VIDEO. “They owe me 14,000 euros…”: Kikikickz, online sneaker retailer going into liquidation

“They owe me 14,000 euros worth of sneakers…” exhales Henrico (not his real name), contacted by phone this Friday and who has been a loyal shoe seller on Kikikickz for several months now. Like him, dozens of other clients – buyers or sellers of collectible sneakers – are waiting for payment or refunds from the French platform, the brand of the company KBAA Conseil, which is in the process of liquidation. And this Friday, many of them shared their disappointment on social networks.

A reseller of limited edition sneakers from the biggest brands – Nike, Adidas, New Balance – Kikikickz was founded by four friends in 2020. In just a few years, it has become one of the hubs for online sneaker sales.’exception. How it works: find rare pairs of sports shoes from sellers and offer them to buyers for around 150 euros… for the cheapest pairs. The most expensive ones can reach over 9,000 euros, like this pair of Air Jordan 1 Dior that can still be seen on the retailer’s website this Friday. But on November 14, the story ended: KBAA Conseil, whose brand is Kikikickz, was liquidated. Very quickly, there was an avalanche of dissatisfaction among many customers still waiting for the sneakers they ordered or sneaker sales they made through the platform.

I’m waiting for payment for 79 pairs of shoes.

“I started selling quite a lot of sneakers on Kikikickz in April or May 2023,” recalls twenty-year-old Enrico. Until July I received regular payments every week, with amounts that suited me, so I started sending more pairs… But then from July, August I received much less payments. But since the end of October – nothing.” Today the young man is still waiting for payment for 79 pairs of shoes.

On the other hand, there has also been an increase in the number of reviews on social media from customers waiting for their pair of sneakers. Such is the case with Kirin, contacted on social network X, who says she ordered New Balance at the beginning of September for 275 euros… and never received her pair. “I ordered them on September 1st. After two weeks, when I have no news, it starts to seem strange to me…” describes the young woman. In the email, which Chirin sent a screenshot of, Kikikickz explains to her that her date is late “due to the exclusivity” of the model. “I received emails like this every time,” she continues. In mid-October, she finally decided to cancel the order and ask for a refund, “and since then I’ve been waiting…”, the young woman laments.

Enrico explains to us that in recent days he received an email from Kikikickz explaining the forced liquidation of the company and the appointment of a liquidator. The same applies to other Internet users who shared photos of the message on social networks. According to Emma Leoti, a consumer law lawyer at the Paris Bar, two options are available for customers awaiting a refund or payment: “They should immediately send a debt declaration letter, indicating the order amount and the order form, which should be sent by registered mail. by mail with confirmation of receipt to the legal representative, she suggests. Otherwise, if customers used PayPal or split payment, they can request a refund directly from their bank and possibly receive a refund,” the lawyer continues. But Henrico is not very optimistic: “I hope to get some of my money back…” he sighs. We were contacted this Friday: neither Kikikickz nor the liquidator have yet responded to our requests.