Reader Emily doesn’t want the dress she was pressured into getting at David’s Bridal, but when she tried to cancel the order, they won’t let her. It’s only been 72 hours and she hasn’t received the dress yet, but all David’s Bridal will give her is an in-store exchange.
Emily says:
On Wednesday, I got bullied into buying a dress that I liked but couldn’t really afford. I should have stayed firm, but I caved, and now I find myself in this situation. Even though David’s employees claim that you can walk away with any dress in the store, they told me I had to special order the dress I wanted and it would take up to 6 weeks to come in.
It’s been 72 hours of thinking on it, and I absolutely have to cancel the order. Since I haven’t actually received the dress, I called to see if they would cancel the order and refund the money. The employee said that all sales are final, but that doesn’t seem right since I haven’t yet received any merchandise. At this point, they have my money AND they have my dress order, but refuse to help a girl out. According to her, once it is in the computer, there is nothing anyone can do. Like she can’t pick up a telephone and call the distributor (or, tell the truth that they probably haven’t begun processing the order yet at all).
They try to justify it by saying that I have “special ordered” something, so they wouldn’t be able to sell it to anyone else. I ordered the dress, but there’s nothing “special” about it. I tried the same dress/same (average) size/same color on in-store, and they would certainly be able to sell it someone else (provided they didn’t force that customer to special order it as well).
The best they could offer me was an in-store exchange for the SAME amount. They do not issue store credit. They refuse to refund money. In order for me to get a cheaper dress, I would have to wrangle all my bridesmaids to try on dresses on the same day, and order them all on the same day as part of the same transaction to equal the original total. (Thus forcing the girls to get their dresses at this hateful place also.)
I’m considering contacting Visa to do a chargeback, but if the David’s policy is “All Sales are Final” – will they be able to do anything?
…I am planning to meet in person with a manager tomorrow, but for now I have only heard bad things.
There is a fundamental irrational policy problem at this store that is not adequately explained when you purchase from them. Have you heard any positive news of people getting money back from this outrageous company?
Any suggestions?
Emily, when we first read your story, we wondered if the Mail and Telephone order rule that states that orders can be canceled before they are shipped would apply to you, but it doesn’t look like it does. (Any lawyers out there want to explain this law?)
We looked at Visa’s merchant agreement found a section on merchant agreement violation disputes that says Visa will help mediate conflict over the following issue:
“The merchant has failed to properly disclose their return policy to the cardholder at the time of the transaction.”
Since the store did not explain that you couldn’t cancel before the order shipped, you could argue that the store did not properly disclose this policy to you.
This type of dispute isn’t a chargeback, you’d be disputing that David’s Bridal violated their Visa merchant agreement by misleading you about the return policy. If you’d like to read about how Visa deals with these disputes, click here (PDF). (Read the section “When Chargeback Rights Do Not Apply”)
Anyone have any luck canceling an order at David’s Bridal?
(Photo: foundphotoslj )
UPDATE: Emily was contacted by David’s Bridal about this story and they worked out compromise:
I spoke to the person at David’s, and she put me in touch with a CSR who after a little phone tag confirmed that they can do a partial refund if no merchandise has been received.
I already have an appointment to go back tonight – and they will theoretically now be able to refund the difference in what I purchase tonight from the original.
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David’s Bridal = The Devil. Ask my wife about this. Good luck to the OP, she will need it.
Next thing you know, they’ll be outsourcing weddings, too. I can’t really feel sorry for folks who choose a wedding chain over some local (probably immigrant) lady who does it all by hand for the same price.
@mariospants:
And you know there’s a local wedding store with quality merchandise in her hometown?
Those comments are against the comment code anyway.
@bria: “And you know there’s a local wedding store with quality merchandise in her hometown?”
Sure, if her howetown is large enough for a blood-sucking chain store like David’s Bridal, I’m pretty confident there’s an alternative or two.
@mariospants:
But you don’t know that for a fact, do you? Or what if the mom and pop stores are WAY out of her price range, or don’t have what she’s looking for?
@bria: Oh, I’m not talking about local “boutiques” per se, but some local seamstress – ah, it’s not such a great idea unless you luck out I guess, especially if you’re under the gun and have a really tight budget.
Still, if you wear a nice enough gown and opt for an open bar, nobody will care about what you wore.
@mariospants: Sure, if her howetown is large enough for a blood-sucking chain store like David’s Bridal, I’m pretty confident there’s an alternative or two.
unless, of course, DB already drove them out of business.
@camille_javal:
Not to mention some mom and pop wedding places can be just as sneaky. There was a local place which cuts the tags out of dresses so if you fall in love with a dress…you’re buying it there. Luckily, the dress I wanted was unique enough I was able to track down a store that could order it for me…at half the price.
@mariospants: I did go to a lot of mom and pop places…trust me, the poor little immigrant lady charges a lot of money. My budget was $600 and everywhere I went, the selection started at $500. It was only DB that had dresses that started a lot lower. I wasn’t looking for embellishments and beading and crystals – but a lot of the mom and pop stores had mostly those in their selection.
The consumers who go to DB aren’t looking to be ripped off, they’re not looking to be cheated, and they don’t deserve it either just because they either can’t afford a high end place, don’t have the time or ability to spend what amounts to weeks looking at wedding dresses in musty rooms with poorly lit dressing rooms.
Wedding dresses are one thing, but bridesmaids dresses are a whole other can of worms.
It’s simply the easiest and most efficient way of getting together the right kind of color and material for all bridesmaids if one happens to not live in town. That was my situation, and it’s a common one. I had to deal with a lot of crap along the way, but my friends got what they wanted.
@IHaveAFreezeRay:
When I went to DB to “get the experience” (my mother-in-law insisted) I tried on a bunch of dresses. It was during one of their cheap-ass sales. Any dress that didn’t require teased hair and a beau with a mullet was not on sale (see any 80s wedding photo).
@cashmerewhore: The sales people at mine were absolutely no help at all…I told them what I wanted, and I was very specific on what I didn’t want (no beading, severe embellishments, nothing heavy) and they kept showing me dresses that were heavier than I was! So finally, I left and came back and didn’t talk to any sales people and tried on a few of the more plain dresses. The sales people didn’t seem to understand that I didn’t want to be plain, I just wanted simplicity, which is always going to stand the test of time, while “trendy” extravagant bead work probably will look silly in 20 years.
my dress was – [www.davidsbridal.com]
@IHaveAFreezeRay:
Gorgeous! Congratulations
@bria: @cashmerewhore: Thanks!
@mir777: Ann Taylor does have beautiful dresses, but I didn’t necessarily consider that when I went to look for a wedding dress – not having a ton of time, not wanting to drive everywhere, wasting gas, I felt (probably like many others do) that finding one central location with a wide range of selection was more important.
@EnglishC6H6 is British Benzene: There are ways to get around this. You can provide a false name for your appointment, or a different first name, or a different last name. Who are they to gasp if your credit card information is different? I make dinner reservations under a false name, the restaurant has never refused to take my money when I’m done eating.
@srhbks: Exactly.
The biggest problem I found with dresses on eBay and Craig’s List is that no woman is exactly alike. Most dresses have had some kind of alteration done. My dress was altered at the waist and the bust, and if I were to put that on Craig’s List, there’s no way I can be specific on how much was taken in. I think it’s extremely hit or miss. And eBay is worse because you have to ship it and everything. If you’re looking for something extremely elaborate, and you want to save money by going on eBay, it might be worth it just to lower your expectations and get something less expensive.
@IHaveAFreezeRay:
[J Crew Avery]
That was the dress I ended up keeping. I had a blusher added, and some accent color under the bust as well as above the blusher. Didn’t turn out too bad for an outdoor wedding.
I think the only thing that got me out of MIL pressuring me into a DB’s dress was I already had several dresses by the time she drove me there.
The only thing worse than trying to get 30 layers of crinoline over your head is getting that damn bustier bra on by yourself. My family didn’t come along, and I wasn’t about to ask for assistance.
@IHaveAFreezeRay:
And it’s a beautiful dress (even if you end up stuck with it).
@IHaveAFreezeRay: My brother had a cut-price wedding and his wife found a dress at – get this – Marshall’s. It was actually an Ann Taylor dress and it cost a couple of hundred bucks. A little low-cut in the back for a wedding (in my opinion) but a great little # regardless.
It sucks that there’s a “wedding industry” that pumps up the event to the point where we feel forced to spend tens of thousands (as opposed feeling like celebrating the event any which way we can) in order to impress others. That’s what I have against places like D’sB: they prey on those fears of inadequacy – especially at the point when they agressively start upselling you! Nobody should ever feel that they should be upsold a wedding dress.
I wasn’t blaming the OP, just consumers of places like “David’s Bridal” in general.
Since consumer protections vary from state to state, it would be helpful to know where this one is located.
Check to see if your state has a “Buyer’s Remorse” statute. Many states require the merchant to provide for a window whereby you can back out of a transaction within a certain time period. Especially with contracts. IANAL and YMMV, but it seems when you special order, that may fall under a contract-type transaction. Worht a look if nothing else.
Oh David’s Bridal, how I know your shenanigans all too well. I hate DB with a passion, ever since I stepped foot into their store because everywhere else I went to look for a dress was too expensive. I was told there was no way of refunding money, that they would give you an exchange, but that there was no returning the dress. My DB had a big sign near the entrance that was very specific with their return policy.
Worht = Worth
Sounds like you’re probably screwed. “All sales are final” doesn’t sound very misleading to me.
“All Sales are Final” doesn’t mean a think if the merchant violates other laws and regulations as part of the sale.
BTW, this plays into my theory that the worst service industry in the entire world is the wedding industry. It’s one industry where they really don’t count on repeat customers for business, so customer service is usually far, far down on the list of priorities.
@Franklin Comes Alive!:
The funeral industry fits your description as well, and preying on sad occasions > preying on happy ones, so I think the wedding biz has to be #2 or at least #1(a).
That being said, yes, they are boffo scumbags.
@ekthesy:
Good point, I just (thankfully) haven’t had any direct dealings with the funeral industry yet. So wedding industry is still #1 to me!
@ekthesy:
My grandmother and uncle had their funerals at the same home.
At all of the funerals I’ve been to (not a lot), there have been a lot of living people who will eventually be dead.
did they say all sales are final when they sold it to you? is it on your receipt? was it posted on a sign? if any of these things were the case, you might be sol.
@Franklin Comes Alive!: actually in the wedding industry word-of-mouth is pretty important. i mean sure, david’s bridal is a large chain store for bridal wear, but a freaking ton of more personalized places really really want to do a good job so the brides tell all their girlfriends how great the service was and how happy they were with the dress/shoes/flowers/cake etc.
@katylostherart:
In smaller towns and cities where choice is limited, word-of-mouth doesn’t matter much. When you only have 2 choices, and they both suck, you still have to go with one.
I just got married, and it’s pretty common practice at most bridal stores (all that I went to, and I did not purchase my dress from DB, though my bridesmaids did) that all sales are final. My local DB has this displayed very well right behind the cash register.
I’m not saying they’re necessarily correct in their policy/treatment of the OP, but in every DB I’ve ever been in, the policy has been on a large sign and the person at the cash register informed me before purchasing.
I imagine the return policy is very clearly stated in the store. Just because the clerk didn’t explain it to the OP doesn’t relieve her of the obligation to read the posted notice. It sucks that she allowed herself to cave in and now wants to back out of the deal, but I think DB is completely justified in telling her to shove off.
If David’s bridal wanted to screw my wife over like that when we were planning our wedding, I’d get a big sign and stand outside of their door (on a weekend). The sign would say something like “David’s Bridal ripped us off. Avoid them.” I’m sure that would get their attention. I’d print out fliers like the dude who wrote the book “how to kick a car dealer in the nuts”. Don’t let them get away with this. They are price-gougers and only care about making the sale.
Every online purchase I’ve made has said once the order is placed it cannot be changed (so you can’t call and add something else to the order). I would think by now, the “special” order is in somebody’s system and may fall under the same rule.
I purchased 5 (yes, five, I’m crazy like that) wedding dresses by J Crew both from their website and through auctions. I sold the four duds, but it allowed me to try them all on and take them to the woman who was doing the alterations to decide which was the easiest to fit to me. I ended up making more money reselling the other four than I originally spent on the five.
@cashmerewhore: ok now that’s a great tip if you can afford the multiple purchases.
@katylostherart:
I spent about $300 on all five dresses. One came from J Crew directly (clearance), the others were auctions. I sold them for well over $400 and kept the dress I ordered from J Crew (the most expensive of the bunch).
I’m thrifty. And cheap.
Ugh. I went in to DB just to look around and see if there was anything worth buying. I filled out the intake form and made SURE to check the box that said “do not sell my info” or something similar – I don’t want the deals. I initialed next to it, spoke to the representative and said “Are you sure this means I won’t get advertisements and you won’t sell my number?” She said yes.
Lo and behold, I started to get phone calls night and day from wedding vendors and shills. When I googled the number, seems like DB has sold the number and that’s how these people got my info. I called DB to ask them to remove me from the list, tell them I was on Do Not Call and that I had never authorized the selling of my info only to be told by the snarky atrocious lady that I obviously didn’t check the box and if I had I wouldn’t get any adverts.
They’re still coming.
Now I just start sobbing and say the wedding is off.
@quackwhack: What a horrible story. I rest my case.
@quackwhack: I’ve been married for 4+ years. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding this past April (and also the previous April) and bought my dresses at Davids. THIS WEEK I got a phone call from a wedding vendor congratulating me on my engagement and upcoming special day. I’ve sent about a zillion angry emails to DB telling them I’ll never shop in their horrible store again but it hasn’t helped. I love your hysterical wedding-is-off act, I’m goning to steal it.
@quackwhack: If they lied to you and sold your information after you specifically told them not to(and checked the box), I’d say that’s grounds for a harassment lawsuit. Although I do like the crying tactic.
I’m also in the do-not-call and do-not-mail databases, but David’s Bridal has sold my info to several shady vendors and I know this because they misspelled my name. Not happy! They hide their contact info on their site and give you a big runaround, but if you want to mail them a note, here’s their corporate info from google maps:
David’s Bridal Corporate Office
1001 Washington Street
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610) 943-5000
Anyone know if I can get the DMA on their tail for that junk mail? To be fair, the only company they gave my cell phone info to was their corporate twin, Men’s Wearhouse, who called me back with another sales pitch a month after I asked them to take me off the MW list. Also, the fact that they wrote down a random last name probably means that they didn’t match my name to the DMA list, but I’m still pissed. There’s a reason why I went out of my way to get on those lists — I don’t like getting “offers” and I’m going to complain if you call me at work to sell me a freaking tux when I’ve already asked you to not call me. The catalogues and mailers I’ve been getting are hysterically bad, which at least makes up for it a little, but…
I have a law degree, but I’m not practicing law or acting as a lawyer giving you legal advice.
I don’t know where you are, but the “change of heart” rules of your state might be helpful to look at. Generally, every state has an “X” day window during which you can cancel a contract without penalty. Typically, as is pointed out frequently on Consumerist, state laws trump store policies, and you cannot contract away most consumer protection rights. Therefore, I have a reasonable basis to believe that an “all sales are final” policy could not overrule the “change of heart” period.
Do you think you should send written notice immediately that you do not intend to purchase/accept the dress and you withdraw your instruction to have the dress made? I think that if they start making that dress, or if you haven’t requested they not do so in writing, you might be in a worse negotiating position.
@bunnymare:
“Generally, every state has an “X” day window during which you can cancel a contract without penalty.”
For certain specific things (timeshares, etc.), yes, but not for most things (at least not in any state that I’m aware of).
In New York, for example:
9. Do I have 3 days to cancel any contract in New York State?
There is no general “cooling-off” law in New York. Only certain types of transactions can be canceled within a 3 day cooling off period. These include: door to door sales, health club membership sales, campground membership sales, and home improvement repair contracts over $500.
[www.consumer.state.ny.us]
I bought some of my wedding stuff at DB and my bridesmaids got their dresses there and they all has to sign/initial a separate receipt stating they were told all sales are final as did I.
@Jenng: I bought my wedding dress at David’s and I had to sign that receipt too. David’s Bridal is a sucky company and I hate a lot of things about them, but in this case I don’t know what to suggest. Maybe the manager will make a single case exception for the OP if she throws a big enough fit, but I’m not hopeful.
Dispute with the CC company… then say you haven’t received your dress. Unless david’s bridal can prove you have received your dresss you should be good.
“Since the store did not explain that you couldn’t cancel before the order shipped, you could argue that the store did not properly disclose this policy to you.”
I guarantee that their return policy is tattooed all over the sales counter and on the contract she (implicitly by swiping her card) signed.
It’s been well known that David’s Bridal is full of scummy, high-pressure sales. They capitalize on fears and dreams of low income brides-to-be e.g. “You deserve it!”. . . “Your friends and loved ones will remember how you look for the rest of your life!”. . . If you’re going to splurge on anything, shouldn’t it be for your big day!”. . . “You’ve been waiting your entire life for this. Don’t risk hating your dress just because it’s a little cheaper!”. . . “Oh, this dress has been drawing a lot of attention. Judy, our regional manager, just loved it and was thinking about buying it for her wedding that’s coming up. Since we don’t stock a lot of the same designs–no bride would want to be caught wearing the same dress as her friend, would she?–I predict that this dress will be gone before the end of the day. Honey, if want it, you need to put down a deposit now!”
The funny thing about their business model is that they rely on being a high profile shop with little word-of-mouth references or repeat customers. Most people don’t know where else they could even buy a dress from. Capitalizing on this ignorance, they bring in a lot of people who know very little about their operation and milk them for all they’re worth. The possibility of word of mouth/repeat business is the only thing that keeps car dealerships somewhat honest, and these people don’t have that incentive.
From David’s website: “Items purchased at stores cannot be returned or exchanged.”
David’s does this to protect them from people purchasing dresses, wearing them, then returning them. The also do this because as soon as they place the order they must honor the purchase to the distributor and “purchase” the dress. Although it is likely that someone in your size/and wants your dress will come in in the next 1-3 months (before this “season” is over) imagine a bridal store having to do this for hundreds of people. . . .and typically you have to sign a contract saying that you understand that dress is nonreturnable under any circumstances.
Now, in your defense, what you should call and complain about is the sales associate who “bullied” you into buying a dress you could not afford.
Silly thought… I’ve always wondered how a “posted notice” affects those that are unable to read said signage (i.e. blind, speak another language, illiterate).
@TheGreenMnM: Not silly at all. And I don’t see how reading a sign means that you agree to it. I could type “By reading this you owe me five dollars,” but that doesn’t necessarily make it true. Neither does printing it on the back of a receipt (which I only get after I have purchased the item) I don’t see how a company can PROVE that I read their sign. Anyone know anything about this? I feel like it has come up before, but their was never a satisfactory answer on it.
I bought a bridesmaid dress at DB and I had to sign a store copy of the receipt stating that all sales are final. I ended up having to take the dress back (bride asked me 10 days before the wedding to be a bridesmaid; told me to wear whatever I wanted, then didn’t like the dress I originally chose) and all I could do is get another dress plus a shoulder wrap to even out to the original total.
Keep fighting! I hate DB with a passion. Several years ago I ordered a bridesmaid dress at the DB in Greenville, SC. I had a really bad feeling that this wedding was not going to happen, so I asked the saleslady about returns. She said I could cancel the order as long as the dress had not arrived in the store. My hunch was right – the wedding was canceled. I went up to DB and asked for a refund on the dress since the wedding was canceled, and they gave me the run-around. I finally found the saleslady who told me I could cancel, and they had to honor what I’d been told. As long as the dress is not in the store, you should be able to get your money back. Use VISA to help you if they are willing! Also, one thing I’ve learned over the years is to ALWAYS use American Express on large purchases. They ALWAYS have your back.
those stores with All Sales Final aren’t very shy about enforcing it. The only other way is small claims court but I seriously doubt the judge will side with the consumer based on a change of heart defense.
Depending on the amount of free time you have, you can use their reputation against them. Make a nice big sign that says something like “David’s Bridal is Trying To Ruin My Wedding” then threaten to stand on the nearest public sidewalk during their busiest hours.
If you have to make good on your threat, be polite and respectful and obey all local ordinances with regard to loitering, advertising, etc., but here you would be well within your rights as long as you didn’t obstruct access to the property in any way and were standing on public property.
Handing out fliers describing your story to anyone who looks interested in David’s can also help. I would imagine it won’t take very many customers walking in holding such a flier for the manager to take notice.
@CoderCop: The “X picked store Y, and store Y caved to X’s demands” stories on Consumerist tend to make us feel all warm and fuzzy, but the reality is that although you do have a right under the first amendment to picket a store, they do have a right to (and probably will) sue the bejeesus out of you. Even if they don’t have a winning claim, you will spend tens of thousands of dollars over the course of several years to clear your name. It’s not worth it. YMMV.
@agnamus: “Picked” is supposed to be “Picketed”
David’s “all sales final” policy is pretty well known to anyone who’s had the unfortunate experience of shopping there. I can’t imagine they get a lot of repeat business.
This doesn’t mean all the locally-owned wedding boutiques are consumer-friendly. Many of them will also refuse to do returns. In one case, I ordered a designer bridesmaid’s dress from a local boutique. The bride got a call the next day from the store, telling her the dresses we ordered were discontinued. But they weren’t going to refund our money- we would have to choose something else from the store. I was annoyed at their incompetence and didn’t want to go back for another fitting, only to have this happen again. The store manager told the bride that it was physically impossible to refund our money. I was just about to do my first chargeback when the manager somehow figured out this mysterious refund process. I got my money back, but I won’t be doing business with any wedding boutiques named Bird of Paradise in the next century.
When it comes to getting married – someone is always going to try to pressure you into basically screwing yourself.
You could try to sell it on craigslist. I bought my dress on there and I love it.
Depending on how over your budget the dress was – offering it at $100 less than what DB sold it to you for – might help.
Having worked in retail, there IS something “special” about a special order, which is why stores usually don’t allow you to cancel them.
Normal stock is purchased in bulk with wholesale prices from the supplier. If a customer wants something that a store does not usually carry (even if it’s a colour/size/etc. difference), the store purchases it as a single item from the supplier. In almost all cases, the store pays nearly full retail price for the item, just so they can sell it to their customer.
If the store allows the customer to cancel once the order is completed, and subsequently the store isn’t able to sell the item to someone else (fashions change with the seasons, don’t they?), the store loses a lot more money on the item than they would for a normal stock item.
I’m not saying stores shouldn’t help customers, especially when it’s likely that customer will be purchasing something else from them and/or sending other customers into the store (bridesmaids). I’m not condoning DB’s behaviour here at all. But special orders ARE a nasty little beast that no retail store likes to deal with, since they don’t make money. That’s why DB is giving the OP a hard time about it.
BTW, I also echo what others have said about the “cooling off period” that all states have in contract law. DB may not come out and say it, but look in your contract or find out what your state law is. 72 hours sounds like you’re pretty close to the deadline already, but good luck!
Yes, my fiancee bought a dress at DB as well. They make you sign a contract when you make the purchase. State/federal laws would definitely protect you over the contract, but otherwise, you would have made the agreement with them directly. I thought it was sh*tty that they did that in first place. It isnt like they are out anything if you bought it off the rack like we did. No other clothing stores have that kind of policy. They wouldnt last five minutes in our economy. I think though, that if you had a high pressure situation, then that is the best angle to follow. A contract is null and void if it is signed under duress.
@copious28:
The kind of “duress” that voids a contract typically is closer to a literal “gun to your head”. Commercial pressure, necessity, high-pressure sales and so forth have been found, pretty much across the board, to be under the threshhold of “duress”.
While I have not personally had any experience with David’s Bridal, my fiancée has been more than happy to share her wedding dress shopping woes with me.
From what I’ve gathered, most of the locally-owned stores can be very expensive (as they tend to pride themselves on being “boutiques”), often only have a small selection, and generally require LOTS of time to complete a dress (apparently, six to eight months is not enough time to tailor a dress? Seriously?).
She ended up going to DB in the course of her shopping, and ended up returning there in order to buy her dress. They had the best selection of dresses, they had the best prices, and they assured her that they could have it ready in time for the wedding.
Now, in the time since, she has discovered that they are completely incompetent, everything from sales people who can’t even use the terminology correctly (“umpire” waist, anyone?) to tailoring that leaves much to be desired, to staff that simply seem to have no idea what they’re doing.
I know that my fiancée would have much preferred to make the purchase at a locally-owned store, and it was actually a huge concession for her to visit DB in the first place. But really, as long as locally-owned stores insist on charging an arm and a leg for a dress that is only going to be worn *once*, DB is never going to be hurting for business, especially when they’re the leader in an industry in which repeat business is not generally a concern.
@processfive: ha, now I am curious about how an “umpire waist” would look. Black and white stripe? Embellished with a whistle?
Oh, and another thing: if you do order from DB, don’t have them do your alterations. They are way overpriced- just cut out the middleman and find a seamstress. You’ll save money, and there’s a good chance it’s the same seamstress who does the alterations for DB.
@processfive: muwahahahahah! I lol’d at “umpire waist.” I used to be a copy editor, and our sports writer always had the most amazing misspellings: “ballet parking,” “playoff birth,” etc.
it’s not often i get to say this, so “yay for being gay!”
@muckpond: Lucky! It’s not a “yay” for me, we’re going to need TWO dresses. ugh
@sockrockinbeats: Which one of you wanted a pet snake when you were little, and which one wanted a pony? At least one of you will be happy with the $119 off the rack number.
Just musing – but if you haven’t recieved a dress yet, is the sale really final? All you’ve gotten is a promise that you’ll get a dress, which is not what you’ve paid for.
Now I don’t know much about dress shops, but here is what I would image what goes on.
1. They have a limited number of dresses at a store – to allow for try-on’s and to help pick style and such (the the majority of dresses that would actually be sold to have to be sent in from a warehouse or what not.)
2. So when she, the sale went out to their warehouse.
NOW – If the dress was something special where any type of special work had to be done, that probable started right away – so to cancel the order would cost the company money for the work already done.
NOW – If the dress was sitting on a rack in the warehouse and all they had to do was pull it off and ship it – then not much work was done and it should be able to be canceled in my opinion.
From what I do know, most wedding dresses are very customized for each bride (well if you spend enough money on it) – to fit perfectly – with exact measurements on every part of the body – which leads me to believe that some altercations on the dress may have started…. and why all sales are final.
@coan_net: Regarding the alterations, not so. When you buy a wedding dress from a chain, or even from a mom and pop, they measure 2 or three things: waist, bust, and height. They come up with one dress size number (4, 6, 8, 10, etc), and they order it. Almost all other tailoring has to be done by a seamstress or tailor. Basically, if you have any kind of “odd” proportioning (i.e., short but curvy, tall but rail thin), they almost have to order the dress in the “wrong” size in order for it to fit properly. So that is most assuredly not the reason why all sales are final.
All sales are final because the wedding industry, in general, is evil. In order to get a dress on time, you often have to order well in advance (months and months), if you can’t buy the floor sample outright. In that time, many things can happen, including the bride continuing to look at wedding magazines and changing her mind. It pumps more money into the system if rich or fickle brides don’t mind paying for more than one dress. The only other reason I can think of is what some folks do with garments they wear once–find a way to hide/reattach the tags and return it looking brand new. Most wedding dresses in the bridal shops are the true definition of a “one time only” item.
All that being said, if the store says “All Sales Final” (as many bridal shops do…all over the store), you know what you’re getting yourself into. I don’t agree with it because I can’t see how a wedding dress is different than a pair of jeans. However, stores can set their own policies, and it up to folks as consumers to decide if they want to support businesses that put the squeeze on them like this–if there are even other choices to be had.
@NYGal81: In defense of the wedding industrial complex, they are a business in it to make money. If you were a wedding dress manufacturer, how many of each style of dress in each size of an expensive dress would you keep on hand? And if you needed to change styles every season to please the “fickle” brides of the world? And if you were stuck at the end of the season with 800 unsold $1,500 dresses? The dresses are ordered months in advance because they ARE made for you at the manufacturer. It is sensible business methodology.
@alexburrito: I don’t begrudge the wedding industry the fact that they have to make money. I get that when you produce a product, you want to do so at a profit, not a loss (or even a break-even…). What I don’t get is why the wedding industry is so different than most other facets of the fashion industry. I can (very hypothetically) walk into Saks, buy myself a $500 pair of super-special exclusive jeans, walk out of the store, wait a day (or 30, or 60, or 90), turn around, and return the jeans as long as I haven’t taken the tags off and worn them. Why isn’t the same true for a wedding dress? I knew when I bought mine that it was “All sales final,” but I was under no delusion that it was some haute couture masterpiece, hand sown (no machines in hc!) just for me by one person who only makes that one, single dress. The whole process just seems a little too mysterious for me. I get making a profit is important, and if I owned a business, I’d want to make a profit too. It just seems strange that the wedding dress industry feels they need to be in the position that “All sales final” is the rule, not the exception.
Mostly, this level of customer non-service makes me feel bad for brides that have serious reasons for returning/canceling a dress like “my fiancee died before the wedding and I don’t want this dress as a reminder of the life we never had together.” I think I saw that one on TV, and the only way the company would issue the refund was to have her bring in the death certificate.
I feel bad for the OP and the crappy pressure she got to buy a dress she couldn’t afford, but it’s not quite the same.
@coan_net:
Um not so much. Wedding dresses are a very odd affair. Most places have a limited number of sizes to try on which means most ladies are trying on a dress that’s been clipped onto them. Dresses also are usually sized at least 2 sizes less smaller than the average dress size. Almost all wedding dresses require a lot of tailoring, if nothing else, to create a bustle.
This is pretty standard in the bridal industry. All sales are final, even though you won’t have your merchandise for weeks or months.
What the OP will find is even more frustrating about Davids Bridal in particular is that the dress she’s “special ordered” likely won’t even be new. They will hunt one down in her size on the trial racks in some other DB store.
While the all-sales-final likely makes sense for a small bridal shop that is custom ordering their gowns (since nearly every bride has this “oh no I ordered the wrong dress” moment and a custom sized dress can’t simply be popped back onto the rack for a future shopper), in DB’s case, the “custom” dress could easily be returned to a sales rack since that’s where it will be pulled from.
Bottom line, I think the OP is probably out of luck.
At the risk of being redundant, “all sales are final” and “special order” are pretty clear, and it seemed like they were pretty clear to the OP. They have the right to maintain this policy, whether you like their style or not. It’s also a salesperson’s job to encourage you to purchase merchandise at their store, strange as that seems. I am almost always on the side of the shopper, but this just annoyed me for some reason.
Put the dress up on ebay and chalk it up to a learning experience.
Also, J. Crew, Ann Taylor and Target have more reasonably priced wedding dresses. Or Ebay.
@mir777:
The nice thing about David’s Bridal is that they carry larger sizes unlike the stores you mentioned.
Though I am sure someone is going to say that fat women shouldn’t get married.
I don’t understnad why it takes six weeks—you still have to get the dress altered, so it’s not custom made.
I don’t have a lot of sympathy for people who claim they got “bullied” into buying something.
After all, they have the ability to say “no” and walk out of the store instead of signing on the dotted line at the register.
I, too got a bunch of telemarketing calls right after I went to try dresses on at David’s. After flipping out on them via voice mail and e-mail (strange how they don’t have an actual customer service hotline), the calls stopped.
If anyone else is looking for advice, I had good luck with the gigantic Filene’s sale. They had all kinds of sizes, not just the typical size 10 samples.
My main beef with David’s Bridal was that they require you to sign in to try on dresses. You need to provide name, address, and asked for photo ID (and probably email now, although not when I got married). My wife (then-fiance) went to try on dresses and we ended up getting calls and fliers for years about honeymoons and such.
I made a joke of the whole thing, saying “Just think, in 7 years we’ll start getting cold calls from divorce attorneys.” While this didn’t happen, we did get fliers for “Adjusting to Marital Finances Seminars” for another year after we were married.
Oh, and did I mention we never bought a single damn thing there?
@laddibugg: Target goes up to an XXL which is about an 18-20 from my experience. There’s also Chadwick’s which has an extensive collection of formal gowns. Also, eBay has a huge range of sizes. Many department stores have formal gowns and wedding dresses in a range of sizes.
Don’t make this about size. I am a plus size woman and I have been married; I got a stunning ivory tea-length dress and jacket in the dress department at Lord & Taylor for $119. You have to be innovative. Another alternative is having a dress made which can be cheaper than a designer gown, depending on the fabric.
@mir777:
I was not ‘making this about size’. I stated that many plus size brides go to David’s bridal because they carry WEDDING dresses in larger sizes (up to a 28, IIRC). At that size, your options can be limited–I have not seen anything larger than a 22 in Lord and Taylor’s. David’s Bridal can sometimes be a place of last resort, whether you want to go there or not. So, no a size 28 bride cannot go to Ann Taylor, Jcrew, or even Target.
of the 3 people i know who have had dealings w/ david’s bridal, all 3 vowed ‘never again and i will not let anyone i know ever shop there’.
a wedding shop needs to be based on flawless customer service. any company that has a wedding clients should know this, or they don’t deserve to be in the business at all.
but thenif the bride is a bitch, that’s a different story…
I don’t think she can argue that the store did not disclose the policy. It is stated everywhere at David’s. Seriously. Everywhere you look: All sales are final. It is on multiple signs at the register AND the salesclerk informed me before she rung me up (I was buying $14 worth of fabric swatches no less!).
While I agree that it stinks for her, I think she doesn’t have any wiggle room here. It is very clear there and in every bridal shop I visited that you cannot return gowns. Unless the consultant bullied her into buying the gown (and even then she could have walked out), she doesn’t really have a leg to stand on.
I’m having trouble feeling too badly about this. If it was the first bridal shopping trip – how could she get “bullied” into buying if she hadn’t been to other stores and tried on other dresses? Am I right, brides? How many stores did you go to? Do you ever make such a large purchase without shopping around?
If it wasn’t her first shopping stop, she should be aware of these issues – pretty much every bridal store has a similar policy. And, most stores have these policies posted all over including the dressing rooms!
I’ve been bridal shopping with a bunch of friends, and across the board DB had the cheapest dresses and the largest and most varied stock. They also had dresses in multiple sizes, as opposed to most bridal boutiques, which only carry the dresses in one size (usually a small one) so it’s hard to get a good feel for how the dress might fit your actual body.
I would purchase a dress from David’s Bridal, but I would never get it altered there.
Sorry but I got my dress at David’s…. They have “All Sales Final” signs all over the store (I went to), it says it on the receipt and also, the sales rep told me this before she rang me up….
If it says all sales are final everywhere you look when you purchased the thing, and now you have buyer’s remorse, it’s your own fault. It’s called final sale for a reason. That’s not to say the wedding industry isn’t evil tho.
I refuse to blame the OP. The OP should, though, chalk this up to being an expensive lesson and that she should do a little more (like at least check the site and customer feedback) before heading out to take a look. Could she sell the dress on eBay and get most of her money back and put it towards something else?
Obviously she had a budget, and this dress blew it. If she gets most of her money back couldn’t she put that towards a more reasonable dress and work on paying down that credit card debt? Just curious.
She agreed to purchase the dress. I’m annoyed that she only wants to change her mind now that she feels pressured.
Just because you overspent doesn’t mean you can automatically get a refund, sorry.
This is giving me all the more incentive to attend my own wedding someday dressed as a dominatrix
…ok, so maybe not. I *will* probably be buying an inexpensive, ‘party’ style of dress if my own ones I own now don’t fit anymore.
I read the original post again… this struck me as odd:
They won’t issue credit, but they’ll exchange for a dress of similar value – BUT, they’ll allow her to bring her bridesmaids in and have them get dresses? This sounds like a way out! Rally your bridesmaids together, have them get their dresses on this credit, and pay the OP back! Come on! This is the way out! I would advise the OP to work a little harder and get her people together. It usually takes DB months to get a dress into the store, she can surely round up her bridesmaids to come in with her. And if there are any that are out of town, what one of my friends did was find a friend who was a similar body type, and they took photos of the dresses.
@IHaveAFreezeRay: Good point. And I don’t see why they would have to all go to the same store on the same day. Couldn’t they just try the bridesmaid dress on in their local store and email the OP the measurements. Then the OP could buy them all at the same time on her credit.
The problem here is not whether the store has to issue a refund but whether the store should issue a refund.
@vivelafat (I don’t know why it won’t let me reference your post):
The key to doing this at DB is to place the order all at once. Their excuse in doing this is so they can get all the dresses from the same dye group, so all of the dresses are the exact same hue. I personally didn’t think the difference would ever be big enough that it would matter and that I would absolutely HAVE to order all three bridesmaid dresses at the same time. It’s a luxury that one has the money to pay for three dresses and wait for friends to pay back the money. One of my friends did this, and one of her bridesmaids (we’re no longer speaking to her) ended up not returning her phone calls, and ended up dropping out of the wedding by not showing up to anything, returning phone calls or generally caring. It was the passive aggressive way of doing things, but my friend was fortunate that she did not pay for that girl’s dress because then she would have never gotten her money back.
I’d only do the credit/pay back thing if you really trusted your friends, or they had money with them right there to give to you. I’d remind the OP that she might love her friends but weddings are also a business transaction.
And I agree, the store should issue a refund. They really should – but they aren’t – and the OP can either fight, fight, and fight some more, which might take more time and energy than it’s worth, considering this woman is planning a wedding – OR she should acknowledge that there is an alternative solution, bring in her bridesmaids in, and she can pick out a dress she actually wants.
I meant to add also that I know the OP said she didn’t want to force her bridesmaids to get their dresses from DB, but I’m supposing that she might not have an idea of where they were going to get their dresses – and DB has a huge selection. For a lot of brides, even if they want their bridesmaids to wear the same color, there’s no way blue is really the same hue of blue unless they get their dresses from the same place. It’s one thing to say “everyone wear X color, just whatever style you want” but a lot of brides I’ve seen make this decision, then get very, very upset when their bridesmaids are wearing what she asked them they could wear, but then the bridesmaids are wearing three different hues of navy blue, and they look more like guests rather than bridesmaids. I mean, they don’t have to match exactly – but a lot of brides underestimate how much they want the bridal party to look like an ensemble, especially since groomsmen tend to wear the same style tux.
@IHaveAFreezeRay: Garrr… “what she asked them they could wear” should be “what she told them they could wear”