orthotics. I went to the store on 10/13/22 to exchange the same exact boot for a different size. The store stated that since I used a coupon during the purchase, the sale price was no longer valid & I was made to pay $34 for the exchange. I called customer service (866-DSW-SHOES) to complain. I was told they could only offer me $35 credit on a future purchase- which I will never use because I won’t spend money there ever again- because they can’t do anything to resolve what happens in their stores. I complained again on Twitter. I was told again they can’t do anything about what happens in their stores, but they would share my feedback with the store & if I would take my receipts (I only have the exchange receipt) to any store, I will be issued the difference. Going to another store will require a one hour drive each way.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2024

  The business stated they have resolved this directly with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2022

  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 6 pairs of shoes. Firstly, my credit card was declined (not by my bank, as I checked with them) and so I was forced to use my debit card. When I got home, I realized the appropriate discount was not applied to one pair. I called the store and was told I had to come back in because I used my debit card. They offered no help or compensation for their mistake and my efforts. I spoke to 2 people at the store and then was given a customer service line to call and spoke to 2 more people. Everyone said I would have to return to the store to have this addressed. No one offered me any compensation for my time, effort or gas money until I demanded it. I was then told my account would be flagged and I would be given 30% off my next purchase. I would like the store to refund me the amount of the discount without me having to go back there.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello *****,  

  Thank you for contacting the *** shoephoria! Center and
  being a *** VIP Elite member.

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in response to your inquiry.
  We apologize the clearance price was not added to your purchase while in store.
  Unfortunately, our customer service agents are unable to adjust or made credits
  to accounts from in-store purchases. Our stores & online team members have
  different systems which do not allow them to make adjustments to each other’s
  transactions. We have added points to the VIP account # ************ for a $30
  Reward. This Reward will be available in the account immediately & is valid
  for 75 days. The Reward can also be redeemed in-store, or on an online purchase.

  Thank you,
  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2022

  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 September 9th 2022 I purchased a pair of shoes from DSW shoe store. I used my birthday coupon that I received in Sept as I’m a VIP member. I could not wear these shoes because they were to hard and I gave really bad feet. I went back to the store and I didn’t try to return them just exchange in which I did that day! I got a 5.00 refund because that was the difference in pricing. I took those shoes home and they hurt my feet as well. I went to exchange them as well on September 20th. I actually found something else that day to just exchange I never asked for my money back. However my exchange was declined! I was so embarrassed in front of customers and they were appalled that this happened as well. I was given the number to call and they refused to help me. Please help me get my money credited back to my American Express card. I will never shop with them again. I was told I couldn’t return them for 180 days and by then the receipt will be no good.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2024

  This was resolved directly with the customer.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2024

  Hi *****, 

  Thank you for contacting DSW. 

  I apologize for the delay in replaying to your complaint, and that you were not able to return an order. I have sent you an email with the resolution this matter. 

  Thank you for being a VIP Club member. 

  Sincerely, *****, DSW Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/15/2022

  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.

  This is regarding order **********. I can't even believe the condition the items were packaged in & arrived in. I ordered the ****** ******* boots online specifically because they only had 1 pair in my size at the store location I tried them on & those were filthy on the soles. I wanted a brand new, never used pair. What I received in the mail was disgusting. Used, dirty on the bottom, glue coming off on the side near the zipper which the tissue paper was stuck to. Missing both dust bags for the shoes. The only reason I know it comes with dustbins is because I saw how nicely packaged the shoes in the store were. The reason I ordered online was because the 1 pair in store was used & filthy on the bottom. What arrived today was beyond disgusting. Used, wear on the bottom, no dust bags, glue coming off the side, barely any tissue paper, broken box tops, & the purse also arrived in the same package as both pairs of shoes. The purse wasn't even wrapped in anything. Whomever packaged this just threw it at the bottom of the package & it was jostled around & rhinestones were coming off & missing. I can't even believe someone from a store would actually package items in such a haphazard way & think that it was acceptable. I can't believe someone would think it was acceptable to send a customer a USED pair of shoes. I can't even believe I now have to waste more time & energy running all over town to return these shoes to FedEx, then going all the way out to either St. Peters or Fairview Heights, Illinois, because now my size is out of stock at the stores closest & most convenient to me. I'm just really disgusted. I have photos to show what I was sent. Now I probably won't have the shoes in time for the event I am going to attend. What an incredible waste of time & energy & money.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello ******,  

  Thank you for contacting the *** shoephoria! Center and
  being a *** VIP Club member.

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in response to your inquiry.
  We apologize your ****** ******* ****** and ***** & ***** Wristlet were
  sent to you in an unacceptable manner. *** prides ourselves in our shoes & ensuring
  we maintain a great customer experience while in our stores, & when
  ordering online. We have forwarded the feedback to the appropriate departments,
  and direct coaching will be issued. We have added points to your VIP account for
  a $20 Reward. This Reward will be available immediately & is valid for 75
  days. This Reward can be used in-store, or online.

  Thank you,
  *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2023

  [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,
  
  
  
  ****** **********