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: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,

*** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:07/18/2024
Type:Delivery 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.
On 07/07/24 I purchased 2 pairs of shoes, and was suppose to receive them by 07/12/24. Checked tracking that day and they hadn’t moved beyond creating the label, but they were coming from 2 different areas. I reached out to customer service on 07/14/24, they looked and said they had been “lost in transit”, did I want a refund or to reorder? I asked for them to be reordered and the customer service said they were reordered and should be received by 07/19/24. A few moments later I received an email that one of the items was canceled. I feel like the representative should’ve been able to see that, but didn’t mention it. However now on 07/18/24 I received the one pair but they’re used and dirty, and still have not received a refund for the other pair. DSW has gone downhill with no quality control. The pair I received shouldn’t have been sent out.

I keep trying to upload photos, but it’s saying they’re too large. I’d love to email them for the company to see.
Business Response
Date: 07/23/2024
Hi *********,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the inconvenience you have
experienced with your recent order **********. I completely understand your
frustration regarding this, and I will be sharing your feedback with our upper
management team so that your thoughts and concerns are addressed. While
reviewing your order, I can see that the refund of $35.34 for the Vans-Doheny
Sneaker was processed on 7/19/2024. I have issued the remaining refund of $27.77
for the Skechers-Uno 2 Air Around You Sneaker that you received in poor/used
condition. You can expect this refund to be reflected on your ********** within
three to five business days. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Cbus member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Business Response
Date: 07/23/2024
Hi *********,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for the inconvenience you have
experienced with your recent order **********. I completely understand your
frustration regarding this, and I will be sharing your feedback with our upper
management team so that your thoughts and concerns are addressed. While
reviewing your order, I can see that the refund of $35.34 for the Vans-Doheny
Sneaker was processed on 7/19/2024. I have issued the remaining refund of $27.77
for the Skechers-Uno 2 Air Around You Sneaker that you received in poor/used
condition. You can expect this refund to be reflected on your ********** within
three to five business days. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Cbus member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2024
[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,

********* ****
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2024
[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:07/16/2024
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 May 4, 2024 I ordered 16 pairs of shoes from Designer Shoe Warehouse. All the shoes were delivered and I had to return 9 pairs of shoes. The company received the shoes through Fed Ex with the return label they sent me, however they didn't fully refund me for the 9 pair of shoes. On July 11th, I received a call from ****** from DSW and told me the back end department they can't validate the return. I was told to file a complain to my financial institute. Where are the shoes that I returned? I have called them many many time and every time I call I get a different answer. I need my refund.
Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Hi *********,

Thank you for Contact DSW.

I apologize for the delay in processing your refund for DSW order number **********.After investigating, we discovered a label mix-up that caused the issue. All items were returned to us on June 29, and refunds have been issued today. You should see the refund in your account within 3 to 5 business days. You will receive an email notification once the refund is processed from your financial institution.As a VIP Elite member, you can also return online orders to local DSW stores within 365 days for added convenience. Thank you for your patience and allowing us to assist you. Have a great day.

Thank you for being a VIP Elite member with us.

Sincerely,
*****, DSW ****
Initial Complaint
Date:06/28/2024
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.
Hi, I ordered shoes online on Friday, June 21st in the am. 2 min after I ordered it got cancelled due to not actually having the product in stock. I have $101.08 withdrawn out of my banking account and never received a refund. I waited patiently until today to see if it would be credited back. I was told there isn't money taken out of my account by ********************** directly and I won't be charged until I pick up the shoes. So if my ordered was cancelled, how can I pick up shoes if the order was cancelled. That is 100 bucks I could have spent on groceries this week or gas. DSW cannot keep my money with giving me a product or service. This is the second time this has happened with DSW and I feel like this is common practice. I shouldn't have to call to get my money back, as this has happened to me twice now.
Business Response
Date: 07/01/2024
Hi *******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced with having your recent order ********** cancelled. I completely understand your frustration regarding this and will share your feedback and concerns with our upper management team to be addressed. When orders are placed, a pre-authorization is created on the form of payment for the order total. We do not collect the funds from the pre-authorization until the item has been shipped or been picked up if it was shipped to a DSW store. When an order is cancelled, it can take three to five business days for the pre-authorization to be removed depending on the financial institution.
While reviewing the pre-authorization details for your order, I can see that a pre-authorization reversal was attempted on 6/28 but the original pre-authorization from 6/21 had already expired in our system, and no new pre-authorizations were created after that. Unfortunately, since we did not collect any funds for this order, there is no refund we can process. As a token of apology for your experience with this, I have applied $20 in Rewards to your DSW VIP account. This Reward will be valid until 9/14/2024 and can be used in-store or online with no brand exclusions. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Gold member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/26/2024
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’ve been a long time customer that has never returned before now and I based on this experience, I don’t think I want to be a customer anymore. Especially because I’m terminally ill and can’t handle much. It started with a horrible time on the phone with customer service and then finally after too much effort on my part, I was able to get a Fedex pickup arrangement by DSW and make this short, the shoes went back and there hasn’t been a refund or contact of any kind. Why is this so difficult?
Business Response
Date: 06/26/2024
Hi ******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced
with the customer service you received while contacting us to return your
recent order **********. I completely understand your frustration regarding
this, especially since the item was returned to us over a month ago and you
still have not received your refund yet. Rest assured, I have processed your
full refund of $80.80 and you can expect to see this reflected on your Visa
ending in **** within three to five business days. The banking return reference
number (ARN) that confirms the refund was successfully processed is 749******************81.

As a token of apology for your experience with this, I have sent you a $30
electronic gift card to your email address. You can expect to receive the confirmation
email for the gift card shortly, and the activation email within 24 to 36
hours. Please note, sometimes the activation email goes to a spam and junk folder,
so make sure to check there if you do not receive it in your inbox. Thank you
for being a DSW VIP Club member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/27/2024
I accept DSW’s response to resolve this complaint. I’m thankful they were so kind and forthwith the help and extra gift. Exceeded my expectations.

Regards,

****** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:06/25/2024
Type:Delivery 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 *** on order #********** on June 16, 2024 and the three (3) items totaling $127.08 were shipped in two (2) separate shipments via FedEx Tracking #*********9*********1 & *********208 and they show delivered as of Friday June 21, 2024 but when my husband and I both checked the parcel lockers the only package received was from Old Navy and only one notification was received from Parcel Pending that any of my orders from several companies had been delivered. I submitted a claim with FedEx for both orders and also contacted *** and received an email that they would not refund or replace the items as they show delivered although they weren't and their was no proof of delivery provided.
Business Response
Date: 06/26/2024
Hi ******,

Thank you for contacting ***. I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced
from having your recent order ********** marked as delivered by FedEx but not receiving
your three pairs of shoes from your order. While reviewing your order, I was
glad to see that a customer service representative was able to place a new
order for your items at no additional cost to you to be picked up at your local
*** store in Ontario CA. The Nike Calm Slide Sandal and Steve Madden Kimbrly
Sandal are currently ready to be picked up and you will receive an email when
the Journee Collection-Emalynn Slide Sandal has been received at the store and
is ready to be picked up as well.

Going forward, I would strongly recommend having your orders placed to be picked
up in-store as we will not offer a refund or replacement for orders that are
marked as delivered but not received. Thank you for being a *** VIP Club
member!
Sincerely,
******, *** Inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/03/2024
[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:06/21/2024
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.
On the 31st of may I returned sandals in store that I had purchased online as they were the wrong size and didn’t have the size I needed in store. They issued me a refund and yet here it is June 21st and still have yet to receive it!! I have never heard of such a thing! I feel like this whole company is a scam!!! I want my refund!!! I even repurchased the same shoes in the right size so I payed double until I get my money back from the first pair . I’m not rich and need to see this money back on my account! The document assigned is the second email I received saying it would take an additional 8 days. This is inexcusable!!
Business Response
Date: 06/24/2024
Hi *******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for any miscommunication
you have received regarding the refund for your recently returned order **********.
While reviewing your order in our ordering system and payment platform, I can
see that we never successfully collected the $134.28 for your order. Since we
do not collect funds for orders until they have shipped, I can see the
pre-authorization of $134.28 created on 5/21 when the order was placed but when
the order was shipped on 5/28, the attempt to collect the $134.28 from your
Visa ending in 6239 was rejected due to insufficient funds.

Since you returned this order on 5/31, we have not
attempted to collect the funds for the order again. Because we never successfully
charged you for this order, no refund of $134.28 would have been processed and
that is why you are not seeing a refund reflected on your Visa ending in 6239. I have provided an attachment with a screenshot from our payment platform to confirm this information. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Business Response
Date: 06/24/2024
Hi *******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I apologize for any miscommunication
you have received regarding the refund for your recently returned order **********.
While reviewing your order in our ordering system and payment platform, I can
see that we never successfully collected the $134.28 for your order. Since we
do not collect funds for orders until they have shipped, I can see the
pre-authorization of $134.28 created on 5/21 when the order was placed but when
the order was shipped on 5/28, the attempt to collect the $134.28 from your
Visa ending in 6239 was rejected due to insufficient funds.

Since you returned this order on 5/31, we have not
attempted to collect the funds for the order again. Because we never successfully
charged you for this order, no refund of $134.28 would have been processed and
that is why you are not seeing a refund reflected on your Visa ending in 6239. I have provided an attachment with a screenshot from our payment platform to confirm this information. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club member!
Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/10/2024
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.
DSW continues to sell shoes advertising they’re brand new, then shipping used shoes out and finally charging restock fees. This is not only false advertising but stealing from customers. They can make a ton of money if others fall for it. I would like my full refund but the store wouldn’t give it because of the restock fee. I paid 68.30, they refunded 60.35. But they sent me used shoes, so they basically made money off of a false promise to give me brand new shoes.
Business Response
Date: 06/12/2024
Hi ******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I
apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced with the condition of the
shoes you received in your recent order **********. I completely understand
your frustration regarding this, especially since you did not receive your full
refund when you returned the item back to us. I have shared your feedback with
our upper management team so that your thoughts and concerns are addressed.

I have processed the remaining
refund of $7.95, and you can expect to see this reflected on your Apple Pay
account within three to five business days. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Club
member!

Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/04/2024
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.
On March 10th i purchased 4 pairs of shoes on DSW online to pick up at their store in ****** ** all went fine. After that it was a mess. I received an email that my shoes were ready for pick up. I arrived to the store, they were not. Staff didnt know what to do and i confirmed with them i received the email stating they were. After several return trips to the store and phone calls i finally got all my shoes. The issue im having is that they won't process the payment. It shows pending, then diaappears, then shows up again and then disappears. They did process one pair of shoes seperately for $49.99 and $189.90 is remaining. It is now June and they have still not processed the payment. I just want to pay for my shoes and never shop there again.
Business Response
Date: 06/11/2024
Hi *******,

Thank you for contacting DSW. I
apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced
with the issues you had with your recent order **********. I completely understand
your frustration regarding this, especially with having the pre-authorization
of $189.96 continuously hitting your MasterCard account. Unfortunately, this happened
because the store did not confirm that you picked up three out of the four
items on your order. No worries, I am more than happy to make this right for
you.

Since this was not your fault,
I have suspended the payment on your order and reversed the most recent pre-authorization
on your ********** ****** ** ***** Due to the inconvenience this may have
caused you, we will not be collecting the remaining balance of $189.96 for the shoes you
picked up. As an additional apology from us to you, I have also sent you a $75
electronic gift card to your email address ************sn.com.
You can expect to receive the confirmation email of this shortly, followed by
the activation email within 24-36 hours. Thank you for being a DSW VIP Gold
member!

Sincerely,
******, DSW Inc.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/11/2024
Thank you, very much for resolving this matter. I just wanted to pay what I owed in a timely manner. I'm grateful for the apology, the surprise generosity it really is helpful for me financially and i dont have to worry any more about this matter. I appreciate it and very thankful.

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.