I ordered some new fabrics & got them yesterday. First of all, the packet they came in had gotten wet, one end was torn apart & the carrier put it all in a plastic bag. Thankfully the shipper had wrapped the fabric in plastic & it's fine, but OMG does it stink!!! Very potent chemical smell!! I've got to wash it before I work with it because it'll knock you over it stinks so bad! Has anyone else had this problem?

I've orderd loads of fabrics and never had that problem...I'd make a call and demand a refund before doing anything with it. :hunf:

Me too, if it isn't packaged any better than that I wouldn't take it. Send it back and let them smell it!!!

:thumbdown:

Which shipper delivered it in that condition - can't believe FedEx, UPS, or USPS would have expected you to accept it.

That's too bad. I don't think I've ever had that problem. I think I would call the quilt shop you bought from and ask them about it. If you do keep it, maybe you could wash it with a strong detergent like Gain and dry it with Bounce. Maybe that would help.

never had that happen,yet

No never had that problem. The only fabric I know that stinks is pleather. PHEW. Very chemically stinky stuff....dontknow how anyone could sew or wear it!

USPS does that to me all the time! Our carrier is the one who damages it! She shoves things in our box that don't really fit, bending and folding things that say "do not bend," and even unwraps things to make them fit. No one seems to care, though.

Make a call to the post office about the mishandling of the packages...

You are required to provide a mailbox large enough to accomidate the size of mail you normaly receive, per DMM. If it dosen't fit, on a city rt, the carrier is suppose to attempt door delivery. Otherwise return it to the PO for customer pick-up. On a rural rt, the carrier should return it to the PO for pick-up. I would report any damage caused by a carrier immediatly to the local PO to prevent future issues. Definatly talk to the carrier if you are familiar with him/her. Give them alternate instructions.

I would call the post office first. It's not the shippers fault. The people handling the mail need to be more careful.

luvTooQuilt and DebbyT - I agree completely. Been there and done that. Doesn't help. The carrier doesn't care. She just doesn't like her job. I've actually seen her kick people's boxes out of the back of her truck. The PO itself also doesn't care. Not much I can do, other than move. I pick UPS shipping whenever I can.

The shipper does not have any control over the package once it leaves their hands. If it has been handled roughly that is the fault of the carrier.

Sometimes packages get caught in the sorting machinery and that damages them. It's a good thing that the package did not get ripped completely open because then the fabric might have been lost.

The odor might be completely unrelated to the shipping issue. Some of the finishes that are put onto fabrics are smelly, and some of those will wash out, and others will not.

Personally I have rarely had the odor issue with the top quality fabrics. Usually it is on the lesser quality brands where this happens.

USPS Priority Mail Envelope is what it came in. This package damage came during its getting here, but there was nothing wrong with the fabric which had been inside a plastic bag inside the envelope. However the fabric with the bird prints just really reaks. It may just be because it was double wrapped in plastic and couldn't breathe because after the damage the whole pack was then sealed tightly in another plastic bag. I'm hoping by airing it, some of the stink will dissipate, but will definitely be washing it before working with it. It's not the fault of the fabric shop.

Personally I have rarely had the odor issue with the top quality fabrics. Usually it is on the lesser quality brands where this happens.
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It is a Cranston fabric & having been a buyer in yrs past, I know they're a top line. It's beautiful fabric.

I ordered some fabric and the package got wet -- package was red and blue -- and when it got wet the colors ran onto the fabric. Could not get it out. I called the quilt store and they said it was not their problem, it was the post office that should reimburse me. Obviously, that didn't happen. Have not and will not order from them again. I now request ALL my fabric be placed in plastic before shipping.

I am very thankful this company shipped in plastic because I'd have had ruined fabric no doubt the way this pack was obviously soaked & destroyed. Thankfully fabric was perfect & gorgeous. Just stunk bad. I aired it outside yesterday all day & it didn't seem so bad last night, so I'm thinking it might have been because of the double wrap when USPS rewrapped in plastic after being damp. My husband suggests spritzing with Fabreeze to get rid of any residual odor, but there really isn't too much now. I think washing will do the trick at this point.

Sounds like a carrier error, something spilled on the package.

Wow, what a shame this happened to you. I agree that it sounds more like a delivery problem than the shop's fault. Sadly, I've also had to deal with "carriers with attitude". But everyone has a boss. If you aren't getting satisfaction complaining to your mail carrier or the local post office itself, I suggest finding out who to contact at the next level up. Good luck - and I'm glad at least that aside from the unpleasant smell, your fabrics still arrived in good condition.

Whoa, ladies! How about finding out what happened first?!

We are rural & if something is too big for the box they will bring it to the door. If we are not home they will leave it on a table on the carport under cover. If we are home they bring to door ring the door bell & leave it on the table.

If it smells "chemical" I wouldn't wash & dry it as some chemicals are flammable. Call the shop to see if they will exchange or refund. Good Luch.

We USED to have a mail carrier like that too, always in too much a hurry (lazy) to bring anything to the door. He would fold, cram & shove it all into the box. If it was too large, he left it on the ground right by the mailbox !! This was in a suburban neighborhood where it was only 30 ft to the front door. After many complaints, they reassigned him. Call your Postmaster & go up the chain ...

The USPS not handling your packages correctly should be addressed by the Post Master at your post office. If you do not get any satisfaction, then go over his/her head to their supervisor. You will definitely get some repsonse from that person. Make sure you document the day the package was delivered, type of damage to the package and all contents of that package including envelope or box that it arrived in.

Use vinegar in the softner dispenser. It will help rinse out detergents and chemicals.

I still vote to wash it and see, but call the fabric shop first and see if they will replace/reimburse if the smell doesn't come out. Rain water has a whole different reaction than tap water. Wash with whatever detergent with vinegar in the softner dispenser. My machine has an option for a double rinse and I use this on bedding and fabrics with a vinegar rinse. It helps get all the detergent out, which is afterall, a chemical also. Diane/Wyoming

:shock: :shock: :shock: Can you mention that to the postmaster? That's horrifying that she'd even open things!!

Honestly, after several attempts to rectify the situation, it reached the point where it wasn't worth my blood pressure to continue to fight. It's wrong, but you have to choose your battles. I won't live here forever; this battles is conceded for now.

I have a sensitivity to smells, and most fabrics stink! I just wash all of them in the washer, and I use vinegar as a rinse. Works great! Fabrics come out with very little smell. And vinegar is a natural fabric softener too. :)

Sorry to hear of your mail person ill treating your mail! :(

i guess i"m lucky because the place i get all of my material comes by fedax and has never been wet or the boxes been ripped open.but my material co is here in arkansas also.i love them to death they have been really nice to me over the years
arkie

I think you should seriously complain to the carrier's company. That's not acceptable! How do they know what their delievery persons do is you don't complain, complain and complain!

REally sorry you are having all these problems with the PO. I have rarely had any difficulty with them and if I call in to the local office they always transfer me right to the supervisor and it is taken care of immediately. Also I use priority mail all the time and they have never missed a pick up and I can follow where the package is and when it is delivered. I think you should call your local office and gently ask what they think they could do to help you with your carrier.
As far as the material, I would call the sender and ask for advice from them. You never know it might have happened before or it might just be one particular fabric that has the problem. Either way I am sorry your fabric has been mistreated.

I would make sure that your fabric is sent with insurance. This way if a problem like this happens again, then the postal service has to pay for new fabric

I got a package from Germany fro Christmas 2009 and it was suppose to be all kinds of sweets. When I opened it there was a bikini and black sweater in which my cousin never mailed and that came USPS. I went and complained but it fell on deaf ears. Now I am waiting for a package of a Christmas gift from Germany and I still did not get it. She mailed by Air Mail on December 9 Th.
I know how you feel when you received your fabric and it stunk so bad. We are at their mercy. :(

If you have problem with a carrier and the post master will not deal with it, file a complaint with the postal inspector: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspxr]https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/c...omplaint.aspxr[/url]:

SEND IT BACK!

If it came priority mail, call the post office because there is some "automatic" insurance under about $80 that come with priority mail. You may get a refund from them for your cost.

I believe insurance does not automatically come with flat-rate envelopes unless sent by Express Mail.

Some mills or printing factories use formaldehide in the processing of fabrics and Boy! Does it get ripe. But usually it will air out.

The post office is under FEDERAL jurisdiction - keep going up the chain of command (with photos of damaged parcels) and keep e-bitchin' and snail-mail bitchin' all the way up.