Advice needed - how to return worn dress?

[Anonymous]

Help! I bought an expensive $500 dress to wear to a wedding last weekend from a big retailer. I bought it at the end of the summer because it was on sale. When it arrived I tried it on quickly and it fit so I took off the tags and put it in my closet. A month later I went to put it on for the wedding and the zipper completely broke. I am pretty sure it’s defective because it’s gets stuck and the zipper just splits open on its own even though the dress is zipped up.

I called the retailer to process a return or exchange and they won’t take it back because it’s outside of the 30 day return window and I don’t have the tag. I told them I would be fine with them exchanging it for the same dress or even fixing the zipper but they won’t do either.

Regardless, shouldn’t a dress last more than 2 months? How can they not be willing to help with something defective purchased so recently????

Normally I would fight the charge on my credit card but I bought the dress with a gift card from the retailer.

Do I have any recourse here or am I out $500 with a dress that’s unwearable?

[Anonymous]

Who is the retailer?

I’ve noticed stores have gotten VERY strict with their return policy.

[Anonymous]

Take it to a tailor and have a new zipper put in.

[Anonymous]

They are right. Take it to someone and have the zipper fixed. You were out of the return period.

[Anonymous]

What retailer? The gift card part makes it challenging.

But I might try to just send it back (print out the receipt, write the issue on it, circle the order # and figure out the address to return it to off of their website, pay your own shipping) and see if they somehow credit you. Not much for you to lose by trying.

[Anonymous]

That sucks but it’s not like you have to trash the dress. Just take it to a seamstress and have the zipper fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are right. Take it to someone and have the zipper fixed. You were out of the return period.

I took it to two tailors and they each quoted around $300 to fix the zipper, which would entail having it completely replaced. Don’t think that’s worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is the retailer?

I’ve noticed stores have gotten VERY strict with their return policy.

Saks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are right. Take it to someone and have the zipper fixed. You were out of the return period.

I took it to two tailors and they each quoted around $300 to fix the zipper, which would entail having it completely replaced. Don’t think that’s worth it.

Then goodwill it is.

[Anonymous]

If you had worn it once before the 30 days, you would have noticed the defective zipper. Lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you had worn it once before the 30 days, you would have noticed the defective zipper. Lesson learned.

I think the bigger lesson is to not take the tags off until you’re ready to wear something.

[Anonymous]

That's very annoying, OP, but short of replacing the zipper yourself (and with some slippery fabrics, it can be a pain), I'm not sure what you can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are right. Take it to someone and have the zipper fixed. You were out of the return period.

I took it to two tailors and they each quoted around $300 to fix the zipper, which would entail having it completely replaced. Don’t think that’s worth it.

Then goodwill it is.

Don’t take a dress with a broken zipper to goodwill. That’s just making goodwill throw it away for you.

[Anonymous]

Just get the darn zipper fixed. You didn't return it within the return period, so that ship has sailed.

[Anonymous]

Offer it on Freecycle or a Buy Nothing group. Someone will take it, fix it and be forever grateful to you