SNAD, unsure how to proceed

[shoplove]

You had this authenticated in the authenticate this Chanel thread on the 22nd of December. ColorfulBelle suggested that there had been alterations, so presumably you knew to expect that before you paid for it. From the design and label it's an older jacket, so it would be normal to expect that it's been used and people who shell out big money on jackets (thousands of dollars for a Chanel Wool and Silk blazer) might have had them tailored at some point.

Yep, and I'm glad she noticed that because I didn't from the photo. While it is a vintage jacket, the seller had listed it as MINT. So while some wear would be expected of a vintage piece, this was allegedly not the case. Also, I should state/reiterate that I didn't really care about any alterations in regards to fit, b/c I read the measurements and knew that the jacket would fit, or possibly be very slightly loose, which I was prepared for.

The thing that bothered me about the alterations was that they were MESSY. The photo in the listing only shows a small corner of the back hem of the jacket, so it's unable to see most of the tailoring. It was sloppy, uneven, and looked like it had the potential to come undone.

That's what the big deal is to me. Not that it had been altered, as I know many Chanel jackets are basically made to be altered. I was upset that it had been altered poorly.

And to reiterate again, I had made my peace with this and decided to keep it and not say anything further. It wasn't until I discovered that the sleeves had been altered and was starting to come OFF, that I got really upset.

And yes, at the point that I contacted the seller about this it was about 2.5 weeks since I received the jacket. But the stitching under the sleeves is not a place where damage is obvious. It wasn't until I noticed that the side seems looked off and actually lifted up the sleeve all the way that I noticed it was coming apart.

I know that a lot of us here are sellers, and I know it sucks when buyers will receive a well worn item which is greatly discounted and proclaim, "There's a smudge you missed!", and try to eke out an even further discount. I've had it happen to me and that is not how I operate when I buy.

However, buyers being crappy sometimes doesn't mean that sellers aren't able to legitimately miss things in their descriptions. There seems to be a bit of a double standard--it's okay that the buyer "missed" these damages in her description, but it's not okay that it took me a couple of weeks to notice the full extent of the damage. It's not really fair to imply that one is okay, but the other isn't.

And no matter how many bad experiences the seller has had with other buyers, it's not okay that she was abrasive from the get go. As I said, I understand her not giving me a partial refund, and even though it would be ideal in my mind, I do think that doing so perpetuates the trend for buyers to be a pain in the butt until they get what they want. But being rude and abrasive, and not even uttering a simple apology or acknowledging that MAYBE there were things that she missed is pretty crappy, IMO. Obviously not every single imperfection can be noticed or disclosed, but I think that this specific one should have been.

 

[shoplove]

if this jacket has had all the alterations it has, personally would send it back..
think that you may have a hard or difficult time selling it... that's just my opinion
and to have it re-repaired may be more $$ that you may or may not be able
to get back by selling it... also, as we here on the forum found the jacket
a potential buyer may do research see it & what you paid for it...so if you must must
have it, then do what you like but me, I'd send it back & find another or something else..

Thanks hotshot...BeenBurned mentioned the same thing, and I do now fear I might be unpleasantly surprised when I take it to the tailor's this weekend...

 

[Love Of My Life]

MINT condition should be exactly that....this is a jacket that has not only
had alterations done but they were sloppy... you are going to have to find
a seamstress/tailor that is going to have to fix this if they are able to correct
the alterations that were made on this jacket and it may be more $ than you think

To me the condition has been misrepresented... if you absolutely love the jacket
than you will make the right decision for yourself..

As far as the seller's abrasive behavior, that is not what should be expected
and unfortunately that is not professional... whether seller was having a good
day or a bad day, you should not have gotten the brunt of that...

The jacket had more repairs than was disclosed... that in itself is wrong..
your seller IMO was looking to sell the jacket & probably just didn't inspect
as closely or carefully as she should have..

If you decide to keep the jacket, you may want to drop your seller an e-mail
after all the emotions have quieted down and share your thoughts... if not,
just leave the feedback you feel appropriate & move on...

 

[shinymagpie]

Yep, and I'm glad she noticed that because I didn't from the photo. While it is a vintage jacket, the seller had listed it as MINT. So while some wear would be expected of a vintage piece, this was allegedly not the case. Also, I should state/reiterate that I didn't really care about any alterations in regards to fit, b/c I read the measurements and knew that the jacket would fit, or possibly be very slightly loose, which I was prepared for.

The thing that bothered me about the alterations was that they were MESSY. The photo in the listing only shows a small corner of the back hem of the jacket, so it's unable to see most of the tailoring. It was sloppy, uneven, and looked like it had the potential to come undone.

That's what the big deal is to me. Not that it had been altered, as I know many Chanel jackets are basically made to be altered. I was upset that it had been altered poorly.

And to reiterate again, I had made my peace with this and decided to keep it and not say anything further. It wasn't until I discovered that the sleeves had been altered and was starting to come OFF, that I got really upset.

And yes, at the point that I contacted the seller about this it was about 2.5 weeks since I received the jacket. But the stitching under the sleeves is not a place where damage is obvious. It wasn't until I noticed that the side seems looked off and actually lifted up the sleeve all the way that I noticed it was coming apart.

I know that a lot of us here are sellers, and I know it sucks when buyers will receive a well worn item which is greatly discounted and proclaim, "There's a smudge you missed!", and try to eke out an even further discount. I've had it happen to me and that is not how I operate when I buy.

However, buyers being crappy sometimes doesn't mean that sellers aren't able to legitimately miss things in their descriptions. There seems to be a bit of a double standard--it's okay that the buyer "missed" these damages in her description, but it's not okay that it took me a couple of weeks to notice the full extent of the damage. It's not really fair to imply that one is okay, but the other isn't.

And no matter how many bad experiences the seller has had with other buyers, it's not okay that she was abrasive from the get go. As I said, I understand her not giving me a partial refund, and even though it would be ideal in my mind, I do think that doing so perpetuates the trend for buyers to be a pain in the butt until they get what they want. But being rude and abrasive, and not even uttering a simple apology or acknowledging that MAYBE there were things that she missed is pretty crappy, IMO. Obviously not every single imperfection can be noticed or disclosed, but I think that this specific one should have been.

With the magic of hindsight, it would have been better to have followed up by telling the seller, before paying, or before they posted it, that you got an opinion that looks like it had been altered and asking how much it had been altered. Even then, you could have just pulled out of the sale without paying which would have been easier all round. Or, just ask to return it immediately. As buyers, the onus is on us to examine things in minute detail when we get them. Returns need to be done fast, to reduce stress in every direction.

What did work against you was the timing: it was all happening just before Christmas. While not everyone celebrates at that time of year, many do and it's a stressful time in a good and a bad way. None of us has any idea what is going on in someone else's life when we buy and sell on eBay or when we write emails. Not everyone has brilliant customer service but if she said returns immediately, then that was her expectation and why she got abrasive. I'm not saying being abrasive is good but it could have been affected by the timing issues.

All of us come to transactions with the past ringing in our ears, even if you try to treat each one as a blank slate. It influences our perspective.

If the seller is still willing to let you to return it, then it should be done before any alterations are made to it. If she is allowing you to return it after a couple of weeks of having it, then you should just send it back fast and get your money back. Then you can move on.

 

[shoplove]

With the magic of hindsight, it would have been better to have followed up by telling the seller, before paying, or before they posted it, that you got an opinion that looks like it had been altered and asking how much it had been altered. Even then, you could have just pulled out of the sale without paying which would have been easier all round. Or, just ask to return it immediately. As buyers, the onus is on us to examine things in minute detail when we get them. Returns need to be done fast, to reduce stress in every direction.

Thanks...I think we have a difference of opinion on this, but I appreciate your input.

 

[shoplove]

MINT condition should be exactly that....this is a jacket that has not only
had alterations done but they were sloppy... you are going to have to find
a seamstress/tailor that is going to have to fix this if they are able to correct
the alterations that were made on this jacket and it may be more $ than you think

To me the condition has been misrepresented... if you absolutely love the jacket
than you will make the right decision for yourself..

As far as the seller's abrasive behavior, that is not what should be expected
and unfortunately that is not professional... whether seller was having a good
day or a bad day, you should not have gotten the brunt of that...

The jacket had more repairs than was disclosed... that in itself is wrong..
your seller IMO was looking to sell the jacket & probably just didn't inspect
as closely or carefully as she should have..

If you decide to keep the jacket, you may want to drop your seller an e-mail
after all the emotions have quieted down and share your thoughts... if not,
just leave the feedback you feel appropriate & move on...

Thank you, hotshot!

 

[LindaP]

However, buyers being crappy sometimes doesn't mean that sellers aren't able to legitimately miss things in their descriptions. There seems to be a bit of a double standard--it's okay that the buyer "missed" these damages in her description, but it's not okay that it took me a couple of weeks to notice the full extent of the damage. It's not really fair to imply that one is okay, but the other isn't.

And no matter how many bad experiences the seller has had with other buyers, it's not okay that she was abrasive from the get go. As I said, I understand her not giving me a partial refund, and even though it would be ideal in my mind, I do think that doing so perpetuates the trend for buyers to be a pain in the butt until they get what they want. But being rude and abrasive, and not even uttering a simple apology or acknowledging that MAYBE there were things that she missed is pretty crappy, IMO. Obviously not every single imperfection can be noticed or disclosed, but I think that this specific one should have been.

Very well said, all of it! You don't sound unreasonable in the least and good for you for standing up for yourself.

Of course sellers can sometimes make mistakes or have a bad day but what I've always thought (and said here) is that it's how they handle it that makes a difference. 'You're giving me a headache' vs 'I'm so sorry, I totally missed this flaw when I listed it' are a far cry from each other.

Sellers often assume that whenever a buyer is unhappy with the product that it's surely buyer's remorse, and as in your experience that is not always the case. I think your concerns about the messy alterations are valid and you did what you could beforehand to check the item out by having it authenticated. Sounds like you are a responsible and reasonable buyer.

When all is said and done, I hope if you keep the jacket you get much enjoyment out of it!

 

[limom]

I would just like to point out that there is really a us versus them sentiment.
While I agree 100% than no one, buyers or sellers have any right to resort to name calling one another, it seems that there is a total lack of respect in many Ebay transactions.
Why is that?
Is it because it is mainly anonymous?
I think it is a sad reflection of people in general.
Food for thoughts.

 

[shinymagpie]

Thanks hotshot...BeenBurned mentioned the same thing, and I do now fear I might be unpleasantly surprised when I take it to the tailor's this weekend...

Thanks...I think we have a difference of opinion on this, but I appreciate your input.

I would just like to point out that there is really a us versus them sentiment.
While I agree 100% than no one, buyers or sellers have any right to resort to name calling one another, it seems that there is a total lack of respect in many Ebay transactions.
Why is that?
Is it because it is mainly anonymous?
I think it is a sad reflection of people in general.
Food for thoughts.

Yes I agree with you. I think that people behave very differently online to how they would face to face. But then, if it were face to face, people would be able to look at the items and make more informed choices. I think the waiting for something and the delay makes it harder when you actually get something to find that it was not as you expected.

OP I am genuinely sorry for you that your jacket is not the perfect piece that you hoped for. Do be aware that it started life at about $3-4000 in all probability, so be ready for a shock on having it repaired. If you are repairing, is it worth taking it to Chanel? In the USA, the price of their bag restoration service is amazingly cheap compared to anywhere else in the world. Will they do repairs on clothing? It might be worth considering if you are going to be paying for repairs anyway.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Yes I agree with you. I think that people behave very differently online to how they would face to face. But then, if it were face to face, people would be able to look at the items and make more informed choices. I think the waiting for something and the delay makes it harder when you actually get something to find that it was not as you expected.

OP I am genuinely sorry for you that your jacket is not the perfect piece that you hoped for. Do be aware that it started life at about $3-4000 in all probability, so be ready for a shock on having it repaired. If you are repairing, is it worth taking it to Chanel? In the USA, the price of their bag restoration service is amazingly cheap compared to anywhere else in the world. Will they do repairs on clothing? It might be worth considering if you are going to be paying for repairs anyway.

Where I live Chanel will not take responsibility for a Chanel garment

that has been altered by anyone but Chanel... things might have changed

but perhaps it is worth looking into beause if you don't ask you won't

know..

This particular seller's attitude & response was just simply out of line..

A buyer could be disappointed in the condition as OP was... the seller

may have disclosed certain details but certainly not all of them..

Were these other alterations overlooked intentionally... hard to say

but if the OP does decide to keep the jacket, hope she will be happy

 

[rachaellyndsey]

If you're happy with the jacket at the price you paid, and will still be happy with it after paying for the alterations, then keep it and be happy.

If you have any sort of doubt, then experience suggests that the doubt will only grow, and by that time it'll be too late to return

Good luck