Has anyone bought this River Island dress? It's been a disaster for me and I need advice!

[KittytheHare]

I bought this dress (from River Island directly but couldn't find exact link). Loved it for the first five minutes until it started moulting in the most ridiculous way. I wore it to a party and was honestly embarrassed by end of the night. There was a significant trail of feathers left in my wake everywhere I went.
I can understand a couple of feathers shedding, but this was extreme and has put me off ever wearing it again.
I brought it back tothe store, saying it was faulty/flawed and essentially unwearable, only to be told that the dress was perfect and that's what is to be expected with this style. According to the manager, apparently, no one else has experienced any problems. She gave me the address of the UK office to complain to (I'm in Ireland) and I will contact them, but before I do, I'm keen to to some background investigation to see if anyone else has had this problem.

https://www.riverisland.com/ie/p/petite-black-velvet-feather-hem-shift-dress-917189

Oh that's unacceptable - contact their head office or online? Go to another store? That's a fault item, surely.

Not the dress from River Island but a top in black velvet with a feather trim. I bought it quite a lot of years ago and it did exactly the same as your dress. Everywhere I went it looked like I had been slaughtering crows with a trail of feathers behind me.

Thanks for replies - the sales assistant was pleasant but obviously out of her depth, and I felt that manager was pretty rude. She just stonewalled me, repeating that there was nothing wrong with the dress whatsoever. I showed her the bag I had put the dress in to bring it back, which had four or five feathers nestling in it, and again was told “that’s completely normal”. She walked off, leaving me alone at the counter to put my dress bag in its feather-strewn bag and leave. She was also visibly chewing gum the entire time she was speaking to me, which I really really don’t like.

I brought this dress the other day but I'm yet to wear it. Thanks for the heads up, might return it as it's still got the tags on

I would if I were you. Apparently “it’s normal” to leave a heavy trail of feathers in your wake as you wear it.

If its normal surely everyone else would be having the problem? The fact your the only one who's complained suggests your dress is faulty?

Although I think a shed of 4 or 5 feathers would be normal, so it's difficult to know how extreme the feather shedding is if that's your evidence

I don't know why you're surprised? Have you never worn a feather boa? Exactly the same. And it's only a cheapish high street dress.

I’m well aware that it’s a cheap high st dress, but the sheer level of shedding is my issue. To point where it’s unwearable. Even on the night it let me down. So essentially an utter waste of €88, plus an embarrassing amount of feathers trailing me all night.

Honestly, I view items with feathers and sequins as novelty and pretty much single-wear, hence I never buy them. Bits fall off them everywhere.

Oh ,I really like that dress . And isn't it £ 80+ ?
That's not cheap in my book.

I wasn’t relying on the four or five feathers in the bag as evidence - I was assuming that my narrative where I clearly explained the issue would be sufficient. Why else would I have bothered to bring it back? I liked the dress, it was fun for a night out and my only issue was that feathers streamed from hem and wrists as the night went on.

At £88 plus I wouldn't expect to be leaving a trail of feathers.
And I hope that river island will be embarrassed to have one of their managers trashing their customer service reputation like this.

Spot on @NotbloodyGivingupYet

Go back and cite the sales of goods act. It’s not fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality. Those words usually do it

I knew which dress it would be without clicking, I’ve seen several people on Instagram complaining about it so it’s not just you! Apparently hairspray can help.

I’m now wondering if I’m the only person who has never worn a feather boa.

I have the red dress. yes it moulted really badly. Worse than you'd expect. I also saw someone wearing the black version and she moulted as well. So unless you were in The No Sign Bar on Beaujolais Day, that's three of us.

I tried this dress on in the shop and didn't buy it for this exact reason. Feathers everywhere just from trying it on for less than 5 mins. Not a you problem, definitely a dress problem!

I bought both colours online and had the same experience, the moulting was insane!! I returned them to a store and said it looked like an explosion in a chicken factory after I had only just tried them both on.

I couldn't have worn either of them to an event it literally would have left a trail everywhere I went.

Such a shame as it's a stunning dress but totally impractical because of the shedding.

I was just about to say the same! Plus the quality is not as expected as you don’t expect an €88 dress to be leaving a trail of feathers all night!

Thank you for all the responses, and a little validation. And yes of course I would expect a little shedding, but the moulting was insane and makes it unwearable.
I know it didn’t cost a king’s ransom but €88 for an unwearable dress is not simply small change.
The manager in the shop was really quite rude and dismissive - she handed me a UK phone number to ring and walked away. I’m not willing to let this go because I loath bad customer service and I feel I have a genuine complaint.

Were you spitting feathers?

Sorry 😂 and yes it’s unacceptable and they need to refund you.

@Ochrer pretty much 😂

'we haven't had any others returned' is a standard line I was taught to use to refuse returns when I worked in a clothes shop. She's fobbing you off.

Believe me, I’m not shy about using consumer law. I clearly stated that the dress was not “fit for purpose”. The manager completely denied this. She handed me a UK phone no and walked away. I’m going to ring this number tomorrow and if I’m not offered a refund I will take it further.