Dry clean only curtains ruined by dry cleaning 12 September 2013 at 1:41PM in Consumer rights 7 replies 6.4K views

2013yearofthehouse

Dry cleaners just rang and told me the lining on my curtains has bonded and to come and collect them as they're ruined (they weren't supposed to be ready for collection until Sunday - only dropped them off last night). They said they followed the label and would write me a technical report to take to Next (where the curtains were from). Basically, they are saying that Next must just not of tested the lining, only the other fabric. They were a few years old and weren't too expensive, but it took me months to find curtains I could afford in the colour they are and I've just checked about 5 major shops now (granted I can do a longer search later) to find nothing similar at all.

Anyway, where do I stand? Do I still have to pay the £17 for dry cleaning (presumably they didn't even finish the process if they weren't due to be ready for another 2-3 days)? Do I stand any chance of getting a refund/replacement from Next? Presumably, my chances would have been higher if I'd dry cleaned them sooner or at least had a receipt.

InsideInsurance

You will need to have proof of purchase for any claim against Next though a receipt is only one option. If they accepted they were faulty and decided to refund you they would be entitled to reduce the settlement to reflect the use that you had received from the item before the problem manifested. Assuming you dont have a receipt then given its presumably a Next branded item they may take the point the item was first introduced or when the item was made (if there is any batch number on them) as the basis for calculating their age).

Ultimately the dry cleaners have done work for you and appear to even being willing to write a report for you for free, though they arent independent so take their report with a slight pinch of salt. At present it doesnt appear to be their fault about the problem and so they should be paid for their work and you may want to add the cost on to your claim against Next as a consequential loss but are unlikely to get anywhere with that aspect.

Takeaway_Addict

I would expect you paid on card so find the transaction from a few years ago for proof of purchase.

2013yearofthehouse

Sorry, could've worded that better, I meant would they expect the full £17 in payment, since only part of the process was completed, rather than that I expect what they have done to be for free.

I'm not sure I paid by card as we did used to have a credit acount with their catalogue so may have bought them that way. Will see if I still have any paper statements from them.

keyser666

Similar post yesterday about a trenchcoat in the same circumstances.

2013yearofthehouse

keyser666 wrote: »

Similar post yesterday about a trenchcoat in the same circumstances.

Interesting, missed that yesterday, but just gave it a read, thanks.


Have taken the curtains from the dry cleaners to nearest Next store and back again. Dry cleaners seemed genuinely shocked - the lining is completely stuck together, definitely not salvageable - saying it's only the second time this has ever happened (and the other item was a coat - from years ago though, so not the one from the other post! ).

Next tried looking up the code on the label, but unsurprisingly it wasn't on the system. They said they would need the technical report and would send the curtains away so they could be looked at, but they couldn't tell me if I was at all in with a chance of a refund.

So curtains have gone back to the dry cleaners for the technical report to be done. They said straight away that they didn't expect payment for the dry cleaning (although not sure if that includes the technical report). She did say that if it turns out the wrong label has been put on the curtains, then Next could be fined - not sure if that's really the case?

I guess I'll just let Next send the curtains and report away and see what happens.

Takeaway_Addict

They could be I guess but I doubt they would

2013yearofthehouse

Finally got the technical report back confirming fault lies with Next and not the dry cleaners. Took the curtains and report to my local Next about a week ago and the manager rang today to say I could come in and pick some new curtains to the value of £40. They don't sell any that look anything like my old ones and most of them are £65+ anyway, but they were happy to give me £40 credit to use at a later date instead :j