AVVO Talk: I Ordered Bad Quality Shoes From Ebay - Need to Check Import / Customs Approval to Import These Products From China

Question Continued: I bought shoes from ebay from a US Seller, which is an American brand but the shoes are made in china.  The shoe’s quality is so bad, it smells like gasoline, and I don't think the products qualify to be sold in the USA.  Is there any way to check if the seller/company are legally importing these to the USA?  Do they need some type of approval from the US customs?  The shoes are for adults, size 10, and the seller says it’s made of synthetic faux-leathers but no label on the shoes confirm that.  The label says it's made in CHINA.  Thank you.

Deanna's Response:

Hi, 

Unfortunately, many of the laws related to importing extend to the party known as the "ultimate purchaser" of the goods, which would, in a case like yours, likely be the US seller from whom you purchased the shoes via E-bay (unless such seller is a retail store as opposed to an individual seller - in which case, a consumer like you would more likely be the ultimate purchaser). 

The import laws related to footwear would have required a conspicuous label disclosing certain information which it sounds like you cannot find. This being the case, you have the option to get the shoe tested in a lab in order to know what the product is chemically made of (since it is a synthetic shoe), and then where questionable results appear, you could go to your local consumer product safety agency for more assistance.