Sneaky, convoluted process for returns to avoid refunding
Do not order online because they have rigged their system to avoid complying with their returns policy. Timberland has intentionally created a sneaky, convoluted process for returns to avoid refunding rather than satisfying customers.
First, Timberland charged me twice for the same order because of a website error. They didn't respond to my request for refunding the erroneous payment. I had to get it through PayPal.
Then the boots were too big and I tried to return them, but they just sent them back to me without any communication. No email or phone call. No message inside. Nothing.
When I reached out to them, their help desk said they had not been packaged correctly. The shoes were in perfect condition, but the box had sticky tape on it and "they don't have any replacement boxes at their factory". The box would cost them less than a dollar.
I had Covid so I got a family member to send it. He went to the post office and Australia Post didn't have a courier bag large enough to fit the giant box their shoes are sent in. That is a sneaky catch-22: They insist that it must be in a courier bag when no such courier bag exists. A great way to pocket people's money rather than focus on good customer service.
The post office staff helped him to package it up. Timberland then sent it back without contacting me. The first I learnt of the problem was simply receiving the shoes back with no note, email, or any communication.
This has been the worst customer experience I've had in years.
The customer service representative on the phone did acknowledge their process is bad and I hadn't done anything wrong at any step in the process. But she can't do anything because the company has terrible policies.
The funny thing is, they could have simply re-boxed the perfectly good shoes and I would have ordered the size down and probably stuck with them for decades. But they went for the short-term rip-off instead.