It Would Be Nice If My Lane Bryant Jeans Lasted Longer Than 2 Months

Andrea is very fond of Right Fit jeans from Lane Bryant. She likes them so much that she wears them until they literally wear out,then goes and buys another pair. Only that’s a more expensive plan than it was a few years ago, because Andrea has noticed the quality of the pants that she buys deteriorating over time. She reached a breaking point recently when her jeans, too, reached a breaking point–wearing out this week after being purchased in July. $50 is a lot to pay for pants that only last two months.

She wrote to Lane Bryant using their Web comment form:

Hello! Ever since Right Fit jeans were invented, I have worn literally no other brand of jeans. I buy blue circle Right Fit jeans and wear them until they’re dead, then I buy new ones.

Now, my last several pairs have seemed like they wore out more quickly, but this takes the cake. I bought a pair at my local store in mid-July, and now the seams are failing. It seems you’re using weaker material now! And I think you knew it before the pants shipped, because why else would there be that weird sewn X accent right below where the worst hole is? (See the picture.)

I do like how the pockets went back to a normal size, but I really can’t afford to buy new jeans every two months. Please make this right; I don’t want to stop being a loyal customer, especially since these pants used to be so perfect.

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zipper_rip.jpg

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Lane Bryant wrote back:

Dear Andrea [Last Name],

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

We appreciate when a valued customer provides us with feedback, since
it allows Lane Bryant to provide the best possible merchandise and
service to our customers. Please know I am sending your comments to
our Merchandise Team so they can take your feedback into consideration
when making decisions about future product lines.

In other words: “Sucks to be you.”

Andrea replied,

Hello again. Thank you for the prompt reply. Unfortunately, it did not
give me any indication that the company takes its reputation for
quality seriously. It did not reassure me that I will be able to get
more jeans of acceptable quality or when such pants might be available
for purchase again. You did not offer to replace the shoddy product.
You did not even offer me a coupon or an apology.

Lane Bryant wrote back offering to replace the pants if Andrea could return to the store with her original receipt. She doesn’t have it anymore, so they’ve promised to send a coupon for her next in-store purchase. Which will probably not be of jeans.

This didn’t actually address her concern, though. So she answered:

Okay, thank you. But what about the quality issue? Have you had others
write in with the same problem? I really want to be able to count on
the quality of Right Fit jeans, so when I get the coupon and go buy a
replacement, I’ll know it’s going to last more than a couple of
months.

When you informed the Merchandise Team, did they have any thoughts on
switching back to a more durable fabric?

Lane Bryant’s customer service gracefully avoided her direct questions in their final reply:

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Please be advised that we will use your comments to provide the best
possible quality merchandise to our customers.

Andrea’s not the only one who has a problem with these pants, by the way. Other customers have shared their similar experiences on the product’s reviews page.

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