Houston woman Turns to Ted after commemorative shirts were damaged

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Athletes are getting ready for the next Olympic Games, but one Houston woman needed help solving a problem from the last one. Disappointed and frustrated, she turned to ted.

When Marshelle Jones watched the closing ceremonies earlier this year, the Ralph Lauren polo shirts the athletes wore caught her eye.

"I saw the shirt and I was like, 'Oh those are so nice,' and so I looked around to see where I could get the shirt," Jones said.

Jones got four of the shirts, which were on sale for $124 a piece. She wanted to wear them to an Olympics-themed party and took them to the cleaners with the tags still on them. But when she got them back, she was surprised with how much the red and blue faded.

"Some people will see it and say, 'Well, come on, it's still red and white?'" ABC13's Ted Oberg asked.

"But they're not - it's not new looking like it was," Jones said.

Jones said she had been going to Pilgrim Cleaners on Kirby Drive for years, but this time when she had an issue, and they didn't give her an answer - or refund - for the damage. The owners said they followed the care instructions on the shirt's tag.

Jones said they blamed it on the fabric, but when she persisted, the cleaners said they could send the shirts to a lab to confirm what happened.

That's when she Turned to Ted.

"I've seen your segments and results happen and I needed some help," Jones said.

We called the cleaners to ask about it. It was around that time that Jones said the cleaners told her the lab results came back suggesting the shirts were washed in water that was too hot, which faded the colors.

The owner offered her a full refund for what she paid if she donated the shirts, or $100 less if she wanted to keep them. She wanted them back and took the smaller refund, but still hasn't worn them.

"I feel like, what can I do with them now?" Jones said.

The owner of Pilgrim Cleaners told ABC13 what happened with Jones' shirts was "abnormal" and a "once in a million" instance that he wishes would never happen. He said if they damage an outfit, they try to take care of it as quickly as possible.

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