The Disco Pant Debate

This is something I've been wanting to post about for a while but wasn't sure if it was something my readers would like to see. However, after something that happened today I've decided that I need to get this off my chest.

In August last year I bought a pair of the American Apparel Disco Pants in Black after reading so many amazing reviews on how great they are and how long they last/go with everything etc, etc. I got my hands on a 25% off discount and ended up getting them for around £55 so that's £19 off the RRP of £74. Still steep, but not quite as steep as the original price. From then on it was a love affair that I never thought would end. I wore them lots and they really did go with everything. That was until, about a month on, I realised that bits of the elastic around my crotch area had started to fray and were hanging out of the trousers. My boyfriend also commented that he could see my pants through them. Now, with them being such thick material and made of nylon I knew this shouldn't be happening. Unfortunatly, I had stupidly thrown out the receipt and so couldn't just take them in store and get a refund. I contacted AA through email and social networking with no prevail and only after my 3rd attempt contacting them through Twitter (which involved me having to complain about their shocking customer service) was I replied to. The women I spoke to, Crystal, was very helpful and referred me to the UK helpline which was no where to be seen on the website. When I phoned the helpline they were also very helpful explaining that they would send me an electronic copy of my receipt and that I could get an exchange due to there being a 6 month exchange clause for faulty items. I was very positive after this after having recieved such amazing customer service but I had to wait until December when I went home to exchange the trousers as I could only do this in store and there is no store in Aberdeen. This is when it all went wrong. The manger in store was so, so rude I can't even begin to explain. He opened by saying that he couldn't exchange them as I had machine washed them and that what was happening to my trousers would only happen if they're machine washed. Oh yeah, I'm sure you know exactly what they look like when they've been machine washed because you must wear them all the time as a guy...  I explained I hadn't ever put them near a washing machine as when I bought them (in this exact store, might I add) I was told only to hand wash them. He, however, didn't seem to care and stayed adamant that I had machine washed them. My mum, who was with me at the time, then questioned the man to whether he was calling me a liar then as I had not put them in a machine. His reply, "I'm not saying that, they just look like they've been machine washed." So, pretty much calling me a liar then. I left the store feeling so cheated and upset with the way I had been treated - no matter what, excellent customer service should be any managers first priority. Anyway, long story short I contacted the women I had previously spoken to via email and she completely ignored me. When I contacted her for the second time she completely fobbed me off stating that the matter was now closed and that there was nothing I could do now and she wasn't the person I should be speaking to - she provided no further information about who exaclty I should have been speaking to, however.

Fast forward to last Saturday, when I received a pair of Disco Pants in Noir which I had ordered off of Glamorous.com. I have to say, they are very good dupes of the AA ones only with much thinner material. Tonight, however, after only a few days of wearing them, I looked down to discover the thread just under the zip area had become undone and I now have a hole right in the front of my Disco Pants exposing my pants. Seriously, is it just me?! I've contacted Glamorous about this but I'm really in two minds about getting another pair. After actually buying the AA ones I started to hear nothing but bad reviews about them and I don't know if it's just that me and Disco Pants aren't meant to be or if they really are just shoddy quality all round.  

So the moral of the story is, kids, keep your bloody receipt. I also will never shop at American Apparel ever again because I'm so angry with the amount of money I spent and the customer service I received in return. 

If you read to the end of this then well done! Sorry if you didn't like this but I just needed to post about it as, as I said, it's been something I've been thinking about for a while. What's your Disco Pant experience been like?