A complaint about Monsoon customer services

[iMum]

I am really so upset about this-it just seems so unfair....

last week I bought this dress
I wore it to a posh do but got some champagne on my frock.
The label said dry clean only so I took it along to my local dry cleaners who said that the champange would be next to impossible to clean as it is a water based stain and that only water can remove such stains, he cleaned it anyway and the stain remained-he explained that chemicals did exist to clean it (water based ones) and that they could even try dipping the dress into cold water but both options would run the risk of ruining the dress further.
I took the dress to another dry cleaners who said exactly the same-that the fabric (silk) cannot tolerate water on it (even rain) and that to remove the stains would probably lead to the colours running or. fabric damage.
I took the dress into Monsoon and explained all this-the lady phoned customer service and then came back to me and said that as I had now had the dress dry clceaned that the stain was fixed and there is nothing they are prepared to do about it!
I by this point was quite upset as this is an expensive dress which I cannot afford to wear once only.
I asked if I could speak to customer services then and there and the lady did ring them for me-I had a very lenght conversation with the woman on the end of the phone who although not outright rude was very "attitudey"

My argument was that they had made a dress that stained if got wet but that was dry clean only, and dry cleaning wouldnt remove water marks - there was no warning on the dress to tell me to avoid water on the fabric. Not being a posh frock wearer I wasnt in the know about these sorts of things. I explained that I had spent alot of money on this dress that I now cant wear.

Her response was that dry cleaning had now "set" the stain, that it was my fault as I spilt the drink that as it was not a manufacturing fault she had no responsibility to do anything.

By this time I was quite upset not crying but my voice was going a bit wobbly!

I did keep trying to ask her to explain how I should try and sort the dress out but she could only say that the dress once wet cannot be fixed as it is dry clean only-I explained what I had been told by the dry cleaners and she actually got narky with me and in a very sarcy tone was explaining what a dry cleaners was. I suggested that maybe a tag should be put on the dress to explain about the water staining issue but she just siad "we dont have too do that or refund you" I asked her what I can do about it then-she told me to go to trading standards if I wanted to.

So i bought a dress that said dry clean only, i wore it and got a bit of champange down it-not much mind yu but in a very obvious place. i followed the instructions nd took it to the dry cleaners, turns out no water based marks can be removed from the dress and monsoon bear no responsibility at all.

I know its my fault as I spilt the drink but surly making a dress out of this fabric is insane! the dry cleaners said that even if it had been rain the water would have marked the dress.

The customer services woman said her bit and I said mine I asked her if there was anything she could do to help sort the situation out and she said she had no responsibility to but if the store wanted to offer an exchange then thats down to them. The lady instore was obviously in a real fix now as all this was going on next to the cash desk instore so Customers were hearing it all-to her credit she has offered to exchange the dress.

But the more I think about this the crazier it seems!

[iMum]

I know its long but your thoughts are appreciated!

[MayorNaze]

write a politely arsey letter to their HO naming and shaming the person on the phone

so did you get a new frock? got confused toward the end, sorry.

for you though

[iMum]

Soory yes I lost the plot at then end there!

No i didnt get a new dress today as the babies were wailing by this point but she endorsed my receipt so that I could go back at a later date and exchange.

It just seems so silly and almost underhand to make a dress that if got ever a bit wet is stained for good-of course they wont put a bloody tag on it explaining this-who would buy it then!

[doggiesayswoof]

I appreciate this whole saga has been a PITA for you

But I think you are being unfair - you've posted "a complaint" but they agreed to exchange it for you, which they did not have to do

Avoid buying silk in future? I've had a silk dress damaged by water before.

[iMum]

Tbh, I am pleased that the store is prepared to exchanged obviously! but it seems to be down to store by store desicion so someone else n my shoes may not be so fortunate.

It was the customer services lady who I am upset about as she was really arsey with me.
But to be frank this whole saga has been a revelation to me as never having owned silk before was totally in the dark about it all-should garments like this come with some care advice? £75 is a lot of money to expect your customers to pay on a dress that seemingly needs such cautious wearing and not advise them of this?

[Tn0g]

I would be satisfied with the exchange tbh.

Silk is a killer when it comes to stains, at least you got the wear of it for the day and now you can get something more practical for every day or whatever.

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

Wow! I appreciate that this is disappointing but you spilt something on the dress, they have offered to exchange it and you are complaining? I think they have been very generous tbh. It wouldn't occur to me to take back a dress that I had ruined.

[LIZS]

Offering you an exchange is going well beyond their legal obligations. tbh you sound very unreasonable. You agreed to the dry cleaning knowing it was unlikely to be successful . Had you returned it to Monsoon uncleaned they may have been able to be more helpful with their advice as to what might work or been able to test it. Silk is self evidently a delicate fabric.

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

What did you want the woman on the phone to do?
You have gotten an exchange which is a really good outcome considering you were the one who damaged the dress.
I'd be pretty pleased with monsoon tbh.

[HurleySatOnMe]

Blimey, calm down dear. You've been offered an exchange, which they didn't have to do. And dare I say it, you had a lucky escape. That dress is not the prettiest

[bodenbore]

Can we have a link to the dress please - so that we do not buy it.

It is a bit silly having a dress that you can not get wet.

[bodenbore]

oops - have now seen the link. I would try wash it myself - but then I am a bit reckless.

[Crabious]

I think the dress is fab and I think its a bity stupid to sell a dress that is clearly not fit for purpose ie one that cann't be rained on! thats a bit stupid given the British climate lol

[bodenbore]

Yes Crabious - they should sell it with a free mac, and free wellies too.

[bodenbore]

ps you can tell that this dress is going to be discounted to 15 quid....

[doggiesayswoof]

I've been thinking about this. I would never take back a dress if I had spilt something on it - i.e. if the damage was my own fault. I would chalk it up and move on.

[TrillianAstra]

I would handwash with special delicate silk and wool detergent. Have done this with silk things before and they have turned out fine.

What exactly does dry cleaning achieve?

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

I have that dress, I got a water stain on it and hand washed it, it came out fine.

[HurleySatOnMe]

Ooo thats a point bodenbore. Get them to give you a gift card now while its still full price then go buy it in the sale. Must only be about 3 or 4 weeks left? Otherwise you will only get the sale value back

[HurleySatOnMe]

And then you can buy 6 and drink with abandon

[LIZS]

Exactly doggie - having spoken to dry cleaner, I'd have probably handwashed it in tepid water and taken a chance on it coming good. Hardly the retailers fault you had a spill ! Can't imagine how visible it would be on something so garish anyway.

[iMum]

Having written it all down and re read it ll ive found it all cathartic!

I dont think im being unreasonable at all to think that a frock costing £75 should come with some kind of care advice if it is that fragile!

however I am pleased that I have had a good outcome re the exchange

I am not happy with how arsey the woman on the phone was

I have no issues with the lady in store who was kind natured enought to offer exchange

I am pissed on other behalf that if left to individual stores discretion to exchange may miss out.

I am still pissed off that they can sell a frock that will be ruined by the rain! for such alot of money. (i said that twice didnt I)

TBH i dont think it matters really if its spilt wine or rain a dress should be able to withstand such things!

[IngridFletcher]

I don't know why people are saying YABU. This is a dress you basically cannot clean if anything water based gets on it. It is a disposable dress... For £75! The store offered you a exchange which is only right really but Monsoon should have clear warnings on garments of this fabric.

[HurleySatOnMe]

Seroiously, monsoon is not the place to be shopping if you want hardwearing stuff. Do you really need instructions on all your clothes? Really??

[iMum]

Thankyou ingrid, you bascially summed up my messy post into one sentence!

I was begining to think i was in the wrong!