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.

Your poor DD. I was at a (minor) event last week and my neckline was too deep and I felt super conscious and uncomfortable. I didn't realise it till I was at the event. That was totally my fault though. Id had ages to try on the dress.

You had planned it all out very sensibly but then they kept pushing the deadline out again and again, which you accepted our of goodwill (and desperation I assume. Who wants to go prom dress hunting the previous evening). Then they arrived later than even their already late time. I assume your daughter was freaking out at this stage wondering if the dress would arrive rather than being able to look forward to the big event. When it finally arrived the dress lady was in a hurry and you were in s hurry anyway as it was so late so you thought it was probably good enough enough you could make Do. It wasn't good enough and for no fault of yours or your daughter's she was miserable and uncomfortable.

I'm rehashing it here what happened because some people don't seem to understand why this service you received wasn't good enough.

I'd ask for at least a partial refund and then use that to buy your daughter something nice.

The seamstress clearly took on too much work but I think you left it way too late for alterations. Even if they altered it to how you wanted it, it may still have needed altering further at the fitting. You didn't give yourself any wiggle room with this.

@Rosehugger
Thank you very helpful

You obviously have a terrible memory for what it’s like to be a 15 year old girl!!!

I don’t think you are being unreasonable. I think you should email them and include some photos showing that it is too big and reiterate that it was delivered an hour after the deadline and that you didn’t have time to fully asses it. They haven’t fulfilled their side of the agreement fundamentally.

"I said it was fine and I could tighten it in with the corset"

I think any compensation you receive will be entirely goodwill.

In hindsight you should have got your DD to try on the dress there and then. Its really disappointing though. You should get a refund fof the whole cost never mind not pay the outstanding amount.

Excellent response.

I feel very sorry for your daughter. Whatever anyone else says about prom not being important, for a 16 year old who has looked forward to it for ages, seen older girls go before her, it really is. It’s her last real memory of school and she felt uncomfortable and unable to relax in a dress that didn’t fit.

Tbh they didn't deliver what you wanted OR or when you wanted it.

You also didn't have an alternative for prom starting 2hrs later. I think this is important given you took it.

They brought it late ( 5pm)so you didn't have time to check it and you were under massive pressure to say it's fine.

I'd say it is their problem to suck up and I'd say they won't be surprised if you get in touch.

I would 100% not be paying for the dress.

I don’t know why so many people are willing to put up with awful service!

If you don’t make a stand - come next prom there may well be another girl who has her night ruined by the same problem.

In the email I would state the following facts:

• The dress was delivered late so you didn’t have time to do a proper fitting before the seamstress left
• The dress didn’t fit properly and your daughter didn’t enjoy her night as a result
• You understand there was a problem with the seamstress but they assured you it would be fine.

Because you didn’t get what you’re meant to be paying for (a proper fitting dress), you won’t be paying for it.

OP I really sympathise and I'm sorry your DD felt so self conscious all evening.

DD's prom dress was a bit crumpled so we took it to be professionally steamed... picked it up the day before the prom and they had burnt it right in the middle of the chest! Not possible to wear it - far too obvious. They offered to dry clean it to try to get it out but we'd not have been able to pick up until the day after prom.

Finally went shopping and managed to get something pretty. Not exactly what she had envisaged though. I just gritted my teeth and was grateful I had some savings. I think lady in shop felt sorry for her - sobbing teen on day of prom itself - because she told us it was end of line and applied a huge discount thank goodness. She also produced a very pretty hair clip and threw it in.

Now in massive argument with ironing shop which is likely to end up in small courts claim.. Prom seems to be so important and the dress even more so

Imagine if this was your wedding day and your wedding dress - then you might be more understanding of why this is an issue!

Because she will have felt self conscious, like most people feel when they aren’t happy with their appearance. She will have also felt disappointed because she was looking forward to it and it didn’t go to plan. All of these emotions are acceptable, I would feel the same as an adult, I imaging a teenager going through a big change in life would feel it more intensely.

Bearing in mind obviously your daughters weigh is fluctuating with the medication then are you absolutely sure the dress wasn’t taken in to her size a week before?

Its a real shame she’s not been comfy in it on the night.

Have you met any teenage girls?

You accepted the dress as 'fine' based on being able to tighten it up with the corset.

I 100% think that at this point, if the seamstress had not been stressed and late then she herself would have insisted on seeing to it that the corset did indeed do up tight enough to take up the slack.

The only think I think you did wrong was to not call them immediately on the night and say there was an issue and what did they suggest.

The seamstress delivering had an obligation in my mind to check the dress but because of how tight their schedule was did not give themselves enough time to do so.

I do like to think they are telling the truth about the unwell seamstress and sympathise but they still should have delivered the dress as measured.

I don't understand why she was "miserable" because of a slightly too big dress.

Seriously. 🙄There's always one.

They fucked up getting a dress to you with a 'corset' ( time consuming) an hour late.

And then needing to dash off to another customer.

Sorry it's crap.

Sounds very shoddy service.

With it only being ready a week before it was leaving it very tight to get alterations done I would have thought.

Delivering on the day with no chance to alter if not right-ridiculous!

Had it even been altered from the first time it was tried on?

Does this also apply to people that have birthday parties, weddings, christenings, Christmas dinner, funerals?

or just the parties that celebrate what is likely to be their biggest achievement to date (their GCSEs finishing)

@StoppinBy
It wasn't the seamstress that delivered but the prom shop owner or assistant. My point is that I didn't have time to do up the corset properly in front of her as there were people turning up at the door and she was saying how late she was with delivering another dress. If she had arrived earlier as asked and promised there would have been time for my DD to try her dress on properly.

This

I'd email putting across everything that was wrong like you have on here say your completely not happy with the service and with it being rushed you didn't have time to do anything else on the night it was west that dress or nothing and see what they come back with but I would not be paying on full for it!

Delivering a dress ONE HOUR before an event where the customer has no alternative to accept and wear the dress, in whatever state, is not sufficient time for the seamstress to argue that they have accepted the dress as satisfactory. If they''d had it two weeks before then fine.

If you buy something in a shop and discover it's faulty when you get home it doesn't stop you taking it back and getting it repaired/exchanged/refunded because you "accepted it as fine in the shop."

If you have something delivered to home you don't have to examine it on the doorstep and then are not able to return it because "you accepted it as fine on the doorstep."

Seriously, know your consumer rights, people.