Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Classic Menswear › Advice on dealing with WW Chan's error
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Advice on dealing with WW Chan's error

post #1 of 18
5/9/12 at 6:33pm
Thread Starter 
In the past year, I have ordered 5 suits and several shirts from WW Chan. I could not be more pleased with the fit and think their tailoring is incredible. During there last tour to the USA, I ordered a tuxedo which cost about $2,500. All I wanted was a 1 button single breasted tuxedo with buttons attached to the trousers to wear braces. I received the tuxedo and immediately noticed their was 1 felt button on the interior of the jacket and another felt button on the exterior of the jacket connected by the same thread. I learned through styleforum that this is a classic, old school style. Yet, I did not order the buttons this way and all I wanted was 1 exterior button. It really wasn't a big deal when I button the exterior button. Yet, when I leave the jacket unbuttoned, the interior button on the jacket looks like I'm wearing a pom pom. When I ordered the tuxedo in early March, the thought was to wear the tuxedo for a wedding the 1st weekend of May. I got over the connected buttons issues on the jacket and put on the tuxedo for my wedding last weekend. To my surprise, the trousers were missing 1 of the buttons to wear braces and 1 exterior button on the seat was also missing. Needless to say I was pissed and had to wear a different tuxedo because I wanted to wear braces to this wedding.

I emailed WW Chan explaining the buttons on the jacket were not what I ordered and the trousers were missing 1 button to wear braces and another on the rear seat. WW Chan responded quickly and said to send the tuxedo back and they would fix all of the issues. Yet, I didn't think any of the issues were that major so I asked if I could take my tuxedo to a local tailor and I wanted WW Chan to credit the alterations charge from my tailor on a future order I make which didn't seem like an absurd request. WW Chan responded that they would not credit a future order. I went to get a quote to ship the tuxedo back to Hong Kong but shipping is $200. I don't ship very often so I would hope I could get the shipping cheaper. It got me thinking that considering I have spent well over $10,000 on clothes this past year with WW Chan don't you think they should either credit the alteration charge on a future order or agree to pay the shipping both to and from honk kong because this was clearly WW Chan's error?

Maybe I'm crazy or making an outlandish request but I really feel like WW Chan should pay to fix there errors and not expect the customer to pay an extra $200 on shipping for issues that never should have ocurred.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 18
5/9/12 at 6:45pm
Agree.
lurker[1].gif
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:00pm
Unless I am missing something, all you needed to have done to make the tuxedo wearable was to have two buttons sewn on the trousers. The cost for that would be chump change. I agree that it is regrettable that Chan screwed up in this fashion, but aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill that should cost no more than $20 or so to have it fixed locally?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rrothsch View Post

I went to get a quote to ship the tuxedo back to Hong Kong but shipping is $200. I don't ship very often so I would hope I could get the shipping cheaper.

Who the hell told you that? You can get it there for $45 in 4 days.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:18pm
If a tailor is willing to fix his own error, big or small, I would not expect him to compensate me monetarily for taking it somewhere else. After all, that is the product and service you are promised for the price you paid: not perfection out of the gate, but a commitment to ultimately getting things right. He's already paid for the expense of keeping labor on hand to fix problems. Paying customers to have things fixed elsewhere potentially doubles his expenses and would undoubtedly strain cash flow.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLibourel View Post

Unless I am missing something, all you needed to have done to make the tuxedo wearable was to have two buttons sewn on the trousers. The cost for that would be chump change. I agree that it is regrettable that Chan screwed up in this fashion, but aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill that should cost no more than $20 or so to have it fixed locally?
+1
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mafoofan View Post

If a tailor is willing to fix his own error, big or small, I would not expect him to compensate me monetarily for taking it somewhere else. After all, that is the product and service you are promised for the price you paid: not perfection out of the gate, but a commitment to ultimately getting things right. He's already paid for the expense of keeping labor on hand to fix problems. Paying customers to have things fixed elsewhere potentially doubles his expenses and would undoubtedly strain cash flow.

 

Fair enough, but in this case Chan is asking the customer to pay for the cost of return shipping (which is high).

 

Either way, I agree with JLib - just have it fixed locally. I would not change those link buttons though - Chan did you a favor there.

Reply
Reply
post #8 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:35pm

Agree that in this case you should just get it done locally and not worry about it.

 

However I know that 'not what I ordered' feeling; its especially painful with mtm and bespoke where you are paying for perfection and not getting it. You begin to look for other mistakes in the garment and question the fit; worst case you don't feel as good wearing it than if it came out perfect.

 

At the end of the day if its just a few buttons - go fix it locally; get it perfect and move on.

Reply
Reply
post #9 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley View Post

Fair enough, but in this case Chan is asking the customer to pay for the cost of return shipping (which is high).

I don't think it's clear whether they did or not. OP, while I agree your solution to the problem was creative and probably the most rational, Foo is correct that you can't start demanding services and special arrangments from Chan outside the original agreement. Chan may very well be willing to pay shipping charges, did you ask? If they don't, that would be sucky of them. Though to be fair this problem is far less egregious than other bespoke tailors Ive dealt with; Chan at least gets stuff 90% right.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 18
5/9/12 at 7:43pm

^ If Chan isn't willing to cover the return charges, I'd say its worse than just 'sucky' and represents some piss-poor customer service on their part.

 

To the OP: certainly check this w/ them. If they do cover the shipping, then I agree with the foo.gif

Reply
Reply
post #11 of 18
5/9/12 at 8:05pm
.
Edited by F. Corbera - 5/10/12 at 3:18am
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 18
5/9/12 at 8:09pm
.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 18
5/9/12 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLibourel View Post

Unless I am missing something, all you needed to have done to make the tuxedo wearable was to have two buttons sewn on the trousers. The cost for that would be chump change. I agree that it is regrettable that Chan screwed up in this fashion, but aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill that should cost no more than $20 or so to have it fixed locally?

 

+1

 

Fixing buttons doesn't require much, and ANY local tailor can do this for a few bucks in a day without any noticeable difference from the way Chan would fix it. Yes, you are right and they are wrong, but the amount of money/hassle involved isn't worth making a big deal out of it.

Reply
Reply
post #14 of 18
5/10/12 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for the feedback. Just to update everyone W.W. Chan did offer to pick up the shipping or credit a future order for the alterations from a local tailor because of their errors. I really believe this is a 1st class operation and I appreciate them reconsidering their stance on my issues. I will be ordering many more suits and shirts in the future
Edited by rrothsch - 5/10/12 at 1:45pm
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 18
5/10/12 at 1:40pm
patrick been lurkin'
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Classic Menswear
Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Classic Menswear › Advice on dealing with WW Chan's error