Curtains2go order - not the width I ordered

Katecooks

Ordered a pair of eyelet curtains from curtains2go. 200cm width, 137cm drop. When they arrived the width was only 150cm. When I queried I was told that in the small print (not on the order page) it states that eyelet curtains are made 25%smaller than the width ordered "as they look better". They look awful and don't meet in the middle! Looking at reviews (yes, should have done this first) many customers are complaining about this and not getting anywhere complaining. Surely this can't be legal? my order form states 200cm width so that is what I was expecting! I'd like to return for a refund but they are refusing.

easy

" in the small print (not on the order page) it states that eyelet curtains are made 25%smaller than the width ordered"  Where does it state that?  You were told it states that,  but obviously didn't see it,  to my mind when you state what width you want that's a pretty significant contract term.  

Did you pay by credit card ?  Try a section 75 claim.  

Alderbank

You need to tell us more about your order.

Curtains2go say their curtains are made to order.

They say,
'How to Measure for Your Curtains

Measuring for your curtains is a piece of cake! No deductions, no calculations we'll do all of that for you to make sure everything hangs perfectly. Follow our simple (and we mean simple) guide below for your type of track or pole and let us do the rest.
Measuring the correct curtain width

Measure the curtain track or pole width, not the window width. It's important that this is the measurement provided, as we'll use your track or pole width to calculate the required amount of fabric for your curtains.'

I can understand why they ask specifically for pole width and not curtain width, because the correct width of the curtains to hang right will vary between about 1.5x and 3x the width of the window.

What did you tell them?

Katecooks

This is what my order receipt says (and nowhere on the order form does it say that the width is not the width of the curtains you'll receive. Normally when you buy eyelet curtains which state 200cm on the packet, the curtains inside the pack are 200cm wide each.

Cut and pasted from order receipt:

1 x Seagulls Storm Grey Curtains 200cm width x 137cm drop

The curtains I've received are 150cm wide - curtains2go insist this is correct. What I definitely can say is that the eyelet photos on the website are not 11/2 times the width of the poles; they are at least double and would clearly meet in the middle with soft folds in the curtains when closed.
Mine barely meet in the middle and are completely flat when closed. They have just 8 eyelet holes per curtain. Assuming the sofa in the photo on the website is an average size 3 seater (which it appears to be), the window is the same size as mine; the website curtains are showing 12 eyelet holes per person, so they are definitely double width fabric in the photo - this is really misleading.

MikeJXE

If you ordered off the shelf curtains and not specially made and online 

Then send them back if under 14 days of receipt 

For whatever reason you want 

pinkshoes

Katecooks said:

Ordered a pair of eyelet curtains from curtains2go. 200cm width, 137cm drop. When they arrived the width was only 150cm. When I queried I was told that in the small print (not on the order page) it states that eyelet curtains are made 25%smaller than the width ordered "as they look better". They look awful and don't meet in the middle! Looking at reviews (yes, should have done this first) many customers are complaining about this and not getting anywhere complaining. Surely this can't be legal? my order form states 200cm width so that is what I was expecting! I'd like to return for a refund but they are refusing.

Well I just went to the website to check this out, and there are absolutely NO T&Cs that they ask you to agree to or read, so what they're saying is utterly ridiculous.

I also looked at their terms, and other than stating that fabric stuff like curtains can have a tolerance of +/- 3cm then I can't find anything about 25% smaller.

How did you pay? If you paid by card I'd contact the card provider! Keep the curtains and insist that Curtains2go send you a pre-paid label to return them and issue a full refund otherwise!

Alderbank

Katecooks said:

This is what my order receipt says (and nowhere on the order form does it say that the width is not the width of the curtains you'll receive. Normally when you buy eyelet curtains which state 200cm on the packet, the curtains inside the pack are 200cm wide each.

Cut and pasted from order receipt:

1 x Seagulls Storm Grey Curtains 200cm width x 137cm drop

The curtains I've received are 150cm wide - curtains2go insist this is correct. What I definitely can say is that the eyelet photos on the website are not 11/2 times the width of the poles; they are at least double and would clearly meet in the middle with soft folds in the curtains when closed.
Mine barely meet in the middle and are completely flat when closed. They have just 8 eyelet holes per curtain. Assuming the sofa in the photo on the website is an average size 3 seater (which it appears to be), the window is the same size as mine; the website curtains are showing 12 eyelet holes per person, so they are definitely double width fabric in the photo - this is really misleading.

I think it is even simpler than that.

Their business model is that curtain widths are not referenced as such. That sounds reasonable, perhaps customers in the past (unlike you) do not understand about curtain widths, so their business model is essentially 'Measure your curtain rail and we will supply curtains which look like this photograph'. The legal wording for this in CRA 2015 is that the goods must conform to pattern.

I suggest you hang the curtains and photograph them partly open, as per their sample photograph. Their mistake will be obvious. That will be simple and obvious evidence, no specialist report required.

Just to confirm, you did follow their instructions and measure your curtain rail and send that measurement?

Katecooks

Alderbank said:

Katecooks said:

This is what my order receipt says (and nowhere on the order form does it say that the width is not the width of the curtains you'll receive. Normally when you buy eyelet curtains which state 200cm on the packet, the curtains inside the pack are 200cm wide each.

Cut and pasted from order receipt:

1 x Seagulls Storm Grey Curtains 200cm width x 137cm drop

The curtains I've received are 150cm wide - curtains2go insist this is correct. What I definitely can say is that the eyelet photos on the website are not 11/2 times the width of the poles; they are at least double and would clearly meet in the middle with soft folds in the curtains when closed.
Mine barely meet in the middle and are completely flat when closed. They have just 8 eyelet holes per curtain. Assuming the sofa in the photo on the website is an average size 3 seater (which it appears to be), the window is the same size as mine; the website curtains are showing 12 eyelet holes per person, so they are definitely double width fabric in the photo - this is really misleading.

I think it is even simpler than that.

Their business model is that curtain widths are not referenced as such. That sounds reasonable, perhaps customers in the past (unlike you) do not understand about curtain widths, so their business model is essentially 'Measure your curtain rail and we will supply curtains which look like this photograph'. The legal wording for this in CRA 2015 is that the goods must conform to pattern.

I suggest you hang the curtains and photograph them partly open, as per their sample photograph. Their mistake will be obvious. That will be simple and obvious evidence, no specialist report required.

Just to confirm, you did follow their instructions and measure your curtain rail and send that measurement?

Yes, I did measure the curtain rail - it's 200cm  which is the size of curtains I ordered and will as you say take a photo of the curtains with a sofa under it just as they have shown. I also paid by credit card so will point that out to them. Looking at reviews, there are many complaining about the same issue, so they really should have altered their website by now and provide better information. I spent a long time deliberating whether to make such a big investment on curtains or not and chose thermal linings in the hope of saving energy/money in the future - the curtains are so flat, they are next to useless insulation-wise. 

swingaloo

Katecooks said:

Alderbank said:

Katecooks said:

This is what my order receipt says (and nowhere on the order form does it say that the width is not the width of the curtains you'll receive. Normally when you buy eyelet curtains which state 200cm on the packet, the curtains inside the pack are 200cm wide each.

Cut and pasted from order receipt:

1 x Seagulls Storm Grey Curtains 200cm width x 137cm drop

The curtains I've received are 150cm wide - curtains2go insist this is correct. What I definitely can say is that the eyelet photos on the website are not 11/2 times the width of the poles; they are at least double and would clearly meet in the middle with soft folds in the curtains when closed.
Mine barely meet in the middle and are completely flat when closed. They have just 8 eyelet holes per curtain. Assuming the sofa in the photo on the website is an average size 3 seater (which it appears to be), the window is the same size as mine; the website curtains are showing 12 eyelet holes per person, so they are definitely double width fabric in the photo - this is really misleading.

I think it is even simpler than that.

Their business model is that curtain widths are not referenced as such. That sounds reasonable, perhaps customers in the past (unlike you) do not understand about curtain widths, so their business model is essentially 'Measure your curtain rail and we will supply curtains which look like this photograph'. The legal wording for this in CRA 2015 is that the goods must conform to pattern.

I suggest you hang the curtains and photograph them partly open, as per their sample photograph. Their mistake will be obvious. That will be simple and obvious evidence, no specialist report required.

Just to confirm, you did follow their instructions and measure your curtain rail and send that measurement?

Yes, I did measure the curtain rail - it's 200cm  which is the size of curtains I ordered and will as you say take a photo of the curtains with a sofa under it just as they have shown. I also paid by credit card so will point that out to them. Looking at reviews, there are many complaining about the same issue, so they really should have altered their website by now and provide better information. I spent a long time deliberating whether to make such a big investment on curtains or not and chose thermal linings in the hope of saving energy/money in the future - the curtains are so flat, they are next to useless insulation-wise. 

But if your rail is 200cms then your curtains would need to be wider than that. 
 
I recently had blinds from this company and it was amazing what they wrote in reply to my emails 'They are meant to dip in the middle', 'They are not meant to be raised unless you are cleaning them; etc, etc.  Part of their business model seems to be to wait until a customer complains and then offer a solution at an extra cost. In my case I had 2 blinds in the same room and they only offered to change one which was no use at all. They finally caved in and gave me a large discount, keep on at them and dont let them get away with it.

Aylesbury_Duck

Did you pick from a preset list of width/drop options?  If you did, and ordered online, and have had them less than 14days, then as MikeJXE points out, you can simply pack them back up and return them for a full refund.  In that case, any argument about small print, how curtains are measured and other such nonsense, is moot.

Alderbank

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Did you pick from a preset list of width/drop options?  If you did, and ordered online, and have had them less than 14days, then as MikeJXE points out, you can simply pack them back up and return them for a full refund.  In that case, any argument about small print, how curtains are measured and other such nonsense, is moot.

They ask specifically for the exact measured size of the curtain rod and your desired drop, not just a range of standard drops. They claim to then design and make your curtains so that they have the correct fullness and drop.
It looks from what OP says that they just supply the nearest stock width but their claim that they make each pair to order from your given dimensions and the drape qualities of the chosen fabric might be hard to challenge.

I think the OP's best bet is simply to photograph them hung on the curtain rail where it is beyond dispute that they do not conform to pattern