To feel annoyed that dry cleaners have ruined DS brand new prom suit

[Crazyladee]

I bought DS a brand new expensive suit from Next for his prom at the end of June a few months ago. Last month he wore it for an afternoon for a funeral as he had nothing else to wear. Even though it was clean I decided to get it drycleaned as the trousers were all creased from where he'd been sat down in church all afternoon.
I've just been to the dry cleaners to pick it up and the suit jacket is covered in white wax type marks all over the front! On the dry cleaning notes someone has written that the jacket has been cleaned three times but the marks won't come out!
I told Waitrose I'm unhappy as the suit was not in that condition when I dropped it off so they have offered to send it back to Johnson's for another clean.
I'm now left panicking as the jacket will be ruined if the marks won't come out. He also needs it for his prom on the 25th. Anyone any idea where I stand on this?

[TaytoAllDay]

Not sure where you stand on this, but I hope you get it sorted as that's terrible for them to have ruined a lovely suit!

[TaytoAllDay]

of*

[MrsJayy]

What is the cleaners insurance policy it might be at your own risk. I would let them try and clean again but you want reimbursed if the marks don't come out

[MadisonAvenue]

I had a problem some years ago with a coat dry cleaned by a local independent dry cleaner. Cream coat with a red lining and the lining colour ran and stained the coat.

They compensated me for the cost of the coat, it was only a few weeks old and I still had the receipt hanging around so could prove the purchase price.

[MadisonAvenue]

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/dry-cleaner/

[Crazyladee]

Brilliant thanks for that. The only problem I have is the prom is only less than a couple of weeks away. Yes they have offered to clean it again but if it's been cleaned three times already the chances of the stains coming out are very slim. So should I make a complaint directly to Johnson's before they clean it for a fourth time?
Interestingly the Waitrose staff today noticed that someone else had written "Marks" on the docket that wasn't the original member of staff who served me when I dropped it off to be cleaned. I got the impression that comments like that are usually filled out in front of the customer and not added to by someone else later.

How do I prove that those stains weren't on the jacket when I dropped it off?

[AmyLou14]

This happened to me at a dry cleaners dress and matching coat ruined. Needed for a wedding the next morning, the dry cleaners provided me with a letter confirming they had followed instructions and used the correct products ect to take into the store. I was worried as I had purchased a couple of years before and had not receipt ect but the store just looked something up on there database and gave me a credit note for the value,(would have been refund if I had receipt)

[Crazyladee]

Not that it's relevant but it was quite a warm afternoon when he wore the suit so as I get a substantial discount on Johnson's dry cleaning via Waitrose I just got them done together.

[FabulouslyGlamorousFerret]

I'm sure this can be sorted in time for the prom. What do the stains look like? Chances are the dry cleaners know what has caused them! White waxy stains sounds like something for there end. If they have followed the suits instructions then Next are very good and I'm sure they will replace it for you - they are usually next day too

[MyKingdomForBrie]

Yeah really not the point of the thread mylearnedfriend!

I would be raising merry Hell with the dry cleaners via waitrose. You need to be reimbursed for the jacket - do you have the receipt?

[KinCat]

Not sure what the white waxy marks could be. I worked in a dry cleaners for a while and don't remember seeing anything like that.

They may have success cleaning it again though if they use a different solvent. Most of the Johnsons use a silica based solvent but some still use the old school "perc" which can be more successful at getting stains out. I'd speak to them about it directly if you can.

[FabulouslyGlamorousFerret]

*from their

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

The "marks" comment is relevant; because Johnson's will say it arrived with them like that. Can you prove it didn't have marks when you dropped it off at Waitrose?

[Crazyladee]

No I can't prove it.

I spoke to the dry cleaners yesterday who are blaming this on Waitrose and saying they have this problem all the time; that Waitrose are just bunging all the clothes in one sack and the marks could have been from someone else's clothing on route to the dry cleaners!
I've got the dry cleaning manager ringing me this morning.

[mrsheathy85]

I'm a dry cleaner. Usually if clothes come out with white marks on it's where food has been on it/spilt down it. Even if they're were no visable marks before cleaning. But they easily come off with a blast of steam etc.

[Crazyladee]

But he didn't eat any food whilst wearing the jacket. He wore it while in church then took it off and hung it up in the car for the rest of the day.
When we got home I put it in a suit carrier to be drycleaned.
Hopefully the 4th clean will do the trick.

[mrsheathy85]

The only other thing I can think of is that something has leaked/melted in the dry clean machine from another garment 😠 I know at our place we have loads of different cleaning products for different stains etc so fingers crossed they pull their fingers out and rectify there mistake!! They will (or should be) insured for this type of stuff anyway

[Sunnystars]

The dry cleaners claim that Waitrose is at fault for "bunging all the clothes in one sack" is a red herring as this is common practice unless an item is heavily soiled and then it should be bagged separately.
Waitrose/Johnsons will know if in this case, there was a possible transference issue and should have been able to identify the substance or cause at source and have treated it accordingly prior to the initial clean. The stains will need to be treated appropriately as a further fourth clean without treating the stains is futile.

The marks comment being added after the suit was accepted for cleaning and not in your presence actually works in your favor as the onus is now on them to prove the stains were there prior to the suit being left in their care as any comments should indeed be made at the time of acceptance, in front of the customer or become somewhat invalied.
It could otherwise appear to point to someone trying to cover their back...

In any case, continually cleaning a brand new jacket is not going to do it any good.
Any good dry cleaner will have insurance and as it seems the cause here is unclear to say the least it should be settled in your favor.

[Barkface]

Our dry cleaners completely ruined my dd's communion dress when we took it in for a press/steam before she'd even worn it! It was in a bag so we didn't notice till we got home. Brought it straight back with the receipt for where we'd bought it and they said they note any distinguishing issues when brought in and hadn't noted anything wrong with it so they paid for a new dress as they accepted they ruined it.

I hope you get a good outcome for you ds's suit.

[TidyDancer]

I had this problem with a dress once. Took it to a small local dry cleaners and they completely ruined it. It was very obvious someone had worn it. I had only taken to be cleaned as I'd borrowed it from a friend for a wedding but it actually wasn't dirty at all. It was £150 from monsoon I wanted to be sure it went home in perfect condition. Dry cleaners were forced to pay out because they knew they were in the wrong and didn't want me to take it further. Gave me £150 and a voucher for the shop (yeah, as if I was ever going to go there again!).

[123Buckle]

This happened to me with Waitrose! Took a lot of arguing but eventually they agreed to pay for a new coat, although I'm not sure they are obliged to do so it's worth a shot

[topcat2014]

Is it candle wax from candles in church?

[Crazyladee]

Just to give an update..

Had a call from the manager of Johnson's today. The good news is they have managed to get the stains out and the jacket is now in perfect condition.
She said when the jacket arrived at Johnson's it was in an absolute state. She said it looked like a plate of food had been thrown at it! She was gobsmacked when I explained that it was in perfect condition when I dropped it off and i had actually debated whether or not to bother getting it drycleaned.
She's told me the jacket must have been "contaminated" with someone else's stained clothes en route to their shop. She also said this is the second incident she has had to deal with this week.

I'll be picking up the phone go Waitrose tomorrow but thank God the jacket is now back to being in perfect condition.

[agedknees]

Glad it’s been sorted for you. Thanks for the update.