RE: Florida Brides: BE AWARE

[Nikita]

I love the Fields book.. but its sure opening up alot of rude salespeople.. At Erica Loren, in Lake Worth, one saleswoman got extremely annoyed when she found me searching for the designer tag inside the gown.
She asked me what i was looking for?! I said the manufacturer's tag of course..Why isn't it on the dress?
She said it was... on the handwritten tag of course.
Their style number etc.,., She then rudely and defensively asked: "Are you buying on the internet?!"
I'm like: Is this woman going calypso? I said: "Most honest dealers would have the manufacturers tag on the gown. .. That's all." She;s like: "well.. they're on some gowns and not on others..and i'm not responsible for that!"
Well she immediately left to go talk to the "one responsible for that." :-)
I saw them in the back going back and forth softly arguing.
She came back and started telling me what each gown was..
But her friendly attitude was now more of a plastic one..
That's too bad for them. I liked a couple gowns however, i didn't trust them after that. A question for the Fields:
Is it safter to immediately dismiss a salon after an experience like this? Or is it possible to rectify this problem?
I know you strongly urge the gown to have the original tag.
Also, another problem that really irritates me is the salespeople that insist they be the ones to dress you with the gown.. I happen to be a private person. Another shop, Exquisite Bridal, insisted he come in to "measure" me .. Well, i was half naked when he almost forcefully opened the door.. My friend had to wedge herself against it and lock it. I never went back there either!
Anyhow.. Thanks again! And Florida brides: Don't let them take control .. Remember: YOUR in charge.

[alandenisefields]

Nikita: Good points. Thanks for that Florida report.

What can we say? We try to "raise awareness" that consumers have a RIGHT to know what they are buying. I think that is fair. You'd never expect such behavior from a department store or specialty store---for some reason, bridal retailers/salespeople think they have to play these games.

I'm not sure that our book is making salespeople touchy. The entire issue of internet gown sales is probably a bigger one---many retailers are paranoid that consumers will shop them and then buy on the 'net. (Imagine that!). Instead of offering consumers a good product at a fair price, they'd rather hide manufacturuer names/cut tags to keep brides ignorant.

And so it goes,
Alan & Denise Fields, Authors
BRIDAL BARGAINS * BRIDALGOWN.COM * CYBERBRIDE *

[Nikita]

I just wanted to post another shop to avoid and i hope most Florida brides find this.. LeClaire Bridal in Boca Raton was another tag ripper.
As i was signing in.. I asked in a friendly manner: "So, which lines do you offer?" The saleswoman dug herself in a hole of tulle she couldn't get out of. After naming the lines she had the gall to say that none of the dresses of course have the manufacturer tags in them "because that's how they come in."
I tried to contain my spasmodic guffaw... with a controlled "You are lying in my face" smile. I'm pretty definite on what i want right now.. and found one gown there to try on. The beading was gorgeous and it had some beautiful front folds.. But it was $1300+ with a nameless tag inside.. with the exception of the threaded remainder that said "London Tokyo" on it. I showed my Mom that as well as the fact that the lady said it was a "silky satin".. ha ha.. Hello, polyester.. nice to see ya again.
When i insisted on knowing the manufacturer.. the woman unzipped me and literally reached in my back to look at the tags... that wasn't the icing though.. it was the comment: "Oh, i don't really know.. all i know is that this is the # of the designer.. 611 but our employer is away on a bridal show for the new winter line... and she has all that info."
HA! I say.. this salon deserves a 9-1-1!
Anyhow.. brides please be aware of this shop.. and their dishonest practices!!