PDA

View Full Version : Pearl's Place in Louisiana



maryjoy
10-07-2000, 02:40 PM
Has anyone ever used them? They had the dress I want for about 1/3 less than the boutiques. But I'm based in California and the idea of paying so much to have a dress shipped without an actual fitting by the place scares me.

Any feeback?

bobb
10-07-2000, 06:32 PM
I was quoted only $12.00 to ship to me in Nevada. I even have the reciept...what were you quoted?

sallyw2
10-08-2000, 09:31 AM
We got my daughter's dress from Pearl's and they only charged $10 to ship it to Florida. It came in a month early and every thing was fine. My daughter found the dress at a local bridal salon , they figured the size she needed and we ordered it from Pearls (without telling the salon, of course!). She has to have some minor alterations but is having it done by a local seamstress who was recommended.

maryjoy
10-10-2000, 11:56 AM
>I was quoted only $12.00 to
>ship to me in Nevada.
> I even have the
>reciept...what were you quoted?

They quoted $12 shipping to CA.

Since I last posted, I talked to someone else from PP over the phone and I asked to get ANYTHING in writing other than the order slip (i.e. return policies, shipping guarantee,
etc.) She said that there were no returns and that "I'm just going to need to trust them as far as shipping." What the hell is that about? I'm gonna send $ to someone and have NOTHING in print to guarantee that I will receive the dress within the 3 months they verbally told me?

I've read good & bad posts about PP (mostly good), but this whole thing about shelling out $ with no written guarantee on anything scares me. The lady said "I know it's a little scary to do things over the Internet but we've been doing this for 31 years so we know what we're doing."

~ Joy who doesn't know if she should order from PP

seline
12-09-2000, 02:37 PM
I love Pearl's Place. My gown, friends, relatives and all have not had a single problem with their service or delivery, not one.

I think they are great.

Seline

umd98
12-10-2000, 05:17 PM
I would be VERY weary of using Pearl's Place. I have a good friend who ordered a dress from there, extremely satisfied with their service until.....She ordered the dress in January, the wedding was June 26th, 2000 and the dress arrived around June 12th. It arrived in the wrong color (white not ivory), it was a Maggie Sottero, so we are not talking a cheap dress and the colors are very distinguishable. Pearl's Place insisted it was what she ordered and told her she was a lying about what color she ordered it in because it only came in one color and the sample she tried on in the store was dirty, not ivory. Well because this was only about two weeks or so before the wedding the girl had to go with it. As she is standing there crying and getting fitted another customer walks in the store and says "oh look you have my dress, but mine is ivory!" My friend says they told me it only comes in one color and the other customer said "No, it comes in white and ivory." Pearl's Place refused to refund her money and they are still battling that out. We live in Northeastern Louisiana which is about 4.5 hours from New Orleans, so I would just be extremely cautious about this place. Even on this website there are too many mixed reactions to this store and I tend to believe all the bad experiences as a common occurance.

nicole
12-11-2000, 07:17 PM
My sister recently bought her wedding dress (she got married 9/30/00) there and had no problems...She knew what size she needed having been fitted at a local bridal shop. I believe shipping for her dress to CA was $12 plus no tax. We also ordered all 4 bridesmaid dresses without a problem. We had them all shippped to one house and only paid $12 for all of them. My experience with them has been very positive. My sister also had friends that've ordered there dresses from them without any problems.

MEILIN
12-24-2000, 11:57 AM
I would have no idea at all, as to what that other bride is speaking of. My family, myself and about 10 friends have both purchased gowns and maids in their store and on the web. All have been very satisfied, with both instore service and on the web. Very fast delivery and absolutely great service.

You may email me if you want references [email protected]

MeiLin

alyssanar
01-04-2001, 12:45 PM
Wonderful references. I will be visiting their store this weekend, driving from Houston, Texas to see several clients and a workshop there. But does anyone work? In New Orleans, I think not!! I will pass on my observations on the store. Hope to find my gown there.

StockPicker

alyssanar
01-16-2001, 11:56 AM
My experience during my visit.

Dear Windsorpeak,

I know that this is not your name, but your book is at home.
Given your email by Fred at Pearl's Place I wanted to let you
in on my bridal gown experiences. I live in Houston, Texas and
travel to Louisiana often. The noted store Louise Blum-located
in the Houston Galleria-just next to my office building. Had
two appointments there, both ran late and they are so rude, to
say the least. The last was a trunk show for the Amsale line
and was that a disaster.

I knew that I would be traveling to New Orleans at the beginning
of January on business. I visited Pearl's Place and at first
was upset there also. Store was crowded, on a Saturday and no
appointments were provided. But I waited. I was a little taken
aback by being asked "are you planning to purchase your gown
here?" I later understood this, as many brides were just there
to try on dresses and not purchase there, but go back to their
hometowns. I felt a little embarrassed for the sales help, as
they were working so very hard. Especially Courtney, who is
very patient and helpful. I want to keep this brief so I will
say that I came with one gown in mind, they had it, and left
with another that I thought I wanted and was confused.

I regularly have lunch with a number of reporters and writers
of the Houston Chronicle, local Houston paper. I do a monthly
thing on investing. I was amazed that out of 6 friends with
that paper 4 had purchased from Pearl's. I resolved to go back
there, as service in Houston is so awful. I flew the first time
but found 3 friends who wanted to drive. It is about 400 miles
there and 400 miles back from where we live in west Houston.
Came on Friday 1/12/01, and review all of the gowns. Elaine
was right the Melissa Sweet I had dreamed of just did not look
as good as the gown she suggested. Well I found my gown, I could
go into great detail about gowns hunting in other cities, Houston,
Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and New York, but I will not. One of
my friends also returned and ordered a Carolina Herrera gown.
All service was just amazing. If I were ever to open a bridal
business, this is the type I would have, busy, hectic and helpful
and concerned about brides. Yes they try to sell. They should
as customers that have not a whim to purchase there but waste
the sales staff's time repeatedly abuse them. I asked one person,
"Why are you doing this?" Her reply was " I am here because
they have the gowns, I will go and order closer to home."

Why do you think these selfish people waste a store's time?
Finally-on my departure I noticed a beautiful hairpin in the
case. I asked Courtney and Elaine the price, and found it wrapped
and placed in my purse as a thank you for driving so far and
all of the business we brought to the store. My other friends.not
engaged as yet will come here also, I know.

Wonderful store in my opinion. A letter I sent to Bridal Gown Guide.

onalee
02-20-2001, 10:36 PM
Based on the positive things I've read on these message boards I decided to order a gown from Pearl's. I got quotes from all the internet sites in the Bridal Bargains book, Pearl's was the second cheapest by about $15.00. However, when I called to place the order, I was told that the size 18 I need is considered an extra price size, and that I would therefore incur a $170 surcharge. When I expressed some shock at that, Elaine immediately offered to reduce that to $125. Not only do I think that figure is an absurd amount to charge for the extra size, the quick offer to negotiate the figure made me think they were being very sleazy about it. Price gouging is the the phrase that comes to mind. I checked back to all the other sites for plus size charges and none came close to what Pearl's was going to charge me. I am now planning to place my order with Wedding Expressions, who is charging $30 for the extra size. I also must place some blame on the designer for this oversize scheme. In normal clothes I would wear a 12 or 14, but the Maggie Sottero chart puts me in an 18, which is the size at which the extra size fees kick in.

NewOrleansBride
09-24-2001, 04:01 PM
I've found the following information about Pearl's Place by disgruntled brides:

From NewOrleansBride:
"I have never been treated as poorly in my life at ANY place of business as I was at Pearl's Place, Metairie, LA.
1. There is never anyone in the store available to help you. It is too rushed an atmosphere for any bride to feel confident that her needs will be met. Mine certainly weren't.

2. The salespeople and owners are rude. I was called "vicious" by the owner of the store. What kind of monster calls a BRIDE vicious at the store she already plunked down money for a dress at?

3. They do not do alterations. I know they claim to do alterations free with dress purchase, but my dress did not change one iota in the month that it took to "alter" it. The only thing that needed letting out was the shoulders, and I have not grown there so there is no excuse for pretending to alter my dress.

4. They do not exchange ill-fitting items for ones of the correct size. I would never have bought anything there if I had known that they wouldn't exchange it for the right size. I bought shoes from them. When they came in, they were boats on my feet. I am aware that they have a "no-returns" policy, but I just wanted to exchange sizes! They told me that I could buy another pair. It wasn't until I had complained to the Better Business Bureau that they exchanged the shoes.

5. When I came back to the store to try on my "altered" dress, nobody helped me. Once they have your money, you are no longer important. I actually left the store with my wedding gown and nobody noticed.

Please do not go through what I've been through. I've never been through such a terrible experience with a business in my life. I spoke to two other recent brides in my office and they had similar experiences. (One didn't even get her dress until one week prior to her wedding, even though she ordered it a YEAR in advance!)

I will not take my dress back in for steaming. I'd rather pay more than have to be that stressed over something so important.

That's my advice to brides. I was bargain hunting just like everyone else, but I shouldn't have done it for a dress. The service GOOD bridal salons provide is worth the few extra bucks."


From Nikki921:
"They were very disorganized and not very nice when I tried on dresses there. I called the day before I went and they said "no you don't need an appointment" but told me when I got there I should have had one. Also, I called the day before to see if they had a specific dress in stock and they said yes we do and I told them I would be by to try it on the next day. And low and behold the dress was nowhere to be found when I got there. Terrible service"

From CaliBride:
"I agree that Pearl's Place doesn't give a *hit about anything but your $$. I called to get a price quote because they emailed me saying they could not provide one unless I called. So I called...long distance. I was first placed on hold formore then 5 minutes before anyone even asked what I needed. I told them I was calling for a price quote and they said Oh, you aren't calling to make a purchase?. When I said no I needed a quote first, I was place on hold for another 10 minutes (keep in mind I am calling long distance from CA which I told them as soon as they answered the phone)and then when the lady came back to me she says Oh, your still holding, let me see of someone has time for you.After another minutes I hung up and emailed the owner. I asked that they please give me an email quote because I was calling long distance and kept getting put on hold. They didn't even bother to read my email and I just sent me back a form letter email. I suggest anyone with gripes re:Pearl's Place post them on the BridalGown.com message boards as this seems to be the only place that will have any affect on them."

NewOrleansBride
09-28-2001, 08:32 AM
Hi everyone, I got this reply to a posting on another board...
You received the following message from : MargoWoods ([email protected])

At: http://www.blissweddings.com/forums/

I totally agree with your statement regarding Pearl's Place in Metairie. My
daughter recently stood in one of her girlfriends weddings. The bridesmaid's
dress was from Pearl's Place so naturally my daughter who attends ULL in
Lafayette had to rush in to do anything regarding her dress. They were not the
least bit accomodating. Her dress needed alterations and since it was chiffon we
decided it was best to let the store handle the alterations. BIG mistake, the
hem was horrid ! Shortened , yes, but the hem was twisted and frayed
unbelievebly. Since that wedding my daughter has recently announced her
engagement. We will never step foot in their place of business again. Buyers
BEWARE!