What counts as a critical fault

Short answer: A critical fault is one that makes the product unusable or unsafe. It could be a needle in the fabric, a hole, a wrong composition on the label or a care instruction that ruins the garment.

Safety weighs heaviest

A piece of metal that has broken off and sits in the fabric is not accepted in any quantity. That stops the whole batch, because it can hurt the person wearing the garment. Safety comes first, so it is a fault that must always be caught before the goods are sent on.

A hole is a critical fault

A hole in the fabric makes the garment unusable, and the customer cannot use it as intended. So a hole always counts as a serious fault, not a small cosmetic one. Even a small hole can grow in washing and wear, and it is hard to mend afterwards without it showing.

Wrong information is critical too

If the label shows the wrong fibre content or the wrong size, the product cannot legally be sold as it is. That is a fault even if the garment itself is fine. The customer chooses by the label, so the details must match the product. See also Decoy.

The care instruction must be right

A care instruction that ruins the garment is a critical fault, because the customer does exactly what it says and still loses the item. If it names too high a temperature for a garment that cannot take it, the fault is not the customer's. So the label is checked against the fabric.

Minor faults have their own limits

A loose thread or a small crooked seam counts as a minor fault with a higher tolerance. It does not affect whether the garment can be used, only how it looks. So a small number is accepted as long as it stays under the agreed limit. See also Urban Quest and JBS of Denmark.

The middle level is a major fault

Between the two extremes lie the major faults. They do not make the product unsafe, but they are clearly visible or affect use, such as a seam coming apart or a clear colour difference. Each group has its own limit, and the more serious the group, the stricter the rule for it.

Who decides what is critical

It is written in the agreement made between buyer and factory before production. It describes the fault types and says which group each belongs to. That leaves nothing to argue about when the inspector holds a garment, and both sides know the rules in advance.

When a small fault becomes serious

A small fault can become critical if it repeats across many garments or concerns safety. One loose button is a small matter, but if the same button is loose on many garments, there is a systematic fault. Then the cause must be found and fixed, and the batch is often held back.

How this helps you as a customer

As a customer you do not need to know the fault types, but you can count on the most serious faults being caught first. If you still receive a garment with a fault, contact the shop and describe it, so it can be assessed under the usual rules.

Frequently asked questions

How many critical faults are allowed

In practice none. If one is found, the batch is rejected, and the factory must sort and fix it before it can be sent for a new check.

Who decides what is critical

It is written in the agreement made between buyer and factory before production. The agreement describes the fault types and says which group each belongs to.