BRAND NEW JACKET HAS STIFF PELT

[Guest]

So, many of you know I just got my FIRST fur, a rex rabbit jacket. NOt fancy, but it fits very well. I was wearing it and discovered that one of the pelts is hard and stiff like cardboard. This is within a week of owning it! I have already called the store and got "I don't know when the manager will be in because of the holiday weekend." I waited until Tuesday for a call. No call. I sent an email today dated it and descibed my dissatisfaction and disappointment (and also saved a copy of the letter). I've requested a refund just because I think I was taken advantage of. The store policay is not to do refunds.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Very dissapointed,

 

J

 

PS The store is Fur Traders in Nevada City

[AKcoyote]

Sounds like the jacket had been either in the store or the warehouse of the store's supplier far too long.

Alternatively if there appears to only be one pelt that is stiff (dried out), it could be a bad (old) pelt that was included in the batch used to make the jacket.

 

In any event, the store should have noticed the problem, discounted the jacket's price, and put an "As Is" tag on it.

[White Fox]

I wish we could be of more help.

 

I would keep trying on a low keyed basis.

 

When and IF things turn bad tell them that you will post the name of their business and what has happened on every fur, leather, and fashion site on the internet that you can find. I have actually had that work. But only as a LAST resort.

[Guest]

Well I wrote a very firm letter to the store and was met with "You're trying to pull a scam, you never wanted to keep that jacket!" This was from the OWNER! He was condescending, and he belittled me. In the end, it was NOT his fault. I suppose I over reacted. I just thought "a LOT of $$ and a stiff pelt...AHHHH!"

 

At any rate, I did take the jacket to a fur store in Sacramento, and the owner did indeed feel something strange. But she thought it was some type of seam tape to reinforce a pelt and/or seam. The jacket also had two small seam splits in the left sleeve. Other than that, it appears to be great! But I don't think I can take the stress. This was a major purchase, and it just seems to have been a lot of trouble. I keep getting told "only gay guys wear fur" including from my wife.

 

That's it for now. The jacket IS nice!

[White Fox]

First off I would have the jacket fixed if you haven't already. Then, send the bill to the people who sold it to you telling them that this is their "Beautiful" product. They probably won't do anything after all of this. BUT... you will know that you have at least proven to them that they were at least somewhat (in their little minds) in the wrong here.

 

Then, take off to a spot somewhere for a long weekend's vacation if you can. Wear the jacket. Go to a museum. Got to a theater production at night. You will begin to become more comfortable wearing it among people. After that maybe only wear it to the places where they have told you what a nice jacket it is. And just gradually widen the scope to where you wear it often.

 

The one thing I find. I've went into tool shops and other such stores with white mink and fox. BUT there are stores I don't generally go in. The local hardware for instance. I don't often wear it there. It is filled with local people who are wearing work clothing. Wearing your jacket would be kind of like wearing a tux to the hardware. But you just need to begin to get confidence to wear it. You may be seeing many people looking at you. But many - no most all - of those looks are total admiration and not anti comments. But you just need to build your confidence and get used to wearing it. And you will indeed love it!

[ReFur]

Buying furs is a learning process which we all must experience. When I was buying furs, I would estimate 30% of those I purchased the first year were not the best choices. Each I learned from. Plus, this site was incredible in teaching me about furs. The links we have are wonderful sources. Visit fur shops when ever you can.

 

If you want to experience and learn about furs consider buying and looking at pelts. the way they are put together, the expected life of different kinds of pelts. The difference in a let-out fur and a seam-to-seam construction. Learning about fur is a wonderful part of the experience of fur.

 

Your wife is correct, old gay guys do wear furs, just as old straight men, young gay men and young straight men.

 

Enjoy your journey of owning and wearing fur.

 

Linda

[Worker 11811]

I keep getting told "only gay guys wear fur" including from my wife.

 

[image]http://images2.fanpop.com/image/polls/488000/488202_1278808394065_full.jpg[/image]

 

Go ahead, call John Morrison a fag. I DARE YOU!

[minkme]

Too bad you had a bad experience with your first fur purchase.

 

Maybe your wife is jealous that she did not get the first fur? Has she tried a fur before?

[Guest]

I want to THANK everyone for their input and support. I've actually been enjoying my new jacket almost daily usually late at night walking my dog. I was also walking her in the mornings, but as school (university) has started, I need to get out of my house fairly early...too much of a time crunch to walk the dog and get to school by bicycle.

 

I did actually go downtown with the jacket one evening to meet a couple of grad students one of whom was going to South America for a few months. I made a joke about the jacket, and they BOTH (males) basically said "how about that", and that was the END of any discussion. I walked past several groups of students and didn't even get a look (too busy or too drunk?).

 

I later spoke with the student who is working on his degree and said something like "I hope my jacket didn't make you feel uncomfortable", and he simply responded that we all have our own little quirks and that he didn't even give it a second thought. He further said that he likes things that I would probably think are strange. So there you have it. Further, my neightbor, who is a blue-collar kind of guy, didn't bat an eye. Perhaps he didn't want to say anything, but one morning he said "I'll bet you're warm". I just responded that I was.

 

I did post a picture of myself for a while on my facebook page (yeah it's down now) and got several positive responses from both males and females. Females said "it is a nice look", males just "liked" it. Almost all former students.

 

At any rate, I am slowly moving into wearing the fur in more obvious places. I'm debating wearing it to my morning class one day as it is chilly (for the local area 30s in the mornings, and low 40s in the evenings...my excuse to walk the dog ).

 

If anything, the majority of people on the campus where I work on would see the jacket as "animal cruelty" or something rather than "homosexual".

 

The furrier I took the jacket to said the seams can easily be fixed by anyone who can sew. I may try it. I've repaired plenty of seams that cannot even be detected, but WF I understand what you mean.

 

Along the lines of what WF, Worker, Refur (in this topic) and others have commented on regarding "men wearing furs", I grew up in San Francisco which supposedly has one of the largest populations of gay men in the U.S. I can't say I EVER recall seeing a guy who "might look gay" (however that looks) wearing fur. Refur is correct, some guys wear fur. Or put another way, I never saw any GUY wearing fur in the "gay neighborhoods".

 

NOW, to put in perspective, for what ever reason the styles since the 30s have changed and it is less socially acceptable for men to wear fur. That is the reality. We are a biased sample. I use the same logic with some of my classes, which are all exercise science-based. Those students are not representative of the general public with regard to exercise habits as they exercise for 60 to 90 minutes almost daily. The same applies to our small sample. The question WF posed is "why" or "how" did this change? I certainly don't know. We have to face the fact that we will probably remain a minority forever. Interestingly, I find it a bit paradoxical that it is not only acceptable, but almost favorable that big studly male sports stars are seen in fur and no one questions their masculinity (e.g. Michael Jordan, Michael Irvin and so forth...by the by, my wife didn't believe me that MJ had a fur coat). The same is for rappers. Is this a double standard sports stars and/or musicians (e.g. P-Diddy (Sean Combs or whatever name he is going by), Kid Rock). If it wasn't for Kid Rock and a country singer whose name I can't recall, I'd almost say society has the standard of African American guys can wear fur, but if you're NOT African American, you're different.

 

Again, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT. Though admittedly, I'm not sure I'm in the same class as most of you...I don't really go to the theater. I'm more of a sports guy. I especially like motorcycle racing. I was kicking around going to a motorcycle race that is in Oakland, CA this eveing. But A) overall the fans at these types of events are slightly more sophisticated than Neanderthals. I'm not kidding. I love the sport, but most of the fans are worse than the "Black Hole" at Oakland Raiders games. B) the seats are probably not the cleanest, C) I don't want to get beer spilled on me which it has in the past. I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them. NOTE: if you all want to see a scary snap-shot of society, check out the "Oakland Supercross" on CBS tomorrow morning. The announcers, some of whom are former racers, can't construct a grammatically correct sentence! I suppose that is most of the reason I am NOT going to the race, "been there done that". I prefer "old style" motocross.

 

I am finding "excuses" to wear the jacket. I am liking the clear COOL weather. The thing is, if it is 34 F in the morning it might be 65 F in the afternoon...so I carry the jacket I suppose.

 

I'd put up a picture, but all the ones I have are 2+MB. I can't figure out a way to "save as" with less resolution and therefore in a less memory-intensive manner. If any of you can do this, let me know, I'll send a pic via email. Then you all can see my first fur (but then you have to see my ugly mug!) Again, it is no brags, it is a rex rabbit dyed like chinchilla. Now you all know what it looks like. But again, it fits like a glove!

 

I haven't been able to respond to the site as A) classes started, B) haven't been able to have any privacy on the home computer. My wife and daughter (and her friend) are the the farmer's market...as IF you needed to know that!

 

Again, THANKS TO ALL!

 

Furless no more

 

J

[Guest]

The ONLY reason I am writing anything is to get the topic at the top of the list.

[mailonfurs]

my opinion is that you should never buy a fur (or anything else from an online store actually) without a return policy and refunds accepted