A well-known chain of streetwear shops in Australia has filed for bankruptcy, leaving irate customers waiting for pricey orders they might never receive.
The name-using businesses Sneakerboy, a high-end retailer, and two others have each been assigned an administrator.
The Melbourne-based retailer is well-liked by sneakerheads and sells designer footwear, including $1,500+ Balenciaga shoes.
Additionally, it offers items from high-end labels like Moncler and Alexander McQueen.
The company’s flagship Sydney location is closed, despite the fact that it is shown as open online. When it last opened its doors is unknown.
In June, Sneakerboy launched an unexpected online warehouse sale where it provided discounts of more than 70% on some items.
Additionally, it is now running a website-only deal with quite substantial discounts.
However, customers who are already having trouble receiving the sneakers they ordered will be incensed by news of its administration.
The business’s Google review rating has now fallen to 1.6 stars as enraged clients leave scathing comments.
One person said, “I bought sneakers five months ago. I still haven’t gotten my reimbursement or my sneakers.
Another person claimed that following the collapse, the store disabled comments on their Instagram.
I see that the customer service team is reading the reviews. Would you mind returning my emails?
Another person said: “I wish I had read the reviews before making any online purchases from Sneakerboy. I have never seen such bad customer service.
‘Placed an order 6 weeks ago and haven’t received any information. I’ve tried to contact them multiple times and have no received any correspondence.
‘I only seem to receive replies through my reviews. I will be cancelling all my orders and requesting a refund.’
A third person reported they had ordered a pair of Balenciaga speed trainers in November but had yet to receive them.
“They finally emailed me after attempting to reach them for 6 months and stated that the order will arrive at their warehouse on April 1st. Yet nothing. Not a word.
The identical phrase was used by Sneakerboy in response to some of the Google evaluations it had gotten.
“We appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback. We can guarantee you that we are operating and will continue to do so. We are also working to rapidly fulfill orders for customers during these busy shopping seasons.
Please contact our support team at help@sneakerboy.com, and we will make every effort to get back to you as soon as possible with more details on your order.
The administrator for Sneakerboy Pty Ltd and the two linked companies utilizing the Sneakerboy name will be Stephen Dixon of Hamilton Murphy Advisory, according to a notice published on Saturday by The Australian Securities and Investments (ASIC).
Dixon was also named administrator for Sneakerboy’s parent firms Luxury Retail Treasury Pty Ltd and Luxury Retail Group Pty Ltd.
The creditors’ meeting will now be held on Wednesday, July 13.
Early in April, Sneakerboy shuttered its location in Brisbane and delisted it from its website.
There are now three stores in Victoria, although it’s not clear if they’re still open or not. Theo Poulakis and Nelson Mair, who serve as its directors, own the holding corporations that own it.
In June, the financial institution Banjo Loans filed winding up orders against two of the group’s companies.
Over the previous three years, there have been more than ten winding up applications filed against companies in the group overall.
The Australian Taxation Office and Adidas both have claims against The Luxury Retail Group for unpaid taxes and superannuation totaling $1.2 million and $148,000, respectively.