SHAME ON KUMFS

This is the sad, but true, story of a pair of Kumfs boots that were well taken care of, rarely worn and fell apart because the soles were made with a material known to disintegrate. As the following photographs clearly demonstrate, there was hardly any wear on the boots, including the soles. Yet the soles cracked and the heel on the left Kumfs boot literally fell off.

But first, some background.

My wife purchased the Kumfs to wear in the winter with her jeans. Like all her shoes, she took excellent care of them so they would last for years. All except the these particular Kumfs have lasted well - including several pairs of Kumfs shoes.

So, thinking that Kumfs was a good brand and could be trusted to repair or replace the boots, she took them back to our local Whangarei, New Zealand, Kumfs shop. Unfortunately, a courteous young lady at the shop told us they were unable to repair the shoes and that store policy meant that they would take no responsibility for any Kumfs bought over two years ago.

In the meantime, I've spoken with the Kumfs NZ retail manager, who informed me that, although the soles are made of a material called "PU" and that the material is known to disintegrate after a period of time, the company would take no responsibility for this built-in obsolescence (my words), because the boots were purchased five years ago. SO BE WARNED: Kumfs products with "PU" soles are manufactured and sold to unsuspecting customers despite the company knowing that the soles' are made of a material that will disintegrate regardless of how well the boots are maintained. (Her confirmation email below)

In other words, it's your tough luck should a pair of Kumfs fall apart after two years - regardless of how little they've been worn or how well they're looked after. One can only assume that Kumfs boots are NOT made to last. These certainly weren't.

Nice looking boots.

And well taken care of ...

Not much wear on the sole. But what are those little holes near the toes?
Wait! Look carefully and you'll see that there are more little holes ...

Note the word "FLEXIBLE" on the soles. Note the lack of wear.
Then note the cracks that have appeared in the soles when the boots were worn
for the first time in several months. By the way, the boots were stored on a well ventilated "shoe rack"
well off the floor in a dry wardrobe in our bedroom. They were also covered with a lightweight "shoe cloth" to keep them from getting dusty or picking up any lint.
So Kumfs can't use environmental damage as an excuse.

Note the differences between the Kumfs' heel on your left and the one on your right.
If the damage was due entirely to wear and tear wouldn't both Kumfs' heels show it?

This is what happened to the heel and sole on a Kumfs' boot that was made of "PU."

On one hand, in New Zealand, we are constantly encouraged to "Buy NZ Made."
But why bother when you are rewarded with a product like this
and a manufacturer that won't take responsibility? 

Finally ... this is the chunk of the heel that fell off. Does it look worn? Or mistreated?
Or just faulty?

BUYER BEWARE!

The number of people who have viewed this webpage ... so far:

Copy of the email informing my of Kumfs NZ's  decision:

Hi Robert

Thank you for advising us of the situation with your wife’s boots.

As discussed we have managed to ascertain from your wife’s customer club records that the boots were purchased in March 2005 from our Albany store for $175.00.

The Foxy boot was a very comfortable and popular boot which your wife would have enjoyed over the last 5 years.

It is unfortunate the PU sole has deteriorated after this period of time however 5 years is considered a reasonable life for a pair of boots and so we are unable to take any further action regarding this situation. 

Whilst we realise that this is not the response you were hoping for, I am sure that you will understand our position and we look forward to serving your wife in our stores in the future.


Kind regards

Wendy McLaughlin
National Retail Manager NZ
Kumfs Shoes NZ Ltd.
(NB: I have removed the telephone numbers)
www.kumfs.com