Dear Abby - Help My Dilema?

Dear Abby,

OK, so I spend $120 + tax per pair, on four pairs of nice dress slacks. I go to the store twice which is out of town, quite a distance and they finally get my size. (which is popular)

I take them to a local seamstress for hemming and she tells me to pick-up on Thursday. I take them home and they are short. So I take 'em back and she says she will let them out 1" to pick them up Wednesday. So yesterday I go to pick them up and they clearly show the line where the cuff was, which is about 1' higher than the cuff now. She says they will send them to a drycleaner to come tomorrow. So I get the today and they look bad. Here is this poor old lady seamstress, who is looking at the tags on these slacks and ready to cry. And I'm standing there thinking that I'll be lucky to find these slacks again, not to mention the time it will take. Plus I already paid her $50!

So what should I do? This is a lot of money any way you slice it, but a heck of a lot to her. What are my options?

Sincerely,

No pants to dance.

Option 1: Make them into shorts
Option 2: If the dry cleaner can't press the seam out, ask the seamstress for a refund (including the cost of the pants).
Option 3: Live with them the way it is.

I've been faced with a similar situation before. Sometimes you can just feel the need of another. I solved it by rationalizing that they needed the money more than I.

Such reckless philosophies do leave you wide open to being taken, but then leaving yourself vulnerable is an essential component of love. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Man, that's a tough one. I suppose if you can afford to let it go and you would feel ok with that, do it. Or maybe figure out what you can live with as far as monetary compensation.

Personally, I think if she was stand-up, she would have just did the right thing and offered to pay for the labor and pants without blinking. You trusted her and paid her to do a job, she failed to do it correctly. Would you accept this from say, a plumber or auto mechanic? I am sorry she is a little old lady, but it's on her shoulders. Why should she be excused because of age or gender? Sorry man, I'm really not heartless but she messed up. Why should you be accountable for her mistake?

I know I will probably be ridiculed for taking this position. That's ok, I just think it's unfair that CromagNet be placed in a position like this. He should in no way feel like a bad guy for not wanting to pay for her mistake.

In any case, maybe you can work out some kind of deal with her to pay off partial or full cost of replacement pants in labor. In other words, what else do you have that needs a seamstress?

Do what you feel is best without feeling guilty, considering the circumstances that's appropriate.

It looks like there are two errors here.

I've always been told that when you buy slacks that do not fit, you need to buy long so that they can be properly hemmed. I've never bought expensive slacks that were pre hemmed.

The seamstress probably did not know for sure that the particular material would keep the crease after pressing. Many fabrics do look OK after altering if professionally pressed.

In the seamstress's defense, she's probably asked to lower the hems on well worn slacks frequently enough that the request itself did not raise flags.

I'd suggest that you each take a hit. She refunds the $50 and you try to return the pants to the store for exchange. The store you bought them from may be able to help in order to make you happy. Their sales person should have warned you about dropping the hem. Maybe your seamstress will rehem them to the original spot to facilitate your returning them.

$600 is a big loss.

Daniel

Quick reply, very busy at work....

Gadget... I wrote "
OK, so I spend $120 + tax per pair, on four pairs of nice dress slacks. I go to the store twice which is out of town, quite a distance and they finally get my size. (which is popular)

I take them to a local seamstress for hemming and she tells me to pick-up on Thursday."


For hemming meaning they had no hem. and no haw about it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

1) Who marked/determined the original hemline (pants length)? 2) Also, are you talking about the hemline, and not the cuff line that is showing 1' (I think you mean 1"?) above the new cuff/hemline? 3) When you say it "looks bad," do you mean that there is a stain, or deep crease, or both showing?

Is $50 the price for a reputable alteration or was this a deep discount type of place. If reputable then I would lean toward making them pay. If discount..... then you might have gotten what you paid for.

The suggestion about the store helping you out was a good one.