Business Profile

Retail Shoes

Designer Brands Inc.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

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

Customer Complaints Summary

235 total complaints in the last 3 years.
120 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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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:09/23/2024
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.
9/7/2024
$33.98
Adidas were marked as lost. Took 2 rounds in a chat (almost a full hour wasted) trying to get a replacement for the adidas sent. Was told 5 to 7 business days and the shoes would be here. They still haven't shown. Customer service tells me to wait. I'm done waiting. I ordered 2 pairs of shoes bc I needed the adidas. The 2nd pair turned out to be practically free so dsw now wants to refund the one pair which does not benefit me at all. I want either a full order refund or I want the shoes that I have ordered and fought to receive
Business Response
Date: 09/26/2024
I'm sorry to hear about your previous DSW experience. We certainly don't intend to inconvenience or frustrate our Shoe Lovers in any form or fashion. After reviewing your order, I see that the attempted reshipments of the item was still in a processing state. Unfortunately we're unable to proceed with the request so we resulted in cancelling the reshipment pending. Attached to this message is the resolution option for your inquiry. Again I apologize for any trouble this may have caused.
******* - DSW
Initial Complaint
Date:09/23/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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.
Hello,
I called this store on 125th street to inquire about my shoes I placed the order on sept 16 I received an email saying it was shipped but never got a email stating it was available for pick up. The store associates ****** answers the phone and this is the worst store associate I ever encountered in my life. Very rude very aggressive he proceeded to try to correct me that I did not need a email to place a order when that was not my concern or reason for calling as I begin to try to explain to him I’m looking for a order already placed he begin to yell again about how I can place a order. I told ****** he is being very rude and unhelpful and very unprofessional and I will be there to the store shortly. As suspected my shoes had been sitting there for three days without any associate logging them in for me to be notified. Every store associate claimed ****** did not have a manger I can talk to about my experience with him that quite frankly left me very upset and disturbed that he can talk to customers the way he did and even said I can happily contact corporate to make a complaint, apparently he doesn’t care about his behavior toward consumers. A simple phone call of me trying to find my child shoes turned into a nightmare. I don’t appreciate this business not following protocols to log there orders in and to have associates who are rude and unprofessional being paid to yell and talk to customer how ever they chooses , who are supposed to be available to help you.
Business Response
Date: 09/23/2024
Hi ********,

Thank you for Contact DSW.

I apologize to hear about your recent
DSW experience at one of our DSW locations. I hope that you find the resolution
to this matter in the attached word document.

Thank you for shopping
with DSW.

Sincerely,
*****, DSW Inc
Customer Answer
Date: 09/30/2024
[If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.]

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because: I’m not interested in a refund I want to speak to his superior to insure my complaint did not go on deaf ears it is not acceptable to speak to anyone in that mannor I’m highly disturbed he himself is a manager.

Regards,

******** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:09/06/2024
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 bought shoes for a wedding in 2020. The wedding reception was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned the shoes and received a gift card for $314.84 on September 8, 2020. I was not provided an expiration date for this gift card. I tried to use this gift card to purchase shoes in August 2024. The gift card was not found in the system. After speaking with multiple customer service representatives, I was told that the gift card was not valid because they did not have a record of the gift card. I emailed the company a copy of the gift card and they continued to refuse to honor the gift card.
Business Response
Date: 09/09/2024
Hello *******,
I'm sorry to hear about your previous experience. We certainly don't intend to inconvenience or frustrate our Shoe Lovers in any form or fashion. After reviewing the attachment provided, this actually isn't a DSW inquiry but a Keds matter. We wouldn't be able to resolve through this channel since we only deal with DSW related matters, however, we've forwarded your issue to the appropriate Keds department to review and resolve. Please allow 72 business hours for them to comply.
Thank you!
******* - DSW
Customer Answer
Date: 09/09/2024
[If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.]

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because: the company stated the complaint must be sent to an additional company. Please send the complaint to the correct company.

Regards,

******* *******
Business Response
Date: 09/10/2024
Hello,
I apologize for any confusion. As mentioned previously, we've already submitted the concern to the appropriate organization as we're unable to assist with this inquiry. Thank you!
******* - DSW
Customer Answer
Date: 09/10/2024
[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:08/31/2024
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 a pair of shoes on 8/12/24 to be delivered to a store for pickup. When I saw the email that they delivered, I picked them up 1-2 days after. I then saw that every day I was receiving an authorization charge and as I understand the money isn’t fully being taken out of my account, it was still lowering my funds and was very inconvenient. I was getting holds for over $150 every week. I contacted customer service about this issue who informed me the shoes were “never picked up”. I let them know I did pick up the shoes and to remove the holds and allow the charge to go through because I was planning to return the shoes. She said ok no problem. I then notice for the rest of the week AGAIN I am being charged a hold every day AND my original charge of 54.23 did actually go through as well. I called again and explained and they connected me to a supervisor who said “I didn’t pick it up” while I SPOKE TO SOMEONE THE DAY BEFORE LETTING THEM KNOW I DID! He said ok he can fix the issue and I should be able to return them no problem and the hold will stop and I’ll get a refund for the charge. I go to the store yesterday and they said I can’t return them because although I did pick them up, they weren’t ready for pickup because the brand itself didn’t “release” the shoes but they “wanted to give me the customer my shoes”. Basically covering for his employee that messed up. If they weren’t ready why did you give them to me? He was able to cancel the order but said about the refund I need to CONTACT MY BANK?!?! Because they have “nothing to do with those funds”, and “it’s my bank that needs to release the money”. What does my bank have to do with their mistake?! Now I still have the authorization holds and my charge on the account. I demand my refund and will never shop here again because this is disgusting. Also the manager said “we couldn’t have charged you cause we don’t charge unless it was picked up which it wasn’t”, as I stand there with the shoes..but it was charged
Business Response
Date: 09/04/2024
Hello ******,
I'm sorry to hear about your previous DSW experience. We certainly don't intend to inconvenience or frustrate our Shoe Lovers in any form or fashion. As you may already be aware of, we don't charge the form of payment until the merchandise has been shipped out (if shipping to a residence) or is marked as picked up (if collecting from a DSW store) from our facilities unless utilizing Afterpay. Between both of your DSW orders placed on 8/12/24 & 8/21/24 for in store pick up, both were cancelled since they were never marked as picked up in the system (even though at the time you had the order in your possession). Both pre-authorizations of $54.23 & $107.98 were already reversed in the Applepay portal at the time of cancellation. The only order we had collected for was also placed on 8/21/24 that was shipping to your home using a credit/debit card, however, that order was returned on 8/30/24 and we've issued a full refund of $90.98 back to your form of payment. Any time a credit is issued or if you're waiting for a pre-authorization to fall off, it typically takes 3-5 business days for the transaction to settle or pending charge to clear. Though you're more than welcomed to reach out to Applepay or your financial institution to confirm the pre-authorization clearance and refund, there's no need to do so. There wouldn't be a refund for $54.23 nor $107.98 since both orders were cancelled. The only credit that you would need to be on the lookout for would be for $90.98 (in which I have the bank reference number attached to this message as confirmation for the refund). If you're still not seeing the credit of $90.98 posted to your bank statements, then for that you would want to contact your financial institution since they provided us with the bank reference number confirming the credit was successful. I've submitted your in store experience to the district manager of that location. This way they're aware of what you've endured throughout the process and can address the matter with the store. Again I apologize for any confusion or frustration this may have caused.
******* - DSW
Customer Answer
Date: 09/04/2024
[If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.]

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because: I actually did get charged for the 54.23 although you said that you don’t charge unless it’s picked up. The whole point of this was that I did pick it up but the store marked that I did not and that’s why I was receiving the authorization hold every day. While receiving the authorization hold I also had the same charge go through a 54.23. I filed a claim with my bank to get that refund because I did return those shoes and he marked them as canceled. Meanwhile, I was charged for them because there was no way for him to mark returned since someone messed up and didn’t write that I picked them up. all the other charges were resolved.

Regards,

****** ***********
Business Response
Date: 09/05/2024
Hello ******,
I reviewed the order transaction again just to confirm and it's still not showing we collected $54.23 from the cancelled order. Typically confirming this, the bank would provide reference numbers for any and all debits and credits to see what officially see what posted (excluding pre-authorizations). However with Applepay there's not any shared reference number that we can refer to. I checked again in the Applepay portal concerning your order and it's showing there was an authorization of $54.23 that occurred on 8/12/24 when the order was placed, but on 8/19/24 that authorization had expired and reversed. I have no problem at all refunding you for the collection since your order was cancelled, however, the primary issue is that it's not showing debited on our side at all due to the order being cancelled. So there's nothing we can refund since DSW didn't collect for this order. Since it's not showing an official charge on DSW's end nor Applepay's end, you would need to reach out to Applepay's customer service or the financial institution your credit/debit card is attached to your Applepay account if you're still seeing that it's debited.
Initial Complaint
Date:08/30/2024
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 received a pair of boots that were clearly previously used, worn and damaged. The boots were also loose in their box, folded onto themselves with no packing material. They are leather so they should not be being folded and creased. The boots had damage to the leather around the ankles and damage to the soles. They were also very dirty.DSW is unwilling to send me a prepaid return label. They want me to ship the boots back and then have to request a refund on the shipping. I should not have to do that, they should be taking care of the shipping automatically. This was their mistake and I've already gone back and forth with them enough, I don't want to have to deal with them anymore to get the shipping refunded.
Business Response
Date: 09/04/2024
Hi ****,

Thank you for Contact DSW.

I apologize that you have received damaged items with your most recent dsw.com order. I hope that you find the resolution to this matter in the attached word document.

Thank you for being a VIP Club member with us.

Sincerely,
*****, DSW ****
Customer Answer
Date: 09/07/2024
[If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.]

Complaint: 22219287

I am rejecting this response because: I want confirmation that using the shipping label will not result in a return shipping fee being subtracted from my refund.

Regards,

***************************
Business Response
Date: 09/10/2024
Hello,
There's not a way for us to process an exemption for the return fee in the system, however, once returned we can manually make the adjustment for you. That way you'll still receive the full refund for your return.
Cameron - DSW
Initial Complaint
Date:08/25/2024
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.
Returned an online order in which I used a reward of $5 and a coupon of $10. I did an exchange in store and was not allowed to re-use my $10 coupon.
Business Response
Date: 08/27/2024
Hello *****,

I'm sorry to hear about your in store experience when you were doing your return/exchange. We certainly don't intend to inconvenience or frustrate our Shoe Lovers in any form or fashion. Unfortunately our promotional offers do differ from earned Rewards certificates and aren't always transferrable depending on the time period and/or product you're exchanging for. I've attached my resolution to the word document affixed. Again I apologize for any trouble or confusion this process may have caused.

Cameron - DSW
Customer Answer
Date: 09/02/2024
[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:08/19/2024
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 am having an issue with shoes I ordered for my son for back to school.

On the first order, I received a pair of shoes that were clearly worn. I immediately contacted customer service, and while they were responsive and sent a replacement, the second pair I received was also worn, albeit not as severely, and the box was crushed. This was extremely disappointing, but I tried to remain patient, hoping the issue would be resolved.

After reaching out through Facebook and receiving assistance via Messenger, I was sent a third pair. To my utter disbelief, I received this pair today, and it appears to have fecal matter on both shoes, with the inside heel also visibly dirty. Literal poop on these shoes. This is beyond unacceptable.

I called customer service once more and was informed that due to low inventory, this might be why I received worn shoes on three separate occasions. I was told that feedback would be provided to the warehouse and that the situation would be looked into. A $20 coupon was sent to my email as compensation, but this gesture does little to address the severity of the situation. When I asked to speak to a supervisor's supervisor, I was informed that I could expect a callback within 24 to 48 hours.

As a long-time customer, I am incredibly disappointed by this experience. Not only have I wasted a considerable amount of time dealing with this issue, but the fact that my son’s school shoes were involved makes this all the more frustrating. It is unacceptable to receive not one, but three defective pairs of shoes, and I am deeply concerned about the quality control processes in place at your warehouse.
Business Response
Date: 08/20/2024
Thank you for contacting DSW,

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that has been caused with receiving a worn item. Please refer to the attached document with the resolution.

Sincerely, *****, DSW Inc.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/29/2024
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.
In September 2023, I ordered shoes online and then returned them. Since then, DSW has charged me and placed a hold on my credit card every single week. It has been a cycle. They have charged me and then released the hold after a couple of days. I had contacted them at least 4 times and they have not resolved this.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/29/2024
I contacted them again today (after a few times in the last year). They still refuse to take care of future charges. Their response continues to be that they will stop the current charge. However, they will charge me again next week and every week after that. They will not promise to stop.
Business Response
Date: 07/29/2024
Hi ****,
Thank you for contacting DSW.
I apologize for the experience you have had with the reoccurring pre-authorizations
on your Visa card. The full response and resolution to your complaint is within
the attached document. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/26/2024
Type:Customer Service 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 will NEVER order from DSW AGAIN! You have lost my business!
I placed an order on July 19th and the item was shipped to the local DSW SIX days later. Not very fast shipping and the shoes continue to sit at the store!. The store never sent an email stating that they were ready for pickup. So because of their laziness of not informing me that the shoes are ready for pickup. I am not shopping here anymore, nor am I picking up the shoes! I went to Kohl's and purchased sandals there! Associates at the ******* **** **** ** **** ***** ** are LAZY! they don't process the shoes that are delivered!? They just sit there?! Going on two days that the shoes were NOT processed! Ridiculous!
Business Response
Date: 07/29/2024
Hello ****,
Thank you for
contacting DSW. I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced with
your recent order **********. While reviewing your order, I can see that it was
delivered to our **** **** ** DSW store on 7/25/2024, and that your order was processed
as received and ready to be picked up on 7/26/2024 around 6:45 p.m. EST. We try
our best to receive ship to store orders in our system as fast as possible, but
there are times where it can take 24 hours for our stores to process them due
to other pressing matters or responsibilities. I was glad to see that even with
the timeframe between delivery and your order being processed, we were still within
the four to seven business day timeframe for receiving and processing your
order.
Since you
mentioned that you will not be picking up this order, I have called our **** **** ** DSW store and requested that your order be cancelled. Since the order has
not been picked up, the $51.98 total for your order has not been collected from
your **** ending in ****. The pre-authorization on your **** will be removed within
three to five business days, and I have also reversed this pre-authorization in
hopes that it is removed from your **** as soon as possible. As a token of
apology for your experience with this, I have applied $15 in Rewards to your
DSW VIP account to honor the discount that was applied to this order. These Rewards
will be valid for 75 days and can be used in-store or online with no brand exclusions.
Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/29/2024
[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:07/22/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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 ordered $50 pair of sandals and when I received them they had already been worn. The tops are stretched out and the bottoms are dirty. I have been going round and round for a week with their customer service. They want me to travel 60 miles away to return a pair of used sandals. That's a huge problem because I refuse to travel 60 miles due to their mistake. If I won't go to the store then they will charge me shipping to return them and that's a big problem too. I am NOT paying for their mistake. I now have a $50 pair of sandals I can't even wear.
Business Response
Date: 07/23/2024
Hello ***,
Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the condition you received the Anne Klein-Tinsley Sandal from your recent order ********** in, and for the customer service you received while trying to have this resolved. I sent you a personal email to resolve and address your concerns. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member.
Sincerely,
******, DSW inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/23/2024
[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,

*** ********

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Designer Brands Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.