Unethical Practices at a Bridal Store

So they say they lost your dress?

Send a certified letter, with a copy of what you paid. Tell them you want you dress available to you asap.

I insisted this was my gown. She even went so far as to say they ordered a new one and were thinking of letting me have that one instead. What?? She assured me my new size 12 would be perfect. My dress was a size 8 that had to get taken in two sizes. I did not want a 12. It would be much too large and distorted after alterations. She then back pedaled and said it wasn’t my gown again. She said I could see my gown but it would take a week. I’m so dazed and I’m incredibly angry. I had to leave the store to head back to work but assured her I’d be back. Have any of you dealt with something like this??

This is ridiculous. Why still advertise the dress if you had already purchased it? I'm so unfamiliar with purchasing a sample dress. Could you have not left the salon with the dress the day you purchased it?

@herecometheclarks Sorry the initial post only allows so many words! No, they said they couldn’t produce my dress right then. That they needed a week. But the issue was that my dress was on the mannequin in front of me. That’s why they couldn’t show me a second dress. They didn’t want to admit it. I told her the simple solution was to bring my dress out right next to this other identical dress. She couldn’t give me an answer.

Did you speak to the manager/owner of the store? It sounds like someone made a mistake in placing it on display, but instead of owning up to it and giving you your dress they're trying to hide their tracks.

@FutureMrs_J The purchase agreement listed out three payments. Which at the time, I appreciated. Upon the third payment I’d take home the dress. I went in today for my second payment and found my dress on the mannequin.

@lynnja I was told the manager wasn’t there today. I thought the same thing and brought it up twice to the sales girl. Could there have been a mistake? Can she double check? She insisted there was no mistake made. I feel like I gave her every opportunity to tell the truth. I wasn’t rude. I just wanted the truth.

I really appreciate all your comments! It helps to know I’m not crazy to be so upset.

Also worth noting it had been a month since my initial contract signing and payment. Which means it was available to try on for a month.

Sadly, I believe this practice is more common than people realize. Technically, the dress isn't yours until the final payment is made. Until then, the store is entitled to use it for advertising. I'm not saying this is right, but it is not an unheard of practice. This is why it is so important to fully examine the dress before you leave the salon. I'm so sorry and I know it's frustrating.

@MrsRushinin2018 I appreciate your view. However I was assured it would be taken off the floor and stored for me until pick up. Anything else is ludicrous. Had they told us that we would have made complete payment. The dress was closely inspected my my mother and myself upon purchase. That’s how I knew in the first place that the dress was mine. I knew it’s few flaws. A statement about being free to use it as they please was never lined in the contract signed and thus any unspoken understanding of this fact is flawed and poor business.

@AmandaJHG(V) Thank you so much for your support and kind words!

I agree, I'd be upset! I'd ask for a discount if anything ANYTHING is wrong.

That's insane. If it's not outlined in the payment contract that they will keep it on display and you had no knowledge of it, technically they are breaching your contract. If I were you, I'd demand a refund and find a dress elsewhere. God knows what condition it'll be in by the final payment.

I am a wedding planner and I used to work in a bridal shop. I used to take off displays of dresses from mannequins all the time for brides to try on and we never made the error of placing an ordered gown on a mannequin when it arrived. If there was some disagreement, the manager was not there(which like NEVER happened) then I would call her and tell her about the issue immediately. Having done this, I'd take your information if she needed to look into any error on our part, and fix it not matter what we had to do, especially if you're making the payment. We wouldn't want to lose a clip over a stupid dispute such as this. It makes. I sense to me. That girl has zero customer service skills. Did whoever apologize for the confusion and promise that either way they would contact you in fixing any of this? I know we had sold dresses right off the mannequin if it was the last one or call another store or something. We always found a way to help the bride. I just don't understand any of this.

@Jaclyn that really sucks. As a fellow Pasadena bride I'm curios what shop this happened at? I'm just starting to scout out bridal shops and I'd like to avoid this one if they have this practice.

@Cali_Summersunshine Unfortunately, this was not the attitude I was met with. I wish it had been. She looked me in the eye and denied it. She was clearly unwilling to come clean face to face while another bride was in the store. After I asked to see my dress, she couldn’t get to it because it was way “up at the top and away”. I knew something was very wrong and I insisted. Then I was told it wasn’t in the building and they have it in storage at a different location. She said she could get it in maybe a week and even talked of giving me a different sample dress that they had ordered. All obvious lies to cover up the fact that I was staring at my dress on the mannequin. Thank you so much for your experience. It’s good to know just how awful this situation really is.

Wow, I'm so sorry. It is stressful enough planning a wedding. The biggest part of the wedding and most stressful is the dress. I have had better service in a dollar store! Seriously, that is very wrong of her to treat you that way. I hope you either get your dress or get your money back to get it somewhere else. If I were that manager, I'd have fixed it for you already with apologies. Plus, what business would want this kind of review? I'm also sorry about your dad. Best of luck to you and also @ameretta. Congratulations to you both.

If that was me I'd go in there ASAP with all of your receipts, the final payment (go when you know there is a manager working so the assistant can't fob you off) and collect your dress ASAP, check it that no more damage than what you originally noticed is done (bring you mum if she looked over it with you so she can stand by your comments). If anymore damage is done I'd be looking for money off, money back or a new dress!