WHAT DO YA STICK YA HOOFS INTO????
can you go to a shop and try on the boots by yourself and not get charged?
What if you have more expertise than the shop staff? Can you charge them $50 if you know more about the tech than they do? (just being facetious with that last question)
(just being facetious with that last question)
So not like you Gamblor!!!!!! 
(just being facetious with that last question)
So not like you Gamblor!!!!!!
ok, ok, I was serious after all
When she rang Ballystyx up she was told the extra $50 charge was for bootfitting, yet nowhere on their website nor were we informed at the time that such a charge applied.
Thats crazy! The fitting charge is only if you don’t go through with a purchase. Surely the sales chick is confused or something. Call back dude.
My girlfriend couldn’t be bothered… She said $50 wasn’t worth dealing with them for…
We’ve just decided never to go back there
(just being facetious with that last question)
So not like you Gamblor!!!!!!
ok, ok, I was serious after all
That’s more like it!!!!! 
When she rang Ballystyx up she was told the extra $50 charge was for bootfitting, yet nowhere on their website nor were we informed at the time that such a charge applied.
Thats crazy! The fitting charge is only if you don’t go through with a purchase. Surely the sales chick is confused or something. Call back dude.
My girlfriend couldn’t be bothered… She said $50 wasn’t worth dealing with them for…
We’ve just decided never to go back there
$50 is a really good steak dinner…
When she rang Ballystyx up she was told the extra $50 charge was for bootfitting, yet nowhere on their website nor were we informed at the time that such a charge applied.
Thats crazy! The fitting charge is only if you don’t go through with a purchase. Surely the sales chick is confused or something. Call back dude.
My girlfriend couldn’t be bothered… She said $50 wasn’t worth dealing with them for…
We’ve just decided never to go back there$50 is a really good steak dinner…
Yeah, I know..
I wanted to head back in and just argue on the principle of the whole damn thing..
Oh well, her money -.-
$50 a good steak dinner? Cripes! Think you need to get over here gamblor and try out a local bowlo or RSL! $10 steak night on a monday haha
lol. ok, make that a good steak dinner for 5!
Bought some of these a few months ago with custom insoles. I use the custom insoles for work each day, sooo comfy lol.
The only problem is that when I put the custom insoles in my boots around the house is that the boot is too warm and it heats up the insole causing it to tingle on the bottom of my feet. I hope that doesn’t happen when I go to the snow. (otherwise I’ll put the default ones back in and use these for work and go get some different custom made insoles).
Sorry if my post sounded a bit aggressive….I was a bit drunk.
Mizu…I think most stores that charge for the fitting would be prepared to order a more suitable boot for you if it’s available.
If you are trying to find a particular brand of boot you can always check with the store first to see if it a brand they carry or can special order. I would usually encourage people to get the most well-fitted, suitable and comfortable boot rather than restrict their selection to a particular brand.
If a store carries ten brands and several models within each brand, it is unlikely that they wont be able to find you a fit.
Gamblor…If someone have more experience than the boot fitter then they could apply for a job (assuming you want to work in the ski industry - I’ve heard it’s not very lucrative). Good bootfitters are hard to come by.
Sorry if my post sounded a bit aggressive….I was a bit drunk.
All good here pow!!!!!
Some of my better posts are when I’m inebriated!!!!! 
nah, I didn’t mean anything by my post. I just found it surprising stores had to resort to charging bootfitting fees. I guess it makes sense in this day and age.
I think I need to explain the boot fitting fee a bit better. This was never introduced as a way to get more money from customers. We never want to charge a boot fitting fee. It was introduced as a deterrent to people coming into the store under false pretenses, making out as though they are looking to buy boots, when really they have no intention of buying boots. They want the shop’s staff to fit them properly so they know exactly which size and model to buy on eBay. They say thank you, walk out after wasting an hour of your time, then give the business elsewhere - that being their plan the entire time. Is that fair?
This is how it’s meant to work, or at least how I’ve always done it…
Situation 1. A good customer walks in and says they are interested in buying boots. They are just looking around and seeing what’s available so they can make an informed purchase. We understand if we don’t have a boot that works for them, they might go to another store.
In this situation, I would gladly sit down and chat with the customer. I will measure their feet, pull out a range of boots, educate them on how the process works and what they should be feeling. We will discuss their budget and options. In this situation, I won’t even mention a boot fitting fee. We know the customer, we understand their intentions, and we’re happy to help and we will probably see them back in the store at some point in time.
Situation 2. A customer walks in and says they need to buy a pair of boots. There is an understanding that if they find the right boot, they will make the purchase today.
Again, there would be no mention of a boot fitting fee here. I will happily give them the full service in the hope of finding the right boot for them. At no point in time do I want a customer to make the wrong purchase. If we don’t have something that works for them, I would rather be honest and turn them away and have them look at another store. A happy customer appreciates good service and they will be happy to return to the store and trust your judgement on future purchases.
Situation 3. Someone walks in and says they want to try on boots. Sometimes they’re honest and say they are going to buy the boots online (always surprises me when they say that to our face). Sometimes you can just tell by their line of questioning that they have no intention of buying from the store.
If there is good reason to suspect they just want to waste our time, this is when I make mention of the boot fitting fee. I would say something like, “I’m happy to discuss your options with you, however if you want a full boot fitting process, there is a boot fitting fee. If you make a purchase either now or another day, we fully refund the fee.” At this point in time, they understand what we’re saying and they just have a 5 minute chat to us, as they don’t want to pay the boot fitting fee.
In each of these situations, no boot fitting fee has been charged. The only time it was mentioned was as a deterrent and it worked. It probably saved the store a good hour of someone’s time, which could be spent helping a customer in need. No store wants to charge this fee. It was brought in out of necessity. It’s really hard to explain just how big the problem was before the policy was brought in. Hours would be lost every day. Not only were we losing time, but we were helping the problem by making their online purchases easier. Stores are all about customer service (at least it should be). In my experience at STM we would never do anything to screw a customer. We are there to help, serve, and get them stoked. If we do our job they will always return to the store and purchase more. I’m sorry if any of you have had a bad experience with the boot fitting fee - it’s really not intended that way. I have never actually charged anyone the fee but I have mentioned it a few times. It could just be new staff unaware of how it really works. If ever in doubt, please speak to the floor manager and find out. If you feel you were charged when you shouldn’t have, it’s best to tell the manager so they address the situation.
I hope that explains it a bit better. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. 
I just went through a pair of Forum Kickers in about 3 months :(
I was pretty stoked on the construcion of them (the look like new from the outside) and feel really good to ride in. But I wore through the liner!
I’ve got big holes through the liner so now the backs of my heels rub against the hard boot outer… which sucks!
I’ve sent them back for warranty but not sure if that is covered i’ll find out in 4 to 6 weeks 
. Sad cause they were actually a really rad boot except fot that.