Rosie Gannon said she was delighted that ‘justice had been done’

Rosie Gannon said she was delighted that ‘justice had been done’

A woman has won a refund from a shoe shop over a pair of sandals she claimed smelled so bad after being worn that they were unfit for purpose.

Ecco Distributors Ltd at The Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords had refused to refund Rosie Gannon, claiming the €100 shoes had undergone "undue wear and tear" and were "very well worn".

However, ruling in favour of Ms Gannon, Judge Dermot Dempsey told the shop's assistant manager the way Ms Gannon had been treated "was very shabby".

Ms Gannon, of Ardilaun, Portmarnock, said she is delighted "justice has been done" after she won her small claims court case against the shop. She had told Swords District Court that she bought the sandals last April 9 to wear during a holiday to Canada the following July.

"I didn't wear the sandals until July when I went on holidays," she said.

"After 10 days of wearing them they were emitting a dreadful odour."

Ms Gannon said that after she had returned from her holiday, she went back to the shop with the shoes on August 21 and a shop assistant cleaned one of the sandals for her.

"It was better, but I wasn't happy and was referred to a regional manager," said Ms Gannon.

She claimed the regional manager told her the sandals had undergone "undue wear and tear" and a refund could not be offered. Ms Gannon claimed the sandals were "not of marketable quality and not fit for purpose". The judge ruled in her favour and ordered the shoe shop to refund her €100.

Irish Independent