What would you do?

[RakesOfMallow]

Maybe someone here has run into the same problem...ordering a made to order kilt from Scotland, and it arrives not quite the way you ordered it.

I'm having this problem right now and not sure what action to take.

I won't name the company yet since I want to give them the opportunity to respond, but that opportunity is getting smaller by the day. I placed an order for an 8yrd 16 oz wool kilt is IoS. I requested it pleated to "no stripe" since I saw how wonderful Barb T's looked. I made sure to include pictures (in my email) of exactly how I wanted the kilt pleated so there was no issue. 2 months go by and I get a tracking number for the kilt in my email (I was ecstatic because it's coming over a month early!) I open it up and the first thing I see is it has been pleated to the sett! Words came out of my mouth that I will not repeat here... I thought perhaps it's the wrong kilt...but I tried it on and the fit is correct.
I sent an email right away and gave it a week....no response. I sent a second email and included the first....no response as of yet. I know they check their email because we exchanged email over a week before I placed the order. Very frustrating

[Arlen]

I would try giving the company a call, if you can.
Also, make a point of searching for the company's name on here to see if they have been reviewed and got good or bad reviews.

It could be that they told the person making the kilt 'Pleated to no stripe... they probably mean to the sett' but didn't show them the pictures you included.


Good luck on getting it all sorted out.

[McMurdo]

I'm not too sure what I'd do in this situation, however I think if you feel strongly about it then phoning them might be the first step.

[auld argonian]

I've had sort of this problems twice.

First time I ordered a casual kilt in Hunting Stewart pleated to the sett and it came back to the stripe...but upon looking at it, I realized that that was how it should be pleated. Thus, I had to let the kiltmaker know that he didn't do what I had asked but that his judgement was, in this case, better than mine so it actually worked out for the better.

Second time it was from a kiltmaker in Scotland and I asked for Campbell of Cawdor pleated to the red stripe. Based on the look of the Hunting Stewart, I figgered that the Cawdor would look really schnazzy with that red stripe popping out there. Granted that this was/is a five-yarder but they pleated it to the sett. What to do? I would have happily settled for fewer pleats but pleated to the stripe than as many pleats as possible pleated to the sett...I'm not compulsive about having lots of pleats. I did have my heart set on wearing it right away (this was around the holidays) so I basically settled and didn't make an issue out of it. Bet your bottom dollar that I will someday have that Cawdor done to the stripe (and eight yards).

Don't know how in this age of ordering via the internet we can keep all of this straight. You sent a reference picture along, though, so I'd say that you have a pretty good case for a re-make. The problem is all of the stories that I've heard here about the extra charges and duties that other Xmarkser's have incurred trying to straighten out an "off kilter" order from an overseas kiltmaker. Rumor has it that lots of us are trying to keep it domestic for just such reasons.

Best

AA

[Bugbear]

Good luck, hope it works out alright.

[Jock Scot]

How unfortunate for you.I am not a kilt maker, lets get that said,but if I ordered a kilt with instructions that I did not want the kilt pleated to stripe,I would expect the kilt pleated to the sett------which is what you have got,but not what you wanted!All I can suggest is a phone call to the kiltmaker(not a fly by night one, I hope) and see what you both can come up with. I know they had a picture!They also had instructions that maybe confused them.I don't know.I hope it all works out for you though. Good luck.

[auld argonian]

It has been said that there are no kilt police...

...my observation is, however, that this forum has served as the Kilted Konsumer Protection Agency from time to time by allowing members to talk about problems that they may have had with dealers.

Obviously caution should be exercised and one would think that forum members who have a gripe will stick to the facts and bend over backwards to be fair about any disagreements that they might have with any vendors. I always try to assume the best about people and think that most (if not all) kilt makers and vendors will also try to be reasonable. I appreciate that RoM has refrained from naming the vendor while he continues to try to resolve his problems with them. That's fair and I hope that it all works out.

Certainly with 3,000 plus members, this forum doesn't represent all the kilties in the world but I would think that it might be a bit of incentive for vendors to maintain a good image here. A forum of this type doesn't have any real power to resolve disputes but I see no shortage of positive comments about vendors who "meet or exceed expectations" so I think that it's only fair that reasonable criticism of the ones who fall short be aired here.

Best

AA

[mbhandy]

I requested it pleated to "no stripe" since I saw how wonderful Barb T's looked. I made sure to include pictures (in my email) of exactly how I wanted the kilt pleated so there was no issue. 2 months go by and I get a tracking number for the kilt in my email (I was ecstatic because it's coming over a month early!) I open it up and the first thing I see is it has been pleated to the sett!

I would have though that no stripe means to the sett also. I am confused?

?????
MrBill

[Scotus]

I agree that pleated to "no stripe" would probably be taken as, "pleated to sett," unless I'm misunderstanding something.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

It is really down to how exact your instructions were. Reading through this thread it seemed to me that you were asking for it pleated to the sett... normal directions to a tailor are either "pleated to sett", or "pleated to stripe". "No stripe" seems to suggest that "pleated to the sett" is what you were asking for (and got).