For some time, Nolita boutique Inven.tory -- which carries current, hard-to-find collections at wholesale prices -- was high on our list of reasons to live in New York City. Well, score another one for non-New Yorkers now that its stock -- from Smooth Co. to 3:33 -- is accessible to anyone with a Web connection. Still, at least for the moment, Inve.tory's vintage pieces remain off limits to digital patrons.INVEN.TORY - 237 Lafayette St between Prince & Spring - info@inventorynyc.com - Map
As a former Nolita resident who used to shop at Inven.tory, I was happy to find that they now sell items online through their website. They only offer a few things online, but I still found a pair of leather shoes that I liked that had a good discount, so I ordered them.
ReplyDeleteI received the item the next day, and upon opening the box, much to my dismay, I found a pair of shoes that had multiple BIG and DEEP creases in the leather on both shoes, with a dirty sole and a big 1-inch gash in the leather on the back of the left shoe. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.
I called them on the phone twice and emailed several times in an attempt to rectify the situation, but to no avail. The lady from the store explained the creases by saying people had tried them on in the store, but not to worry, they were never worn outside. Whew, that's a relief! I'm glad those deep creases and dirt on the sole came from inside the store, and not from outside. She went on to say that the shoes would eventually have creases in them anyway, and plus, they're desirable. I thought to myself, well dang, I've been doing it wrong this whole time by buying new shoes when I could be buying used ones with those very desirable creases. What was I thinking? And as if that wasn't enough, the lady never even addressed the gash in the $200 sneaker. Maybe if we ignore it, it ceases to exist?
When I asked if I could exchange the shoe for a better pair (I really liked the style) she said they were sold out; I had bought the last pair. Okay, fair enough, but just to sate my curiosity I went to their website and checked their inventory. Lo and behold, they're still in stock. So I emailed the lady with my newfound knowledge, and she came back with the explanation that their website has a delay and is not up-to-date. Wow, I feel really bad for those people who place their order only to find out they're really out of stock. The Inven.tory staff must do a lot of damage control with their delayed website. Right.
So in my last email to the lady, I politely thanked her for her helping me, but told her I was disappointed with the product and I didn't believe they should be charging customers shipping charges on exchanges for an inferior product. She responded, "We have done everything in our power to make you happy - but unfortunately that is not enough." Okay. Enough said.
Needless to say, not a good experience.