Help! My bridal retailer ripped me off!

[karenwed]

I just put a deposit on a wedding dress from a bridal retailer. I was happy with my purchase until I found out from the designer''''s website that the wedding gown was actually a bridesmaid''''s gown! I''''m ok with the fact that it''''s a bridesmaid''''s gown but I''''m pissed off that the retailer tried to pass the dress off as a wedding gown by selling the dress in the wedding gown section as opposed to their separate bridesmaids'''' section..... and hence charging a premium for it?? Is this legal? I then called other retailers carrying the same line and everyone was charging at least $200 less than this retailer!!! What should I do? I don''''t really want to throw a fit in the store lest they screw up my order because I need the dress within two months. Can I cancel the order and try to get a rush order from other stores within two months then? It does say I can''''t get the deposit under all circumstances, but I don''''t trust this retailer anymore. Seriously, what can I do?? Advice please!!

 

[Kaleigh]

karen,
Please try posting this in the bride and grooms forum. You''ll get much more help there, good luck!!

 

[aphisiglovessae]

So sorry you're getting ripped off!!

I hate how some retailers will take advantage of people like that.

I have a question though... When you found your dream dress, why didn't you ask other shops about it and do some price shopping?? That's the first thing I try to do when I'm interested in buying (especially something as expensive as a wedding dress). Which dress is it? Can we see a picture??

I'm not sure what you should do to remedy the problem. I know that rush orders can be made, but I think it's at an extra price that may bring it up to about the same price you already paid. Also, you said there's no way to get the deposit back. So technicially that brings the price of a new dress up too because you basically gave money away to the first person. You might have to eat this one and take it as a learning experience.

 

[flopkins]

when did you put down the deposit and how much was it? and when was the dress ordered?

You have no leverage right now if you don''t come up with a possible alternative that is cheaper than you orginally would have paid... unless you report them as fraud, perhaps, not sure about the legal implications. I would call someplace like pearslplace.com or rkbridal.com, see how much the dress would be and how much it would be to rush it... and see if it''s worth losing your deposit. Then, w/that info (knowing in the back of your mind you can still get the dress on time from another source) I would go back to the original retail place and print out documentation from the designer website stating clearly it is a bm dress, and find the receipt from the store saying it is a wedding gown and tell them you are going to report them to the BBB for misrepresentation of their products... or something like that. And see what they do...

Otherwise you can just say, well I was happy w/the dress and price before I found out, and just leave it at that... sometimes ignorance is bliss...

 

[gingerBcookie]

some designers will sell their bm dresses in white or ivory as a wedding dress. sometimes they will charge more for those colors, mainly because they can and are taking advantage of brides

. CHeck to make sure this isn''t the case before you throw a fit. i would be angry too. sorry for what''s goinng on.

 

[FireGoddess]

Unless you can find the dress cheaper somewhere else after all is said and done...you may be stuck here. How much was the deposit? If you lose that (and it seems you will)....and buy the dress somewhere else, does it still come out cheaper? What if you lose the deposit, buy the dress elsewhere, and have to pay for rush charges? Does it still come out cheaper? You may be stuck here as much as you hate it....you might just have to keep your order with store in order not to lose money. However, that doesn''t mean that you should do nothing....talk to the store, explain your situation. If they don''t knock the price down....then spread the word on how bad this place is and hope that they lose customers. Write a citysearch review, etc.

This is why I don''t like putting a deposit down on a dress. My SIL paid a $300 deposit and ended up liking a dress elsewhere...and that $300 was lost forever.