to ask for a refund on this dress?

[MaMaLa321]

I bought a dress last year. It wasn't cheap at £120. I've only worn it 3 or 4 times and the fabric has ripped along the seam. I sewed it up once but it reoccurred.
I've bought from the shop several times.
It was in a sale, but there was no fault when I bought it.
I've taken it into the shop, but the manageress wasn't in, so I left it with my phone number.
AIBU to expect a refund or credit note? And would you expect a full refund?

I’m not sure what the legal stand on this is, but I think you may run into a problem because you’ve carried out a repair on it yourself. That could lay open an argument that you’ve further weakened the integrity of the fabric

YABU. Its a 1 year old dress which was already worn and fixed by yourself. It was a bad purchase, happens. Why on earth any shop would accept it now.

@MaMaLa321 Completely agree with most others - it should have been returned as soon as it ripped. The fact you have repaired it makes it worse. It’s completely at the managers discretion. The shop will no longer be able to have it credited by their supplier as a faulty item so whatever they give you is coming out of their pocket if it’s an independent shop.

Im a retail manager (independent footwear store) - in your situation, if you are a regular customer like you say, I may offer a partial credit note as a good will gesture. Or a %age discount off of another item if you wanted to look for a replacement. But I certainly wouldn’t be offering a full refund or anything like it!

No proof of purchase
When you discovered the fault you didn't notify them ( which you are supposed to do) you tried to fix it yourself .
It would be very difficult to see original fault seen as you've sewn it and it's failed . For all they know you could of ripped it and tried to fix it.

Because for all they know you could've worn it 100 times in the year you've had it. Shops have loads of people buying outfits, wearing them out for a night out, then returning them. It's a big problem. So if you've had an item for a year, I can imagine they'd be hesitant to take it back! Also, they possibly have to destroy the item, not resell.

But the shop don't know you only wore it once last year, or how you've stored it for the past 9 months. If you do get any refund I think you'll be very lucky. I don't think the shop have any obligation after all this time.

I think it depends where you bought it from. A fancy boutique probably won't give you a refund or a credit note but if its from somewhere like John Lewis or a major retailer then you could press them to get a credit note. Large retailers will do just about anything to keep a customer happy and returning. So make sure to go in and plead your case nicely but contact head office if you don't get any further.

You're being a bit of a CFer in my eyes because you've had it over a year plus the other reasons!

Absolutely NOTHING cheeky about expecting an item of clothing to last for more than 4 wears, especially if if cost £120! There are of course many chancers so no doubt retailers are careful how they act but hopefully if this is a small store and you are a regular customer, they will trust you and offer some sort of goodwill gesture

You have no right to a refund or credit note under UK Consumer law. I think you are taking the piss personally but others seem to think you can guilt/bully a desperate retailer into giving you what you want so I guess you will try it.

It's not a 'reasonable ' time , they only have your word that you didn't wear and wash it 365 times .. things aren't made to last even if they are expensive ( in my experience usually less so! )

The refund will be discretionary from the owner I would think ..

I think with the amount of time that has gone by, you've worn it 3-4 times, and you've sewed it yourself, it would be unreasonable to expect a refund for it.

Given you don’t have the receipt, you have repaired it yourself and so much time has passed, I think you would be lucky if they paid for another repair. I had a similar situation but contacted the shop as soon as the item developed a fault and I had the receipt. They initially offered 25% refund. I refused and quoted the relevant legislation about goods being fit for purpose and got a full refund but had to give them the item so they could take it up with the manufacturer.

I thought the same?
To tear on a seam twice sounds like ''Strain'' was put on those seams.

Possible by bending down?

Unless of such a fragile loose weave fabric that the stitches won't hold?..
I had several of those Organza cushions years ago that literally fell apart, as material not strong enough to hold the stitches, to be used as a cushion.

Credit would be a nice gesture as you're a regular customer, but you should take it with good grace if they said there's nothing they can do.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect a refund.

I'm sorry, but in the shop's eyes and legally, OP has left it over a year, no receipt etc.

The shop will most likely at the very least offer a credit note but not much else.

So you are saying that seriously, if you were a shop owner, and a woman came in with a similar scenario, that you'd really refund her/give a credit note?

You've obviously not worked for or owned a small business.

I'm not saying the item is faulty, but depending on if it needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for a test or something else, then they have no idea of knowing if OP is lying about any of what she's done - again, not saying she is lying either.

It's annoying but I doubt they can refund you. Was it Hush by any chance?

Exactly! Correct response.

I very much doubt you’d get a full refund OP.

Having worked in retail you need your receipt and to return your item within 28 days (some stores can be 14 days) to qualify for a refund.

You have neither. They won’t care how many times you’ve worn it, or if you’ve only worn it recently. You can’t prove it’s been sitting in your wardrobe unworn for best part of a year.

My partner returned some shorts he bought that had ripped on the seam when he was wearing them they were stained by him too and he got a full refund no problem, no receipt either. It was probably just within the 28 days though they wouldn't have known when he had bought them.

Hopefully you'll get your money back!

I agree that the shop is not legally obliged to do anything and is well within their rights to refuse to help. But I strongly disagree that OP is a CF for asking the shop if there is anything they can do. Ultimately this product is faulty if she genuinely has worn it just 4 times and so it is completely reasonable for her to approach the store and ask them nicely if they can do anything.

You are making a huge assumption about me and as someone who owns their own small business, I would be attempting to make things right with a regular loyal customer that regularly used my service.

But only op knows she wore them 4 times. Why would they believe that, a year later and this mended by op herself.

They will think your batshit returning a dress you had a year.

They don't know and there is no way of verifying she is telling the truth. All she can do is ask nicely and hopefully they will do something; I doubt it will be a full refund but they may offer a repair/exchange/credit of some sort

While I understand your annoyance I think it's unrealistic to expect a refund on a sales item nearly a year later.

I think they will only be obliged to repair it. Not offer a new dress after a year.