Worst Purchase of 2012

I am sad to admit that already in January, I have had my worst purchase of 2012. My mom wanted to buy me a pair of shoes that would help support my back better while I was at work.  I am definitely not a shoe connoisseur so I googled "best back support shoes" and one of the top shoes that popped up was a company called "Gravity Defyers."  I looked at the shoe and saw that it had "Versoshock Trampoline Technology designed to absorb harmful impact, provide added stability, and propel you forward which helps reduce fatigue so you can work-out longer."  Sounded perfect and what made it seem even better was that it had a 30 day money back guarantee, no strings attached.  The biggest negative to me was the price with one pair costing around $130.  So, in order to try to save money, I got a pair of the "refurbished" shoes that were only $89.  They were basically a pair that had been used in the store as a try on pair or something like that, but was still in perfect condition.  I ordered and looked forward to the "new life" they guaranteed to bring.  In the back of my mind, I was a bit concerned about the logo that I saw on their website.  I swore it looked like a sperm but knew that certainly there was no way that a company would use that as their logo and figured the pictures just didn't adequately describe it.

Then I got my shoes in the mail, pulled them out of the box and could not believe my eyes.

It WAS a sperm on the side!  There was no doubting it!  I thought that the company probably made it look like a sperm on purpose but would say that it wasn't if asked and would call it a tadpole or something instead.  Then I researched a little deeper about the company and the shoes (what I should have done in the first place apparently...)  and this is what I found.

Under the google headline of "GRAVITY DEFYER™ LOGO CAUSES PULL OUT – pain free/comfortable footwear line still swimming upstream despite retailer outrage" I read, "Our logo is deliberate. Our customers feel like they are getting the beginning of a new life when they try our shoes. Pain and fatigue are alleviated, energy is restored; they can walk and exercise again. What represents that? The seed of life. We're not embarrassed by it, nor are our customers."

Um, I AM!  I'm sorry, I work at a children's hospital and cannot be walking around with sperm on my shoes! Even if I didn't work at a children's hospital, I don't want sperm on my shoes!! So, needless to say, my next call was to the company asking about a refund.  Of course, it was then that I learned that my refurbished shoes were not refundable for anything more than a store credit.  I browsed the rest of the shoes on their site and there was not a single pair of shoes that would have been suitable for me to wear at work that didn't have sperm on the side.  I'm pretty sure one of the worst sinking feelings ever is learning that you have wasted money on something.  Sure, I could have gotten a pair of their boots or dress shoes but I can't afford to spend that kind of money on a pair of shoes I might wear once or twice a week when I would still need a nice pair for work.

After talking to some guy named Sergio a couple times who then put me on the phone with the manager, it was promised to me that I would get my refund upon their receipt of the returned shoes.  However, I am still waiting to see the credit on my card!  AHHH!

So, needless to say, I am $89 dollars poorer, still needing a pair of shoes, and still in back pain.  Move on over Nike...the sperm shoe is taking over!