Curtain damage/small claims court

DullGreyGuy

Grumpy_chap said:

I would have thought the life span for curtain would not be any more than 10 years.  So, 100% depreciation on the original purchase price.  The value of the loss of the end-of-life curtains is nil.

Others may have alternative views on the life-span and, hence, residual value.

I would argue that there remains at least a token residual value but what that is will depend on how common the size is and the nature of the material... were it something special it potentially could be picked up by someone wanting it for a different project. If it's £10 or £100 can't say. 

rach2008 said:

No care labels on curtains. Curtain company told me just to dry clean and that they would be fine (which I have in writing). 

So how did you describe the composition of the curtains to the dry cleaners you chose who could barely speak English? 

I think the company that advised you to have them dry cleaned could have done more to warn you to choose a good company but I think you've chosen to use a company based on price or convenience rather than quality or expertise and then left it down to guess work on what the materials are and so what process should be used. 

Personally use 3 different ones, at a very different price point, depending on the value of the goods and the level of the problems. Top tier isnt worth it for basic wool trousers, the basic £6/job local one is only for things near the end of life that you can't be bothered taking them elsewhere and arent too worried about shrinkage etc

rach2008

DullGreyGuy said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I would have thought the life span for curtain would not be any more than 10 years.  So, 100% depreciation on the original purchase price.  The value of the loss of the end-of-life curtains is nil.

Others may have alternative views on the life-span and, hence, residual value.

I would argue that there remains at least a token residual value but what that is will depend on how common the size is and the nature of the material... were it something special it potentially could be picked up by someone wanting it for a different project. If it's £10 or £100 can't say. 

rach2008 said:

No care labels on curtains. Curtain company told me just to dry clean and that they would be fine (which I have in writing). 

So how did you describe the composition of the curtains to the dry cleaners you chose who could barely speak English? 

I think the company that advised you to have them dry cleaned could have done more to warn you to choose a good company but I think you've chosen to use a company based on price or convenience rather than quality or expertise and then left it down to guess work on what the materials are and so what process should be used. 

Personally use 3 different ones, at a very different price point, depending on the value of the goods and the level of the problems. Top tier isnt worth it for basic wool trousers, the basic £6/job local one is only for things near the end of life that you can't be bothered taking them elsewhere and arent too worried about shrinkage etc

Thanks for your input. I live alone, have no transportation and the curtains are large and heavy. I had to go to my local dry cleaners. I have no idea about dry cleaning. I certainly would not take any risks knowingly. I went in and asked for a dry clean. No questions were asked by the cleaners. The curtains are 100% cotton and I think they look like they are 100% cotton.

I thought the curtains were fine and would have gone for another 20, 30 years. Yes they weren't worth £2000 with depreciation but the point is that new ones will cost me £2000 with the same company.

rach2008

Perhaps the dry cleaner's should have advised shrinkage may occur but also the curtain company by my knowledge of law should act reasonably to prevent harm to customers and avoid causing foreseeable harm. 

TheSpectator

rach2008 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I would have thought the life span for curtain would not be any more than 10 years.  So, 100% depreciation on the original purchase price.  The value of the loss of the end-of-life curtains is nil.

Others may have alternative views on the life-span and, hence, residual value.

I would argue that there remains at least a token residual value but what that is will depend on how common the size is and the nature of the material... were it something special it potentially could be picked up by someone wanting it for a different project. If it's £10 or £100 can't say. 

rach2008 said:

No care labels on curtains. Curtain company told me just to dry clean and that they would be fine (which I have in writing). 

So how did you describe the composition of the curtains to the dry cleaners you chose who could barely speak English? 

I think the company that advised you to have them dry cleaned could have done more to warn you to choose a good company but I think you've chosen to use a company based on price or convenience rather than quality or expertise and then left it down to guess work on what the materials are and so what process should be used. 

Personally use 3 different ones, at a very different price point, depending on the value of the goods and the level of the problems. Top tier isnt worth it for basic wool trousers, the basic £6/job local one is only for things near the end of life that you can't be bothered taking them elsewhere and arent too worried about shrinkage etc

Yes they weren't worth £2000 with depreciation but the point is that new ones will cost me £2000 with the same company.

No, the point is you are entitled to the value of a 10 year old pair of curtains not the cost to replace them now.

Arunmor

Grumpy_chap said:

I would have thought the life span for curtain would not be any more than 10 years.  

Eek! Talk about throw away culture  .

I grew up in a house with curtains that were probably hung before WW1, brown velvet 10'-12' long, lovely material!

Jumblebumble

Grumpy_chap said:

What is the value that the OP is thinking they might be able to recover from someone here?

The £250 paid for the rehang received the service paid for so no claim here.  If that is poor value, the time for the discussion about the cost was before the work was agreed.

The replacement curtains cost £2k, but what was the cost of the original curtains?  How old were the original curtains?  There is a depreciation factor to consider for the life of the curtains as a proportion of expected life.  It sounds like these curtains were possibly at end of life and residual value is nil.  You can't get betterment by the old curtains being ruined and brand new curtains in exchange.

The cost of the dry cleaning.

The OP appears not to have had  "steam and dressing taking up to 2 hours"
Therefore they did not receive the service paid for.