Dry-cleaning services - your consumer rights and responsibilities
Dry-cleaning services must be provided with reasonable care and professional skill. This means the garments consumers give to dry cleaners should be cleaned as agreed in the sales contract and must not be damaged. Should there be a problem with the dry-cleaning service, consumers may claim a remedy or compensation for any losses incurred. Sometimes garments are damaged during the dry-cleaning process, and certain dry cleaners claim they are not legally responsible for these damages. They even include a waiver in their terms and conditions and ask their customers to sign it. Some dry cleaners also hang up signs in their outlets stating this. However, such policies or contract terms are considered unfair and are not legally binding. In fact, consumers are entitled to claim a remedy from dry cleaners if their items are damaged or not properly cleaned. In case of damaged items, the amount of compensation usually depends on the value of the item and whether it can still be used by the consumer. Consumers should also bear in mind the age of the item and then estimate its current value. For instance, if the damaged garment is a five-year-old jacket, consumers cannot request a full...