• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

What would you do? A suit purchase customer service issue.

Curbed Enthusiasm

Active Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
38
Reaction score
6
Hello all:

First off, this is my first post. I'm a longtime lurker, but with a recent customer service issue on my mind, I figured I might as well finally join the forum as I could use some advice. I'm looking forward to being a member of the forum.

I purchased two Hugo Boss suits in August at Nordstrom. Before I get flamed for buying "fused crap," let me explain why. I am 6'3" and +/- 165 lbs, and essentially a 38L, so there is very little out there that can work with my hard-to-fit body and in my non-MTM/bespoke budget. I found a navy blue and a textured grey suit that worked pretty well for my body (not perfectly, but pretty darn good). I was fitted for tailoring, and then the trouble began.

1) Upon receipt of the suits, I found the following problems: the buttons on the sleeves were not consistent (one sleeve had 3 buttons, the other had 4), the pique stitching was present on one sleeve and not the other, and there were hanging threads in several locations that had not been cut. Further, the slacks on one suit were hemmed 1 inch shorter than the pants on the other suit - as if I had grown an inch in the 2 minutes between both fittings, and one pair of slacks was looser in the waist than the other. Clearly the workmanship had been shoddy and there was no quality control check before the suits were handed off to me.

2) I brought the suits back to Nordstrom to have all these problems fixed. At that time, I was told by the tailor that the reason the pants weren't tailored right was "because I was too skinny." I was far from amused by the comments about my lack of weight, though I appreciated the profuse apology from the embarrassed sales associate.

3) All the problems were fixed. However, within 3 weeks, the hem on the grey suit slacks came out as apparently the stitching was not done properly. At that point, I took the pants to another Nordstrom store to be fixed - not wanting to deal with the incompetent tailors at the Nordstom where I purchased the suits.

4) Now, 4 weeks after the last tailoring issue, the entire lining in the left arm of the navy suit has become detached from the sleeve, and the stitching on one of the sleeves of the grey suit is coming undone as well.

Now, I have have left two messages for the the men's suit department manager, who ironically sold me these suits, to discuss these problems and talk about getting them fixed for the last time, but after two voicemails, she has still not returned my calls, and I am losing my patience.

At this point, I am fed up. None of these problems should have happened in the first place, and not even getting a return call after repeated attempts to talk with the department manager/ my salesperson in regards to this matter is not acceptable to me.

I know that Nordstrom has a liberal returns policy, but I have always been 100% against abusing it. After all, I have worn the suits, and it's not like they can be re-sold in the store. However, I am extremely disappointed with the poor workmanship on the suits and the poor customer service I have received. If you were in this situation, what would you do? Would you ask the store manager to return the merchandise, or would you let the store manager get involved in hopes that they can find a competent tailor to fix the job.

I look forward to hearing your responses; thank you in advance!
 

Nicola

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
2,951
Reaction score
50
Forget getting them fixed.

Take your money back .

Don't let them talk you into anything else.

Seriously don't even think of anything else.
 

Achilles_

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
3,319
Reaction score
52
Originally Posted by Nicola
Forget getting them fixed.

Take your money back .

Don't let them talk you into anything else.

Seriously don't even think of anything else.


x2
 

GBR

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Messages
8,551
Reaction score
732
Fused crap so try to get your money back.
 

rebel222

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 21, 2008
Messages
4,704
Reaction score
51
Originally Posted by Curbed Enthusiasm
Hello all: First off, this is my first post. I'm a longtime lurker. . . . I purchased two Hugo Boss suits in August at Nordstrom. Before I get flamed for buying "fused crap," . . . . 1) Upon receipt of the suits, I found the following problems: the buttons on the sleeves were not consistent (one sleeve had 3 buttons, the other had 4), the pique stitching was present on one sleeve and not the other, and there were hanging threads in several locations that had not been cut. Further, the slacks on one suit were hemmed 1 inch shorter than the pants on the other suit - as if I had grown an inch in the 2 minutes between both fittings, and one pair of slacks was looser in the waist than the other. Clearly the workmanship had been shoddy and there was no quality control check before the suits were handed off to me. . . .
You need to lurk more or at least pay attention to what you read. Sometimes I just don't get this. It's one thing to buy something you know is crap and accept it as crap, but to buy crap, expect it to be great, and complain when it's crap is just beyond me. Get your money back. There are other brands available in 38L.
 

teddieriley

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
9,648
Reaction score
1,652
Case of RETURN! And don't even feel bad or think twice.
 

dragon8

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
4,295
Reaction score
72
I agree with the sentiments posted above
 

in stitches

Stylish Dinosaur
Spamminator Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
66,397
Reaction score
33,106
1.return suits

2.stay away from boss as you know you should have

3.lesson learned

edit: almost everything i have ever bought from boss fell apart
 

Curbed Enthusiasm

Active Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
38
Reaction score
6
Originally Posted by rebel222
You need to lurk more or at least pay attention to what you read. Sometimes I just don't get this. It's one thing to buy something you know is crap and accept it as crap, but to buy crap, expect it to be great, and complain when it's crap is just beyond me. Get your money back. There are other brands available in 38L.
First off, I wasn't reading this forum when I bought the suits. Like most typical suit buyer who don't frequent sites like this, I didn't know that Boss had quality issues, nor did I know the first thing about fusing at the time. Please excuse my naivety at the time. And my apologies to those who are offended by my committing the cardinal sin of buying a fused product (somehow I knew the comments would come!). Live and learn. In all fairness, this is an issue of poor tailoring and poor customer service. I don't see how buying a fused suit means I should have expected to have inconsistent buttons, different slack lengths, missing pique stitching, and no returned phone calls - not like this was a bubbling issue or anything specifically related to fusing. However, thank you for your advice. I am returning them.
 

TheWGP

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
1,188
Reaction score
41
Originally Posted by Curbed Enthusiasm
First off, I wasn't reading this forum when I bought the suits. In all fairness, this is an issue of poor tailoring and poor customer service which could have equally been an issue if I was buying a fully-canvassed suit. While I could see how you could feel that way about someone complaining about bubbling, I don't see how buying a fused suit means I should have expected to have inconsistent buttons, different slack lengths, missing pique stitching, and no returned phone calls.

Don't take it personally... just return the suits. Seriously, it's not a comment about you (well, not really anyway) - just return the suits and find something better.
 

Sazerac

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
586
Reaction score
15
Originally Posted by rebel222
You need to lurk more or at least pay attention to what you read. Sometimes I just don't get this. It's one thing to buy something you know is crap and accept it as crap, but to buy crap, expect it to be great, and complain when it's crap is just beyond me.

Get your money back. There are other brands available in 38L.


He just joined. Bought the suits a while ago. He didn't know better at the time, so cut the guy some slack.

OP: I agree with the others. Just return them. Nordstrom is great about this.
 

Patek

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
Messages
4,063
Reaction score
1,755
In defense of fused suits, none of the problems that you mentioned had anything to do with fusing. Granted, you will expect better workmanship from a maker who spent the time and effort to properly canvas a suit.

That being said, I now only buy full canvas suits but I do have a HB in my closet that has held up pretty well.
 

Shirtmaven

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
3,791
Reaction score
1,005
the Boss suit is not a awful garment.
at sub $500 you will usually get a fused garment.
And the garment has a nice fit, as i have been told by my friend at rothman's who sell's numerous brands.

the other problems with tailoring, etc is unacceptable.
get your money back
 

greyinla

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2008
Messages
273
Reaction score
0
In all fairness, this is an issue of poor tailoring and poor customer service. I don't see how buying a fused suit means I should have expected to have inconsistent buttons, different slack lengths, missing pique stitching, and no returned phone calls - not like this was a bubbling issue or anything specifically related to fusing.
Don't let it get to you. Some people here just have a Pavlovian response to the word Boss. "While putting on my Boss suit this morning, a delivery truck drove through my front door"”" "IDIOT! See what happens when you wear fused!!!?"

I think you have been quite patient. Return the suits and get your $ back. And buy whatever you like.
 

SpooPoker

Internet Bigtimer and Most Popular Man on Campus
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
43,889
Reaction score
73,311
You could probably take a dump in the suit, light it on fire, take pics and post them here, wait 10 years and still return them to Nordstrom and get your money back no questions asked.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,177
Messages
10,579,200
Members
223,892
Latest member
bladespower
Top