Stacey W.
absolutely the worst experience
absolutely the worst experience. I ordered a pair of flip flops - awaited their arrival as they were a pre-order. The color varied from the advertised photo and I noticed 1 of the embellishments were lifted. I contacted customer service who stated the yellowing was basically my imagination and then accused me of doing the damage. I sent a pic of the defect - nothing more. The tags are still on the shoes. I requested a refund with a pre-paid label and was told no. I have purchased multiple pairs of flip flops from them in the past and last year - I had a pair that frayed after 1 wear - they were kind enough to replace, however the quality has gone down hill and the customer service leaves much to be desired. I do not think my request was out of line. I did not appreciate the accusation of pulling at the shoe to cause damage - what would be the reasoning for that? I tried to leave a review in a facebook forum and the response was out of this world. I will never suggest these to anyone. I am now in the process of a payment dispute. This could have all been avoided. Customer service needs some better training. After re-reading the response- I’d like to add- I would be happy to take a replacement, however why will they not take these back? It costs more to send a replacement and pay shipping for them. I would just like to send these defective shoes back for a refund - they would get the shoe back and just absorb the cost for shipping on a defective item. It makes zero sense to me. I do not appreciate the accusatory tone - I can see from some other reviews, I am not the only one who has experienced this issue with this particular shoe and the embellishments being secure. I have since filed a claim with the BBB and kept my promise to post the issue -which was deleted by CS- as this situation was grossly mishandled. I’m not asking for anything crazy. Just a refund (including shipping costs) for an item I received defective - again, I want to send these item back, I don’t think I should have to pay for shipping (to and from) for a defective item.
Response from Tidewater SandalsJul 2, 2025
Hi Stacy, I'm sorry to hear that you’ve remained unhappy with your experience despite our efforts to address your concerns. For the sake of transparency, we’d like to share the full context of our conversation so that others reading your review can see exactly how we responded: From Stacy (Initial message): “My order just came in (100288) for the ‘A Walk Down the Aisle’ flip flop. They were a pre-order so I waited some time for arrival—which was fine—but what a disappointment. I have only taken them out of the package (tags intact)… the glue used massively yellowed and one of the starfish are lifted. I’d like to return for a full refund (including shipping) as these are damaged. I’m attaching photos—please let me know if you have any questions.” Our Response: Hi Stacy, Thanks for reaching out and we’re sorry to hear you’re disappointed. We took a close look at the photos you shared, and we can confirm that the pair you received is the exact item we have pictured on our website and ads. The glue is clear, and the webbing is a cream/tan color that reflects silver flecks in the sunlight—exactly as shown in our product imagery. We’d encourage you to take them outside to see the full effect. That said, we understand if they weren’t what you hoped for. We’re happy to accept a return as long as the tags remain attached. Since the product is not defective and matches what we advertised, we cannot cover return shipping or refund your original shipping costs. If you’d prefer to exchange them for something else, we’re happy to cover shipping on an exchange as per our policy. Best, Micheal From Stacy (Follow-up): “Good morning, Color aside… the starfish is already lifting, as shown in the photo. This is damaged. As with one wear it will fall off. I do not feel I should have to pay for a defective product and should not be responsible for the shipping. I am happy to dispute with PayPal however I’m hoping to just return these and be done with it.” Our Second Response: Hi Stacy, We want to be transparent: The embellishments on our “Walk Down the Aisle” sandals are tested to withstand up to 50 pounds of pull pressure and will not fall off under normal wear. The image you sent shows the starfish being pulled from the strap—despite a hang tag that reads “Handle with Care.” This is not a defect. However, as we said earlier, you’re welcome to return the sandals under our standard return policy. If you choose to dispute the transaction, we’ll respond with documentation, photos, and product testing results. Let us know how you’d like to proceed. —The Tidewater Team From Stacy (Final reply): “No, I noticed that when it came out of the package… it caught my eye because it was not glued down like the rest. The picture was to show the issue. It’s fine. I’m going to plaster this entire issue on your FB page and file a complaint with the BBB. This is not right. Absolutely the worst customer service imaginable. So go ahead and dispute it. I’m happy to send them back but I will not pay shipping for a defective item. I guess it’s worth it to you to have the negative reviews and attention.” We stand by the product you received, which matches our photography and quality standards. While we regret that our return policy did not meet your expectations, we were happy to accept the item back for a refund, and even offered a no-cost exchange. We’re a small business that stands behind our products and our customers. In fact, when you had a minor issue with fraying on a different pair last year, we sent you a free replacement—no questions asked. We're proud of our many positive reviews from happy customers and our customer care track record. While we understand not every style will be the right fit for every person, we believe our response to your concern was fair, prompt, and consistent with our policies. We remain happy to accept your return and wish you all the best. —The Tidewater Team