Kelowna shoe repair shop angers customers: ‘We just want our stuff back’ – Okanagan
Sandy MacDonald never thought that when she dropped off her shoes at a shoe repair shop in Kelowna, British Columbia, more than six months ago, she would never see them again.
“He’s had my shoes since March 4,” MacDonald told PKBNEWS. “We just want our stuff back. »
The Kelowna woman is not alone.
Many others are in the same situation, including Logan Pay, who has only two pairs of boots left.
What made matters worse for former customers of the Galaxy Shoe Repair workshop on Ellis Street was the fact that many were asked to pay in advance.
“I had to pay up front and yeah, so he took my money,” MacDonald said. “He stole a lot of people’s money and we don’t even get our belongings back.”
Pay said he, too, had to pay in advance, about $60 for two pairs of boots.
Frustrated and not knowing where to turn, some customers showed up at the Kelowna RCMP detachment on Tuesday to file a police report.
“I would like them to maybe get in touch with the guy and maybe just give him a kick in the a*s to get our stuff back,” Pay said.
However, the RCMP said there was little they could do because this was a matter that would have to be resolved in civil court.
PKBNEWS attempts to contact Jimi Belshaw, owner of Galaxy Shoe Repair, but there is no longer a phone number for the store, the business’s Facebook page has been deleted, the website is nonexistent and emails addressed to the company bounce back.
However, a note left on the door cites health reasons to explain the situation – specifically long COVID.
“If you didn’t know, I’ve been fighting for my life, literally, for almost a year now. I developed a chronic illness known as Long COVID. It crippled me and took control of my life in ways I didn’t know were possible,” the note said.
He goes on to say: “I know it’s been a frustrating time, believe me, I know. I just want to apologize again and thank everyone for their patience and kindness during probably the worst times of my life.
And while some customers have expressed sympathy for the shoemaker, they still believe he has an obligation to return his personal belongings.
“He does, however, find time to come in and put up new signs, usually related to his illness or medical condition and I have sympathy for him on that,” Pay said. “But at the end of the day, I think he just needs to give the stuff back to the people who put it there,”
The final note informed customers that Belshaw would be back at the store on September 12 at 11 a.m., but that time had pa*sed and Belshaw was not present.
“It’s weird and I hope it ends at some point,” Pay said.
According to a Google search, the business is now permanently closed.
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