8 March 2011

Quicksilver at the DFO Canberra

| Bekka
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I want to ask everyone that has shopped at the Quicksilver store at DFO if they have had any problems with their sizing?

I have spent a heap of money in that shop one because I find the quality is good but two because the pricing is a lot better than the surf shops.

The problem I have is that I purchased a bulk amount of clothes for my 2 young boys for Christmas thinking they were all Australian sizing and put them away in November last year.

When Christmas came around and I gave the clothes to the children most of the shorts did not fit them. Now my two boys are quite tiny and one is a size eight and the other a size two in accordance with their age. When I put the size eight next to the size two there was about an inch the difference. Now I could not return any of these clothes as it was outside of their 14 day return policy, but I did return to the store and asked the manager what had happened to their sizing and I was told the following:

Quicksilver is a global company and the DFO store stocks clothes from all over the world> he showed me the shorts I had brought were a Chinese make and said there sizing was a lot different to ours. He also said they had a lot of USA clothes in the store and there sizing was hugely different to ours as well. Nowhere in the store is there a conversion chart or anything saying that you are buying non Australian sized clothes.

I know a heap of our clothes are made overseas but they are made in accordance with Australian sizing. I went back in to the shop on the weekend just to have a look and see if the problem was rectified but found once again the racks loaded with clothes that were of a ridicules sizing.

A size 2 pair of jeans I picked up were about the length of a size 5 and the waist was about the size of a 00. I left the store disappointed. Is there anyway stores have to disclose this to their shoppers? Are they allowed to get away with this? The DFO is somewhat of a joke. You have one store selling clothes like this and then others like Cotton on Kids that has a whole wall of full priced clothes.

If I wanted to go to a shopping centre I would. I thought this was an outlet centre.

Don’t get me wrong there is some store’s out there doing the right thing that I find shopping at fantastic. Really you have not saved yourself any money of got a bargain if you can’t wear it.

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Hi Bekka,

I would talk to them about returning the items. Generally the stores say there is a 14 day return policy, but they still can not stop you from returning the clothing after that point in time. These are store policies only as I could not find a set time limit on the ACCC website.

If they will not return you the goods for cash then they should atleast give you a refund voucher to spend in the store.

I know this after working in the refunds department for a while at Target.

If they try to throw the policy at you tell them that the do not have advise on their sizing and they should be more transparent about this.

I have been into plenty of stores that don’t have Australian sizing, but generally have sizing charts and conversion tables so we don’t have to guess, and most of them are DFO style stores.

carnardly said :

Well, i don’t buy anything without trying anything on.

I am usually a size X in tops and a size Y in pants.

Went into Target recently and grabbed a couple of X shirts. Well, they didn’t even meet in the middle. Grabbed a X +1 size… ummm no. Finally bought a X +2 size. Maybe they are “chinese sizes” but a normal size X +2 swims on me. So i grabbed the Y sized pants and they were waaaay too big so went back for a smaller pair. Sizing is a total lotto. I thought most people knew that. Even in Target last week I bought 2 pairs of pants – both different sizes.

Is that “their fault”?

I don’t take the risk anymore without trying ANYTHING on – unless they are identical items just in different colours.

If you at least want to buy in bulk – take a t-shirt and shorts from home that fit kids as a comparison – just hold them up to check widths and lengths.

Get away with what? it was your choice to walk out of the shop freely without obviously not trying everything on. They don’t have to disclose anything about sizes if the goods are there available to try on. People should be able to work that out for themselves.

I want to ask everyone that has shopped at the Quicksilver store at DFO if they have had any problems with their sizing?
Where was I talking about TARGET in this question?
This question was in regards to CHILDREN’s clothes they are all fairly standard sizes not adult clothes!
Next time I buy a gift for someone else’s child I will remember to ask them to come down and try their birthday present on or for the parents to give me a set of their clothes to compare before I buy it.

Erg0 said :

Sounds like this store is close to the “Outlet” end of the scale, so it probably is a case of “so that’s why they’re so cheap”. That said, if they know that their sizes are inconsistent then it wouldn’t kill them to put up a sign.

Thank you Thank you Thank you tha’ts all i was saying,

thy_dungeonman said :

I too have problems with the way that stores different stores size clothes, I tried on small shirt (which normally will fit me being an XS) at R.M Williams the other day and it was like a dress. It would be great if shops had standard sizes and even better if they (mainly mens shops) would stock more S and XS after all there are specialty shops for large people (king size big and tall) but no such things for smaller people.

I agree this happens in a lot of shop’s. I have never really thought about specialty shops for smaller men. You should go into business I am sure there is a heap of people out there looking for this. What about kid’s sizes do they help?

EvanJames said :

I think it’s to do with companies having their stuff Made In China, and cutting costs on quality control. Quite a few clothing companies have amazing variation within the same size, because apparently they can afford to cop some duds and it’s cheaper than paying for more quality control.

With some brands, you can try on many pairs of pants with the same size label on them, and find a 3-size variation.

I agree it just makes me mad with kids stuff. Thanks for you comment.

Mess said :

I’ve bought plenty of things from that store and never had a problem. Some of the stuff in that store may be factory seconds, so the sizing could be off, which is why they have it in an outlet store.

That’s fine but let people know that they are seconds.

Keijidosha said :

There is no mandatory ‘standard’ for Australian sizing, which explains your issue. If you have a problem with it, vote with your wallet and buy from a store that applies some cohesion to their sizing.

As always, buyer beware.

Thank you that’s all I was asking shows you have some brains before you reply to posts.
Very informative

carnardly said :

Well, i don’t buy anything without trying anything on.

I am usually a size X in tops and a size Y in pants.

Went into Target recently and grabbed a couple of X shirts. Well, they didn’t even meet in the middle. Grabbed a X +1 size… ummm no. Finally bought a X +2 size. Maybe they are “chinese sizes” but a normal size X +2 swims on me. So i grabbed the Y sized pants and they were waaaay too big so went back for a smaller pair. Sizing is a total lotto. I thought most people knew that. Even in Target last week I bought 2 pairs of pants – both different sizes.

Is that “their fault”?

I don’t take the risk anymore without trying ANYTHING on – unless they are identical items just in different colours.

If you at least want to buy in bulk – take a t-shirt and shorts from home that fit kids as a comparison – just hold them up to check widths and lengths.

Get away with what? it was your choice to walk out of the shop freely without obviously not trying everything on. They don’t have to disclose anything about sizes if the goods are there available to try on. People should be able to work that out for themselves.

Not sure if you have children but asking them to try multiple amounts of clothing on and especially on a toddler is a FAIL, nice thought though.
Good idea to take some clothes from home I will remember that in future.
I would like them to at least inform shoppers that’s ALL.

p1 said :

I have spent a heap of money in that shop one because I find the quality is good but two because the pricing is a lot better than the surf shops.

I thought quicksilver *IS* a “surf” shop?

I know it is a SURF shop but I am talking about an outlet centre read the whole post!

I have spent a heap of money in that shop one because I find the quality is good but two because the pricing is a lot better than the surf shops.

I thought quicksilver *IS* a “surf” shop?

I think it’s to do with companies having their stuff Made In China, and cutting costs on quality control. Quite a few clothing companies have amazing variation within the same size, because apparently they can afford to cop some duds and it’s cheaper than paying for more quality control.

With some brands, you can try on many pairs of pants with the same size label on them, and find a 3-size variation.

Sounds like this store is close to the “Outlet” end of the scale, so it probably is a case of “so that’s why they’re so cheap”. That said, if they know that their sizes are inconsistent then it wouldn’t kill them to put up a sign.

Well, i don’t buy anything without trying anything on.

I am usually a size X in tops and a size Y in pants. Went into Target recently and grabbed a couple of X shirts. Well, they didn’t even meet in the middle. Grabbed a X +1 size… ummm no. Finally bought a X +2 size. Maybe they are “chinese sizes” but a normal size X +2 swims on me. So i grabbed the Y sized pants and they were waaaay too big so went back for a smaller pair. Sizing is a total lotto. I thought most people knew that. Even in Target last week I bought 2 pairs of pants – both different sizes. Is that “their fault”?

I don’t take the risk anymore without trying ANYTHING on – unless they are identical items just in different colours.

If you at least want to buy in bulk – take a t-shirt and shorts from home that fit kids as a comparison – just hold them up to check widths and lengths.

Get away with what? it was your choice to walk out of the shop freely without obviously not trying everything on. They don’t have to disclose anything about sizes if the goods are there available to try on. People should be able to work that out for themselves.

I’ve bought plenty of things from that store and never had a problem. Some of the stuff in that store may be factory seconds, so the sizing could be off, which is why they have it in an outlet store.

thy_dungeonman10:24 am 08 Mar 11

I too have problems with the way that stores different stores size clothes, I tried on small shirt (which normally will fit me being an XS) at R.M Williams the other day and it was like a dress. It would be great if shops had standard sizes and even better if they (mainly mens shops) would stock more S and XS after all there are specialty shops for large people (king size big and tall) but no such things for smaller people.

There is no mandatory ‘standard’ for Australian sizing, which explains your issue. If you have a problem with it, vote with your wallet and buy from a store that applies some cohesion to their sizing.

As always, buyer beware.

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