I don't want to be a sucky customer... advice?

[Fera Festiva]

Hey, fellow CSers. I need some advice... I think I need to make a complaint about something, and I haven't had to make a proper complaint about anything... well, ever before, so I'd appreciate input on this. Thanks in advance. Apologies if I've put this in the wrong place.

Here are the facts:

• In February I bought a dress from a fancy boutique in town. (For reference, it's this one, but longer. I have it in the black background with sort of sacred hearts pattern. That isn't directly relevant, but I'm a girl. )
• The dress cost £100 (way more than I'd normally pay for a dress, but it was for my cousin's wedding. It cost more than it says on the website as I had it made specially).
• Since I bought the dress, I've worn it three times. I was planning on wearing it a fourth time for my aunt's wedding next month.
• However, the third time I wore it, the zip broke (it split below the zipper, so the zipper is stuck and the dress can't be fastened or unfastened). For what it's worth, the dress is bespoke and made in my size, so although it's fitted on the bust etc, it's not tight. I haven't put the zip under any excess pressure, is my point.
• Last week I called into the boutique where I bought it and asked an assistant what I should do. She advised me to take it to a particular fabric store at the other end of town, where the zip could be replaced, and it would cost me no more than £5.
• Today I took the dress to the fabric store, where I was told it would cost £20 to be repaired.
• The dress is fancy but not so fancy that you'd expect it to fall apart after three wears. It's not like it's a wedding dress or made of antique lace or something.
• I don't have a receipt (my mother bought it on card and I paid her back later). However, this boutique is the only place in the world that makes these dresses.
• Oh, and also, they no longer make new dresses in that fabric, so it can't be replaced.

I haven't been back to the boutique yet. I really don't want to be an SC, but I am bothered that I paid so much for something that's fallen apart, and they expect me to repair it myself, AND they told me it would be much cheaper than it is. On the other hand, I bought it back in February and they don't know I haven't worn it every day (well, except that it's pristine, other than the zip). I can't think straight about it, as I have nothing else to wear to this wedding and am freaking out, but on the other hand I am so worried about being an SC I sometimes overcompensate and end up just chickening out.

Am I being totally unreasonable here? What should I do?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[TWOLF]

To be honest I would contact the store you bought it from and ask why they told you a differnt price then the one the other store told you to. Before taking it to the other store I woudl contact the one you bought it from and see if you can get the statement from your mother to show that it was purchased and see if there is anything they can do. I would also recommend seeing if they have anything in their shop that covers repairs or returns. One thing I would not do is go in and curse them out and make demands for them to repair the dress for free. I would try this and if nothing else pay to have it repaired. Because in the long run as a company they may just shrug it off feeling that once you take it out, it's not their responsabilty. They probably have some instore clause to cover this. Good luck

[SuperB]

I'm confused as to why, if they made the dress, and you're able to physically take the dress in, they can't fix it. That doesn't make sense to me.

I would take the dress to the shop, tell them you only wore it a few times and ask them to fix the zipper. If they charged the 5 for repairs that's understandable but I wouldn't hold one business to the quote of another business.

[cheese]

Ooooh, very small world, my friend works there!
Maybe I should ask her!

[Rapscallion]

British retail law requires that the customer has the reasonable expectation of goods of merchantable quality unless otherwise stated. Your contract as a purchaser is between you and the shop - sending you elsewhere is not a fair option.

The onus, however, is on you to prove that you've only worn it three times. For it to break after three wearings is profoundly unreasonable, and thus a court would find in your favour.

For them to claim that another shop elsewhere - assumedly not affiliated with them - would mend it for a small amount is a brush-off. They told you that to get rid of you. A fiver on a hundred-quid dress? That's a cheap fix. However, from the viewpoint of the other company, someone has come in and is telling them that someone who doesn't work for them claims their prices are a certain price when they most likely haven't been for decades. They fobbed you off with an unrealistic price at another company's location.

They're playing funny fellows.

Rapscallion

[Fera Festiva]

Thanks everyone. It's good to get an outside perspective on the situation.

SuperB - that's where I'm a bit put out too. When I originally spoke to the assistant, I admit I thought that's what she was going to say - bring it in and our seamstress will fix it for you. Anywhere I've worked that makes its own stuff had pretty much that policy. That's one of the reasons I'm not sure what to do, and I'm really worried I'm going to end up being SC-ish. I don't want to be all, "I EXPECT you to fix this!"

Raps, I think you're right about the being brushed off thing. I was quite surprised they just sent me elsewhere. For what it's worth, the assistant I spoke to, I haven't seen there before, so I wonder if she was new and this was a new query for her. She wasn't at all unpleasant, she seemed a bit like she wasn't sure what to say.

I also feel really bad that when they told me £20 at the fabric shop, I just told them I'd think about it, and left. (I wasn't mean, I don't think - I just said I'd drop it in another day.) It wasn't their fault someone else told me the wrong price.

... Meh. I'm just trying to figure out how to get them to sort this out, and let them know I'm not happy, but without blaming anyone or getting aggressive or personal etc. I really, really don't want to be sucky!

Thanks for your advice everyone.

[queenbb]

if things dont go anywhere with the shop, and you have to fix it your self you do not have to get it fixed at the place that they suggested. shop around for zipper replacements at taylor shops in the area and see who can do it for you. and if all else fails you can have a friend do it for you, zipper replacement is a pretty common thing that most people who know how to sew can do. the fabric looks like its a normal cotton type so there shouldnt be an issue with special sewing for special fabrics (btw i love that dress its pretty, i like the one with the grey flaming sculls and the dia los mertos scull fabrics as well)

anyway. a zipper is usually prett inexpensive to buy. i have bought a few zippers to repair costumes that had broken zippers that were put out to be trashed, i saved them put new zippers in and now i have quite a few costumes laying around, fixed by friends on the cheap, and i let them borrow the cosutmes if they need to have a costume for some reason.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

That dress is really cute, BTW.