Am I getting messed about

Billmac_3

A national supermarket in conjunction with a national newspaper ran a promotion where you had to buy a paper to get a free jute bag at the named supermarket. On using the bag it got wet in the rain and emitted a blue dye which transferred onto my carpet when it was laid down. On contacting the supermarket they referred me to the newspaper who not prepared to pay for the cleanning to remove the stain the bag left on the carpet. Neither have given details of the bag manufacturer or distributer. Can anyone suggest if it's the newspaper or the supermarket who should take responsibility.

kazwookie

IMO neither, it is your for putting a jute bag on the carpet floor, dye on jute is known to run when wet and I am sorry to say that is just what has happened.

How about stardrops, warm water and a cloth to try to get rid of the stain.

Good luck with it

Billmac_3

Tried everything but nothing works. No label on the bag let alone to warn that the bag may emit dye when wet.

AndieJagain

I would say the store has a duty to inform of such a fault, regardless of how it's paid for.
I assume the bag is available to buy in said store?and they didntsimply act as a hand out service for the paper?
even then, if they can put 'may contain traces of nuts' on bags of peanuts, then they can put 'colour may run when wet' on a bag likely to getused in the rain.
if as #2 states the dye is known to run, then they should be able to pre-warn. (I personally had no idea, not even totally sure what jute is, but now know to avoid if i find any!).

to say it's the newspaper would, to me, be like saying the bank of england is responsible if you'd paid cash.

aMeLia'S~MuMMY

Not sure if it will help but read Martins facts on shopping here , if you scroll down there is a bit about free goods too.

( you might have to scroll up not down as the link is starting at the bottom of the page)

DCFC79

Its up to the supermarket to make sure theres no fault or a label is on the bag, keep on at the supermarket

Paul_Varjak

Interesting question...

I am not sure how the law of 'merchantable quality' applies to 'free gifts' especially if it is rather indeterminate (at least from your post) who actually gave the 'gift' away. Also, where did you buy the newspaper from?

I suggest you take the matter up with Trading Standards.

jenniewb

I would go to the head office of the supermarket- call them up if you have not done this already. A dye run is an issue they should be refunding you for.

It is something they should be paying to repair and the supermarket should also take the bags from the shelves or add to them a dye run warning.

If the supermarket don't do anything, go to trading standards. Even if this was a freebie, whoever created it owes you a repaired carpet.

I used to work in the Head office of a store where customers would call up about jeans -whch are known to have dye run issues, which had been washed and the colour affected other items in the wash. The entire drum of washing that had been affected would then be sent in to the head office, the fabric/dye techs would then take a look at it and the value of the washing would be paid in cheque. This is just the law, we were not a special store, if damage is caused by a product, the damage is to be refunded.

snowqueen555

The supermarket were just distributing the bag, I think the newspaper wsa to blame because they were the ones who supplied the actual goods.

however, I doubt they will do anything, the supermarket is probably more likely to be sympathetic so i tihnk talking to them might yield more results.

even if jute bags are well known to lose their dye, thats a pretty stupid thing to not mention on a bag which will inevtiably get wet, IMO

In

Billmac_3

Thanks #6. Found the following advice on the link you referred to which i've cut and pasted:
"if a free gift comes with something else, maybe a free bike when you sign up to a gym contract or a free matching toaster if you buy a particular brand of kettle, and the free item later becomes faulty, you have the same protection as if you’d paid for it. Most sellers will be aware of this but if you encounter problems stand your ground and complain".

Enterprise_1701C

There was some oil on my Berber carpet - I used lighter fluid to get it out, and it worked too well, now trying to get the patches as dirty as the rest of the carpet.

I know this is not your question, and it is just in case you get nowhere (but you do seem determined as I would be) but you said you tried everything to get it out, just wondered if you had tried lighter fluid or petrol. Carpet must be colourfast to do this, do not use it on a coloured carpet.