Prom Dress Disaster

[Promdisaster]

Sorry, this might be long as to not drip feed. Apologies but could really do with some advice.

Ordered a prom dress for my daughter. Paid around one third deposit. Dress arrived in the shop the week before prom date. Went to try on and collect, but dress was too big. Seamstress made some alterations and said it would be done in time, they were working through alterations in order of prom date and to keep an eye out for an email.

Around lunchtime the day before prom, I got a text from the prom shop saying they were delivering the dresses and asking what was the latest time they could deliver that night or from what time the next morning, so I said up to 10.30pm and from 6.30am next morning.

Got a text early the next morning saying the seamstress had collapsed overnight and gone into hospital and they were trying to find another seamstress but not to worry, the dress would be there ASAP.

I told them I needed the dress by 4pm latest as daughter was having friends round to get ready/photos, then being picked up by another mum to go to a pre prom party/photos before leaving at 6pm to go to the prom.

Eventually, after a couple of messages and a phone call, the prom lady turns up with dress at 5pm. She asked my daughter to try the dress on to make sure it fitted. I was more worried that the dress would be too small now that it had been altered, so when she got it on and it wasn't too small I said it was fine and I could tighten it in with the corset . We were so relieved she had a dress. At that moment the other mum turned up to take them to the preprom party so the prom lady left.

The mum at the preprom party messaged and said the dress was too big and she had tried to pin it in but the dress was still gaping round the chest area and too big round the waist. My daughter spent the whole night miserable in a dress that was too big and is sad when she sees all the photos of the girls looking beautiful in their lovely prom dresses. My daughter is not a promzilla is is the sweetest laid back girl.

I have now had a phone message and an email asking for the balance. I really feel that I dont want to pay for a dress that doesn't fit and ruined my daughter's evening. I want to give the dress back so they can resell it.

IABU - yes the dress was worn
IANBU - it wasn't my fault, the dress didn't fit.

@Heroicallyl0st
It had a corset back which takes ages to thread and tighten. The prom lady had already arrived an hour later than the latest deadline which made everyone late. The other mum had just turned up and I knew the prom lady had another dress to deliver. I was honestly not expecting the dress to still be too big. I ordered correct size, too big. Had alterations, still too big. I can only assume seamstress has rushed and not altered correctly. And if the prom lady had turned up before 4pm, I would have had time to do it up properly and could have told her it was too big. But what would they have done anyway? At that point there was no time for any other options!

You have no leg to stand on. You left saying the dress was fine so you accepted the alterations. And you would be obviously lying because what dress did you magic up since you were very clear how urgent the dress was. Sorry but this is on you. You should have noticed, or your dd who actually tried the dress on should have noticed.

Prom being an event you’re supposed to remember for the rest of your life!?

like it’s important? Like it matters? Oh come on! It’s JUST an end of school party! Wtaf have we done to our kids in allowing ourselves to get swept up in a load of American bullshit!

pre-pre prom party photos, pre-prom party, prom, after prom, hundreds spent on dresses, limos, hair, makeup, tans, nails, shoes….

this is totally out of control and another totally pointless Hallmark industry being created for no reason other than people to take our money.

Just tell her the dress wasn't made to measure as was the contract... Tell her dd wore it for photos and you are happy to hand it back for resale. You paid a deposit so she should be happy with that.

Pipe down fgs! They work hard at at school for years and then get a really good party to celebrate the end of that work, course they'll want to remember it. It'll probably be one of their best memories before the shower of shit that is adulthood awaits them. Get with the times, we want our children to have GOOD memories now.

I’m torn. Ordering a dress to arrive a week before is where you went wrong really. I was trying to get alterations on my daughters about 3 weeks before, having bought the dress in January and already being told the shop I used had ended its prom appointments (they took pity on me).

I had to call in a massive favour but the good alteration shops were laughing at me when I went in.

So I think you left it far too late overall; they shouldn’t have taken the alteration if they were overstretched to be fair. I’d speak to them about it see what they say.

Dear seamstress

Whilst I appreciate you endeavoured to deliver the dress on time we received it way after the originally agreed date and after the latest possible time I had specified.

As you had repeatedly promised to provide it before that time we had no further outfit arranged and were put under an inordinate amount of pressure to make a hasty decision without adequate time to check the fit (you kept emphasises you needed to leave- we did not even have time to do up the corset before you had to go to your next delivery!).

Unfortunately it transpired that the dress did not fir adequately leaving my daughter feeling exposed and having to hold it closed at the chest.

I am therefore not prepared to pay anything further as the work was not completed adequately or in a timely manner. In fact your delays led to an inordinate amount of stress and anxiety.

I am however happy to return the dress.

Best

OP

You sound terribly fun… 🥱

Sounds like absolute chaos your poor daughter I don't think delivering the dress on the day is acceptable let alone an hour after you needed it! And like you say even if you had said it was too big your daughter had no choice but to wear it anyway at that point!

I would reply to the email stating you are unhappy that the dress turn up late and you didn't have time to properly try it on as your daughters lift was waiting and the prom lady had another dress to deliver. I would also point out that even if you had time to properly try on the dress there was nothing they could have done as they had already delayed you by an hour. To be honest even if the dress did fit I still wouldn't be happy your daughter must have been stressing all day not knowing if it would even arrive!

I would try and be understanding that it's a busy time for them but maybe gently point out that they had taken on more business than they could handle and your daughter bared the consequences of this.

Like a previous poster said this is an awful way to run a business I wouldn't pay full price for that service (or lack of!)

Because rightly so the IPs daughter probably wanted to feel beautiful in her prom dress. Students wait a long time for prom to celebrate end of exams and school.

She's well within her right to feel miserable. Why wouldn't she?? What a strange comment.

OP, I wouldn't pay. Yes you accepted it but you didn't really have a choice with an hour to go. Dig your heels in and say she didn't wear the dress at all as it wasn't practical. *Or say she changed into something or came home early in tears etc

Not a chance I'd pay for the alterations.* Not sure I believe the collapse but if she did when running a business you cover all areas in events like this. *

Sounds like she took on too much work and didn't get round to altering your DDs dress!*

Wasn't the person who dropped it off supposed to do the fitting? If they had, they would have known that it didn't fit. Depending on how it looked, they may have been able to adjust (or not...). What was the alternative if it didnt fit? I imagine this was running through your daughter's head when she was in the loos trying it on.

I know its all good in hindsight, but if the dress needed significant changes a week before and was planned to be dropped the day before, you needed a back up plan- ie a second dress that could be returned if the first one didn't work out.

This

Sounds shit. They should definitely offer a partial refund. The deadlines and the obviously fabricated excuse were ridiculous.

I don't know why people faff about with made to measure dress for a prom though, it's not a wedding, just get something off the peg.

How miserable are you!

We had a leavers formal (ball) when I left school in 1987 so not a new thing.
OK we didn't have limos, fake tans, etc. but we did all have dresses made and hair appointments etc

I still look at the photos and smile. It's a big deal at that age and it does matter!

Send it back OP no further payment required. Wording up thread is perfect.

@RJnomore1
DD has a medical condition and has put on 3 stone in the last year due to medication. This is why I left it as long as I could and they knew this.

Problem is you accepted it and said it was fine

This

No, not this. Completely fucking incorrect.

We had a leavers formal (ball) when I left school in 1987 so not a new thing

Yes, we had one, and it was called a Prom, in 1992.

oh your poor daughter!
And I'm another one who doesn't believe the story of the collapsed seamstress. They had too much work on.

I think you need to email pointing out the dress arrived far too late, wasn't time for a proper try on and lace up of corset. It became apparent within short time of wearing that dress was gaping at the front and had to be pinned.
Therefore the dress DID NOT fit your daughter. Offer to return the dress.
Don't pay the rest as you daughter did not end up with a properly fitting dress.

Speak to the owner directly if you can. Take photos of DD wearing the dress and show the issue. Whilst sad that the seamstress
collapsed (apparently) it’s not actually your problem, harsh as it may sound. I’d agree to pay for half and no more. My feeling is they will try and use it against you that you said it was ok when they delivered it, be prepared for that. But I’d push back if possible. Do you have anyone who could write an official sounding email on your behalf mentioning contracts and agreements etc.?

I agree with mzhz to a certain extent, its all a lot of hullabaloo causing unnecessary stress, I would have just bought a dress from a 2nd hand shop or off the peg etc

The Consumer Rights Act (2015) makes your rights as a consumer easier to understand and covers online shopping as well as goods and services bought in shops. If you've bought something and it's broken, doesn't work, or isn't what you'd expected, find out here when you can claim, and who can help you with your complaint.

Buying products

What are your rights?

You can make a claim for a refund, repair or replacement when the product you've bought (it could be an object or a service) doesn't meet these three standards:

Satisfactory quality: The product shouldn't be damaged or faulty when you receive it.

Fit for purpose: You should be able to use it for what the seller says it will do (its purpose), whether that's their statement when you buy it, or an answer to your question. For instance, a tin opener should open tins.

As described: It should match its description when you bought it. For example, something sold as made of metal shouldn't be mainly plastic, or clothes shouldn't be a different size.

If a service isn't provided 'with reasonable care and skill' or 'as agreed', the provider must bring it into line with what was agreed with the customer. If this isn't practical, such as when a haircut's too short, they must give some money back.

I would ask for a discount, they left no time for a proper appraisal of if the dress fit.
You paid for alterations then you pay to have the dress fit, what would they have done if you said no it doesn’t fit. They had not left enough time to fulfil their end of the contract- having said that, it has now been worn so I think handing it back is not an option.
I would offer part payment.

@Forestgate @DasGirl @frozenblueberry
Thank you for your email suggestions.

I agree it was stressful and chaotic, but doesn't change the fact that you accepted and used the dress for the occasion.

You say you thought you could pull it in tighter. Either you didn't attempt this and left it to the other (perhaps less capable) mother, or did attempt it but didn't notice it still didn't fit.

Personally, if I knew a week prior that the dress wasn't ready, I'd have had a contingency plan.

From a consumer law perspective you accepted the dress, contract fulfilled. You do not have any legal right to not pay for the dress or to return it. If you do not pay the agreed price for the dress you are the one in breach of contract. However, you may be able to negotiate with the supplier due to your bad experience. Many decent businesses do things "as a goodwill gesture" that they do not have to to ensure customers are happy and they keep their good reputation. I would suggest that you do not go in all guns blazing as you are not in the right here (legally), I would also resist the temptation to post anything on social media that could be viewed as libel. For those who are suggesting that you didn't have a choice but to accept it sorry, that is not how the law works. I know prom is a huge deal for the kids and it is such a shame that your daughter didn't have a good night but now I would go with "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar".