Bad hat fitting service

[jbelle68]

Had a hat fitted for my daughter in November, the shop is over an hour away but went there as wanted a proper fitting, due to Covid the the shop was then closed and my daughter was shielded due to health but the first time she got to ride after 10 min she had major headache. Once the shop re opened a couple of weeks ago we went back where they swapped the liner. Back home rode for 10 mins major headache. Called and emailed shop told us to return we did for them to again try another liner - hat still too tight even in the shop !! Tried a bigger shell size much better but needs a lot of padding to which they couldn’t do as had run out of the padding ? totally wasted journey again !! Now they are saying the style doesn’t fit her shape !!! But they fitted it !!! Won’t refund us and not other hat options ?‍ Said will give a voucher to spend in their shop , we won’t travel that far to buy any everyday items and will still have the expense of buying another hat. Help please where do we stand ? Hat was sold bad fitting and not fit for purpose.

 

[Sparkeyboy]

I don't know where you stand legally regarding a refund but going from experience, tack shops usually let you wear the hat in the shop for a bit as it can take a few minutes for any tightness to be noticed. I've never known tack shops take returns on hats as they don't know if they've been dropped. It sounds like they've tried to help and compensate you by changing liners and offering a voucher. Personally, I wouldn't expect them to offer a refund.

 

[Birker2020]

Had a hat fitted for my daughter in November, the shop is over an hour away but went there as wanted a proper fitting, due to Covid the the shop was then closed and my daughter was shielded due to health but the first time she got to ride after 10 min she had major headache. Once the shop re opened a couple of weeks ago we went back where they swapped the liner. Back home rode for 10 mins major headache. Called and emailed shop told us to return we did for them to again try another liner - hat still too tight even in the shop !! Tried a bigger shell size much better but needs a lot of padding to which they couldn’t do as had run out of the padding ? totally wasted journey again !! Now they are saying the style doesn’t fit her shape !!! But they fitted it !!! Won’t refund us and not other hat options ?‍ Said will give a voucher to spend in their shop , we won’t travel that far to buy any everyday items and will still have the expense of buying another hat. Help please where do we stand ? Hat was sold bad fitting and not fit for purpose.

I had the same thing with a jockey skull cap, it really hurt the one side of my forehead. In the end Dad took it down the shed and managed to do something with it that meant it was more comfortable to wear. I think they have to be tight to start with as the room inside the hat will eventually flatten to an extent. Dad just took that flattening to a quicker ending. He didn't damage it at all.

 

[sbloom]

Contact the CAB who deliver consumer trading standards.

 

[jbelle68]

I don't know where you stand legally regarding a refund but going from experience, tack shops usually let you wear the hat in the shop for a bit as it can take a few minutes for any tightness to be noticed. I've never known tack shops take returns on hats as they don't know if they've been dropped. It sounds like they've tried to help and compensate you by changing liners and offering a voucher. Personally, I wouldn't expect them to offer a refund.

I get that but £450 voucher to spend in a shop miles away and no hat to ride in, it was their fitting service in the first place, it’s the shape that doesn’t fit, tight both sides of head but next size too big needs a lot of padding which to me a little bit is ok but about an inch or more back and front just doesn’t seem right - ?

 

[Wheels]

Can you not buy a different hat with the £450 voucher?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

It isnt unusual to have a headache when wearing the hat for the first few times.

I thought the 56cm was never going to fit me. I thought the 57cm was a better fit, the fitter pointed out why it didn't. I tried again with the 56cm and realised it was exactly the right fit. I had headaches for the first few weeks. Now its perfect.

 

[Birker2020]

It isnt unusual to have a headache when wearing the hat for the first few times.

I thought the 56cm was never going to fit me. I thought the 57cm was a better fit, the fitter pointed out why it didn't. I tried again with the 56cm and realised it was exactly the right fit. I had headaches for the first few weeks. Now its perfect.

Trouble is, if all you do is ride in a hat for an event like a competition or a skull cap only when you do xc those weeks it takes to fit could take months or years depending on how often you wear it.

 

[Leandy]

I also think you are on a tricky one as regards getting a refund for the reasons stated above. Also you don't mention how old your daughter is and some time seems to have passed since you bought the original hat. Assuming your daughter is young, the shop is also likely to say her head may have grown or changed shape in between. I do however think they should be making more effort to get a satisfactory hat for you. Have they offered to order in some different makes or models to try that are more likely to fit? They should be doing this now they have more information as to the fit issues. They have however offered you a voucher. It isn't really their issue that you don't live close by. Can you not use the voucher and have them post alternative items to you if they cannot source a suitable hat?

 

[Birker2020]

It's not nice when your hat is to tight, I can still feel the sicky headachey feeling I used to get, I reckon my head changed shape slightly when I had a nasty head injury some years before.
My skull cap lives in Mums garage now, totally redundant. I tried it on a few months ago and it still felt tight, although decidedly better than it used to before Dad pressed the lining in the vice.

 

[ester]

£450?!

 

[Goldenstar]

My skull cap the only shape that fits me gives me a head ache .
Its just bad luck .
They will give a voucher then buy another hat .

 

[jbelle68]

I also think you are on a tricky one as regards getting a refund for the reasons stated above. Also you don't mention how old your daughter is and some time seems to have passed since you bought the original hat. Assuming your daughter is young, the shop is also likely to say her head may have grown or changed shape in between. I do however think they should be making more effort to get a satisfactory hat for you. Have they offered to order in some different makes or models to try that are more likely to fit? They should be doing this now they have more information as to the fit issues. They have however offered you a voucher. It isn't really their issue that you don't live close by. Can you not use the voucher and have them post alternative items to you if they cannot source a suitable hat?

My daughter is nearly 22 so fully grown head ?. No not there fault we live far away but £450 voucher and how do we then buy another hat. We have been back 4 times now and not our fault the hat doesn’t fit, we have contacted Kask too and they have said this style hat would not fit my daughters shape head if it’s tight where it is . Just annoying we went again Tuesday to try to sort the hat a bugger size with padding as they asked us too to get there and they had run out of padding so a complete waste of a journey, they only asked us if we could go Tuesday morning so we jumped in the car and off we went. ?

 

[Wheels]

Dont they have any other types of hat?

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

£450?!

This!

 

[PeterNatt]

If you bought with a credit card you can contact your card company and ask for a 'Charge Back' as the hat was not fit for purpose. I would also try different brands of hat as one of the other brands may fit your daughter better.

 

[Flyermc]

I had this, i had a jockey skull hat for years, but had to change to a more 'riding hat' type as the skull started to hurt my head

 

[jbelle68]

My skull cap the only shape that fits me gives me a head ache .
Its just bad luck .
They will give a voucher then buy another hat .

They only do 2 types there , the one we first wanted they said didn’t fit her head so went for the one they said did - more money of course!! But you go with the ‘expert’ advice

 

[jbelle68]

Can you not buy a different hat with the £450 voucher?

Unfortunately they only do 2 types, the one we went to try they said didn’t fit her head so they said the Kask did (more money of course) so we went with the ‘expert’ advice!! X

 

[Red-1]

Normally I would say she should get a refund, but as there was a long time between fitting and finding the issue, I think their voucher is fair.

Did your daughter change hair style? I am a 1 1/2 skull cap when I have short hair, a 2 when long. Many people have Covid hair!

Also weight. I know your head isn't exactly fat, but that also makes a difference. I have lost a stack of weight, and, for once, despite having long hair, the 1 1/2 fits perfectly.

£450? Mine is an all singing, all dancing, MIPS, top spec etc etc, and it was only just over £150.

Also, I'm not sure about a shop that only sells 2 types of hat? I would go to a bigger one. Or, even ask on here, is her head round or oval? A hat should be tight, especially to start with. I wore mine round the shop for a while, the first type gave a headache or was too big the next size up. The more expensive one was fab. But even then less than £200.

 

[jbelle68]

Normally I would say she should get a refund, but as there was a long time between fitting and finding the issue, I think their voucher is fair.

Did your daughter change hair style? I am a 1 1/2 skull cap when I have short hair, a 2 when long. Many people have Covid hair!

Also weight. I know your head isn't exactly fat, but that also makes a difference. I have lost a stack of weight, and, for once, despite having long hair, the 1 1/2 fits perfectly.

£450? Mine is an all singing, all dancing, MIPS, top spec etc etc, and it was only just over £150.

Also, I'm not sure about a shop that only sells 2 types of hat? I would go to a bigger one. Or, even ask on here, is her head round or oval? A hat should be tight, especially to start with. I wore mine round the shop for a while, the first type gave a headache or was too big the next size up. The more expensive one was fab. But even then less than £200.

The shop has been closed due to Covid and my daughter has also been shielding, we have been in touch via email and they said it’s not a problem and will resolve once they are open which was 2 weeks ago, we have been twice in that 2 weeks and once before in between lock downs. Her hair is still the same as my son is a hairdresser and has cut it she hasn’t put on any weight either it’s just a bad fitting hat. Tight at the sides and front. We have been in contact all the time because of Covid it’s not like we just turned up and said it now doesn’t fit. It was for her 21st birthday it’s a show hat so not like been ridden in for months ?

 

[AandK]

Doesn’t sound like a good shop if they only stock two types of hat. Having said that, I think the voucher is fair tbh. I’d ask them if they can order another make of hat for your daughter to try.

 

[jbelle68]

We did ask this question and they have said they can order her a Kep but won’t fit it as they don’t sell them can just order the one for her, so we would need to find a Kep supplier get a hat fitter then go back to them with all the details- concerns are if they order wrong hat or a problem with it. We ordered boots too from them which would be 10 weeks , went to pick them up they had ordered wrong colour had to wait another 12 weeks . If we hadn’t ordered the hat at the same time we wouldn’t have used them

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

At that hefty price tag I am thinking this has to be one of the more exclusive range of hats, by that I mean something lots would like to splash out on as it is one of 'the' name make. So one would think that shop has had to have some sort of training to fit these very expensive hats correctly? And I cant think they would be happy with the very poor outcome of your purchase of one of their hats from this retailer.

I would be inclined to contact the manufacturer direct and explain what has happened and ask them if they do a different style in their range that is more likely to fit your daughter. If they have the retailer can then order in the alternative for your daughter to try on. Either way at least they will be aware that the retailer isnt doing a great job fitting their hats, and its possible that can ultimately have a knock on effect to their reputation.

 

[jbelle68]

At that hefty price tag I am thinking this has to be one of the more exclusive range of hats, by that I mean something lots would like to splash out on as it is one of 'the' name make. So one would think that shop has had to have some sort of training to fit these very expensive hats correctly? And I cant think they would be happy with the very poor outcome of your purchase of one of their hats from this retailer.

I would be inclined to contact the manufacturer direct and explain what has happened and ask them if they do a different style in their range that is more likely to fit your daughter. If they have the retailer can then order in the alternative for your daughter to try on. Either way at least they will be aware that the retailer isnt doing a great job fitting their hats, and its possible that can ultimately have a knock on effect to their reputation.

Yes it is a hefty price tag and only went with one as all my family were paying for my daughters 21st birthday present. We have contacted the manufacturer who have been helpful but say we have to take it to their supplier not them directly ??‍

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Yes it is a hefty price tag and only went with one as all my family were paying for my daughters 21st birthday present. We have contacted the manufacturer who have been helpful but say we have to take it to their supplier not them directly ??‍

That wasn't very helpful then was it? I am bit surprised because I would assume they would have been able to help you to at least to rule out one of their hats completely if they are all the same type of fit. Well there you go, just goes to show, paying a lot of money for a big name isn't always a guarantee of good after sales service from either the retailer or the manufacturer.

Have you checked to see where you stand legally to get an actual refund rather than a voucher - you are well within the 12 months purchase window and I would think you could possibly argue they sold you a product not fit for purpose - as the experts, they were the ones who told you the size you needed on both occasions. On the third occasion actually saying that particular hat would never fit your daughter as it is entirely the wrong shape for her head! Well as expert hat fitters they should have known that on the first fitting and advised you to get a different make. I would not let it drop, I think it is very wrong to offer a voucher rather than full refund.

 

[jbelle68]

Yes it is a hefty price tag and only went with one as all my family were paying for my daughters 21st birthday present. We have contacted the manufacturer who have been helpful but say we have to take it to their supplier not them directly ??‍

That wasn't very helpful then was it? I am bit surprised because I would assume they would have been able to help you to at least to rule out one of their hats completely if they are all the same type of fit. Well there you go, just goes to show, paying a lot of money for a big name isn't always a guarantee of good after sales service from either the retailer or the manufacturer.

Have you checked to see where you stand legally to get an actual refund rather than a voucher - you are well within the 12 months purchase window and I would think you could possibly argue they sold you a product not fit for purpose - as the experts, they were the ones who told you the size you needed on both occasions. On the third occasion actually saying that particular hat would never fit your daughter as it is entirely the wrong shape for her head! Well as expert hat fitters they should have known that on the first fitting and advised you to get a different make. I would not let it drop, I think it is very wrong to offer a voucher rather than full refund.

i totally agree with you, we won’t be accepting a voucher or letting it drop. Will let you know how we get on x