Stephanie was dissatisfied with a set of 1200 thread count sateen sheets she purchased from smartbargains.com. After “a few” washes, they felt more like a set of 800 thread count sheets she owned. Stephanie wondered if perhaps she had received the wrong sheet set, one with a lower thread count. She wasn’t sure, so she wrote smartbargains.com a letter.

The letter and the response, inside…

(Photo: Lewisisms)

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Stephanie’s email to smartbargains.com:

I ordered a set of sheets from you in February and I believe them not to be the thread count they are suppose to be. In fact, after a few washes they are piling up and are not even as soft as the 800tc sheets I own. I believe they are not the thread count they are suppose to be or perhaps just a bad set. I need to figure out how to return them either to you or the manufacturer as I am so disappointed with the quality. I am very surprised that I received such a poor quality item as i have shopped at Loehmann’s before and have never in my life paid so much for so little. This has essentially been a disastrous purchase for me and I hope there is some way to make this right.

Less than ten hours later, smartbargains.com responded.

We sincerely appreciate your contacting the Corporate Office of SmartBargains.com. Ben Fischman, our CEO, has asked that I reply on his behalf. At SmartBargains.com, our goal is to exceed your expectations every day.

We’re truly sorry to hear that the Luxury 1200 TC Sateen Sheet Set, from Order Number ******, has not met your expectations. This 1200 thread count bedding features 300 three- and four-ply yarns per square inch. Multi-ply yarn is created from several threads twisted together for durability while thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of fabric. We highly recommend that the set be laundered per the manufacturer’s instructions. It has been our experience that this sheet set will continue to soften up over time and with normal use. Please note that pilling is the result of abrasion, and should not be construed as a defect.

I’ve contacted our Buyer with your comments. She’s suggested that our higher thread count, single-ply sheet sets may be a better alternative for you. Single-ply sheets are generally softer than their more durable multi-ply counterparts. She’s even provided the names of three sheet sets you may wish to consider:

Royal Hotel Premium 1000 TC
Single-Ply Sheet Set Spa Collection Premium 800 TC
Single-Ply Sheet Set Luxury 600 TC
Egyptian Cotton Sheet Set

Ms ***, your new business is very important to us. We want you to know that we sell only the finest quality merchandise and we stand behind what we sell. Unfortunately, because the sheet set has been laundered, we are unable to accept it as a return in our warehouse. We have, however, issued a merchandise credit for the full cost of the sheet set. A SmartBargains.com eGift Card will arrive via email, and may be used towards your next SmartBargains.com purchase.

Once again, we appreciate your taking the time to let us know about your experience. We look forward to the opportunity of serving you again soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me at ***@smartbargains.com if I can further assist you.

We are impressed with the comprehensive response, as well as the gift card offer. Stephanie is understandably happy: “Needless to say, it was awesome! I’ll be shopping there again!” — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

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