Expensive dog harness lasted three days.

Twisted_Spirit

I bought a Ruffwear harness online for £80.00 which is expensive but wanted it for mantrailing with my dog.
Took him for a walk to check the fit and he rubbed against a wall briefly causing the strapping to fray to the point of almost breaking.

I would say that a dog harness that wore down that quickly was not fit for purpose. Am I within my rights to return for a refund?
Ruffwear are saying it is not covered by warranty as it is accidental damage and wear and tear but I only had it 3 days.

Thanks

born_again

But a dog harness is not designed to be dragged down a wall.

Alderbank

Twisted_Spirit said:

I bought a Ruffwear harness online for £80.00 which is expensive but wanted it for mantrailing with my dog.
Took him for a walk to check the fit and he rubbed against a wall briefly causing the webbed strapping to fray to the point of almost breaking.

I would say that a dog harness that wore down that quickly was not fit for purpose. Am I within my rights to return for a refund?
Ruffwear are saying it is not covered by warranty as it is accidental damage and wear and tear but I only had it 3 days.

Thanks

Was it sold for the purpose of rubbing it against a wall like sandpaper?

If so, it might not have been fit for purpose. You might have a claim that it is not sufficiently durable for the price.

What do the instructions say about care and use?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

A photo would probably help with opinions OP  

bris

It may have been causing the dog discomfort causing it to scratch itself against the wall.

The fact its physical damage makes it difficult to return

tightauldgit

Twisted_Spirit said:

I bought a Ruffwear harness online for £80.00 which is expensive but wanted it for mantrailing with my dog.
Took him for a walk to check the fit and he rubbed against a wall briefly causing the webbed strapping to fray to the point of almost breaking.

I would say that a dog harness that wore down that quickly was not fit for purpose. Am I within my rights to return for a refund?
Ruffwear are saying it is not covered by warranty as it is accidental damage and wear and tear but I only had it 3 days.

Thanks

Think it would come down to whether the dog rubbing against the wall was considered normal use or not. Judging by the name and their marketing I would expect the product to be a bit more resilient to wear and tear than it would appear to be from what you've described. 

Warranty isn't the issue here since you'd be claiming from the retailer based on your consumer rights. I think you'd certainly have a reasonable basis for saying it's not fit for purpose unless your dog has done something very unusual with it. 

pinkshoes

Are you lot dog owners?!?!

The OP said the dog rubbed briefly against the wall. 

Dogs always do this! And go through hedges, thorn bushes, long grass, rub against trees etc...

If it frayed that badly with a dog rubbing briefly against a wall then it really isn't fit for purpose!

Their website even says about freedom to run and play ans suitable for everyday adventures!

pushpull

Are you lot dog owners?!?!

The OP said the dog rubbed briefly against the wall. 

Dogs always do this! And go through hedges, thorn bushes, long grass, rub against trees etc...

If it frayed that badly with a dog rubbing briefly against a wall then it really isn't fit for purpose!

Their website even says about freedom to run and play ans suitable for everyday adventures!

I am, yes.

The only product they offer with a webbed fabric is this ruffwear.co.uk/products/trail-runner-vest

It's obviously fairly thin fabric and if a dog with a bit of heft behind it drags it across a wall it'll come to pieces immediately. It's designed to be breathable, not indestructible.

Emmia

Which harness style was it? 

born_again

pinkshoes said:

Are you lot dog owners?!?!

The OP said the dog rubbed briefly against the wall. 

Dogs always do this! And go through hedges, thorn bushes, long grass, rub against trees etc...

If it frayed that badly with a dog rubbing briefly against a wall then it really isn't fit for purpose!

Their website even says about freedom to run and play ans suitable for everyday adventures!

Yes. Have 2.
Neither have which have destroyed a harness.

While OP said "briefly" they made no mention of what the wall was. There are a lot types of wall. Some will shred anything. Run you hand down a wall with some force, like a dog against one. What does you hand look like?

sheramber

I would not let a dog run through bushes or hedges while wearing a harness that could snag on something and trap the dog. None of my seven dogs ha be ever rubbed up against a wall so I would not expect a harness manufacturer to include that in their spec.