Dress alteration

Snowfall

Hi,

Is there any sort of 'not fit for purpose' consumer rights for clothing alterations? I bought a dress for a friend's wedding and took it to my local dry cleaner/alteration place as I usually do, to take it up a couple of inches. I've never had a problem there before, but unfortunately, this time they didn't do a good job.

I put on the dress the day of the wedding and left the house. Before I even got 50m down the road, the dress completely unravelled. I had no option but to pull up the dress and put up with it.

I took the dress back to the place I had it altered a few days later. I went in, explaining that I'm usually very happy with the work they do (they do a good job and we always have friendly banter when I'm there, the guy who does the alterations sits by the window so we wave to each other, etc, so on pretty good terms with them), but unfortunately, this time there was a problem.

The guy who served me (I think he's the manager? He's the one who takes all the payments) was defensive from the get go, saying that it was my fault - his words. He eventually said he would re do it, but I explained that I would rather a refund since I don't know when I'll be wearing the dress, or even if I will be the one wearing it. There's no point in redoing it, if I'm going to experience the same problem. They did a 'hidden stitch' type of alteration, as this was how the original bottom of the dress was, and they proceeded to show me various other things people had left for alteration. They said probably because it's long, it got caught on something, more than likely my shoes. I said that they saw exactly what shoes I would be wearing with the dress, and of course the dress was long - it was a maxi dress, and I took their advice on how much to take it up. I said that as a professional, if he thought that the shoes/length/original stitch type was not suitable, he should have advised me, or at least should have given me the choice of a weak hidden stitch, or a stronger but showing stitch. Because of the rubbish stitching coming undone, the bottom of the actual dress unravelled a little, and also got stained. It was already slightly longer than expected, but once it unravelled, it was waaay too long.

He would not budge at all. I said that this was extremely bad service, and then basically told me to leave. Since I was not getting anywhere with him, and I was running late for work, I made the point that I would be taking my custom elsewhere and left.

Do I have a leg to stand on regarding a 'not fit for purpose' type of complaint? I paid £18 for something that didn't even last 5 minutes..