To think the dry cleaners lent out my shoes?!

[crispysausagerolls]

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?!

Oh no! Hope you get them back op.

@FreshwaterBay

No I am not your dry cleaner. But you miss the point along with the rest of us!!

It's more likely he fucked the shoes up and didn't bargain on you coming back after six weeks and he's buying some time. I once worked in a dry cleaners.

We did some bad things.

They are very beautiful shoes.
My dry cleaners denied ever having had my rather expensive coat , even though they had telephoned me the month before to tell me it was ready. My father died, so I was late collecting it, but the woman was horrible to DH and insisted they had never had it ! I had lost my ticket, and as I was grieving I just left it, but I assume they put it on ebay.

dayswithaY

Sounds like that would be an excellent thread all on its own - “terrible things we did at my old job!” Great to get input from a pro in the field!

If he ruined them shouldn’t he reimburse me?

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/dry-cleaner/

Oh I'm on tenterhooks now. I need to know the shoes are safe.

SirVixofVixHall

How awful!

Did you do anything about it?

The thing that’s sad is i wouldn’t even want the money - I want them because they are my wedding shoes 😞

I hope you get them back they are lovely.

Hope you get them back safe. I think he's lost or sold them.

Shamelessly following this to see what happens........

I'm really not a dry cleaning expert, just worked there for a while. Yes he should reimburse you but at this stage it's your word against his. Not sure about the "special whitener" for fabric shoes either. I'm imagining Tippex. Anyway, I'm sure we're all getting carried away and you will get them back.

My money would be in him having taken them home for his wife thinking they hadn’t been picked up. Now he needs to get them back to his shop and ensure they are clean before you return next week

Just go in tomorrow and ask for them back. If he tries to fob you off again tell him you trust the first clean he gave them will suffice and ask to see them to check. If he still fobs you off just refuse to leave without your shoes. Bring your mother with you if she's likely to kick up more of a fuss.

I really hope you get them back OP. Please let us know what happens if you go back in tomorrow? Personally I couldn’t leave it a week and if it was me I would 100% take my Mum with me! She would get an answer!!

I do hope your (scary) DM goes in tomorrow and gets the shoes back, perfectly clean and intact. What a shame if they have been sold on, or given away.

I do have a favorite drycleaner story to share, if it will make you smile.

Had a beautiful cream linen jacket - designer, very expensive (for me) that had a coffee stain on the lapel. I was out of town on business, and forgot about it for a couple of weeks, but finally had my DH take it in to be cleaned. Went back for it a week later, and the guy said "Tell your wife I am a dry cleaner. Not a magician."

Stain still the same as when it went to him. Jacket binned, as ruined.

I never sent anything back to the failed magician. :)

2018SoFarSoGreat

Did make me smile, thank you! And sorry about your jacket😭

I have messaged my mother and I hope she’s available!

I put a pair of £180 LK Bennet shoes into a Dress Agency, i got them back clearly having been worn with small scuffs etc. They saïd they had probably been worn at their charity fashion show.

I can't see anything dodgy going on if it's such a small village, they wouldn't risk it but they might've forgotten to clean them

For goodness sake, the hysteria on this thread.

I live in a village.people do work for me then invoice it weeks/ possibly months later. That’s generally how villages work, there’s a level of trust and they self regulate

I appreciate PRADA ( 🤨) is involved here, but for goodness sake establish the facts and then deal from there. If there is any wrongdoing involved then deal with it firmly, but first establish the facts.

The level of hysteria that is currently being generated on some of the threads is ridiculous.

Maybe the weird loook was guilt ....from wearing them himself...ya never know

Sold or he didn't know where they
Were. Fingers crossed.

It does sound dodgy, but if he has lent them or given them to someone else, he's had time tonight to get them back.

Hope you get your shoes back . Am I the only one who thinks 6 weeks is a fairly long time to not return to collect your item,surely there must be a collection time frame