To expect an Aigle coat not to rip?

[ravenousbugblatterbeast]

This is a bit of an essay - sorry! I bought an Aigle Sugey coat just before Xmas, as a present to myself from my mum. It's a waterproof trench coat, and cost £165. I love the coat, and was despairing at the onset of warmer weather..!

About a week ago, as I was taking the coat off, I noticed a huge vertical rip, about 6 inches long, in line with the pocket. The shop I bought it from (online) contacted Aigle, who denied any responsibility. I couldn't for the life of me understand what had happened, as I am a purely suburban mum, on the school run and never come close to hiking or trekking, just brush past the odd hedge and lean against the odd brick wall outside school..

I then looked closely at the other pocket, and there's a tiny hole, just where the stitching ends, which is in the process of getting bigger and will then rip, just as the other side has. I told the shop, and they told Aigle, and a week on they have written denying any responsibility.

I'm not a habitual complainer : I paid £165 for an outdoor coat, which hasn't lasted 6 months. I've never ripped a coat, or any clothing, before, not even a 3/4 length down coat I got a year ago (for £45 on Gap sale!). I've written back and quoted the Sale of Goods Act (from the Which website) which says that if a fault develops within 6 months there is a presumption that the item is not fit for purpose or was flawed in some way. The shop has got extremely narky with me, and they are demanding that I send the coat back, even though they've said previously there's no point as Aigle say it's nothing to do with them. I suppose I will have to send it back, after I've taken lots of photos, but I'm concerned it'll get sent to France by the shop (based in the North West of England) and then conveniently lost, leaving me with no evidence if I have to make a small claim.

So, AIBU in expecting a coat to last more than 6 months? Is it just "one of those things"? I can't get it repaired easily as it's (fine gauge) waterproof material, with taped seams, and the rip is big, and any repair would be noticeable.

Any ideas..?

Not much advice really, except to maybe take photos, and keep receipt and evidence of correspondence in case you do send it back and it gets "lost".

Personally, if I bought a coat for £165.00 I'd expect it to last at least a couple of years at least! Hope you get it sorted.

Exactly - it's more than twice what I've ever paid for a coat before, so I expected it to be damn good, and to last!

The answer is (apparently)that IABU to expect such a coat not to rip. It's not a design flaw, as it's not happened before, and despite the fact I have a 6 in rip in one side, and an incipient rip in the other, that's MY problem. I don't know if I can take them to court as I'd have to travel to Carlisle for the hearing, and the court fees would be as much as the travelling expenses.
Gah!
Avoid Aigle (imo, don't want them suing me!)

Hope you got your problem resolved. Just wasnted to ask - is the online retailer you got it from one that also sells a lot of barbour? (not sure I should name it for fear of getting in trouble!) I bought a barbour quilted kacket from them on which a month later the quilting started to undo. Contacted them and they said that I must have caught it but (after a lot of huffing) they said they@d repair it!
When it unravelled again a month later i was wary of phoning them after their respaonse the first time so phoned barbour. They said this happened every now and again and to send it to them. They exchanged it for a coat £50 dearer and were lovely throughout.
So in Aigles defence, if it is the same northern online retailer, I think that their customer service is shocking and I do hope you got a good resolution.

Hi OM! Sorry to hear about your Barbour coming to bits, but that's some decent customer service from Barbour themselves! No, nothing was resolved, Aigle said it was nothing to do with them, retailer (CHO) threw their hands up, and because I'd bought it on a charge card and not on a credit card I had no other rights to fall back on. So the coat's been in the bag as they sent it back to me for the last 4 months...

I managed to take it out without spitting (too much) and am getting it repaired locally, but it's really wound me up. The owner of the retail shop was well spoken, fairly friendly and apologetic but useless, I can't imagine their margins are so dicey as to lose a customer and risk internet badmouthing over a replacement coat, but obviously they must be..

I haven't got an Aigle coat, but I have ripped a good coat in the way you describe, by catching it in the hand brake.