Kalpadruma Kalpastree
Bad dye quality in fabric

Bought a fabric 2 meters in length to stitch a kurta. The white cotton fabric had black print (dye) on it. Upon wearing it for the first time, in contact with sweat - the black dye completely ran and spoilt the fabric. The store manager says nothing can be done about it because it is due to sweat. Does that even sound reasonable to you? I expect colour to run in block printed fabrics but, if the black dye runs upon contact with a little sweat - how can ANY customer wear this material?

To top it all off, I had to call the store to ask the what the status of the complaint is. Their excuse seems to be that no one has complained about the fabric - therefore, this is not a valid complaint.

The email sent to exind is appended below.

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Dear Lakshmi Devi,

I am writing because I received a less-than-satisfactory response from your store managers in Gopalapuram about a fabric related complaint.

I bought about 2 meters of a black and white (printed) fabric from your Gopalapuram store in May. However, I was away conducting my research in a National Park in Madhya Pradesh until last week. Therefore, the first time I wore the kurta stitched out of that fabric was Friday (Aug 5). The fabric had not been washed, dry cleaned or exposed to water/fabric cleaners in any other way.

Upon wearing it, the black dye completed faded both in the underarms area and wherever it was exposed to sweat. I am not prone to excessive sweating – that is a clinical condition called ‘hyperhidrosis’ which I do not have. I am very certain that it is a question of bad dye quality. I am also certain that if you hold the fabric under water or even soak it for 2 minutes, the black dye will run. If it is the case that the excess dye was supposed to run - your washing instruction for this fabric should have been "wash/dry clean once before wearing".

Needless to say, I am shocked to hear that you advised your store manager that nothing can be done about this – particularly because no one else has complained. That you may offer a discount at your store the next time.

Can you let me know what reasonable explanation you have for being so dismissive of my complaint? The minimum I expect is store credit for the amount the fabric was purchased for. A store with better customer service would have offered to refund the cost of tailoring charges – which may I point out is wasted because I can no longer wear this kurta? Not to mention the additional effort and wasted time - because I have to follow-up with you. I am not usually prone to this level of rudeness – but, given the treatment that was just meted out, I think this email is well-deserved. I had to call your store and ask what the status of the complaint was!

I think every customer has the right to treated well by a store. Therefore, the fact that you treat someone who has been a regular customer of your store - buying fabrics every 4-6 months (would me producing my credit card receipts showing this make it more believable for you?) - in this manner is simply shocking.

Best,

Lakshmi Krishnan

Company: Kalpadruma Kalpastree
Country: India
State: Tamil Nadu
City: Chennai

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