Smelly...

That is what I think of Rainbow Sandals' customer service. First the back story. I bought a pair of Rainbow's when I was 20 and have been wearing them ever since. My last pair I purchased like 4 years ago and they have been great. After much ribbing and threats of throwing my flips in a rubbish heap, my friends encouraged me to buy a new pair. Unwilling to throw out my old pair I bought a pair of Hemp Rainbow's to have along side of my older leather pair. Well, the hemp one's STINK!! They. Stink. Bad. It's embarassing!! My friend BSB actually smelt them while we were hanging out the other day and I was a bit put off by the comment he made and decided something has to be done about this.

Since Rainbow is an old company and a very large successful one at that, I thought if I contacted customer service they would at best offer to replace my sandals or at least offer me a discount on my future purchase. That didn't happen...here is what did.

Here is what I wrote to them...including spelling errors, what can I say it was early.

I recently purchases a pair of your hemp sandals to replace the old leather pair my friends were threatening to toss in the garbage (they just don't understand). Well, 4 months have gone by and they STINK!! I thought it was just the hemp and that the smell would wear off. This is not the case, the stench keeps growing. Side note: I am not a stinky footed person. My other (leather) pair of Rainbows are just fine albeit a bit worn in. Has this been a problem with other people? I know when I use hemp for jewelry and other things it does tend to smell for a bit after the first wetting, but the smells that emanate from my sandals 4 months after buying them is just gross.

Thanks,
Megan Lee

HERE IS THEIR REPLY...

The thing with hemp is that it’s a natural woven fiber and it absorbs the oils from your feet.
That is what makes them stink. I have the same problem. Whenever I wear my hemps, or even the rubbers, at the end of the day, it smells like I have been walking around in a pair of tennis shoes with no sock the whole day.
The hemp and rubber models make your feet sweat more than the leather and the sweat that collects in the sandals will stink after a while no matter how clean your feet are.

SO I SENT THEM THIS..

Is there anyway that I might be able to trade these in. I wouldn't have bought the hemp had I known this. I would have stuck with the leather. I would hate to think that I have to through out a $50 pair of Rainbows with no recourse what so ever.

AND THIS IS WHAT I RECEIVED BACK...

I’m sorry, but our warranty only covers manufacturing defects through the life of the sole or top-sole of the sandal. There is nothing that we are able to do for sandals that stink.

Customer Service

I think they use the name customer service as just that a name....Because I received no service to speak of. Other than a few words typed on a keyboard from some equally stinky footed person.

So there is our correspondence in a nutshell. What do you think I should do? I am not wearing the stupid smelly things anymore and now I am a little peeved that they will not offer me some sort of discount on my future purchase of a sandal (or two). I'm not willing after a bad customer service response to let sleeping elephants snore. I might just mail the shoes back and not ask for a refund, but if you have any input whatsoever then please let me know.