Dunelm Ready Made Curtains

SallySunshine

Whilst on Xmas break with relatives I visited a Dunelm store on Boxing Day.
I've always loved Dunelm stuff and have bought lots from them before.
They had some ready-made curtains in the sale, I couldn't see them on display but the packet was open so I could feel the fabric.

I bought the only 2 pairs left in the size I wanted plus 2 sets of tie-backs. they cost nearly £90. This was with 50% reduction.

However when I got home the next day, 80 miles away, and unpacked them I was appalled at the quality of the sewing. They have quite a large pattern but on one pair, when hung, would have been about 3ins out.
The linings are so thin and flimsy you could see the pattern through them and obviously hadn't been sewn straight onto the fabric down the sides, they varied from a 2" turn in to less than 1/2"
In fact the only thing that had been sewn on half decently was the curtain tape.
The ironic thing is my daughter had some curtains made up by them and they are brilliant.
I live about 30 miles from my nearest store and so have no intention of returning them at my cost I've e-mailed them and hope to hear from them soon.

I know I would get a refund but that is not the point. how can they sell curtains of such abysmal workmanship. I make my own curtains and thought I was giving myself less work, ha!
The only way they could be hung and look decent is if they were completely deconstructed, cut so the pattern matches and had new lining bought. what worries me is that if returned some other poor soul will buy them.

Rant over:mad:

rustyboy21

Strange, Dunelm is usually very good.

However, as they were ready made curtains, they would have been made by an outside company and sold to Dunelm in a bulk amount.

It was most probably a special purchase line, to give such a large discount on them. When a retailer takes on special purchase lines, they usually do a quality control check. One of my suppliers usually does a 1 in 100 check first. If there are any problems with that check, they will do a 1 in 20 check. if still problems a 1 in 10 then individual check and subsequent return of the batch.

This pair , more than likely has been made by a poor soul in a sweat shop, who is on piece work and has got the pair through to despatch without anyone noticing.

Dunelm are usually very good with returns, but I don't know how hopeful you should be of compensation. Why don't you ring your local branch and tell them what has happened. Say you will drop them off when you are next in the area and if they have another pair , put them to one side for you to exchange, so you don't miss out on the deal? You shouldn't need to take them back to the store 80 miles away.

Problems like this will always slip through when bulk buying. I know that B&Q bought some Electic stoves a few years ago, from China. They pulled a fast one on a normal supplier to get them cheaper. It transpired that when the lightbulbs blew in the stoves, people couldn't replace them. This was due to the chinese, supergluing all the bulbs into the sockets, so they wouldn't fall out during shipping ! Every stove had to be recalled.

Just goes to show, Retailers can buy cheap, but things always go wrong. Dunelm will sort it out, but will respond to reasonable demands. The returned ones will be dumped. They wont be able to return/resell them.

SallySunshine

Thanks for reply rustyboy,

I e-mailed head office as I should imagine contacting a store branch would only result in a standard reply of return and refund.

I know what you mean about sweat-shop labour, but that is only an assumption of where they were made. Plus not everything made is of poor quality or whole economies would collapse!

I don't think I would want another set of curtains if they are all of the same quality. I've been looking for ages to find the fabric I wanted and these were the perfect pattern, colour etc.

I could imagine buying them if they were marked as seconds, and a lot cheaper and so could have remade them, even though they are 2 sets of 90" x 90" and I would have to buy the lining, so lots of time and effort to do this.

It would be so easy to accept a refund but I would like someone to accept some responsibility for the items they are selling and admit they are not fit for purpose.



Whatever happened to quality control?:(

rustyboy21

SallySunshine wrote: »

Thanks for reply rustyboy,

I e-mailed head office as I should imagine contacting a store branch would only result in a standard reply of return and refund.

I know what you mean about sweat-shop labour, but that is only an assumption of where they were made. Plus not everything made is of poor quality or whole economies would collapse!

I don't think I would want another set of curtains if they are all of the same quality. I've been looking for ages to find the fabric I wanted and these were the perfect pattern, colour etc.

I could imagine buying them if they were marked as seconds, and a lot cheaper and so could have remade them, even though they are 2 sets of 90" x 90" and I would have to buy the lining, so lots of time and effort to do this.

It would be so easy to accept a refund but I would like someone to accept some responsibility for the items they are selling and admit they are not fit for purpose.



Whatever happened to quality control?:(

Quality control went out the window, when retailers had to fit into a certain price point, for a sales item. If something is so cheap , it is amazing, there will be a reason it is cheap, in your case, poor workmanship and less rigid QC.

If I were you, I would have a go at seeing if you could get them to increase the value of your purchase, say by an extra 50% and use this against some made to measure ones, you seem to think they are of good quality. Or if as you say, you are happy with the fabric, but not the way it was stitched, or the lining, would you keep them if they supplied you free of charge with top end lining and you repair them yourself? It's worth a try if you are up for it.

Refunding you for your purchase, will most likely be as much of an admission of liabilty for not fit for purpose, that you will get. I don't think they will hold their hands up and admit it totally, that is all they are required to do under SOGA.

If you use your wiley charms, play along with them in a nice way, you may get back more than you bargained for. Especially as you live 80 miles away from the store.

Go on, be cunning.... you said you like Dunelm, use this to your advantage, say you want to deal with them, but have been put off by this, what can they do to get your custom back, a bigger discount on made to measure for example?

Good luck

SallySunshine

Well, I'll just have to wait and see what solution they come up with but I'm not holding my breath.

It's not the end of the world if I have to return them, just so annoying, disappointing and frustrating but I suppose that's the way of the world now.:(

Barneysmom

What's the name of the curtains, just to stop some other poor soul getting lumbered with the same problem?

SallySunshine

They are called 'Lucille' but here's the final 'slap in the face'

I was so pleased to find what I wanted, it was only when I was home did I realise the original packet price was £74.99.

The bold sale sticker quoted £79.99 now half price at £39.99.

So , not only have I bought some unuseable curtains, I was also done with the price:eek:

I'm going for a lie down now, and hope things get better in 2012:(

Florenceem

SallySunshine wrote: »

They are called 'Lucille' but here's the final 'slap in the face'

I was so pleased to find what I wanted, it was only when I was home did I realise the original packet price was £74.99.

The bold sale sticker quoted £79.99 now half price at £39.99.

So , not only have I bought some unuseable curtains, I was also done with the price:eek:

I'm going for a lie down now, and hope things get better in 2012:(

I have never bought a pair of made curtains in my life - couldn't afford to - it was always so much cheaper making my own. There was a shop in town which sold extremely good pattern at good prices. I am probably so fussy if I bought curtains I would find fault with the sewing anyway - Virgo!

Barneysmom

I usually make my own too (also a virgo).
I'm not impressed with the chenille I got from Dunelm though, and I paid good money for it. The leading edges have sunfaded already.