Beware of eBay dealer...

**orangehaggis** · 3rd January 06, 09:06 AM

Proceed with caution when dealing with eBay user fraserborland. His current run of 8-yard kilts are of Scottish manufacture, but the fabric used in them is not. I have no problem with this because of the very reasonable price, however, he won't disclose the country of origin for his fabric. Ask questions before you bid. If you, like me, don't feel comfortable with fabric from an unknown origin, DON'T BID.

Regards,
Mark (orangehaggis)

**michael steinrok** · 3rd January 06, 04:03 PM

Did You Get The Kilt And What Was The Price?

**orangehaggis** · 5th January 06, 03:34 PM

Hi:

No, it didn't feel right when the seller wouldn't tell me where the fabric was from. If the actual item is what was photographed on his auction page, it looks quite good. The price was US$150-something. Not a bad price for 8 yards, wherever the fabric was made, but I didn't like the secrecy. All he would say is that it was woven in "Europe," but since he wouldn't elaborate at the cost of losing a sale, I can't help but wonder if he meant "Asia."

All the Best,
Mark O

**Bob C.** · 5th January 06, 04:03 PM

Do you demand to know the origin of the components of everything you buy?

Is fabric guaranteed to be better because it's woven in Scotland?

**orangehaggis** · 5th January 06, 09:27 PM

Not really. I don't really care where the fabric my $10 button-down shirt is made of originates, but if I'm going to drop over $100 on an item of clothing -especially when it's the garment of my ancestors- I'd like to know where the fabric came from.

You don't care where the fabric your kilt's made of comes from?

Regards,
Mark

**GlassMan** · 5th January 06, 10:01 PM

If I can't see the fabric right in front of me so that I can feel it and see if it looks right in the light, I'd want to know absolutely everything including country of origin. Now I know that every nation has its good manufacturers and its bad manufacturers, but certain general characteristics do tend to generally be the case. If the cloth is woven in Scotland I know that the workers were paid a decent wage, that the factory is kept up to certain minimum safety conditions, and that the material will be of at least a certain quality otherwise they'd be ashamed to sell it. The same can't be said of other countries. It might have been woven by children or at what we would consider slave wages. That's especially true if the item is high cost. I don't want someone to be making monstrous profits while exploiting the unfortunate. Now that is not to say that all asiatic manufacturer's are unethical, but I do believe that a buyer has the right to know the origin of the cloth before purchase so that they can make up their own mind about it.

I guess I'm a bit of what is now called the "ethical" shopper in that I'm willing to pay more knowing that the source is following a basic moral standard in their business practices. But then I'm also a business owner and I follow those same practices in my shop too.