help which store is right or wrong

amesharpe · February 24, 2009

I was shopping for a dress yesterday for my best friend and MOH who is getting married in September. We found a dress that was in a trunk show the previous weekend and fell in love with it.

The store really tried to pressure her into buying the dress or at least put a non-refundable deposit that day insiting that the dress was being shipped to another store the next day for another trunk show and that as soon as the dress left the store they would no longer be able to put in an order for said dress. Of course she received a call today saying that she had to make a deposit today to ensure that she could order the dress.

Here's the thing. There are only two stores in Illinois that actually carry this designer. We called the other store and they informed us that that specific dress is not being cut anymore by the designer. They think that the other store is being "shady" and probably selling her the actual dress she tried on and not really ordering one from the designer.

which is fine, that just means she has more room to negotiate with respect to pricing.

my question is....have any of you dealt with something like this? I've tried to contact the designer directly but we're kind of on a time crunch. The pressure is on if you know what I mean.

what would you girls do?

JulieG · February 24, 2009

I would call the store and tell them exactly what you told us, that you looked into it and they are not being honest. I would say that if the dress is being sold off the rack than she deserves a discount. If she can not get a discount, then she is not interested in the dress and will find something else at another store. Go that route and see what they say. I personally would not buy a dress from this store because they lied to me. I would find something else I loved somewhere else.

amesharpe · February 24, 2009

Thanks for the input. That's the route I think we're headed. We just called another store in NYC and they confirmed that the dress is discontinued.

I told my girlfriend to get the courage to call the store back and tell them that we know the dress is discontinued and that they are trying to sell us the dress in the store. Which we'd be willing to work with provided there was a serious discount.

The dress started out at $2500 and they and they knocked it down to $1850. I personally tell her to just forget it except it looks AMAZING on her. It's so unique. I told her to offer $500 in cash and see what they say. It's such a small size and a really different dress I'm think they'll have a hard time getting rid of it.

thanks again, I'll let you know how it all turns out