Horrible Bridal Shop experience (Bridal Sense Atl, GA)

[pita1]

As one who's been around awhile in the legal system as an investigator, I recommend that you contact your state Attorney General's Office to file a complaint with their consumer protection division immediately. It might be that they already have several complaints regarding this retailer, and one more might push them to action. Further, many states have bait and switch and consumer protection laws which mean that the retailer must sell you the item or face severe civil penalties.

I would also suggest filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau if possible as well as checking with the state business licensure agency to file a complaint, as they might be able to take some licensure action. The Federal Trade Commission might also have a website whereby you can file some sort of complaint.

I don't reside in Georgia, so some of my suggestions might be of little use, however, give it a try and see what happens. Don't you just hate it when retailers whose business and livelihood depend on happy consumers treat those same folks so horribly. Good luck to you.

[button27]

Thank you so much for your advice and concern. By the way my name is La'Shaun. Nancy is the owner of Bridal Sense. That may have been a bit confusing in my first post. I have officially reported Briday Sense to the BBB and I have also purchased my wedding dress on July 28th! So I am very excited and very happy, but please believe me when I say, I will continue to fight that action is taken against Bridal Sense.

[pegtho]

La'Shaun,

Please forgive my calling you "Nancy", one of those bridal dress executives who cause ladies "nightmares" and "Harrowing" experiences as so many consumers describe of bridal dress executives in letters of complaint.

Good job La'Shaun, sending a letter of complaint to the BBB and confronting these "illegally" operating bridal dress retailers (Bridal Sense, etc.) nationwide. It is illegal to have the wrong tags on the dresses and if Nancy can't get the right one on she should be put out of business by the State Attorney.

Many retail executives nationwide play the game of switched sales tags and I experienced it through Vera Wang's approved retailer (Suky Rosan Gowns in Ardmore, PA) who told me a silk satin Vera Wang bridesmaid gown cost $424.00 when I found out later that the real price was $2,000.00.

Pita1 (post above) is right on about her recommendation of sending copies of your complaint to your local Attorney General and please don't forget to CC:

Mr. Phil Gamma
NY City Attorney General's Office
Consumer Fraud and Protection Division
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271

And please reference NY City Attorney General's Case #: CFN02A10064.

I have requested his office's cooperation in addressing the criminal matter of defrauding retail executives nationwide against sweet brides who are "Brutalized" by corporate executives.

Pita1 further wrote many states have bait and switch and consumer protection laws, which mean that the retailer must sell you the item or face severe civil penalties.

That is correct and bridal dress retail executives many times are not abiding by the laws that govern the industry. Garment Laws and Business "Ethics" laws in my opinion.

That is what bridal dress executives are missing, "Ethics". When top executives like Vera Wang are caught in the middle of bridal dress scams/fraud while on TV telling everyone how great she is, it all boils down to "ethics".

Vera Wang is a little like that "Hacking" guy in Utah who murdered his wife and tells everyone he is a great medical student but the evidence proves otherwise, Vera Wang.

Pita1 also suggest checking with the state business licensure agency to file a complaint, as they might be able to take some licensure action. The Federal Trade Commission might also have a website whereby you can file some sort of complaint.

All the above is good but what I have found in two years of investigation bridal dress complaints, is that many of the consumer fraud agencies (BBB, Consumer Affair's, Fed. Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Dept. and Denise and Alan Fields) all know and speak of executives bridal dress fraud but all agencies do "little or nothing" to stop the repetitive criminal activity unlawfully conducted and brutally enforced by many illegal bridal dress executives each and every year nationwide.

The Federal Trade Commission staff lawyer (Connie Vecellio) was quoted in the New York Times Business Article (06/27/04-Finding the Perfect Dress) as saying:

"To go and sue little boutiques all over the U.S., I am not sure that would be efficient".

Not efficient for "WHO" Connie?

The corporate criminal executives who make higher profits through fraud while illegally brutalize consumers planning expensive weddings that become "Trashed" by defrauding corporate executives who run the bridal dress industry.

So ladies, we are not only fighting the corporate criminal executives, we also have to fight staff lawyers (like Connie Vecellio) who so "Ignorantly" make statements that help the defrauding retail executives continue their crime because Connie has told the nation (including executives) that "I am not sure it is Efficient" to sue them.

APPALLING FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ATTORNEY-CONNIE! You have a law degree but not much of a degree in sense. This is my opinion of course.

The fact remains corporate executives in the bridal dress industry fail each year to properly address the "repetitive" illegal deception of many bridal dress executives nationwide so consumers have no choice but to have Federal Agencies waste our taxpayer dollars to address the repetitive crime of bridal dress fraud.

Where are the manufacturers (like Vera Wang) who supply these criminal retailers with dresses? Hidden behind corporate attorneys, not answering the phone and not responding to letters of complaint filed by distressed consumers.

Corporate executives don't have to address the repetitive criminal activity because the Federal Trade Commission Attorney (Connie Vecellio) has told executives it is not "Efficient" to sue little bridal, so it is O.K. to just continue brutalizing ladies.

Am I the only one appalled at Connie Vecellio of the Fed. Trade Commission?

Keep the complaints coming ladies. Our words are more powerful then Connie Vecellio and corporate attorney (like Vera Wang's Attorney-Strent) who support illegal bridal dress executives nationwide with their lack of reviewing "all" the evidence.

Good Day Defraud Consumers of some Bridal Dress Executives,

[button27]

Good afternoon all. I am enclosing an email that I sent to Bridal Sense in Atlanta, GA. Please take my advice and never patronize this establishment!

Nancy,

I just wanted to issue a written complaint about the horrible experience I had coming to your shop on Saturday morning July 24th. My sister and I arrived at your shop and were browsing around when my eyes caught the sight of a beautiful dress. It was everything I ever dreamed of and more. Best of all the price was phenomenal: $134.00. So I picked that dress and two more to try on. Before I got to the dressing room, April came up to my sister and I and claimed that the price tag was incorrect and that the the true price was $538! I thought there was something very fishy about that. It seemed like someone was being very dishonest and I was not comfortable at all. April blamed the incorrect tag on a prior irate customer and it turns out that the real culprit was her daughter! After I try the dress on, it looks better than I ever imagined! I was going to bring my mom back up there so she could see it. It was a sure bet that she would love it also and then I would have proceeded to purchase the dress. However, someone prevented the purchase of that dress and that someone was you, Nancy Culotta. April aplogized profusely and said that we could get a discount because of the switched tag fiasco involving her own daughter. Before we left we wanted to get a price quote on the total of the dress including the discount so I could be prepared to pay in full when I returned with my mother the following week. When we approached you, you were rude, and extremely disrespectful.. You said, "This is not Walmart. We can't give you a discount just because an item has the wrong tag." And then when I asked you, "Did you just say, 'This is not Walmart'?" You answered defiantly, "Yes I did." I have never experienced that type of poor customer service in my life. You just lost a customer who was prepared to buy my dress, my seven bridesmaids and seven hostesses attire, not to mention the 14 gentlemen who will needing a tuxedo. You were not even apologetic and I am appalled that you are still in business with that kind of attitude and service. The same internet coupon was not sifficient because this did not happen to all of your customers, it happened to me, and you did not extend even the slightest courtesy. I will be sure to spread the word that Bridal Sense is not a place where any bride to be should partonize. And Nancy Culotta is not in the business of making brides happy.