Alterations made dress unwearable, non returnable dress!

You were right to refuse to take it out of the store. You may have to write a letter demanding money back for the above reasons, and threatening legal action (usually the threat is enough - but if it's not, you have to be prepared to involve small claims court). If the alterations happened as stated, someone did something wrong. The fact that they didn't even pin the dress would have concerned me. At this point it's going to be a challenge to get your money back, but if it was me, I'd follow through.

That is awful. Good call not taking it out of the store. If u make enough noise in the form of phone calls, negative reviews and litigation threats they give u ur money back.

Is it a big chain or just a small alteration shop. If it were a big chain I would go to the BBB

They can't take it back out a bit?

Do yo have any before and after pictures?

I'd contact a lawyer, if you have pictures to show how the dress turned out that could help-

glad you found a new dress,but as for trying to get your money back for the old one, I would get a lawyers advice.

I'm not a lawyer, but my training is in contracts and procurement. Final sale is one thing - that is not the problem, though. The problem is the alterations, and that is a SERVICE that you paid for, and they did not deliver. That gives you a better position to negotiate from. In effect, they ruined the dress through the provision of a service that was not professionally or properly executed.

In other words, if you bought the dress from another store, and they altered it and ruined it, you'd be able to sue them in small claims court to recover the cost of the dress and alterations, since the dress was not usable. The fact the dress is non-refundable really shouldn't matter here, because it was the *service* they performed that destroyed the dress.

I would first put in writing to the store a complete documentation of the dates and conversations and result of each appointment, and stating that you are notifying them that they failed to provide the proper alterations, and that you are giving them 7 business days to issue you a refund for the price of the dress and alterations, because you appreciate their understanding that they made the dress unusable by their unwillingness to properly fit you for the alterations. Keep the focus on the alterations - because the dress was not a problem, and was usable, until the last alterations.

Note that you are not asking them to pay the cost of your NEW dress that you had to buy, only the money you lost due to their negligent alterations practices and work. Explain that after 7 days, you'll assume that they are not going to do the right thing and refund the cost of the dress and alterations, and at that point you will be forced to take additional steps, including filing a compliant with the BBB (small store or big chain), and writing reviews of their service online.

I recommend you be very specific with timeframes, because otherwise you risk, if they do not reply and you post a review, they will write some BS story on your review like "We tried to contact you multiple times but you posted your review before we had the chance to talk" that sort of thing. Be specific in what you want, and be specific in the timeframe you want it.

They were irresponsible and if you paid them for the work, then they essentially did not fulfill the terms of the contract, and they should be held responsible. You can, worst case threaten to take them to small claims court to recoup the cost - that is a last resort, but it's possible that would get them to move, especially if you have a friend or family member who's an attorney who can send a certified letter ... Good luck.