Pop star’s website said “faint fade” on some products was normal because of “ink curing process” and “distressed vintage look”
Taylor Swift is offering to replace some Eras Tour merch after fans complained that the prints were fading or bleeding ink after just one wash cycle.
In a note on her website, Swift first assured fans that it was normal for a “faint fade” to appear on certain items in the Tour Collection due to “the particular ink curing process” and its “distressed, vintage look.” But for those that noticed “a dramatic loss of pigment or ink bleeding on your product,” Swift offered up an email contact to “address the concern, and provide a replacement if necessary under our Exchange Policy.”
The statement also reminded fans to be sure they’re following the product’s care instructions, as listed on the label, to best protect and maintain the product’s look and feel.”
Complaints about the Eras Tour merch have been trickling out on social media since the trek kicked off last month, especially as many fans waited in long lines just to purchase the items. One fan told Vulture that word about the merch had spread so much that “I was actually warned about it from the girls running the booth at the Vegas show.” Another fan even started collecting posts from others upset about the way their merch has faded after a couple wash cycles.
That fan, Florencia, told Vulture, “The point of buying a shirt or a sweatshirt is to wear it — if I knew I couldn’t wear it, I would have gotten the water bottle or tour poster instead, which are cheaper than the clothing … I wanted to create awareness and give a heads up about it to the Swifties who were planning on staying hours in line for merch just like I did.”
The merch quibbles are the second notable problem to hit the Eras Tour, following the chaos that consumed the ticket-buying process. Ticketmaster appeared unprepared for the huge demand for Swift’s first tour in five years, as the platform crashed and fans experienced hours-long waits for the chance to buy tickets. The debacle ultimately led to the general on-sale being canceled, a handful of lawsuits, and even some congressional hearings about whether Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, wield too much power in the live entertainment industry.
