Discussion about how to view store sensor holes in garments

I bought a really nice shirt on eBAY, BNWT, but it arrived with a hole in the back.

I contacted the seller who was very nice and offered me a refund or discount if I want to keep the shirt. The seller said that the hole was due to sensors that stores put onto the garment leaving holes when they are removed. The seller said sometimes they are bigger than others.

I am not mad at the seller however I need to know how to handle this.

Should I get a refund?

Should I take it to a tailor and see if he can fix it? Can he fix it? I would probably have to have him shorten the sleeves anyway, and therefore if I did that can the material cut in order to do that be used to fix the sensor hole?

Also, I do not have alot of money and I live in Canada. I cannot afford to shop at places like Harry Rosen or Holts which never offer clothing at prices that are affordable to me. That is to say, buying nice clothing at discount prices from the U.S. is my only means of acquiring good clothing; I can't just go to a store to buy it. Therefore, I need to know if sensor holes in garments are inevitable with that lifestyle, or if they are not so common as I might think and therefore I should have zero tolerance for them?

Thanks for all the answers to these questions.

How large is the hole? The sensors are usually held on by a pin that is quite thin, and therefore should not have left any visible holes. In my experience, I have never noticed a hole on a garment that was caused by these sensors. The only explanation I can think of is that the person removing the sensor accidentally pulled it before it was fully removed thus enlarging the hole.

If the hole is not too big, the tailor may be able to at least seam it closed without it being too noticeable. If not, then I'd get a refund.

shirt probably got yanked or something. if the hole bothers you a lot, and I would too, then better have it returned. don't think a tailor can fix a stretched out hole.

Originally Posted by acidicboy

Click to expand...

shirt probably got yanked or something. if the hole bothers you a lot, and I would too, then better have it returned. don't think a tailor can fix a stretched out hole.

My thoughts exactly. Someone probably nicked it and wasn't too clever in how they went about breaking the security tag off.

Most of the time those holes will close up if you apply a little steam and massage the fabric a bit. They're mostly just a displacement of the weave and not actual damage. Sometimes you will see one where it actually snagged the fabric and caused a pull or where the pin on the sensor actually broke a thread but it's not too common. I am constantly amazed that the store staff doesn't try to be more careful about this - but then I think about the store staff at the discount stores and I stop being amazed.

I'd try a little steam and work it around a bit and see what happens. If you're not happy with the results send it back and try again.

Unlikely that the shirt was stolen. This has happened to me before -- I've personally bought a couple nice shirts (Borrelli, Purple Label, etc.) in discount stores (Marshall's, etc.) where the sensor left a hole probably 1/2 mm in diameter. In the grand scheme of things, these holes are not really visible to observers and probably don't compromise the fabric. If you like the shirt, I'd keep it.

Take a look at the hole. Does it look like the threads were cut or were just pushed aside? The latter will close up when you put the shirt through the wash.

I massaged the fabric and applied a bit of water.

Now the hole doesn't appear visible but there is a tiny ball of fabric/thread puffed up in the exact spot where the hole used to be visible. Does that mean the shirt is damaged?

I could in theory apply my pumice stone to the puffed up ball and see if that gets rid of it...but I'm hesitant to do that because I don't want to damage the shirt. I think I'd rather wait and decide if I wanna keep the shirt before risking the pumice stone on it.

Would you guys recommend that I take the pumice stone to that ball of fabric/thread, or get a refund?

Is there a scientific type of explanation for why the hole no longer appears visible but the ball does? Is the hole there likely to reoccur?

Bring it to a tailor. Pretty sure they can fix it easily.

Originally Posted by stylemeup

Click to expand...

...

Is there a scientific type of explanation for why the hole no longer appears visible but the ball does?

...


Yes there is:
Click

Originally Posted by ramuman

Click to expand...

Yes there is:
Click

I think it makes more of a statement to leave the security disk fastened, in which case the hole is a non-issue.

- B

Originally Posted by stylemeup

Click to expand...

I bought a really nice shirt on eBAY, BNWT, but it arrived with a hole in the back.

I contacted the seller who was very nice and offered me a refund or discount if I want to keep the shirt. The seller said that the hole was due to sensors that stores put onto the garment leaving holes when they are removed. The seller said sometimes they are bigger than others.

This is a perennial problem with shirts and partly why I don't resell them often (the other being insufficient margin usually). When I do resell them, I've learned to pre-emptively dab the area with a drop or two of water and massage very gently. In 99% of cases the hole disappears with no defect remaining and I can sell the shirt comfortable in the knowledge that I won't get an unhappy buyer. In the remaining 1%, I return the shirt to the source myself.

As a buyer, the logical alternative is to cut a deal with the seller - launder once, if the hole disappears with no damage, end of story. But if it remains, seller to refund the cost of the shirt and you can keep the shirt. I think most sellers will accept this deal as preferable to a refund and return of shirt as in the vast majority of cases the hole will disappear and they can keep their profit margin and it's less hassle than a return, esp. on a low-value item like a shirt.

Again, in 99% of cases I've come across, it's just displacement of the threads in the weave that will close up on laundry rather than actual damage. But if it's actual damage, you're owed a refund.

Originally Posted by ramuman

Click to expand...

Yes there is:
Click

This really makes things clearer.

Originally Posted by johnny_flapjack

Click to expand...

Most of the time those holes will close up if you apply a little steam and massage the fabric a bit. They're mostly just a displacement of the weave and not actual damage. I'd try a little steam and work it around a bit and see what happens. If you're not happy with the results send it back and try again.

Originally Posted by Holdfast

Click to expand...

This is a perennial problem with shirts and partly why I don't resell them often (the other being insufficient margin usuallyAgain, in 99% of cases I've come across, it's just displacement of the threads in the weave that will close up on laundry rather than actual damage. But if it's actual damage, you're owed a refund.

+1

Thanks for the advice guys.

I am still unclear as to if it is normal for a little fabric/thread ball resembling pilling to appear where the hole was, after a hole goes away from rubbing, or if there should be no such ball there when this happens?

And with the ball there, what is the solution? Pumice stone/fabric shaver? Or is there a better way in this type of case?