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Frustration with Flawed Items

Jules

Veteran

Just a vent really, feel free to share yours!
I've had some bad luck this year ordering items that turn out to be flawed in their construction after I 'cut the tags", and from supposedly quality brands. My frustration is largely the time & effort that goes into getting a replacement or refund - after having already spent the time buying in the first place, I feel like I'm at a net loss.

My flawed items...

- a fashion rain coat I purchased from Simons (Canadian department store). I knew it wasn't gear, but the description specifically referenced staying dry in the rain. First of all the sleeves were not lined, and the cotton outer layer was not rain resistant at all. Then it turned out the outer layer actually bled dye when it got wet, which got on my shirt underneath. I sent pictures to customer service, had to take the time to ship the coat back, then explain why a credit was unacceptable, then again point out that my shirt was ruined so a straight refund was not enough compensation. I extracted the refund and a big old $10 credit from them, which I won't be using because I've since let them know I won't be ordering from them anymore for this and other reasons.

- Naturalizer Emma flats - purchased early in the season, true love (so beautiful in green snakeskin with a bronze heel), but the insole in one shoe quickly became half unglued and then rumpled in the shoe, making them uncomfortable to walk in. I put up with it for a while, so they are now "worn", but I can't ignore the problem anymore and I don't look forward to back-and-forth with customer service.

- Eddie Bauer Mackenzie rain coat - there is a weird sewn-in string misaligned inside one of the cuffs, it's very hard to explain but irritates me a lot when I wear it. Again, not looking forward to explaining it, suspect I will have to go a store to show them, then will they have my size/colour in stock there? Ugh.

I'm not shopping much these days, and these experiences just solidify why. I know retailers are struggling and it's a price and therefore quality race to the bottom these days. But even trying to focus on more quality basic items such as the Eddie Bauer rain coat, rather than fast fashion trendy items, I'm frustrated. Anyone else?

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from Julie

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Wow, it seems like you have had more than your fair share of bad experiences. I'm not surprised you're frustrated. (knock on wood) I haven't had similar things happen, but I'm sure it's a matter of time. Makes you want to shop at places like Nordies that have good return policies!

kkards

Veteran

how annoying.. especially that a rain coat that runs, many years about i bought a bathing suit that ran...i haven't had any bad experiences lately

Sal

Veteran

That is really disappointing. I can relate having had a couple of bad experiences over recent years with quality brands. It is wearying to have to explain yourself and not always easy.

I do agree that it is a sign of difficult times in retail/fashion where even what we think of as quality brands are maybe not as careful as they used to be. So many items are sold on sale/discount now.

Personally I think retailers should honour returns for quality issues - yes ask a few questions - but make it relatively simple.

The shoe may be fixable by a cobbler.... not ideal but may solve the problem.

slim cat

Veteran

When I lived in Seattle I was very upset with the phrase "Water resistant" in the coat description which means you can't use it in Seattle for real - you need "Water repellent coat" and even that doesn't guaranty you stay dry!
I switched to REI as a place to shop for coats ( plus one year return policy ).

Carla

Veteran

I’ve taken to turning clothing inside out to study seams, linings, and pockets. Laying them flat and checking alignments. Reading ALL the details on attached and sewn in labels. Still, I’ve been burned! Horrible pilling DAY ONE on a sweater! Gah! I’ve had a shoe issue like you describe happen with a pair of sandals. Could not rectify it and was so disappointed. Passed sandals on, though I loved the style, etc. Just not comfortable.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I’ve had a couple of bad experiences in the last few years. One of the worst was the pockets on a pair of J. Crew jeans were crooked...one pocket was higher than the other! I always check the rear view and couldn’t figure out why my butt looked so bad until I took the jeans off and inspected them closely. One pocket was .25 inches higher than the other.

Another beef I have is that so many items are hand-wash only. I understand woolen sweaters and silk, but cheap polyester blouses? That just says to me they will fall apart in a washing machine. Thumbs down.

Jules

Veteran

I hear you Aquamarine, I haven't noticed it as much lately but years ago I noticed certain brands had a habit of making everything hand wash only, obviously just relieving themselves of any responsibility. I guess I just mostly ignore the care labels these days and use my judgment. Although there were some cute rayon PJs a few years ago when cotton was scarce that were Hang to Dry. Uh no, I hang a lot of my day clothes regardless of the label, but PJs must be able to survive the dryer. Precious Pyjamas aren't for me

Anonymous

I'm having the same exact problem with the Naturalizer Emma flats. I bought multiple pairs and they all do it.

I stopped buying Naturalizer shoes because this is really annoying. The insoles haven't wrinkled too badly and I can still wear them.

But like you I haven't been seduced by much of what is in retail at the moment.

Jules

Veteran

Sterling, that’s good to know! Now I won’t worry about trying to get a new pair. One less problem on my list. Extremely disappointing news about their overall quality though. I can also still wear mine, but they did give me a blister once, and it’s just sooooo darn annoying when they are supposed to be comfortable, walkable shoes!

I actually forgot that I had a THIRD raincoat rip on me this year, the second time I wore it, on both shoulders. That was an obvious flaw the unknown-to-me German gear manufacturer must have known about and dumped them on Winner’s (Marshall’s). That was annoying but the clerks at Winners were appropriately horrified and refunded me right away. However I’m starting to understand why I feel so burned out on raincoats and want to ignore the weird little issue with my Eddie Bauer one, and yet, it burrrrrrns, it burns!

LoriFLA

This year I bought a 3/4 length woven cotton-blend top/tunic where one arm was sewn smaller than the other. I was with my sister and she said she couldn't tell. I felt it, and it was strange, and I couldn't believe I bought it, but I did. It was a lovely green and I wanted a shot of color. Bad decision -- it was fast fashion (Belk) and I wore it once.

I love the Halle pant from Prana. I am a health professional and work in rehab/sports medicine. These pants are flattering and great for the job but the top buttons always come off and they aren't too small. I have three pairs and it happened with all of them. Very annoying even though a minor problem. And not so minor when I lose the buttons.

I bought a few Breton tops from Boden and it's too bad that the stripes aren't lined up. I know this can be difficult as the fabric stretches. With these tops the stripes can be lined up on one arm but not the other, or lined up in the back, but not the front, etc. I tried on a Lauren Ralph Lauren t-shirt the other day that had all the stripes aligned. I hunted and found one and I tried it on and it looked good. I didn't buy it! There is no rhyme or reason with me. The quality is probably low but it was a classic navy and white stripe and it would have been useful to wear with white and blue jeans. These are the gaps I often have in my wardrobe -- classic, neutral, casual tops. This would have been more practical than the poorly sewn green top that went into the trash.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I just remembered the Paul Green loafers from this past NAS. One shoe back was higher than the other, which I wouldn’t have noticed if it wasn’t rubbing the back of my foot. Hugely disappointing, especially at that price point.

Adriana

Veteran

Yes. Happens more then I want. Gap jeans I put in the bin after one day because they stretched two sizes. Expensive sweaters that I accidentally washed(by hand) and shrunk. A Boss suit from my husband that transferred color on his shirt. And after the suit was sent back to Germany they denied that this was possible. When we pass the Boss brand now in stores he says: no way.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jules, I sooooo hear you! Soooo ANNOYING. We have come to expect across the board inconsistent quality, and that's the worse part of all

I was in a similar position in 2017 and made it a style goal in 2018 and 2019 to be VERY discerning about quality. And you need a bit of luck too unfortunately .....

2018 was better, and 2019 was a much better quality year, especially for knits. I am still a big Naturalizer fan. My fussy feet don't have enough choice as it is.

Gigi

Veteran

Wow, you've had some really bad luck. How irritating!

I haven't had nearly as bad of luck as you (knock on wood). I did have some problems with a pair of Blondo booties, though. They were $180, and I think that after one season, the zippers started opening up as I walked (the zippers wouldn't stay zipped up). I took them to a cobbler and was informed that to replace them would be $50 for the pair. I didn't have the money, so I decided to wait and create a workaround where I tied the laces around the top of the bootie before tying them in front. [ETA: The booties were lace-ups, but they also had zippers for easy-on, easy-off.]

This year I had some extra money and decided to finally get those zippers replaced. Well, the day before I was going to take them to the cobbler, one of the boots started to squeak intermittently. The cobbler told me that there was nothing he could do, because he would have to take the bootie apart and even then might not be able to tell why it's squeaking. It's not worth it to spend $50 to replace the zippers if the booties are starting to squeak!

Everything else about the booties is in really good shape; the uppers and soles are still in great condition. But the zipper situation gets worse and worse, making me not want to wear them. At the same time, I don't think it's smart to pay for new zippers given the intermittent squeak. I was hoping to get more for $180.

I remember when stuff used to hold up for years and years. Almost everything was well made. Now everyone is afraid to buy stuff without reading tons of reviews because everyone is afraid of getting burned with poor quality.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Have you tried Uniqlo? I have yet to be disappointed in the quality of even one item from them. OK, I do have a pair of leggings that snagged but at $30 my expectations are low. Other items I've purchased from them include: jeans, pants, button up shirts, t-shirts, camisoles, sleepwear, rain jackets and blazers. I recently purchased an Ines de la Fressange blazer which is beautifully sewn. The SA told me the IDLF line usually has better workmanship.

cindysmith

Veteran

I hate that we all expect hit-or-miss quality from ALL brands. Like, brands that used to signify buy-it-for-life quality are some of the worst offenders; at least with fast fashion brands, we know it's "caveat emptor" and get pleasantly surprised by the good pieces.

Anonymous

I want to second Uniqlo. I too have been very pleased with the quality of the clothing I bought from them. My problem is that I am tall and Uniqlo does not carry "longs" or "talls" as often as I would like.

Jules

Veteran

CocoLion, I do like Uniqlo, both for me a my kids. Their raincoats are not a great fit on me unfortunately! I do have some thick cotton tees I love, plus a rayon blouse in two colours, which is a total workhorse. And a couple of inexpensive merino wool turtlenecks that are decent, especially since I got them on post-Christmas clearance for $20 or so. I appreciate the fact that they have the same items year after year, with maybe a small design tweak but not a total change in fabric content or quality. So if something works for me I can go get another and expect the same results.

Julie

I'm so sorry to hear all of this. Especially about the raincoats because I will be in the market for a new one this year. My old one was from Marmot. It lasted for over 15 years (including casual wear, several backpacking trips, and even some spring skiing!). I was still getting compliments on it a couple of years ago, but it finally fell apart. I guess I will be looking at Marmot for a replacement. Hopefully they haven't deteriorated like the current trend.