Every week in our Money blog, we answer questions about your financial problems or consumer disputes. This week, a reader asked what rights they had after her sofa was ruined by a dry cleaners.
Reader Maureen asked: “I have had half my sofa covers cleaned by Johnsons, the cleaners. They have been ruined as the Belgian linen was hand washed and the care instructions not followed.
“This happened in July. I have been in communication with customer services who finally agreed that half a sofa could not be reupholstered – and, verbally, said they’d cover the whole suite.
“Last week I received an email from management now reneging on the offer and instead offering a small amount of money that will deem my sofa unfit to use as it won’t cover either a reupholster or new sofa. Where do I stand?”
Image: Reader Maureen sent us a photo of the ruined sofa
You sent me further details of your complaint, including photographs and your correspondence with Johnsons (the bits that have been in writing).
I can see in your email correspondence with Johnsons that they will not pay what you say is required to reupholster the whole sofa. They say their liability to you extends only to the actual covers that were submitted for cleaning.
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The original sofa cost you £2,400 eight years ago, and you also have a quote for completely reupholstering it, which comes to £2,560. You (rightly) argue that it’s not really possible to reupholster half a sofa.
Regarding the verbal offer you say was made, Helen Dewdney, a consumer expert at The Complaining Cow, says she always tells people to put everything in writing because there is no evidence when you make phone calls – so bear this in mind going forward.
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As for your rights now, your issue falls under the Consumer Rights Act 2005, she says.
“If services are not undertaken with reasonable skill and care and your items get damaged or lost then you have the right to claim compensation,” Helen says.
This can include claiming for the cost of replacing a damaged or lost item, although there may be a reduction for wear and tear of the original item.
Johnsons has already offered some compensation to you (£800). They claim that the age of the sofa means it “holds no residual value” but offered 25% of the original price, an additional £200 as a gesture of goodwill, and a refund of the original cleaning charge.
However, you are not happy with this because you say it is not enough to either fix or replace your “ruined sofa”.
I reached out to Johnsons, and they did not reply, but you told me that two days after I emailed them, they almost doubled the amount of compensation on offer (to £1,500).
You went back to them with a counter-offer of £1,700, they agreed, and you are now finally able to bring the saga to a close (and get your sofa fixed).
Had they not agreed, you could have considered these next steps…
Membership of the Textile Services Association is available to laundries, dry cleaners, textile renters and their suppliers, Helen says.
“If the company you are using is a member, then the TSA offers a conciliation service. You may be asked to prove your claim and, on a loser-pays basis, use the association’s testing service. It also offers an arbitration service if the matter still cannot be resolved.”
However, if the firm is not a member of the TSA – and it looks like Johnsons is not – then you have the option of taking the matter to the small claims court – or equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“If a company provides no information whatsoever regarding what you should do if you have a complaint, this is a red flag,” Helen says.
“If a company does not recognise that mistakes happen and outlines what it will do if a problem occurs, it cares little for customer service or reputation.”
This feature is not intended as financial advice – the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:
You probably recall the stories about Leicester’s clothing industry in recent years: grim labour conditions, pay below the minimum wage, “dark factories” serving the fast fashion sector. What is less well known is what happened next. In short, the industry has cratered.
In the wake of the recurrent scandals over “sweatshop” conditions in Leicester, the majority of major brands have now abandoned the city, triggering an implosion in production in the place that once boasted that it “clothed the world”.
And now Leicester faces a further existential double-threat: competition from Chinese companies like Shein and Temu, and the impending arrival of cheap imports from India, following the recent trade deal signed with the UK. Many worry it could spell an end for the city’s fashion business altogether.
Gauging the scale of the recent collapse is challenging because many of the textile and apparel factories in Leicester are small operations that can start up and shut down rapidly, but according to data provided to Sky News by SP&KO, a consultancy founded by fashion sector veterans Kathy O’Driscoll and Simon Platts, the number has fallen from 1,500 in 2017 to just 96 this year. This 94% collapse comes amid growing concerns that British clothes-making more broadly is facing an existential crisis.
Image: A trade fair tries to reignite enthusiasm for the local clothing industry
In an in-depth investigation carried out over recent months, Sky News has visited sites in the city shut down in the face of a collapse of demand. Thousands of fashion workers are understood to have lost their jobs. Many factories lie empty, their machines gathering dust.
The vast majority of high street and fast fashion brands that once sourced their clothes in Leicester have now shifted their supply chains to North Africa and South Asia.
And a new report from UKFT – Britain’s fashion and textiles lobby group – has found that a staggering 95% of clothes companies have either trimmed or completely eliminated clothes manufacturing in the UK. Some 58% of brands, by turnover, now have an explicit policy not to source clothes from the UK.
Image: Seamstresses in one of the city’s former factories
Image: Clothing industry workers in Leicester
Jenny Holloway, chair of the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Association, said: “We know of factories that were asked to become a potential supplier [to high street brands], got so far down the line, invested on sampling, invested time and money, policies, and then it’s like: ‘oh, sorry, we can’t use you, because Leicester is embargoed.'”
Tejas Shah, a third-generation manufacturer whose family company Shahtex used to make materials for Marks & Spencer, said: “I’ve spoken to brands in the past who, if I moved my factory 15 miles north into Loughborough, would be happy to work with me. But because I have an LE1, LE4 postcode, they don’t want to work for me.”
Image: Shahtex in Leicester used to make materials for Marks & Spencer
Image: Tejas Shah, of Leicester-based firm Shahtex
Threat of Chinese brands Shein and Temu
That pain has been exacerbated by a new phenomenon: the rise of Chinese fast fashion brands Shein and Temu.
They offer consumers ultra-cheap clothes and goods, made in Chinese factories and flown direct to UK households. And, thanks to a customs loophole known as “de minimis”, those goods don’t even incur tariffs when they arrive in the country.
Image: An online advert for Chinese fast fashion company Shein
According to Satvir Singh, who runs Our Fashion, one of the last remaining knitwear producers in the city, this threat could prove the final straw for Leicester’s garments sector.
“It is having an impact on our production – and I think the whole retail sector, at least for clothing, are feeling that pinch.”
Image: Inside one of the city’s remaining clothesmakers
While Donald Trump has threatened to abolish the loophole in the US, the UK has only announced a review with no timeline.
“If we look at what Trump’s done, he’s just thinking more about his local economy because he can see the long-term effects,” said Mr Singh. “I think [abolishing de minimis exceptions] will make a huge difference. I think ultimately it’s about a level playing field.”
A spokesperson for Temu told Sky News: “We welcome UK manufacturers and businesses to explore a low-cost way to grow with us. By the end of 2025, we expect half our UK sales to come from local sellers and local warehouses.”
Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water provider, has been hit by a record fine by regulator Ofwat.
The company has been fined £122.7m following Ofwat’s “biggest and most complex” investigation.
It follows two investigations related to Thames Water’s wastewater operations and dividend payouts.
Of the total fine, £104.5m – 9% of Thames Water‘s turnover – has been levied for breaches of wastewater rules – just below the maximum 10% of turnover that Ofwat could have applied.
Another £18.2m penalty will be paid for breaches of dividend payment rules.
It is the first time Ofwat has fined a company for shareholders’ payments which do not “properly reflect” its performance for customers and the environment.
The fine will be paid by Thames Water and its shareholders, Ofwat said, rather than customers.
‘Unacceptable’ environmental impact
The regulator was highly critical of Thames Water’s handling of wastewater, describing it as having an “unacceptable” impact on the environment.
Its investigation of treatment works and the wider wastewater network uncovered failings which “amounted to a significant breach of the company’s legal obligations” and caused that unacceptable environmental impact.
The company announced a 40% spike in sewage spills in December for the period from January to September 2024.
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Thames Water boss can ‘save’ company
The fine was so large because Ofwat’s chief executive, David Black, said Thames Water “failed to come up with an acceptable redress package that would have benefited the environment”.
“This is a clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment,” Mr Black said.
“Our investigation has uncovered a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure to meet its obligations.”
As a result, Thames Water is required to agree to a remediation plan with Ofwat within six months.
Another investigation by the Environment Agency into environmental permits at sewage treatment works is ongoing.
Bad news for Thames Water finances
Thames Water serves 16 million customers across London and the South East and has just about fended off effective nationalisation, having secured an emergency £3bn loan. Its debts now top £19bn.
These fines were not factored into Thames Water’s financial planning for the next five years. The company’s chief executive, Chris Weston, told a recent sitting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee that Thames Water’s future was dependent on Ofwat being lenient with fines.
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A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We take our responsibility towards the environment very seriously and note that Ofwat acknowledges we have already made progress to address issues raised in the investigation relating to storm overflows.
“The dividends were declared following a consideration of the company’s legal and regulatory obligations. Our lenders continue to support our liquidity position and our equity raise process continues.”
You probably recall the stories about Leicester’s clothing industry in recent years: grim labour conditions, pay below the minimum wage, “dark factories” serving the fast fashion sector. What is less well known is what happened next. In short, the industry has cratered.
In the wake of the recurrent scandals over “sweatshop” conditions in Leicester, the majority of major brands have now abandoned the city, triggering an implosion in production in the place that once boasted that it “clothed the world”.
And now Leicester faces a further existential double-threat: competition from Chinese companies like Shein and Temu, and the impending arrival of cheap imports from India, following the recent trade deal signed with the UK. Many worry it could spell an end for the city’s fashion business altogether.
Gauging the scale of the recent collapse is challenging because many of the textile and apparel factories in Leicester are small operations that can start up and shut down rapidly, but according to data provided to Sky News by SP&KO, a consultancy founded by fashion sector veterans Kathy O’Driscoll and Simon Platts, the number has fallen from 1,500 in 2017 to just 96 this year. This 94% collapse comes amid growing concerns that British clothes-making more broadly is facing an existential crisis.
In an in-depth investigation carried out over recent months, Sky News has visited sites in the city shut down in the face of a collapse of demand. Thousands of fashion workers are understood to have lost their jobs. Many factories lie empty, their machines gathering dust.
The vast majority of high street and fast fashion brands that once sourced their clothes in Leicester have now shifted their supply chains to North Africa and South Asia.
And a new report from UKFT – Britain’s fashion and textiles lobby group – has found that a staggering 95% of clothes companies have either trimmed or completely eliminated clothes manufacturing in the UK. Some 58% of brands, by turnover, now have an explicit policy not to source clothes from the UK.
Image: Seamstresses in one of the city’s former factories
Image: Clothing industry workers in Leicester
Jenny Holloway, chair of the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Association, said: “We know of factories that were asked to become a potential supplier [to high street brands], got so far down the line, invested on sampling, invested time and money, policies, and then it’s like: ‘oh, sorry, we can’t use you, because Leicester is embargoed.'”
Image: A trade fair tries to reignite enthusiasm for the local clothing industry
Tejas Shah, a third-generation manufacturer whose family company Shahtex used to make materials for Marks & Spencer, said: “I’ve spoken to brands in the past who, if I moved my factory 15 miles north into Loughborough, would be happy to work with me. But because I have an LE1, LE4 postcode, they don’t want to work for me.”
Image: Shahtex in Leicester used to make materials for Marks & Spencer
Image: Tejas Shah, of Leicester-based firm Shahtex
Threat of Chinese brands Shein and Temu
That pain has been exacerbated by a new phenomenon: the rise of Chinese fast fashion brands Shein and Temu.
They offer consumers ultra-cheap clothes and goods, made in Chinese factories and flown direct to UK households. And, thanks to a customs loophole known as “de minimis”, those goods don’t even incur tariffs when they arrive in the country.
Image: An online advert for Chinese fast fashion company Shein
According to Satvir Singh, who runs Our Fashion, one of the last remaining knitwear producers in the city, this threat could prove the final straw for Leicester’s garments sector.
“It is having an impact on our production – and I think the whole retail sector, at least for clothing, are feeling that pinch.”
Image: Inside one of the city’s remaining clothesmakers
While Donald Trump has threatened to abolish the loophole in the US, the UK has only announced a review with no timeline.
“If we look at what Trump’s done, he’s just thinking more about his local economy because he can see the long-term effects,” said Mr Singh. “I think [abolishing de minimis exceptions] will make a huge difference. I think ultimately it’s about a level playing field.”