I had a very unsatisfactory experience while visiting one of your stores in Virginia, at 9880 W. Broad St., in Glen Allen. I had come in to look for a pair of sneakers and had decided on a pair of Saucony’s, for $64.99. While in the aisle I asked one of the sales associates if I could use a DSW VIP coupon I had in my possession, which was $30 off if one spends $49. She looked it over front and back and said it was good. So I waited in line with my 90-year-old mother who wanted to buy a pair of sunglasses which I also charged. The line was about 8 people long when we went to the register. To my dismay, the cashier would not apply the coupon. She said it did not cover the Saucony brand. She then showed me a yellow sheet showing the numerous brands (all popular) excluded from the coupon including Saucony. I feel this is misrepresentation and fraud on several levels: 1) On the coupon itself, there was no mention of popular brands being excluded. This omission is not representative of good business practices and kind of a teaser to draw customers in which is very misleading. What’s the value of a coupon if most brands are omitted? 2) The personnel in the store shouldn’t say a coupon is valid, when it isn’t. 3) The cashier stated that signs were posted in the store showing the exclusions. There were none apparent on the aisle where I shopped and I did not see any very visible in other parts of the store or else I would have thought twice about the purchase. Because of this, you can expect to lose this customer. Famous Footwear honors their coupons and doesn’t mislead the customer till you are at the point of purchase, after telling them the coupon is valid, and invalidates the discount. Poor form, and poor business practices. You should address this at your earliest opportunity.
