Have brought a wedding dress and now they want to charge me storage

[jellyjelly]

Have brought a dress from a shop near to where i live, they are authorised retailers. I was told to allow for about 6 months and the dress was maybe going to be discontinued so i ordered and paid half or it in September. Have since paid off a bit more. I am due to go (22nd Dec) and have a fitting to get it measured more for the wedding in July 06.

They have basically said 'can i take it away as it will be ready as is taking up their room'.

When we ordered it we asked if they could keep it for us until nearer the wedding. They said yes no problem.

Are they able to do this (charge for storage) as this is what they intend to do? Have had a look at the receipt but it says nothing about it.

Any legal people out there that can answer for me.

bump anyone?

why can't you store it yourself? I'd want it in case it got lost or something?

Many brides in this area have had to fork out for second wedding dresses as a couple of bridal shops have gone into liquidation. They had paid for the dresses in full and the shop was storing them until nearer the wedding. Unless you are absolutely certain that the shop is rock solid, I'd be tempted to take it as soon as it is ready and store it at home.

I havent got the room nor have i got family that are willing to take it.

Does anyone know if they can do this?

they should really have made any charges crystal clear up front. They have no obligation to store the dress for you, but you might not have bought it from them if you had realised that you would have to pay for that service.
Can you ring Trading Standards at the council, they could advise you best, I think.

It is quite standard to charge for storage of wedding dresses although the charge is usually minimal. Helps cover insurance of dresses if stolen or fire/flood etc.

I've never heard of them asking you to have it. When my sister got married the shop kept her dress and my bridesmaid's dress right up to 2 weeks before so that they could alter them at the fitting. Then my parents kept them at thier house. If everyone had to take them home their other halves might find them!!

but jelly bought the dress early because the shop advised her to do so, without explaining that she would have to pay extra for storage. Maybe they assumed that everyone knew that, but I wouldnt have guessed - I would certainly have assumed that an expensive dress would be ready for me to pick up at my convenience, not theirs.

I wouldn't have thought it.. unless they mentioned it at the time of purchase.. the store Ibought mine in kept it right up until the Eve of my wedding. The place my sister bought hers is keeping hers and the b'maid dresses until they get fitted and also said it is ok to wait until 2 days before the wedding to pick them up! (and thats not until July '06)

Having said that, I don't know anything about the legalities of this.. but I would just assume they couldn't charge you to store it.. I could be wrong though

Thanks for all your replies, when i spoke to them about me coming in for my first fitting in a couple of weeks they said that this was a new policy that they will be introducing and we will discuss it on my first fitting and i was told that they could keep it there till the wedding when we went to choose.

Anyone?

No idea about the legal position but surely your contract with them was entered into before they changed this policy therefore you are subject to the old policy. Perhaps remind them of this. Try telling them that you live with your partner in a one bedroom flat with no close family who could help.

However, do you really want people looking after your wedding dress who feel like you've forced their hand?