The principle of the matter.

I had a little run-in at the uniform store today. This is the only store in Hamilton that holds the license to put the St. John the Baptist logo on clothes. A monopoly. Today I discovered, first hand, why a monopoly never is good for the consumer. Aurora will only wear two uniform items without a major meltdown in the morning. So we alternate between her school tunic, and her gym clothes (drawstring shorts or jogging pants -- that have the logo). Today it was gym day. She put her jogging pants on and the string, on the one side just pulled right out of the waist band. Apparently they made this drawstring in a STUPID way so that it isn't one string -- but two -- sown in at the back of the waste band. One side just frayed and came out, the second time she wore them! I was slightly miffed by this but just thought, "Oh I"ll take them back and have them sew it into place or replace them". That's what they'd do at Zeller's, or any other place right? Wrong. The uniform store showed absolutely no remorse for the defect in their product. Apparently it is my daughter's fault that it broke. I told them that if these clothes are supposed to be made for children, the assumption would be that they are durable, beyond the second wear. Apparently I am wrong. Apparently I am the first complaint they have had. Even if that is true, I said, that it might be possible that this particular pair is faulty. Am I wrong? They could've mis-sewn it in the production of the pants -- not properly attached the string??? Apparently I'm unreasonable. They weren't prepared to fix it because it has a triple seam and that would be too much work for their seamstresses and it would be better for ME to just replace it. AND, here I am. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. I have no choice but to buy these pants -- they are the only pants that my daughter will wear and is allowed to wear -- they are the only store in the whole city that sells them. Fuck. Pardon my french. But I'm mad. And the manager, sales clerk, store owner and 20 other customers heard, LOUD and clear knew it. But they shrugged their shoulders and gave me 10% off. A whole $1.50. Yay. Monopoly allows the retailer to mistreat the consumer with little to no recourse. Anyway, it isn't the $15.00 -- it's the principle of the matter. Damn it.