I brought in an ivory colored Nanette Lepore cotton pique jacket (retail value $330) which had only been worn once so that a watermark could be removed from the left sleeve. The jacket had a small ink stain near the watermark (which I knew was permanent) but was otherwise in perfect condition.
When I picked up the jacket I noticed that although the watermark was gone, the jacket now had several other dark stains (grungy smudges) in other locations (on the front right bottom, on the opposite sleeve, on the waistline in the back). Also, and perhaps more importantly, the right side of the front of the jacket and the back of the jacket were now mottled, with patches of bright white and patches of the original ivory color. This dye removal is irreversible, and it made me upset.
When I took the garment back the proprietress of C&C argued first that she could not see the problem I was describing, second that I had caused the damage before I brought the jacket in, and various other excuses when I asked her if the damage was reversible. She kept raising her voice and yelling at me. She angrily offered to clean it again, promising to call the following day with an update on its status and promising to have the jacket cleaned by Monday.
By Saturday I still had not received the promised call so I went to C&C to check on the jacket. The proprietress was extremely rude, claiming that I had brought the jacket in with the coloration problems. I told her that because this was a very expensive jacket I just wanted a straight answer about whether the damage was reparable or not. She responded by telling me that the jacket was cheap and that without an original purchase receipt it was worthless. She called me a liar, claiming that I had purchased the jacket at a salvage shop and was lying to her about its price. I was told that they wouldn't be able to try cleaning it again until after Monday. I found this arrangement unsuitable, so I asked for a refund. My cleaning costs were refunded to me, but the jacket is now unwearable due to the numerous dark stains and the blotchy color.
I was offended by the way I was treated - I am an honest person and I expect to be treated respectfully by the people I do business with. More importantly, though, I have lost this very expensive piece of my wardrobe, and the woman who runs this business refused to compensate me in any way, shape, or form unless I could produce my original purchase receipt.
0 comments