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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect them to pay

28 replies

Theuselessone · 05/08/2018 22:56

DH and I have been together 7 years and married for two. The two year anniversary is cotton and as he got married in a Ted Baker Suit, I bought him a Ted Baker shirt to mark the anniversary.

We had a lovely evening out to mark the occasion but no one can escape the real world so on the way back we stopped at a supermarket and picked up a couple of essentials including drain unblocker. They were put in a separate plastic bag to the shirt. Got home late, put all bags next to each other and went to bed. The next morning we realized the seal on the drain unblocker had been faulty and as it had been set down on a slight angle it had leaked. There are now little holes in the carpet and the nice, anniversary shirt has been bleached in places.

We have the receipt for the drain unblocker and will of course take it back but just wondering if we can ask about the ruined carpet/ posh shirt (actually we are more concerned about the shirt as the carpet is very old anyway and we had plans to get it replaced regardless)

Anyone had any experience of something similiar? Is it just down to bad luck and never worry?

OP posts:

ny20005 · 05/08/2018 23:37

If you have accident cover on home insurance, make a claim

1vandal2 · 05/08/2018 23:45

Yabu

If you packed your own bags this still would have happened and you wouldn't even think of trying to con money out the store.

Claim for it on the insurance or write it off as a learning experience to be more careful with caustic chemicals. A plastic carrier bag will not protect from anything like that.

19lottie82 · 05/08/2018 23:46

If you have accident cover on home
insurance, make a claim

The excess is likely to be more than the short,
Not to mention the increased premiums afterwards.

OP, I would definitely expect the supermarket or
Manufacturer to compensate you for
Your loss.

19lottie82 · 05/08/2018 23:47

vandal the damage isn’t a result of the OP being careless, it’s due to the seal on the cleaner being faulty.

Chocolate1984 · 05/08/2018 23:47

If it was faulty I'd write and complain. As long as you can prove it was faulty.

Uzicorn · 05/08/2018 23:49

OP has said the seal on the bottle was faulty. What if a child had got to it? Surely it should be tamper and leak proof.

I would definitely contact the drain block company and tweet them.

1vandal2 · 05/08/2018 23:51

Not making sure a bottle of caustic chemicals was safely stored before being left is the op's fault.

No doubt it was in a bag with other heavy items that bashed against it which those kinds of seals aren't tested for just childproof and fall over proof not squished by a bag full of bottles proof.

Userplusnumbers · 05/08/2018 23:52

Supermarkets have insurance that covers this sort of thing - faulty seal, definitely take it back in with the shirt

1vandal2 · 05/08/2018 23:54

No supermarkets don't have insurance for items damaged by customers at home. It comes from a stores waste budget.

Crunchymum · 05/08/2018 23:54

Drain unblocker is an "essential" ?????

Userplusnumbers · 05/08/2018 23:55

And also, do not write to them, email or call then follow up with an email. Writing is the best way to make sure that your claim gets misfiled (in the bin)

bellsbuss · 05/08/2018 23:56

I've had this before in Sainsbury's with a bottle of bleach, it leaked onto my top and jeans. Went to customers services and they said to bring in receipts for ruined clothing and they would refund me , which they did

Userplusnumbers · 05/08/2018 23:58

No supermarkets don't have insurance for items damaged by customers at home. It comes from a stores waste budget.

Oh no - that makes a huge difference then, however will the huge supermarkets cope? Don't do it OP! Tesco are clearly on the brink, replacing a Ted Baker shirt may send them into administration.

FASH84 · 05/08/2018 23:59

Why would you leave drain unblocker on the carpet with a shirt?

LadyLoveYourWhat · 06/08/2018 00:04

It is reasonable to expect that an unopened bottle would not leak, so it doesn't matter where you left it. Definitely complain and make a claim against the supermarket for the damage - it's not your accident, so why should you have to claim on your own insurance?

PurpleFlower1983 · 06/08/2018 00:12

Complain, they will reimburse you for the lost shirt.

HeddaGarbled · 06/08/2018 00:21

It’s probably worth a try, though I love the way you say the drain cleaner “had been set down on a slight angle” as if that happened without human action.

Joe66 · 06/08/2018 00:31

The lid should have been properly screwed at manufacture. The store is negligent to have sold a leaking product, particularly as the cashier could have checked. Assuming you have the shirt and the receipt and photos of the damaged carpet, they should make good the damage either by repairing or replacing the carpet (depending upon it's age) and replacing the shirt and drain cleaner. If the carpet is in good condition and good quality, you would expect a lifespan of around 10 years, so if 5 years old you would receive half the replacement cost for the carpet and full for shirt and cleaner. Send the store the evidence in a complaint. If no response send a letter before action then money Claim. You must issue the claim to their registered office.

Joe66 · 06/08/2018 00:32

Fash84 why wouldn't you?

bluemascara · 06/08/2018 00:32

Yes def complain
You bought it in good faith that it was intact. Why in earth would you check that the lid was secure if it was a brand new purchase, as a pp has mentioned??
They should offer you money to replace

19lottie82 · 06/08/2018 09:23

Drain unblocker is an "essential" ?????

It is if you have a blocked drain!!!!

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 06/08/2018 09:29

I'd ring head office I think and explain what happened.

Mulberry72 · 06/08/2018 09:31

I used to work for a company that made these type of products. It is likely that the store will ask you for the bottle back (minus any remaining contents) and they will send it back to the manufacturer for them to inspect and test the bottle for any manufacturing defects.

What they find will reflect how it is dealt with from there. I remember dealing with a very distressing case where by a customer had been using a highly flammable product with a cigarette in their hand, they knocked the product over and of course, went up in flames. The customer tried to argue that had the bottle had a child resistant cap on then they wouldn’t have been injured. Sadly, the fact that they were smoking at the time was the reason they were injured, so sad.

DarthLipgloss · 06/08/2018 10:25

I had bleach cleaner leak from a faulty bottle onto my jeans in an ASDA about 10 years ago. They paid for my jeans but it happened in the shop not at home. There's no harm in asking the shop.

TinoTheArtisticMouse · 06/08/2018 12:25

I'm heavily pregnant, so maybe this is due yo baby brain...... I can't follow why the shirt was in a carrier bag?

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