SHame ON MARTINS - you screwed trusting brides any other stories from BMORE?

[mad bride]

I too am a Maryland bride. I went to Martins because it was advertised in several bridal magazines and supposedly had been in buisness for a while. I liked that they were a full service shop offering alterations. I ordered my gown in May. On June 11, I brought my mother in to see the sample of my gown. They told me my estimated arrival date was in September. No warning from them that they were going to close. They even had my mom pay for a $150 veil that they were going to order for me too. No phone calls, no letters to me yet. I now have to wait for ups to see what my "comperable" package is. Don't know if I have the same rights as DBS customers.

[mad bride]

Now I am an even madder bride. My ups package arrived. Totally not the dress I ordered. I had ordered a Christina Wu aline with narrow beading and embroidery on the bust band and hem. I got an multi colored heavily emboridered empire waist dress with a size tag but no manufacturer label. Will not fit a petite person like me. I called Jacqueline and the rep was very nice and helpful. Here's the deal. I ordered the dress May 7th. Martins placed the order on May 13th. They the voided the order on June 2nd. When I went to the store in June 11th, they did not tell me any of this, but claimed that the order was in place and my dress was due to arrive Sept 3rd. They totally lied to me and then proceeded to take more money from my mother. Jacqueline has no order for me and my dress is not being made. Martins STOLE my money and told me lies. They must have known they were going to close when I went there in June if they had already voided my order. And then to see them take money from my mom and other brides that were there that day. Shame on them!

[MAD GROOM]

WE went to Martin's in Baltimore because the name had been around for a long time and didnt want to use a fly by nite or mom or pop bridal store for this very fear so now we are out the money and what goes around will come around to you fsbs owners who are taking advantage of good consumers and abusing brides caught in the middle ....

[willingtohelp]

Where do you live? I had previously ordered a Christina Wu gown for my wedding and ended up breaking up with my fiance. The dress was already paid for, but I have never worn it. It sounds very similar to the one that you are describing. It is a size 8 gown, white, with the beading at the top bust line band and along the bottom and train. When is your wedding? I will see what I can do to help you. I had taken my dress to a consignment shop about a year ago, but the best of my knowledge it has never sold and my contract is up with them this month. You can contact me offline if you would like. My email is:

[email protected]

Good luck!

[MAD GROOM]

I am figuring at least some of you guys dealt with distributors my problem is my fiancee went directly to MArtins on june 11th, they took her order and 481 dollars and some change and tried to push her into paying for the whole thing up front and she refused thank god and now the problem is the wedding is 13 weeks away and the dress she ordered has 16 week leadtime and now we are out money and the dress she spent 15 months looking for andhad her heart set on on june 11th they had to have known at MArtins this was coming and they willingly took her money and because Martins had been so longstanding she did so in good faith ... so shame on you dbs / Martins for screwing loyal area customers who trusted you ....

good luck to all brides i know my fiancee is truly apprehensive about giving any one any money for a dress she cant walk out of the store with immediatley after this ...

[SaraK]

Who are you referring to? What FSBS is abusing you?

What all brides caught up in the DBS nightmare want are for the FSBS to use their relationships with designers and pull strings to get you your gowns in a hurry. And then you want them to do it for you for free because you made bad choices when you ordered the first time around. You don't want to pay them for their time, or any of their expenses in helping you out of your mess. How selfish is THAT? Do you not understand how business works?

No FSBS's policy was ever to sell a gown at wholesale prices leaving them with absolutely no profit margin to pay their utilities, payroll, business expenses, etc. Perhaps that is why they are still there for you to call now that you are in crisis and Martins is not.

Be mad at Martins. Absolutely. But where is this attack on FSBS coming from?

Rushing dresses from a designer costs a premium. Plain and simple. Prove that even ONE FSBS has upped their normal prices (meaning they are charging a DBS bride MORE than they would have charged anyone else to get the same dress in the same time frame) and I'll jump on your bandwagon. But as far as I can see, you're just mad that they won't give you something for nothing.

[MAD GROOM]

There have been several FSBS charging a surcharge on the dress and that is wrong and it isnt a rush charge it is a yes we will get it you are going to pay for the dreess the rush and a surcharge and shame on you for going to martins the dress designer we went to had a 5 stars by martins not alot of the fsbs that the brides are being sent to now