"Your request has been processed" I think that means you got a refund. I don't see anything saying there was no refund. The free shipping seems to be in addition.

I think it's a generic message not a compensation offer.

I agree with the above, seems like you'll be getting your money and free ship.

Considering it took them several days to send that email, I don't think they're doing anything to resolve the problem at this point.

Yep, I agree.

The reason you got the same promotional free shipping offer is because thats all the one at bottom of the email is too.

No different then any other online company. If you're on their e-mail list you get their promotions, if you do business with them in that time they'll reiterate the promotions in that e-mail too.

I think there needs to be a bit more information on this one before drawing a conclusion that there is no refund coming.

It honestly appears to be an honest to goodness HTML sig at the end of their e-mail prompting you to, if you would ever be so kind to, place an order with them again and take advantage of free shipping as a way of saying "I'm sorry".

That same offer is also given for birthdays, deaths in the family, layoffs, graduations, and Baptisms.

@tmlfan81: So in other words, I don't think you are being DENIED your refund. I would call their 800 # or send another e-mail after 72 hours of getting that e-mail to check the status of your return & credit.

You would have to check their policy on "defective" products. It might not be to "replace" what you bought, but rather refund your money so another transaction can transpire (or not if your unhappy with them).

I know a lot of people want to just get another item, but that is really another transaction and more and more companies are treating it as such.

Basically, keep the paper trail clean. The company made a sale for a particular piece of merchandise, the merchandise was broken, ergo, the sale gets washed out as it was invalid sale.

Especially in finicky marketplace many people ahere to the "once burned, twice shy" and have either already purchased a replacement item, or don't intend to trust you again.

Wow, now the problem is not enough shipping. See what happens when you complain that your memory chip came in a box that once housed a freezer? /sarcasm

What is the problem? The company's taking back the damaged/wrong merchandise, and OP's getting a refund and free shipping on a future order.

Whoa, hold on there a sec. I thought a chargeback is supposed to be a last resort? Maybe there's just some miscommunication here?

A quick jump over to Aldo's website reveals:

"Return policy for online purchases only.

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, ALDO is pleased to offer the highest standard of customer service. All unworn merchandise may be returned in its original package, along with the receipt, for up to one year from the date of purchase. Refunds will only be made in the manner in which the payment was made. Shipping charges are non-refundable. Final sale on all earrings."

This means if you paid by credit card, you should receive a credit to your account once the return is processed. I would be surprised if they never send you an RMA #, though.

@blackmage439: Whoops, when I saw "return processed" I meant after you return the item to them.

Aldo is messed up. This happened to me also, I ordered a pair of shoes and they don't fit. Obviously, they're not going to offer me free shipping as consolation for not being able to wear shoes that don't fit. After I filled out the online return request thing, I got the exact same email.

Here's the deal - if there is an Aldo store anywhere near you, they expect you to take your return back to the store. They basically won't let you ship back your online order at all. In my case, I live out in Leesburg, VA. There is an Aldo store at Tyson's Corner, which, while within 30 miles of me, is not at all convenient for me to get to. However, they expect me to return those non-fitting shoes to the store since there's one what they consider "nearby."

To sum up: never order from Aldo online. They suck.

Same thing happened to me. I saw the free shipping/cheap sunglasses here on consumerist. I ordered two pairs and a bag. All three items were shipped separately and arrived days apart. One pair were broken due to the fact that they were shipped in a giant bubble wrap envelope. The second pair came in a box but were bent to fit into the small container. It was such a comedy of errors that I didn't even bother returning the $4 items.

Wow, that was really jumping the gun by the OP. I think there was a bit of misreading on the OP part, and Aldo could have been a bit more descriptive in the canned email response.

Settle down a bit, and reread the email and wait a few days to see if your card was refunded.

Good: Threatening a company with telling your friends about their bad service
Better: Threatening a company that you'll tell all your friends, and Consumerist.
BEST: Threatening a company that you're the EDITOR AT CONSUMERIST!

@InfiniTrent: All of that and possibly misunderstanding and jumping the gun?

Hilarious. :D

@sodomanaz: Well, that's priceless :)

Sorry Ben, but it sounds to me like you will be getting a refund and *also* have an offer of free shipping on your next order.

Great, I hope you're all right and I will have a positive ending to the story to report.

I'm inclined to agree with most folks here: The free shipping offer wasn't in lieu of a refund, it was in addition to it.

When submitting a question or complaint via any manner of online form, receiving a form letter in return should not be any surprise at all. This is likely just such a case; when any form is submitted with the "defective" tag, the appropriate form letter is sent back offering apologies/shipping/flowers/champagne bubble baths and foot rubs/whatever.

Call the company or send a direct email just to double-check that the refund went through. Or just keep an eye on your CC account.

I have personally had no problems at all with Aldo and actually find the shoes to be of the highest quality out there today.

Great blog!!1one

@Ben Popken: I'm betting that they expect you to take your broken sunglasses back to an Aldo store. If there's one within 50 miles of you, that is.

@Ben Popken:
What is the promotion code?

Is it Aldo's Hoes, or Aldo Shoes?