Moth damage in online clothes order

No_Future

I hope this doesn't sound really silly, but I am a bit freaked out.

I received a large package of clothes from the website of a well known department store.

I opened it today and had a look at the items and tried some on. Some of the items arrived in unsealed/loose clear plastic bags.

I pulled out a wool jumper in its plastic bag and immediately noticed two large holes in the back. I didn't bother opening it properly as it was unwearable and continued looking at other clothes. I planned to return the jumper and thought nothing more of it.

Then, I found a dead moth nestled in the folds of another clear plastic bag of a different item (wool tunic).

After finding the moth, I was too freaked out to look at any more clothes in the package. What if other clothes were moth infested?

I began reading online about moths & clothes damage and apparently it's not the moths, but the larvae that do most of the damage. They are multiple and hard to find. I am terrified that all the clothes in the package are infested or that there could be moth infestation to my room/other clothes - I have a lot of silk and wool clothes. Apparently moth infestations are very hard to get rid of and expensive to treat.

I will definitely return the holey jumper and the tunic which had the moth, but what should I do, MSE?

Should I keep the items I like or could they be at risk of moth damage?
Should I send everything back? (Can't order new ones because most of the items I ordered are already sold out).
What if my other clothes get moth attacked?
What if their warehouse has a moth infestation? Should I email them and let them know?

I am not scared of moths as such, just horrified about the damage they do to clothes and the thought of an infestation just sounds awful.

Any other thoughts?

No_Future

can anyone help?

visidigi

if you like them and they are undamaged keep them.

for those that are damaged, return them, state why you are returning them and leave the retailer to make the deicsion what they should do with other products in the warehouse.

vuvuzela

I'd return it all and buy elsewhere. You don't want an infestation in your own wardrobe.

peachyprice

Send the lot back, they won't be much of a bargain if you end up having to replace all of your clothes.

fluffnutter

Yup, send them all back. It's not completely clear but I assume you've not actually taken any of these clothes out and hung them with your own clothes? If not, then I wouldn't worry about a moth infestation.

But I'd certainly send them all back, and alert the store to the potential problem they have. Out of interest, how big was the moth you found? Apparently, the moths whose larvae damage clothes are absolutely tiny. There's always the possibility that this moth and the holes are a coincidence but you need to let the store investigate.

No_Future

fluffnutter wrote: »

Yup, send them all back. It's not completely clear but I assume you've not actually taken any of these clothes out and hung them with your own clothes? If not, then I wouldn't worry about a moth infestation.

But I'd certainly send them all back, and alert the store to the potential problem they have. Out of interest, how big was the moth you found? Apparently, the moths whose larvae damage clothes are absolutely tiny. There's always the possibility that this moth and the holes are a coincidence but you need to let the store investigate.

No, I've kept them in the package they arrived in.

It was medium sized and brown.

Yeah, I've read the larvae do the damage and they are hard to see. The moth may just be an adult that laid the eggs which grew into larvae. Or it could be a larva that grew into a moth. It probably was larvae that ate the jumper.

It's possible, but the holes look like something has eaten at it to me.

No_Future

Thanks guys, I think you're right. Definitely don't want an infestation.