Is it reasonable for a company to demand my measurements before helping me?

[Allofaflutter]

I bought a pair of jogging type trousers from a company that promotes itself to larger sizes, and with not much wear they became faulty. I emailed and complained expecting them to help me. The reply I got had me feeling uncomfortable. The person said before they could help me that I would have to measure myself and give them my usual dress size, thigh size, waist, hips, inside leg and said that they had looked at my previous orders and had seen I had bought 3 different sizes over the orders, which I felt was implying I had caused the fault by being too fat. They said I would have to provide all of these before they could help me. I have never had to do this before for a bit of faulty clothing. Am I being an unreasonable to think this isn’t on? Maybe it’s just me being sensitive but is this standard practice? What do people think? If it’s me being sensitive I’ll leave it but my first instinct was to be upset over it.

That email is awful. Never heard of Snag, but that is definitely fat shaming. This kind of behaviour will cost them much more in lost sales than replacing the idd pair of joggers.

That email is extraordinary. However if clothes have a fault then it would be evident when you get them. It sounds very like you did order the wrong size and they ripped fro that reason and your order history does support that.

How bloody horrible, OP.

You're absolutely right - they market at larger sizes so should have products designed with strong seams, robust fabric in the thigh area etc.

If you didn't need these, you wouldn't buy from Snag, would you!

Hideous customer service.

No I bloody wouldn’t!

I falsely assumed they were made for fat people with appropriate strengthening in.

Me too, OP.

I buy from sites like that because I expect them to design products that are appropriate for my squidgy legs and bum,

If they can't withstand my wobble then they aren't getting my money.

That is shocking customer service. Even if they're asking to ensure their product is fit for purpose, those questions should be voluntary and asked after the issue has been resolved.

I'm also mad on your behalf. Like a PP said, would they ask a size 8 those questions?

If they'd told you to fuck off, it would have been better customer service than this.

I'd definitely be putting this on X (the social formerly known as Twitter)

Totally agree with this.

They want to know if it is a fault, or if it’s something caused by ordering the wrong size at which point they don’t have to replace it. Totally fine and if it was shoes and they were querying your size etc then you wouldn’t think anything of it, clothes are no different.

As soon as I saw this I thought Snag. I had this issue with tights op I brought some cropped ones but they were really short like cycling shorts not like the same ones had brought previous year. I'm tall and fairly slim and they still asked for measurements photos of product xlupd see inl had brought 2 sizes before etc. So i don't think it is a sizest ring more of a trying to wriggle out of refunds thing! They refunded me in the end though but was a faf

Unless they measure the OP themselves, they won't really know, will they?

They have replaced now but it was a struggle. Denied twice.

I read that email as trying to see in what way their product has failed. They want a product that works, so wonder what the trigger was for the issue.

I dislike Snag, but feel it’s reasonable to ask- but it wasn’t the third email I received after two ‘no’s!

The email reads to me more like consumer research into why the fault happened.

You could be buying gifts for other people so buying different sizes shouldn't matter too much

I would leve a review with trust pikot- or somewhere else where tgey could not manipulate it.

And also sent them a tweet with the email attached stating how you felt you were fat shamed.

Do Snag say their larger sizes are made differently to their smaller sizes?
They cater for every size as far as I'm aware, though I acknowledge that they more actively market towards men larger sizes.

Which have done excellent free template letters - this one covers faulty goods.

No need for size measurements at all. Or any other crap to get on the way of them treating you well and complying with consumer rights legislation.

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-to-get-a-refund-if-your-item-is-faulty-aQvEG8y1t00V

TBF I wouldn't expect the inner thighs to be specially strengthened against chub rub. I'd still expect them to last for a while though. How long did you have them?

Trying to pretend the waist measurement is relevant seems ridiculous though and is surely just to make it difficult for you.

I don't actually think the email reads too badly. It sounds like they are trying to work out the nature of the fault if there is one. The fact that you have ordered 3 different sizes previously could look to them like you keep guessing which size you may need rather than actually taking your measurements, so asking for them could be to double check you are ordering a big enough size (a lot of people don't read size guides at all).

I’m going against the grain, and saying they’re trying to give you good service. You’ve made 3 failed orders and the6 want to help you get it right…

without seein the actual words of the email, I’m not commenting on that because you e said they’ve “implied”, so it’s your interpretation of their words.
If you’re a larger than average person, of course sis is a very sensitive issue, I’ve been there and was there for years so it’s not that I don’t understand the issue,

They obviously can’t personally measure each customer, asking their size is the best alternative, but you’re being deliberately a bit obtuse.

The item was not faulty when it arrived, so the company is trying to work out what has gone wrong. Couple that with the fact OP has ordered multiple different sizes previously, they are trying to ascertain what has happened and how to help. It’s no point them sending the same size out again if the size is the issue, it will just happen again!

Unfortunately, there's nothing unusual in a customer ordering things across multiple sizes before. Sizing varies across particular items offered and sometimes varies even within what's supposedly the same item line.

I had only had them a few months.

The orders were over a 3 year period so not lately.

And not all of the stuff had been for me. I bought some tights for a gift.

Because I WAS a big fan of their stuff. My point before we got into my size, was that if I had paid £5 from primark that I might have said oh well after a few months but at £23 a pair I had expected them to last longer considering they aren’t daily worn. Probably only worn them a dozen times or so.