Groveling to Gap

You may not know this about me, but I worked in an Old Navy store for close to two years. "Wow, I wouldn't have pegged her as having a customer service personality," you say? Well, I don't. I folded shirts and tried to keep my mouth shut, even when snot-nosed kids were blowing raspberries all over my pant leg. I still shop at Gap-family (Gap, Old Navy, Banana) stores because I know how the pants are cut - I don't have to shop around too much.

Anyhow, I've been having a shitty time with a certain pair of Gap khakis. To summarize, I've had two pairs of the same pants split in the same place after fewer than three wears.

I wrote the following email to Gap this email after extricating the pants from the bottom of my laundry heap:

"This message is regarding item 278560 - the Gap classic fit clean cut khakis in the stone color.

I have bought not one, but TWO pairs of these defective pants. I bought the first pair back in the fall at the full retail price of $44 and threw out my receipt - the pants fit fine and I intended to keep them. On my third wear of the pants, having neither washed the pants or worn them in any manner other than required in normal wear the area around the crotch split while I was driving home. The tear was NOT on the seam, but at the area beside it.

I should mention that these were a pair of size 2A khakis that were baggy in the thigh and knee - I could almost understand if the pants were too tight.

I returned the pants to the store of purchase a few weeks later and the manager exchanged them for an exact pair (of course, by this time they had gone into clearance).

I didn't even get two wears out of my new pair: I am uncertain of when the second pair split, however I realized it after I got home from work. They ripped in the exact same place - beside the crotch. I am still in ownership of the second pair. Again, I did not keep my receipt. What are the chances that this could happen TWICE? I wanted these pants and had no intent to return.

I'm curious to now whether there have been any other complaints with this style of pants. As a former Old Navy employee, I am typically reluctant to shop at stores not affiliated with Gap - I know what fits and I know the quality. I don't have to waste a lot of time trying on brands I'm not familiar with.

My situation with these khakis has been remarkably disappointing. Jeans and khakis are supposed to be a Gap staple: if I can't purchase a pair that won't rip after minimal wear, I'm at a loss of where I should purchase them."

I'm almost certain they'll send me an email telling me to return the pants to the store again for an exchange (if they're in stock) or a store credit at the current retail price ($19.99).

If they ask me to mail them back for a full refund I'm going to wet my pants in glee. Stay tuned.