Rounding up all those Mumsnet sale of good act gurus; please help with my first world problem with John Lewis’ service!

[RatherContrary]

Sixteen months ago, in the middle of attempted home DIY, I bought a new bathmat for our bathroom. In a moment of madness I opted for a somewhat more expensive (£18) and plush looking one than I would normally go for, and rationalised this by telling myself bathmats last for years.

The DIY work wasn?t finished until December (ha, who am I kidding; it?s still ongoing!), and so although the bathmat was bought in August, it wasn?t used until December 2012.

We have plenty of other bathmats, so I?ve saved the new one ?for good?; ie on those rare occasions we have visitors to stay. Consequently it?s been used about 4 times for a maximum of a week at a time. We use out ?old? bathmats the rest of the time.

Now, when we most recently had visitors I went to unfold the ?best? bathmat and noticed that there is a small section where the towelling is coming apart ? not a hole as such but an area that will become a hole.

I emailed those trusty folk at John Lewis to query this and was effectively told ?tough luck, it?s a bathmat, you?ve had it for a year, get over yourself?. So I emailed again saying that I would expect the more expensive products to last longer than a year ? and gosh, my ?old? bathmats have been going strong for between 5-10 years and I?ve probably got even older ones in the depths of the linen haphazard storage cupboard. Again, got an answer saying ?that?s tough?.

I think I?m taking this too personally, but I cannot express how infuriating I?ve found their response ? surely I am not alone in expecting a bathmat to last for longer than a year (or for longer than 5 weeks? use at most)?? Or do you all buy new bathmats etc annually?

Please tell me, AIBU in expecting an £18 bathmat to last longer than a year?

And what are my rights under the sales of goods act? Looking at what I can find online, goods should last for a reasonable amount of time, is a year reasonable for this sort of product?! HELP!

Thanks for having the strength to read through this massively boring query.

Having dedicated a long OP to a bathmat, YABU. Hugely. Sorry.

YABU to type so much (and with all of those question marks instead of apostrophes!) about a flippin' bath mat. I can see that it would be frustrating to have paid for something which isn't in a good condition, but you should have checked it when you bought it.

I can't imagine living in a world in which I have a "best" bath mat.

Them's the breaks. Soz

(awesome first world problem though I'll give you that)

Sorry about the question marks, I did have apostrophes, I promise!

I know, it's a ridiculously long post, it's been a frustrating experience, but thank you - I do see IABU.

Perhaps I should start a whole other thread, but am I alone in having towels/bathmats/sheets etc as 'best' so that visitors don't get the randomly bleached/stained items the DCs have wrecked?

This is why you dont save things for best. Use and enjoy.

Perhaps it was put away a bit damp and the material rotted or moths or silver fish got to it?

I love the concept of having a bathmat for best. What next, a special Sunday oven glove? A fancy dish cloth?!

too first world, isn't it?! Totally ridiculous.

Seeing it all written down makes me realise just how pathetic this is, and makes me realise I need to get a grip!

Ooh harsh lot.

I think it's crap service. I expected better from JL but tbh last time I rang them about something I got that was theirs originally - though not when I bought it - they were USELESS.

I thought they would care about their stuff lasting/being useable but clearly they do not give a stuff.

Yanbu...keep pestering them and yes mention the sale of goods act, say it has only been used four times, keep on and on.

Grip got I assume?
You ok RatherContrary ?

Moet - my DH would laugh at that, he's said the exact same thing about saving dish cloths 'for best' when I've had a go about him using the best towels

Grip got thanks Fuglies!

And I guess I'll opt for the £8 JL value range mats in future, or shop elsewhere for a much more reasonable price for something that I won't mind using all the time.

Come on you lot though, please tell me I wasn't alone in saving towels/mats/linen for 'best' for when guests visit?! Am I totally deranged?!

Customer Service at my work have labelled this "moantober" as people seem to be getting more upset by small problems these last few weeks.

I hope the potential hole is not too noticeable and if you're just using it for best then hopefully it won't turn into a real hole. Personally I reckon life's too short not to use the nice stuff.

You are not deranged having best things for visitors.

I have towels and bedclothes I don't let near my muddy and painty pawed, felt pens under pillow hiding little monsters.

I really want a bath mat for best! Our bath mat is a George one and I've had it years, it gets thrown in the wash nice a week and is still going strong.

Sorry to rub your nose in it there Rather

YANBU about how shockingly shit John Lewis's customer service is though, not the first time I've read it on here.

We have no linen (or plates, or glasses, or cushions, or anything else) for "best". We buy stuff so that we can use it! If we saved stuff for best, it'd get dusty in cupboards and - as has probably happened with your splendidly fluffy, deep-pile bath mat - rot into pieces.

Bit mean of JL but I've also had one of those bath mats and had it disintegrate on me in about six months.
Cheapo one I found in same colour from asda is still going strong after 2 years.

It's really not that bad in the grand scheme of things.

Here are some of my week things:

Two expensive school cardigans bought. Use one, wash it, put in dryer - as we have done the old ones for years. It shrinks 4 inches - yes 4 inches off the length. It now resembles a bolero. I look at the label and it says - do not tumble dry. But the old ones didn't say this and they looked identical. I feel i can't complain but I feel cheated.

Number two: council sports centre. Last week they say - have you got your residents card (they charge 30% more if you don't live in the area). I say no, but we pay 100's of pounds a year for various lessons and as such we are on your computer from which you can see we are "local". She spends ages looking us up then says we have to pay more because we haven't brought the card. Today we bring the card. She swipes it and accuses us of it not being our card. I say it is our card. Well it doesn't swipe. Well that's ok I say, we're on your system. well I can't give you the "discount" if your card doesn't swipe. The receptionist is the biggest ahole known to man. I hope she reads this.

In the grand scheme of things - your bathmat is a bit small I feel. You have had some use out of it and it wasn't that expensive in the first place.

I've had a good experience of JL customer service.

I bought a dress for a wedding and rang them to comment that the sleeves were slightly different from the online photo.

For that alone, they refunded me 10% of the price.

I agree life's too short to not use the best stuff. Although that means our hand blown wedding gift wine glasses are nearly all gone

I just make sure all the best towels, bedding, etc is washed and ready to use when guests come.

I think some of John Lewis's stuff has been a bit shoddy lately. I had to take back baby hooded towels because they were coming apart at the seam. Today I took back two night lights that had broken after only six months use (although they weren't JL make). And a pack of three fairly expensive sleep suits had one noticeably bigger.

(I don't actually use the towels on the towel rail in the bathroom, they're just there to look nice. I use one I keep hung on a secret hook in the boiler cupboard. I also don't use the bathmat, it's draped over the side of the bath looking swish. I just put a crappy hand towel on the floor then chuck it in the wash. It's one of the main reasons I'm complimented on how lovely and tidy my bathroom looks all the time shh, don't tell)