Poor quality coat - do I have any rights?

Hello,

I purchased a coat exactly 7 weeks ago from a well known store in Dubin. I only started wearing it about 4 weeks ago when the weather got really cold but it looks like a rag already. It's made of a woven / tweed like material but it has gone really fluffy and bally already. The coat cost €150 so it wasn't cheap. I still have my receipt, so I am just wondering to I have any right of return/exchange considering this isn't a throwaway purchase, a winter coat should last all winter and given the price of the garment, am I entitled to a certain standard of quality?

Any advice/guidance is much appreciated. Apologies if I am duplicating something already covered. I did search for a similiar thread before posting.

Thanks in advance.

have you tried going back to them? Sale of goods act states goods must be of merchantable quality and fit for purpose so why not go and ask

Thanks galleyslave. I am going back to the store on Sunday. I just wanted to check and maybe have some concrete information before going in. I'm afraid they're just going to tell me that there's nothing they can do as I've worn it and it's due to wear and tear - which I do think is unreasonable after only seven weeks.

Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980.

See Section 14:

Goods are of merchantable quality if they are as fit for the purpose or purposes for which goods of that kind are commonly bought and as durable as it is reasonable to expect having regard to any description applied to them, the price (if relevant) and all the other relevant circumstances, and any reference in this Act to unmerchantable goods shall be construed accordingly.

7 weeks for a Winter coat doesn't seem "fit for purpose".

The retailer may surprise you and replace the coat without question.

I hope so. Thanks for that NorfBank, I'll quote that should I come against any problems, it's much appreciated.

I have seen where a year old coat was damaged after dry cleaning (according to instructions) and the retailer refunded, so definitely worth asknig!

the chances are other people are only starting to wear the coat too, so the retailer may not yet be aware of the coat having poor quality fabric.

Always be courteous and ensure that the retailer sees you as a future customer so that you will get immediate satisfaction.