Community Chat

[Ditzydori]

my sister brought her jeans to the tailor/cleaners to have the waist taken in 2 inches. She just wanted 2 darts in the back. She didn't specify wanting "darts". Today she went to pick up the jeans and she checked the waist before paying to be sure it was done to her satisfaction. Well no darts. Upon checking, the seamstress seemed to take in the pants on one side just below the waist. The waist stilled looked too big. She was upset and refused to pay for the alterations. They would not give her the pants. They now have her pants. They told her to go in on Tuesday or Thursday to tell the seemstress what she wants. This doesn't seem right to me, what should she do? By the way, both Tuesday and Thursday she has to go Sloan Kettering with her hubby. Should it be her responsibility to tell the seamstress she didn't do what the customer wanted? Can they hold her pants? I told her she should have been more specific about wanting darts in the waist. Anyway, it just doesn't seem right. What do you think?

[sunala]

I think she should go back, ask them if she can try them on, and after they're on her body, I'd walk out.

Well.....maybe I wouldn't do that but I'd want to. It sounds like she's got a lot on her plate, and she doesn't need this aggravation.

I wish her good luck.

[september]

I don't understand how they could take off two inches without also taking in the waist measurement. Yes...I sew and understand alterations. But this makes no sense to me.

[VanSleepy]

She never specified darts, so why be upset there are not darts. It doesn't sound like she even tried them on. They may fit fine. They're giving her the chance to come back and tell the seamstress exactly what she wants, so I don't see what the problem is. They are not just going to give her the pants when she refuses to pay.

[occasionalrain]

Your sister is being unreasonable. If she wanted darts, she should have told them that. Actually, darts would be a sloppy job. A good job would leave the jeans looking the same as they did initially but with a smaller waist. Why should they give her the jeans without being paid? They've offered to re-do them to her specifications what more would you expect them to do?

[occasionalrain]

On 11/7/2014 sunala said:

I think she should go back, ask them if she can try them on, and after they're on her body, I'd walk out.

Well.....maybe I wouldn't do that but I'd want to. It sounds like she's got a lot on her plate, and she doesn't need this aggravation.

I wish her good luck.

Walking out wearing the jeans without paying would be theft of services.

[RoughDraft]

Altering jeans/pants is more than putting in darts. The waist band must be removed first. Then three major seams (sides and back) would be modified to the equivalent of a total of two inches. Two inches would also be removed from the waist band. I don't see how a seamstress could take in the jeans on just one side without working on the waist band. Putting "darts" in jeans would ruin the integrity of the look. And yes, I sew.

She should have tried on the jeans first. Just saying the waist band still looked to large doesn't cut it.

[Ditzydori]

Thanks ladies.

[qualitygal]

I would say you told your sister correctly. That being said, she didn't pay for work done, so no pants to return to customer. We need to be specific, people cannot read our minds.

[Plaid Pants]

So she's mad because she didn't speak up and tell the seamstress what she wanted, then she wanted the pants back without paying for the work that was done?

Sorry, but your sister is 100% in the wrong here.

If she wanted the pants done a certain way, it is HER responsibility to speak up, and to TELL the seamstress. They are not mind-readers.

Then to not pay for the work that was done?

The business had every right to hold the pants until they got paid for the work that they did.

Any judge will tell you that.