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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think Johnson's shouldn't lose a wedding dress?

49 replies

JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 12:11

Posting my very first AIBU in support of a friend, as her gorgeous wedding dress has been lost Sad She took her wedding dress into Johnson's dry cleaner's concession inside her local Waitrose (Ealing). It arrived at their central cleaning do-dah and she had a message from them to say it would be ready in six weeks...

8 weeks on and customer services are denying all knowledge. No wedding dress, no idea where it is, and no plan to find it. Doesn't quite tally up with their fancy claims about their Bridal service on their website! If you are feeling super-kind, could you help us get the attention of Johnson's and Waitrose, so we can Find The Dress, and retweet this: twitter.com/LizJMead/status/633225336856162304

Any and all other tips for getting them to relocate this much-loved beautiful dress would be much appreciated too...

OP posts:
mommy2ash · 17/08/2015 12:13

Does she not have a receipt to state she did give them her dress

MaidOfStars · 17/08/2015 12:16

Yep, receipt or other proof of purchase?

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 12:19

Yes, she has the receipt, and a copy of the message to say the dress had reached their specialist cleaning centre (from the dry cleaner's outlet). So far, it doesn't seem to be helping them to actually locate the dress though...

OP posts:
scarlets · 17/08/2015 12:23

The bad publicity might mean that the dress miraculously turns up....hope so.

Hulababy · 17/08/2015 12:23

If she has receipt how can they deny knowledge?

Hulababy · 17/08/2015 12:24

Waitrose have replied to her on the Twitter - wonder if they can help. Though it isn't really Waitrose's responsibility I guess - I assume Johnsons are a concession within the building that's all.

MaidOfStars · 17/08/2015 12:26

Well, they need to replace it then.

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 12:26

That's what she's been saying to customer services Hulababy - you can see why she's feeling a bit desperate! There is no question that they received the dress, transported it somewhere, and then... poof! Vanished apparently. It must be somewhere, but they are saying they've looked for it and can't find it, so that's it. Surely, surely not good enough - and surely they have a decent tracking system for each and every item??? Feeling a bit nonplussed.

OP posts:
Marcipex · 17/08/2015 12:32

Crikey, that is a very long way from good enough.

sadwidow28 · 17/08/2015 12:32

She needs to respond to the Waitrose question on her Twitter thread otherwise it looks like she doesn't really care. Whilst it isn't a Waitrose responsibility, they can liaise with Johnsons because they don't want negative publicity regarding one of their concesssions. The whole point of concessions is that they bring in extra foot traffic.

It is a poor response from Johnsons though.

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 12:39

She is in a tube train, but she is going to ring them as soon as she gets enough signal Smile She did try asking her local Waitrose, but they said they couldn't help initially. It is really good they've responded so promptly online though - perhaps there is hope!

OP posts:
WhatchaMaCalllit · 17/08/2015 12:42

Agree that she should respond to Waitrose on her twitter feed. Such a shame that it is lost as it's a lovely dress.

TerrorAustralis · 17/08/2015 12:45

My guess is that one of two things have happened. 1) staff member ruined the dress and has disposed of the evidence, or 2) staff member stole the dress. I hope it's 2, in which case it may miraculously reappear.

Marcipex · 17/08/2015 12:52

After the wedding, Terror? I agree with your analysis btw.

WhatchaMaCalllit · 17/08/2015 12:56

Just seen your update. Hope your friend has a successful outcome from this.

TerrorAustralis · 17/08/2015 12:57

Perhaps Maripex, but it also could have been stolen to sell.

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 17/08/2015 13:02

That is just awful! I agree that Waitrose certainly won't want their reputation tarnished by association with such shocking service (if you can even call it that!). I hope your friend pursues it to the highest level! I plan on gifting my dress to my daughters for their own weddings, if a company lost it no compensation would rectify it! Even a 'replacement' dress wouldn't have the sentimental value, that's if it could even be replaced anyway! My dress was bought far in advance of my wedding and most likely wouldn't be available to buy after I was married! Terrible from Johnsons!

Imnotaslimjim · 17/08/2015 13:10

This is shocking! And their service is appalling. She has to keep chasing this, I hope Waitrose can do something to help

SueBigFatSue · 17/08/2015 13:38

Well my immediate thought was its been stolen and sold, esp if it's an expensive dress in the first place. It's not exactly a little silk scarf, how the eff do you lose a big wedding dress?

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 13:49

Well, it's hard to know whether it's incompetence, carelessness or something more sinister - but whatever's going on, as you say, surely a wedding dress is not something that can slip down the back of a cupboard unnoticed! And of course, a wedding dress is something you would hope people would take extra care with, precisely because of the huge emotional ties that PPs have mentioned.

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 17/08/2015 13:50

Has she worn it, and was having it cleaned afterwards? Or is she having it cleaned prior to wearing it on her wedding day?

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 13:56

She has worn it - so I appreciate there isn't a time panic about a looming wedding day, but on the other hand, there are all the memories of the lovely day now tied up in the dress.

making me glad I didn't bother having my dress cleaned after my wedding

Waitrose are responding by private message on Twitter, and are promising to investigate. Still zero response from Johnson's by twitter, email, phone, carrier pigeon...

OP posts:
MmeGuillotine · 17/08/2015 13:59

I've RTd. I've got over 5k followers so hopefully lots of them will spread the word too. I really hope your friend gets her dress back - I can't believe how desultory their response is!

(I took my wedding dress to Johnsons to get it dry cleaned after my wedding and they gave it back saying that it was too covered in spilt alcohol for them to be able to do anything with it. The woman behind the counter gave me SUCH a reproving look when she told me, like I was being unreasonable getting completely wasted at my own wedding! I'd have been gutted if they'd lost it though, stains and all!)

Original poster
JamHoneyMarmite · 17/08/2015 14:01

MmeGuillotine you had alcohol at your wedding? Shame on you!!! Grin

Thank you for the RT, that's fab of you.

OP posts:
MmeGuillotine · 17/08/2015 14:03

I know, right? And apparently I was sending all the guests away with gleeful shouts of 'HE'S TOTALLY WASTED TOO SO THERE'LL BE NO CONSUMMATING TONIGHT, GUYS! WOO-HOO!' Obviously, I have no recollection of this and deny all knowledge.

You're welcome! I feel so bad for her so I hope we can collectively shame Johnsons into taking action!