Modern "quality" innit. Same everywhere.
Bought a duvet cover from John Lewis. One button fell off when being taken off for the first wash, in which another button broke.b Returned to store, and asked if we could unpack the replacement before taking it. Both the replacements they found had the same "quality". Buttons sewn on with two strands of cotton. We got a refund.
Bought a lightweight coat from M&S. Two weeks into use, button (cheapest and nastiest thing you ever saw) broke in half. Taking it back to customer services, and assistant pulls out a spare sewn into the hem.
"Oh" I say "am I supposed to repair it myself ?"
"Well, no" says assistant "But it comes with spare buttons"
"I'd rather exchange it for a new one, please" I say
"Well that's our guarantee, but just so you know, buttons aren't considered part of the garment"
"Oh" I said "I didn't realise".
For some reason, we haven't shopped at M&S since.
I was quite upset
two immutable facts from my childhood and DM shattered - that John Lewis, and M&S were the places for quality.
And don't get me started on the unavailability of popper-duvets
.