I bought these placemats in John Lewis last year. I didn't keep the receipt but I checked my bank statement and saw it was late Oct.
I bought them as they are heat resistant and wipeable and I thought they'd stand up to some wear and tear.
However, not long after I bought them, the top layer started to peel away round the edges, exposing a white layer underneath. It looks like water has got under the top layer and made it blister. They look really tatty. All I've ever done to them is wipe with a damp cloth, as per instructions.
So, I took them back to the shop and explained. The assistant had to take them to a manager. She came back and said that I could have an exchange but "they are not guaranteed to last forever" and "at that price, what do you expect?" . I replied that I didn't expect them to last forever, but I did expect them to last longer than 6 months. And £15 for 4 placements is hardly bargain basement pricing (though I appreciate they are not top of the range).
She said I could take the replacement but that's all they could do and not to bring them back again. I said I'd take them (would have prefered a refund so I could go elsewhere but if that's all I was going to get...) but I would most certainly bring them back if the same thing happened again.
AIBU? I thought that placemats were fairly hardy things. My mum has some that must be at least 25 years old and they don't look like they've been nibbled at. I was really surprised at John Lewis's attitude - do they really expect people to replace their tableware every 6 months?!
Gah! I know, in the scheme of things, it's not the end of the world but it's pissed me off today.