A letter to brides and DBS dealers

[Debra Goldwater]

Deb, I commend you for sticking up for your parents, and I want you to know that I am very sad that things happened this way. I have learned so much from my years with DBS that I will take with me, and I am grateful. I have many happy memories of being with Lenny and Sandy, and all the girls at the service center too.
I understand it is hurtful to you and I am sure to them but please understand how the dealers are feeling, so left out in the cold. We did not see this coming. Maybe we were a bit naive. I loved my association with DBS, and I worked very hard for both DBS and myself. I am just a very disappointed. Maybe if we knew more we could have done something, I don't know.
I know it is not my responsibility but I am personally paying for my brides to get the dresses they ordered, I figure I will be out about $10,000. I just cannot leave my brides and I intend to come out of this, and to continue my business however I can.
As for the "comparable" dresses. So far they have not even been close, and one girl even had the word "sample" stamped on the back of her dress. Unfortunatley their intention to send a gift to the brides has not been well received by them at all.
Many dealers, including myself are putting out the fires and getting on with our businesses and our lives.
I wish you well.
Debra Goldwater

[Debra Goldwater]

WE GET YOUR POINT BUT TO POST IN REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE WHEN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SUBJECT IS WRONG. WHY YOU FELT A NEED TO REPLY TO ALMOST EVERY POST IS ALSO WRONG. WE ARE ALL VICTIMS HERE, SO HOORAY FOR YOU FOR POINING OUT HOW GREAT YOU ARE. AND AS FOR BEING FAIR TO BRIDES, WELL THAT IS WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM FOR MORE THAN ONE KIND OF BUSINESS AND MORE THAN ONE KIND OF BRIDE. THIS IS AMERICA! GET OVER YOURSELF!

THIS MESSAGE BOARD WAS SET UP TO HELP BOTH THE BRIDES AND DBS DEALERS, IT IS NOT AN ADVERTISING POST FOR YOU!

[Real Bridal shop owner]

I am not advertising. Did you see my name? NO!
You missed the whole point. FSBS are not here to rip off brides. Martins Bridal/DBS ripped off brides and their dealers!
As far as room, I aggree. Competition is good for everyone and every business. But to sell they way DBS did it was wrong. I can not go out and buy Sony directly or Chrysler or Toro. I am not a authorized retailer. Why, they has set rules that you have to be approved for. As a matter of fact, there some designers who will not sell to me because of my location to other stores, our size and then designers we now carry. So there are rules in every industry that all have to abide by.
And as far as my multiple posting, I feel I had too since the owner of this message board is out to spread false truths regarding the industry and in my opinion is a hypocrite.

[Lori former DBS dealer]

The finger pointing and back stabbing sadly will continue on within the bridal industry long after this disaster is over. The sad truth is DBS dealers are facing financial ruin, lost businesses, damaged reputation and emotional devastation for what????...working hard to earn a honest living and personal job satisfaction.....the same motivation why a bridal shop owner gets out of bed each day.

[JoAnne Schnepp]

There you go again. YOU are not in the discussion with the attitude of 'What's the RIGHT thing to do'. You are only here to 'bash' the Fields because they are consumers advocates for the brides.

When it comes to where you can buy a Sony product or a Chrysler product....the PUBLIC can go shop among all those retail outlets, compare prices and then buy from the one who will give them the best deal. If they all are mandated by the manufacturer to sell at the same price...then the decision will be made based on service, or based on payment plans or simply based on covenienience to the buyer. It might be location or the 'niceties' in the store etc or the friendliness of the employees or the other products they can save money on while there...MANY different things!

BUT...in this case....DBS had Martins. It WAS authorized and the plan they created with manufacturers WAS with the agreement of the manufacturers...even if they tried to keep the fSRS from knowing it!

ONE of the major advantages of being a DBS dealer is that I could get a gown from over 150 different manufacturers most of the time since 1999...so I could help any bride with any gown. As you said, the bridal shop is limited in how many they can deal with due to costs.

Perhaps your wrath should be at THEM for being so willing to negotiated such deals with DBS and take so much money from them over the years, while mandating that YOU have to purchase with minimums and replace stock twice a year!

And, when we and the Fields...speak negatively about bridal shops...it's the ones who remove tags, over price the gowns, substitute a lesser gown that is a copy and then sell it for the price of the one the bride THINKS she is getting...etc. that is being discussed. If you are NOT one of those...if all your gowns had their hang tags, brand names in them, and you were willing to tell your bride the style number when ever one asked...and your markups were reasonable....then no one is talking about you or your shop!

No one is making unconditional statements about everyone in general. If you read the Fields books, you would see that they simply tell the bride what to watch out for, what questions to ask and alert them to beware that SOME shops do these things. Perhaps someday they will do a book on all the retail bridal salons in the major cities and report on who is running their businesses in an ethical, moral fashion and is starting everyday with the thought: "What is the RIGHT Thing to Do"? And then the brides who want all the benefits of the full service shop will flock to those and give them their business and they will thrive. BUT....there will ALWAYS be brides who want to shop for a bargain, and there will always be discounters, and there will always and forever more be internet shopping....and I daresay, there will always be agreements made with these entities by the bridal manufacturers too. It is the nature of business and our lifestyles.

Personally I do not believe that brides, even IF they have the money, should pay the going average amount of $20,000 to get married and throw a party....so I will always want to find the brides who want the discounts. EVEN IF they can afford to do this and more, they would be better off starting their marriages with an excellent investment of 50 to 75% of that money.....so that when they hit 61 like I am, they can have financial choices in their lives because they have assets that give them choices. They may have health problems like I do, and so many others....that keep them not only unable to stay in the work force, but using their savings to live on that was to be for their retirement years. There is NOTHING that takes the place of financial security, and it comes to one faster, the younger they are when they start saving. One is JUST as married with a $5000 wedding than with a $20,000 wedding....and as several have said in here...it isn't about the gown, or the party or anything else....it's about the love and the marriage and the future of a couple. But so many in the wedding industry just want to sell them all they can for as much as they can and some brides are more shrewd and educated than to fall for all that stuff. Those are the brides I want to call me up!! You are welcome to all the ones who want the full service bridal salon. I have never tried to talk a bride into NOT going to a full service salon myself. I support the bride's wishes and offer advice when asked only. That's what it appears is how MOST of the DBS dealers worked with 'THEIR BRIDES'....not customers....not clients....but THEIR BRIDES!

[Debra Goldwater]

And believe me, Mr. Bridal Shop owner, DBS ordered directly from many of these manufacturers who would sit in their offices and be happy because of all the business DBS provided and then walk away and deny any association with DBS!!
I know you think you know everything but you are mistaken!!!
BACK OFF, we do not want you here. You are giving bridal shops a bad name, when there are so many out there that have been helpful to us, the brides and dealers, that are just trying to help our brides.

JUST GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
Denise and Alan Fields are wonderful people and they are going out of their way to help here too, you have no right to to criticize anyone!!!

[Debra Goldwater]

And by the way, I have brides that shop here and do not buy anything from me too. That is the nature of the business. I sell many other things directly, so please just go away.

[Deb Gordon]

To the DBS dealers and brides affected by the closing of DBS

I am so sorry for the losses you have sustained through the closing of DBS. There has been so much anger and bitterness throughout this – very one sided – media circus that I want to share with you another families’ story of loss. Perhaps it will put things into perspective and alleviate some of the misplaced anger you are feeling.

My parents have been helping brides make their dreams come true for over 30 years. I grew up playing in the dressing rooms of bridal stores on weekends and watching my parents struggle to make ends meet as retailers, based on the daily income their store(s) generated. My parents had three children – one of them was their business.

In 1984 my parents went head to head with the manufacturers and other retailers when they opened DBS. If you think people have nasty things to say about DBS now – you should have been around when my parents opened up the marketplace to allow brides to get their gowns at a discount. They flew in the face of the industry standard and offered the same quality merchandise to customers that they could get in a bridal store (like Martins, for instance) at lower prices. It’s the American way - they have been a shining beacon to support competition in the marketplace, making the consumer the ultimate winner.

Over the last few years I have watched my parents sell off personal assets to keep DBS alive. So much of what they have worked for over the past 3 decades has been put back into their business. When this is over, they will lose their home, the personal assets they had thought would be their retirement and much, much more.

To the brides – I am so sorry that you have suffered from the demise of DBS. My parents used their personal money to be able to ship gowns to you. I know that they may not be the first gown of your choice. Their efforts to give you a gown as close to the style and size of the one you ordered was a personal gift from them to you. Many a bridal store have closed their doors with special order dresses locked inside. They stood firm as their advisors told them that it was not necessary (and in fact stupid) to do. No bridal company has ever taken such dramatic steps to see that their customers are supported. If you can take one positive thing away from this very sad experience, it should be the knowledge that there are people who do their best to do the right thing. I wish you all the best of luck on the beginning of your journey into marriage. I pray that your marriage, the most important part of your big day, will thrive for many years after you have packed away your gown and placed it lovingly in the back of a closet.

To the dealers – I have read some of the mean-spirited posts from you and I am left to wonder, what would you have had them do? Should they have called you to tell you that the business was suffering? What would you have done to support them? Would you have pocketed any money returned to you or distributed it to your customers? How would you have affected a different outcome? They did everything they could have done (and more) to protect you and your brides. The business hasn’t supported itself for years. You don’t hear them blaming you – their sales force – for diminishing sales. Some of you have complained about the manner in which they did business, sending too much paperwork etc… Are you really so myopic to fault the downing of a 3 decade old industry icon on the cost of paper? I challenge any of you to duplicate their efforts. Many a captain has watched their ship go down from the safety of a lifeboat. Sandy and Lenny gave their lifeboat to your brides.

And finally, to all the people who have said “shame on you� to Sandy and Lenny – to what shame do you refer? Shame for being an industry leader? Shame for giving equal quality at lower prices? Shame for forcing an industry to be competitive? Shame for putting food on the tables of DBS reps across the country since 1984? Shame for supporting local employees, some of whom have been with them for more than 20 years? What should they be ashamed of? They lost their business. They tried their hardest and they could not keep it afloat.

As a mother, I tell my children that winning is great. But ultimately, it isn’t the highest prize. A true winner is defined by the way they face adversity. I learned that lesson watching from the examples my parents have set for me. I could not be prouder of them than I am right now. As I watch them bury a beloved child, while an angry mob spits on the coffin I am so proud of their continued efforts to diminish the losses of the people around them.

My parents have helped me to support my children, including my son with autism, both financially and parentally. I’m sure that a part of them would have liked to have kept their personal assets as a safety net for their grandson’s future. They made a choice to put the money they’ve earned with their own blood, sweat and tears back into DBS until they just couldn’t do it anymore. Fault the industry, fault the rising cost of paper, fault anyone you like – but you can’t fault them. They are above reproach and I have never been prouder of my parents.

Deb Gordon

[mad bride]

as a local maryland bride I still say shame on Maritns for lying and stealing and screwing over their community. I ordered my dress at Martins because it was advertized in magazines as a full service salon. No clear mention in the store about their shady internet dealings. I wanted the personal attention of a local shop that had helped me try on and find my dream dress. I paid in full when I ordered my gown in May. When I went back the 2nd weekend in June I was told the gown was ordered and set to arrive in September. They had my mother purchase a veil, and probably would have made me pay for bridesmaid dresses if I had chosen them. I was never informed that they were closing. They could have called me in and given me the sample of the dress that I had ordered. The sample that was in my correct size and color. But no, I had to find about it because my fiance heard it on the news. My comperable gown is not like the dress I had paid for. It cannot be altered to fit because of embroidery on the hem. To make matters worse, when I called the manufacturer, I found out that Martins had placed the order in May and then voided the order on June 2nd. That void happened days before I went back to the store on June 11th. If they were going to file for banckrupcy, the considerate thing would have been to say they could not get me the gown and given me my money back. They won't have any money after they file for bankrupcy anyway. But did they do that? No, they told me I had a dress ordered and then took more money from my mother. I saw them take money from other brides that were in the store that day. What a way to screw local customers. They could have advised us to look elsewhere that week in June. DEB GORDON, YOUR PARENTS ARE THE SHAME OF BALTIMORE AND THE SHAME OF MARYLAND! I am embarassed that you are from our state.

[angry in Maryland]

>To the DBS dealers and brides affected by the closing of DBS
>
>I am so sorry for the losses you have sustained through the
>closing of DBS. There has been so much anger and bitterness
>throughout this – very one sided – media circus that I
>want to share with you another families’ story of loss.
>Perhaps it will put things into perspective and alleviate some
>of the misplaced anger you are feeling.
>
>My parents have been helping brides make their dreams come
>true for over 30 years. I grew up playing in the dressing
>rooms of bridal stores on weekends and watching my parents
>struggle to make ends meet as retailers, based on the daily
>income their store(s) generated. My parents had three
>children – one of them was their business.
>
>In 1984 my parents went head to head with the manufacturers
>and other retailers when they opened DBS. If you think people
>have nasty things to say about DBS now – you should have
>been around when my parents opened up the marketplace to allow
>brides to get their gowns at a discount. They flew in the
>face of the industry standard and offered the same quality
>merchandise to customers that they could get in a bridal store
>(like Martins, for instance) at lower prices. It’s the
>American way - they have been a shining beacon to support
>competition in the marketplace, making the consumer the
>ultimate winner.
>
>Over the last few years I have watched my parents sell off
>personal assets to keep DBS alive. So much of what they have
>worked for over the past 3 decades has been put back into
>their business. When this is over, they will lose their home,
>the personal assets they had thought would be their retirement
>and much, much more.
>
>To the brides – I am so sorry that you have suffered from
>the demise of DBS. My parents used their personal money to be
>able to ship gowns to you. I know that they may not be the
>first gown of your choice. Their efforts to give you a gown
>as close to the style and size of the one you ordered was a
>personal gift from them to you. Many a bridal store have
>closed their doors with special order dresses locked inside.
>They stood firm as their advisors told them that it was not
>necessary (and in fact stupid) to do. No bridal company has
>ever taken such dramatic steps to see that their customers are
>supported. If you can take one positive thing away from this
>very sad experience, it should be the knowledge that there are
>people who do their best to do the right thing. I wish you
>all the best of luck on the beginning of your journey into
>marriage. I pray that your marriage, the most important part
>of your big day, will thrive for many years after you have
>packed away your gown and placed it lovingly in the back of a
>closet.
>
>To the dealers – I have read some of the mean-spirited posts
>from you and I am left to wonder, what would you have had them
>do? Should they have called you to tell you that the business
>was suffering? What would you have done to support them?
>Would you have pocketed any money returned to you or
>distributed it to your customers? How would you have affected
>a different outcome? They did everything they could have done
>(and more) to protect you and your brides. The business
>hasn’t supported itself for years. You don’t hear them
>blaming you – their sales force – for diminishing sales.
>Some of you have complained about the manner in which they did
>business, sending too much paperwork etc… Are you really so
>myopic to fault the downing of a 3 decade old industry icon on
>the cost of paper? I challenge any of you to duplicate their
>efforts. Many a captain has watched their ship go down from
>the safety of a lifeboat. Sandy and Lenny gave their lifeboat
>to your brides.
>
>And finally, to all the people who have said “shame on
>you� to Sandy and Lenny – to what shame do you refer?
>Shame for being an industry leader? Shame for giving equal
>quality at lower prices? Shame for forcing an industry to be
>competitive? Shame for putting food on the tables of DBS reps
>across the country since 1984? Shame for supporting local
>employees, some of whom have been with them for more than 20
>years? What should they be ashamed of? They lost their
>business. They tried their hardest and they could not keep it
>afloat.
>
>As a mother, I tell my children that winning is great. But
>ultimately, it isn’t the highest prize. A true winner is
>defined by the way they face adversity. I learned that lesson
>watching from the examples my parents have set for me. I
>could not be prouder of them than I am right now. As I watch
>them bury a beloved child, while an angry mob spits on the
>coffin I am so proud of their continued efforts to diminish
>the losses of the people around them.
>
>My parents have helped me to support my children, including my
>son with autism, both financially and parentally. I’m sure
>that a part of them would have liked to have kept their
>personal assets as a safety net for their grandson’s future.
> They made a choice to put the money they’ve earned with
>their own blood, sweat and tears back into DBS until they just
>couldn’t do it anymore. Fault the industry, fault the
>rising cost of paper, fault anyone you like – but you
>can’t fault them. They are above reproach and I have never
>been prouder of my parents.
>
>Deb Gordon
>As a Maryland bride, I wish I had never heard the name Martins Bridal and Formal wear. I went to Martins because it was adverised in Magazines as a full service bridal shop. I spent hours trying on dresses with Carmen until we found my dream dress. I wanted to buy my dress where I had personalized attention and access to services such as fittings and alterations. There were no clear signs in the store that martins also opereated a corrupt internet business. I ordered my dress in May and paid in full. When I went back the second weekend in June I was told that my dress had been ordered and was due in Sepetember. They them proceeded to sell my mother a veil. They probably would have made me pay for bridesmaid dresses if I had picked them out by then. I was never notified about the closing until I had a ups slip on my door and my fiance told me he heard something on the news. The "comperable"gown I received was nothing like the dress I ordered. I cannot alter it to fit because of excessive embroidery on the hem. To make matters worse, when I called the manufacturer, I found out that Martins had placed my order in May and then voided the order on June 2nd. Hmm. That was days before I went to the shop on June 11th. Martins must have known they would file for bancrupcy if they voided my order. They lied to me when I went back to the store. They STOLE from me. They kept my money, took my mother's money, and took the money of other brides that were in the store that day. The right thing they could have done was tell me I could not get the dress from them and given me my money back. Hey, they were going bankrupt anyway, so whats $700 in the whole scheme of things. They could have offered to sell me the used sample of my dress that was the correct size and color at a discounted price, since they obviously can't market dresses any more. Then I would not have received that crapy "comperable" dress. But no, Martins did nothing to correct any of this. DEB GORDON, YOUR PARENTS ARE THE SHAME OF BALTIMORE, THEY ARE THE SHAME OF MARYLAND, AND I GUESS NOW THE SHAME OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. I am ashamed that you live here.

[Real Shop Owner]

Again you missed the point!

And No - I'm not going anywhere! I am not going to let the Feilds destroy my business that I have work for. And I am sure the designers have taken notice and will tack action !

And as far as your statement of
"BUT...in this case....DBS had Martins. It WAS authorized and the plan they created with manufacturers WAS with the agreement of the manufacturers...even if they tried to keep the fSRS from knowing it!"
you are wrong!!

I am sure that there were some designers that knew of DBS, maybe did didnt know how big it got and didnt know how to control it since they were receiving money from the DBS sales and got greedy. SO I blame them partially for this. But I do know that DBS DID NOT HAVE DIRECT AUTHORIZATION FROM MANY DESIGNERS. Again, some knew of Martins /DBS and turned a blind eye and others either said NO to them or pulled their lines once they found out like Bridal Orginals, Alfred Angelo, Maggie Sottero, Jordan, Anjolique, Jim Hjelm- I can go on and on. The account numbers stated here in this board were most likely Martin's Bridal account number with each designer - not a DBS account number!

And the fact is that they duped you into believing the hype - Sell Bridal gowns with no stock and at a major discount. Well it work for a while. They had a good run but running a very small profit magin will only last so long. You paid a $1000 into their system - Well let me give a little secret. It cost me about $10 to find out deisgner names and telephone number - from a local news stand.

By the way, did you receive your last commission check? Did you tell every bride who bought from you how much YOU were going to make?? Did you tell them the wholesale cost of the gown before they placed the order with you.

Answers; NO NO and NO.

Again, I feel sorry for all DBS Dealers and the bride who are fighting to receive their gowns, But DO NOT BLAME ALL FSBS!! Yes we have some bad seeds that DO rip off people just like there are some BAD DBS dealers but am vast majority love their jobs and their customers like me.

And now that designers know of the scope and size of what DBS was and now that all FSBS will be all designers, watching who does what with who.

And one last thing, I have dresses 100's of brides - head to toe (gown, shoes, jewelry, veil, undergarments, headpiece including alterations) and made them look like a million $$$$ for less than $1000.00 ! And yes I am proud of that. We are continuously looking for quality product at the best price for our customers. Thats just sound sound business.

So you can vent your anger at me. I expect it.

SO again, I did and all FSBS not cause this problem with DBS - Martins did. And the Fields are not help the situation bu posting inaccurate and close to illegall information regarding desingers.

[JoAnne Schnepp]

Excuse me, but I still maintain that if DBS and Martin's was owned by the same couple, then they were authorized to buy from the manufacturers. And I DO know that these manufacturers KNEW they were dealing with DBS through Martins. When I called the manufacturer for my one bride, they knew that gown was a DBS sale. They had no problem with it. They didn't say, "Oh no, this is from Martin's Bridals." No, she said, "Oh, yes...have it right here...Discount Bridal Service, ordered April 15th...."

And I still fail to understand why the heck the bridal manufacturers should have a lick of control over what a bridal shop does with a gown order after they have paid for it and received it? They should be able to sell it for whatever they want to. Discount it however they want to...or mark it at whatever retail they want to and put it on sale when ever they want to. They just made a purchase..and with that the business deal should be done! In the rest of the retail industry that's how it works. Any dress shop can discount, put on sale or sell for wholesale + 10% if they want. I don't understand the control that seems to be there with the manufacturers and why all this arrangement with DBS had to be 'under the table'. Wish someone could explain that to us.

[Lparys]

OK...enough already! I didn't buy my gown from DBS (I was married a year and a half ago), it was a brick and mortar store but I have to say that you are driving me nuts! Posting over and over again is getting too much and you are making yourself look worse! I first read your posting and thought it was legit...ok they are concerned an venting just as everyone else...blah blah blah...but now seeing it some 4/5 times is annoying and I just skip over what you have to say anyway. You would have been better off posting it once and then stepping off of the soapbox. If you have such a problem with what has happened that you feel the need to, "Sound Your Horn of Fury" then please find another method for you are adding aggravation to brides who have enough on their plate. They don't need you jabbing them in the side like a 4-year-old saying, "Listen to me! I'm right and they were wrong!" You said what you wanted, you posted it plenty of times, now please just step aside and let brides, bridesmaids, and dealers vent so they may correct that which they can.

[atrenary]

Deb…It’s no doubt that you have a set of wonderful parents. You should be proud of the way they parented you and the relationships they’ve built with other family members.

In the business world, business and personal issues don’t mix. If an employee is underperforming, they are terminated. If an executive is not acting ethically, they are terminated. If a company is not meeting their annual revenue goals, the board terminates them. Managers and companies don’t let their bottom line suffer because Joe Smith is having a hard time personally.

When you own your business, it’s a bit different. You can’t get fired for performing poorly. You can, however, lose your business. Your parents had a great business plan and were leaders in the industry for many years. They made some pretty big mistakes in the last few years, however, that ended up costing them their business. They failed to keep up with the pace of technology and failed to re-strategize their business plan when profits were suffering.

Many, many companies face tough times and end up filing for Chapter 11. Kmart did just that. They also were smart enough to hire a new CEO, reposition their brand and launch a new advertising campaign. They were open about their challenges and hired experts to come in and assist them with these obstacles. Kmart is now in the green and doing quite well—competing head-to-head with Wal-mart.

What’s frustrating for the former dealers is that they were kept out of the dark on the issues DBS was facing. Because DBS was a privately held company, they did not have to disclose their financials. Had DBS set revenue goals and communicated them, the dealers would have known all along the financial health of the company.

What I’m hearing from you is that all DBS dealers and consumers should understand and be empathetic to your parent’s situation. Many dealers and brides have lost a lot of money as a result of your parent’s bad business decisions. This isn’t a personal attack against your parents. It’s a fact.

I am a new dealer that invested nearly $5K in just 4 months to get my business up and running. I had researched DBS for about one year before deciding to become a dealer. Had I have known that DBS was suffering financially, I would never have given a cent to become a dealer. And, your parents should never have brought new dealers on board knowing full well their doomed fate. What if I were to tell you that a dealer used her last $5K in savings to start her business with DBS? Your parents gladly accepted her money knowing full well that she’d never see a return on her investment. While it may not have been deliberate or ill-intended, your parents committed fraud. It’s pretty black and white.

Regarding your comment to brides…the gown your parents shipped was not a gift. These brides paid for a specific gown. A gown that would make them feel perfect on their special day. They did not sign anything that said “if we’re not able to get you your exact gown, we’ll ship you something of comparative value.� Again, when you misrepresent yourself like this, it’s considered fraud. What if you were to purchase a $30K BMW and the dealer went out of business. But, in good faith, they sent you a Toyota Camry. How would you feel? Your parents should feel sorry for these brides. The brides don’t owe your parents anything. They paid for a product and your parents owe them that exact product.

Regarding your statement on adversity, I have to agree with you: “A true winner is defined by the way they face adversity.� Your parents have not faced adversity effectively. They filed Chapter 11, closed their doors and left the dealers to clean up the mess. They hid from the people who have kept them afloat all of these years. Had they have communicated their challenges to the dealers ahead of time, dealers could have better managed their own business to help DBS and themselves as a whole. This entire situation was handled very, very poorly. Unfortunately, your parents have forced themselves into a PR nightmare. Any good attorney would have advised your parents to act differently (while still maintaining some confidentiality).

I’m disappointed that I will not get the opportunity to continue on as a DBS dealer. I know, however, that there are greener pastures out there for all parties.

Best of luck to you, Deb.

[jlyno98]

Very, very well said and I could not agree more.

[tirichte]

Deb,

I understand that you and your family are going through a hard time. I just wish the dealers would have the same sympathy as your family tried to show us with your "similar" dresses sent. I purchased my gown through a women on EBAY. $300 sent through Paypal to this women. I ordered a tea length Jaqueline design gown. I received from DBS a dress that is only similar in size. The dress had a cathedral train and I am getting married on the beach! I called Jaqueline manufacturer and they wanted an additional $200 to send the dress! I feel sick just writing this. I am on a budget and trying to do my dream wedding on this. I wish I had more money so I could get my dress. This is not my little girl dream here. I contacted the lady (dealer) who I had sent my money to and she has been nothing but rude and unhelpful. She has disconnected her phone and cancelled her email account. I only have one way to get in touch with her and it is through Ebay. I do not know what to do. I did not budget for your company to go bankrupt. I am looking for some help on this. I deserve to have my beautiful wedding gown. I deserve to get what I paid for. I hope your family and the dealers come to some agreement so us brides can get our money back. We are the ones who are suffering more than your family. You do not know who we are and the blood, sweat and tears we have put in OUR lives! I have worked my ass off for my entire life, have been saving for years for this wedding and finally picked a date. What a sign of bad luck!! I just want retribution for what I have been going through. I do not want to hear sob stories on how I should feel bad. I WANT ACTION! I WANT MY MONEY BACK! I WANT THE DRESS I PAID FOR! I WANT TO MARRY MY MAN IN A BEAUTIFUL DRESS! I am crying as I write this. You have no idea what you have put us through. I agree with everyone else and I am glad not to have you people in my state of Florida! For shame on all of you!

Tiffany