A complaint about Monsoon customer services

[iMum]

I am really so upset about this-it just seems so unfair....

last week I bought this dress
I wore it to a posh do but got some champagne on my frock.
The label said dry clean only so I took it along to my local dry cleaners who said that the champange would be next to impossible to clean as it is a water based stain and that only water can remove such stains, he cleaned it anyway and the stain remained-he explained that chemicals did exist to clean it (water based ones) and that they could even try dipping the dress into cold water but both options would run the risk of ruining the dress further.
I took the dress to another dry cleaners who said exactly the same-that the fabric (silk) cannot tolerate water on it (even rain) and that to remove the stains would probably lead to the colours running or. fabric damage.
I took the dress into Monsoon and explained all this-the lady phoned customer service and then came back to me and said that as I had now had the dress dry clceaned that the stain was fixed and there is nothing they are prepared to do about it!
I by this point was quite upset as this is an expensive dress which I cannot afford to wear once only.
I asked if I could speak to customer services then and there and the lady did ring them for me-I had a very lenght conversation with the woman on the end of the phone who although not outright rude was very "attitudey"

My argument was that they had made a dress that stained if got wet but that was dry clean only, and dry cleaning wouldnt remove water marks - there was no warning on the dress to tell me to avoid water on the fabric. Not being a posh frock wearer I wasnt in the know about these sorts of things. I explained that I had spent alot of money on this dress that I now cant wear.

Her response was that dry cleaning had now "set" the stain, that it was my fault as I spilt the drink that as it was not a manufacturing fault she had no responsibility to do anything.

By this time I was quite upset not crying but my voice was going a bit wobbly!

I did keep trying to ask her to explain how I should try and sort the dress out but she could only say that the dress once wet cannot be fixed as it is dry clean only-I explained what I had been told by the dry cleaners and she actually got narky with me and in a very sarcy tone was explaining what a dry cleaners was. I suggested that maybe a tag should be put on the dress to explain about the water staining issue but she just siad "we dont have too do that or refund you" I asked her what I can do about it then-she told me to go to trading standards if I wanted to.

So i bought a dress that said dry clean only, i wore it and got a bit of champange down it-not much mind yu but in a very obvious place. i followed the instructions nd took it to the dry cleaners, turns out no water based marks can be removed from the dress and monsoon bear no responsibility at all.

I know its my fault as I spilt the drink but surly making a dress out of this fabric is insane! the dry cleaners said that even if it had been rain the water would have marked the dress.

The customer services woman said her bit and I said mine I asked her if there was anything she could do to help sort the situation out and she said she had no responsibility to but if the store wanted to offer an exchange then thats down to them. The lady instore was obviously in a real fix now as all this was going on next to the cash desk instore so Customers were hearing it all-to her credit she has offered to exchange the dress.

But the more I think about this the crazier it seems!

[MellyMunster]

So glad I came on here. I phoned up Monsoon's Customer Services Number. 0203 372 3000. Lovely lady called Lisa on the other end of the line apologised for the poor service I received and she has arranged with the Hitchin store to give me a full refund or an exchange. She said the store assistants should have used their discretion and also checked to see that the tights were wrongly marked an age 6 - 7 years old (but were more a 2 - 3 size in reality). Have never had something like this happen to me in Monsoon before but at least they have a Customer Service Dept who are on the ball.

[MellyMunster]

Monsoon are not that great on their customer service actually. Bought some girls tights last week for £8 (aged 6 to 7) and my daughter is 4. She tried to get them on and they went as far up as her knees. I took them back and they refused to exchange them or refund me. End of. Just directed me to the sales receipt and said they don't exchange or refund tights. No contact numbers on their receipt, only their web address.

You are very lucky that you received a refund for the silk dress. Thank goodness sanity prevailed. I feel pretty cheesed off with Monsoon as it's clear to me that the tights I purchased were wrongly marked to be aged 6 to 7 and could only have been for age 2 to 3. I just feel as if I was shafted.

[FabIsJustPayingAFlyingVisit]

Only read the op but you have been offered an exchange - take it!

[ebojones]

I had a similar experience with a silk dress that I wore to a wedding - it was a spring day and a light shower resulted in the dress being covered in fine rain marks and ruined. The lesson that I learned is that silk is not for me!!

TBH I think that Monsoon are being fair in offering you an exchange. They have some nice machine washable cotton dresses online at the moment so you could have a browse...

[belledechocolatefluffybunny]

I put a Gucci top in the washing machine instead of having it dry cleaned. It was cotton, I didn't see the point in paying to have it dry cleaned. It survived.

[sausagerollmodel]

No I do this as well Racingheart. As long as you use cool water and be really gentle you can wash silk. I've even washed a suede handbag! I was going to chuck it if I couldn't get it clean so nothing to lose really - and it came up like new!

I think sometimes the dry cleaners are in cahoots with the fashion industry and pay them to put "dry clean only" labels on things that don't need dry cleaning just to bring in business.

[racingheart]

Am I the only one who ignores all 'dry clean only' instructions because it's too expensive, and stuffs everything, including fine silk dresses, in the usual 40 degree cycle with no problems? I have a gorgeous dress made from really thin silk but it gets chucked in and survives a wash with the kids' clothes.

[swarovski]

Has anyone bought this particular dress in Monsoon ? I am having difficulty in finding a dry cleaners to clean it. Am a bit afraid to give it a gentle handwash it case it gets destroyed. Would appreciate any advice ? www.monsoon.co.uk/Bridal-Dresses/Paula-Rose-Tunic/invt/65211741&bklist=icat,5,shop,women,brid al,bridaldresses

[kickassangel]

silk can actually be v hard wearing. the really thin gauzy stuff isn't, cos it's so thin, but if you have a a decent weight fabric, you can be really rough.

yes, ANY liquid leaves a mark, but this can be washed out.

my wedding dress had grey mould growing up it (cos i never got round to cleaning it), so i SCRUBBED it with bathroom mildew cleaning stuff. If I hadn't then shrunk it in a boil wash, it would have been fine. Still looks good, but just a bit smaller all round!

you can use scrubbing brushes, bleach, & hot water on decent weight silk, as long as the colour has been properly fixed.

[mippy]

Why would you not expect Monsoon things to be hardwearing? It's not the cheaper end of the high-street.

I'm too scared to wear my silk crepe dress, as I'm dyspraxic and it's probably quite likely water will go on there at some point..,

[SoupDragon]

"But soup-is it not to be expected that if a frock is DRY CLEAN ONLY then it can indeed be cleaned! "

Er, except it can be cleaned so I'm not entirely sure what your point is. It's not their fault you split something on it that wouldn't come out. I have a pure silk Dry Clean Only Monsoon skirt upstairs that cleaned perfectly well after wearing it to a wedding, a cream silk dress that was also cleaned fine and a regularly cleaned silk dress that I used to wear to work (and which got rained on as it happens)!

"regarding the venue/non spill beaker I think you are missing the point slightly."

no I'm not. You seem to think it was Monsoons fault the stain wouldn't come out. using the same logic, it is clearly the venue's fault that you spilt your drink.
I mean who on earth would provide a glass that can be spilt?

[beanlet]

Yes, I did realise it was a bit OTT, and TBH I've always managed to get stains out of silk with handwashing in water with mild liquid detergent.

[bishboschone]

omg..I have just read that beanlet..what a load of crock...( i realise you didnt write it).

Its easy , put it in the machine on hand wash setting. the detergent is the important bit, must be liquid detergent as powder can leave spots and designed for colours.
wash , get it out hang , dry as quickly as poss...easy

pls dont anyone rub stains, there is no need , if they are fresh they will come out, rubbing causes colour loss and bobbling .

I have literally washed hundres of dresses using this method and never ruined anything, we even do wedding dresses like this.

[beanlet]

how to wash silk

[iMum]

Sorry that last post wasnt clear, its the fact that silk and water dont mix-i never knew this, i was led to believe by monsoon that now the dress had water damage there was no saving the dress, which I thought was bad-rain would have caused the damage as well!

So of course its my fault, of course i was happy with the exchange offered (ive said that alot now!) but I feel some care advice would be good with items of this nature beacuse I cant be the only person not to know that silk and water are such a bad mix!

In any case, dress is saved and I am happy!!!

[iMum]

Seriously hurley - and im so not getting in a
spin about this as its all resolved now, Of course I knew I had to be careful you wally! but in the normal course of events a bit of Champagne was spilt on the dress in an obvious place thats all-do never ever get anything down you?

I think I will have to agree to disagree with the majority here! I stand by the fact that a dress this delicate should have some care advice with it-musch like those crinkly fabric clothes come with.....

[HurleySatOnMe]

Well quite. But at least you could get a refund, because, you know, the label didn't say to avoid sharp things, did it? How were you to know?

[JulesJules]

I also think retailers are too quick to use the "Dry clean only" label for the reasons bishboschone says. I have taken stuff to the cleaners with marks on and been advised to carefully hand wash at home for better results - and they have been right.

But I think it was unfair of you to call this thread "A complaint about Monsoon customer services" for heavens sake - you spoilt the dress, it is your fault, not the retailers, and they have been extremely generous in offering you an exchange. They did not have to do this. And now you have managed to get the mark out by washing it yourself... I really can't see why you are so aggrieved.

[iMum]

No and think of the dry cleaning bill! all that blood!

[HurleySatOnMe]

Well if I do imum, I'll be sure to avoid you dress. Wouldn't want the bother of having to sew it back up would we?

[iMum]

Right but the dry cleaners then said that they wouldnt touch the dress as it would get damaged! gah!!

Hurley, you had better watch yourself with that tongue, you might cut yourself.

[iMum]

Really tho, the dress is fine and washed well so Im happy-I was happy too with the offered exchange.

I just think its off to sell a dress that is so easily damaged with no indications of that fact-I had no idea about silk being so intolerant to water-no idea at all!

[HurleySatOnMe]

imum, next time take a bib. It is ridiculous to think you won't have to be careful in such a delicate dress.

[MargaretAtwood3660]

No, as I said it isn't to be expected.

It means dry cleaning won't damage the item, that's all.

It does NOT mean that dry cleaning will get anything out.

[iMum]

But soup-is it not to be expected that if a frock is DRY CLEAN ONLY then it can indeed be cleaned!
regarding the venue/non spill beaker I think you are missing the point slightly.