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Original poster

To think the dry cleaners lent out my shoes?!

335 replies

crispysausagerolls · 24/09/2019 19:19

Finally got round, two years later, to dropping my wedding shoes at the dry cleaners to be cleaned. Not sure if relevant to the story but they are a fancy pants designer shoe (for context, nice and only worn once by me on wedding day). Bit marked so wanted them cleaned. This was 6 weeks ago and I forgot to go and get them. Went in today and the guy looked extremely bloody shifty and said he cleaned them but as I was late he got a special whitener which arrived yesterday which he will use on them for a special touch so I can’t get them until next week. I did not see my shoes. I felt he was lying to me somehow but accepted the story, relayed it to DH who says I’m an idiot and they have clearly lent them to a friend or something similar and I should’ve said it’s fine I want them now.

Is this a thing?! Do dry cleaners do this?!

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 25/09/2019 14:29

I can see the forgetting he’d kept your ticket thing. He must deal with lots of people coming in and not remember those sorts of specifics about each interaction.

It could be that he’d leant them out, but it could also be that he’s just disorganized and a bit crap. I used to go to a cobblers that never had my shoes ready on time if I left them. Each time I’d go and they’d find them in the pile and say something like “ Oh, I don’t know how these slipped past me. I’ll have them done By tomorrow.” He was pretty quick with anything that could be done then and there. I think he just didn’t get around to the “backlog” until someone showed up and bumped them to the front of the queue.

MrsWombat · 25/09/2019 14:33

I'm guessing he forgot to clean them or ordered the special whitener and then forgot to use it. He can't get too many shoes in a village dry cleaners. Glad you've got them back.

PeachesAndMayo · 25/09/2019 14:34

Don't feel mean - they were obviously given out to his wife/gf to wear to a special occasion. He probably got an earful asking for them back. Glad mum has got them - i too am now of an age where I give no f* and take no prisoners.

Crunchymum · 25/09/2019 15:10

They still look really grubby? How much did you pay the dry cleaner?

Patroclus · 25/09/2019 15:14

I can get Pravda shoes off the market

BalloonSlayer · 25/09/2019 16:00

Ex-H had a pride-and-joy sports car which to his regret had a tiny ding on the front spoiler. He took it for a service one time and when he went to collect it was told they were waiting for a part and they needed to keep it a couple more days.

He finally collected it and all was well but the next time he washed it he found that the tiny ding on the spoiler was gone. They had obviously taken it out for a spin "to see what it could do" and had an accident. Grin

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 25/09/2019 16:01

You should go back in and ask for a refund-seriously, regardless of where these shoes may or may not have been, they are not in any way clean. Surprised your Mum didn’t point that out?

AnneKipanki · 25/09/2019 16:11

Glad you got them back .
They are probably not easy to clean .
Did you really just wear them for that one day ?

raviolidreaming · 25/09/2019 16:28

I would be hugely surprised if anyone had wanted to borrow them; they're really quite grubby and obviously a bridal shoe. I suspect the longer they've been sat there, the longer the dry cleaner has had to think over options to get them cleaner. If that was your job, you probably do tinker about with stuff as a matter of professional pride / interest.

Streamside · 25/09/2019 16:28

I'm sure he's just not done anything with the shoes and people abandon valuable items at the drycleaners all the time.I think you're being a bit precious to be honest.

Greyhound22 · 25/09/2019 16:44

How much did you pay? They're absolutely riffy still.

Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 25/09/2019 16:49

I can’t remember how much I paid actually - 25/30£?

So I just got the full story from my mother - he was extremely upset about her taking them/she practically had to pry them out of his hands. He was offering to do a second coat of the whitener and then courier them to me etc etc.

I am now torn between thinking he had just completely forgotten to clean them and had started but hadn’t finished, OR feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself for making someone feel so upset/sad about their business which they take pride in.

Almost tempted to return them to him to finish 🤦🏻‍♀️

I do agree with a PP actually, having seen them again they are so marked that no one else would want to wear them unless dyed!

OP posts:
Derbee · 25/09/2019 16:49

Glad you got them back OP. They’re gorgeous, btw. This is one of the most hysterical threads I’ve ever seen - it can’t have helped your nerves!

Derbee · 25/09/2019 16:51

They’re pretty stained still, but I’d say it’s a no go to return them to him now 😂
Why not dye them and wear them?

FunOnTheBeach20 · 25/09/2019 16:58

I think he just hadn’t gotten around to cleaning the damn shoes...

Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 25/09/2019 17:06

FunOnTheBeach20

Same, really. My mother said he was a bit shifty to her.

Derbee

I wanted to keep them ivory but actually if they can’t be cleaned more than this I think best to dye. Not sure which colour. Unless I let him give them another go 😁😬🤪😂

OP posts:
NewFoneWhoDis · 25/09/2019 17:15

He probably just forgot to clean the shoes and tried to buy himself more time to do them but then your mother came in in the meantime and took them hence the second offer.

Having said that, sometimes I have had things put in to be cleaned and they've mentioned in passing that they gave the item a second clean as the first one didn't get all the stains out so it's obviously something that they do on a routine basis with heavily soiled items.

Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 25/09/2019 17:20

He probably just forgot to clean the shoes and tried to buy himself more time to do them but then your mother came in in the meantime and took them hence the second offer

It has to be this - he started the job yesterday/today but didn’t get to finish it. Your other explanation I don’t think makes sense because doing a second treatment 6 weeks later is surely not something someone would do (especially as people on here think 6 weeks is a life time in dry cleaning and the clothes then go to the dry cleaning graveyard!)

I want to thank everyone who also became hysterically invested in my shoes 🥰 I probably need to read fewer crime novels...

OP posts:
Original poster
crispysausagerolls · 25/09/2019 17:24

...it did all seem very suspicious though.

I’m still not sure why he lied about taking the ticket from me.

OP posts:
gubbsywubbsy · 25/09/2019 17:27

I used to own a chain of dry cleaners and got accused of this quite a lot over the years . I can assure you we made plenty of money , well enough to buy our own designer shoes so won't need to borrow yours ..
they are much more likely to be lost or misplaced but if that's the case he should have been honest . I was always honest and explained that if things went missing then they very likely went to someone else's house and they mostly bring them back ... it's unlikely a bride to be got your shoes , much more likely a single 50 year old man with no use for them .. I used to ask for the customers to give me a week and if this time they haven't turned up I would replace them..
what I find weird though if cleaning shoes .. it's not something we ever did and I'm not exactly sure what you paid for ..😬

gubbsywubbsy · 25/09/2019 17:33

I've just seen your pic .. they still look dirty and again I don't know what you have paid for . You can't put the shoes in the dry cleaner . You wouldn't be able to wash them and trainer whitener wouldn't work on that material 🤔🤔

Sagradafamiliar · 25/09/2019 17:46

They look watermarked and mouldy

manicmij · 25/09/2019 17:47

Think the cleaner may have messed up the job and is trying to sort out the damage. I may be too trusting of course especially as in a small village folk will talk and reputation will be damaged.

GabsAlot · 25/09/2019 17:48

I wouldnt feel mean he forgot and was trying to back track thats not good customer serivce

SirVixofVixHall · 25/09/2019 17:49

I don’t think he had cleaned them. They don’t look cleaned at all.

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