It’s difficult when a brand or a product that you and your family have relied on for decades fails you. It adds an extra layer of annoyance to a regular old consumer problem. Leslie had a pair of Hanes underwear and the waistband began falling apart after only one washing. She happens to be from North Carolina, and had family members who worked for Hanes. She can’t afford to buy one-use underwear, and it being Hanes added an extra later of sadness. So she wrote to Hanes.

I wrote to them on March 7 via the catch-all customer service email on the Hanes.com website and honestly didn’t expect it to go anywhere. I was out only about $8, but still, that’s not nothing to me, who does only fleeting freelance work. I send them the following.

Hello-

I bought a six-pack of all-cotton size-7 bikini panties (RN 15763?) at Target in Charlotte, NC, within the last couple months. (I’m a size 8-10 in women’s pants. Size 6 or 7 in Hanes panties fit me.)

I washed and dried them on permanent-press setting, wore them once and repeated washing and drying. Upon putting them away, I noticed that at least three of the panties had stitching that was pulling, elastic that was broken and seams that were fraying. (I have a photo for proof.)

I’m very disappointed in the poor quality, as I grew up wearing Hanes (my grandmother worked in the plant in Winston-Salem, NC). Who do I contact to help with this issue?

Thank you,
Leslie [redacted]

Surprisingly, they replied in four days. They never asked for the photo, but I attached it here for your consideration.

Dear Ms. [redacted],

Thank you for emailing us about our Hanes Underwear product. We’re sorry you experienced a problem with our product.

Because nothing is more important to us than manufacturing a superior product, we are reporting your experience to our Quality Assurance Manager. We have also sent a request to our warehouse for replacement product to be shipped to you. Replacements are available only in our basic colors. Please allow 10 -12 business days for delivery.

Should you continue to have problems with our product, we may ask you to return the product. We will gladly provide you with a postage paid label. This will enable us to analyze the problem as part of our continuing research for product improvement. Product returns become property of our company.

Ms. [redacted], if we can be of future assistance, you may reach us at 1-800-994-4348, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm (EST), or on the Web at http://www.hanes.com.

Sincerely,

[redacted]
Senior Consumer Care Specialist<

I got a new pack of undies in the mail late last week–in well under 10–12 business days! I’ve been fairly loyal to Hanes as my grandmother worked in the original plant first making actual stockings(!) (not pantyhose) and eventually retired from Hanes about the time of the Sara Lee merge, but they’ve pretty much earned my repeat business for life now. Something so simple (a six-pack of underwear) can mean so much.

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