Store: Redlands, California David's Bridal

If you believe you are buying a NEWLY MADE SPECIAL ORDER Dress for your wedding think again!!

I purchased a "Mother of the Bride" formal gown from David's Bridal store several weeks ago. I 'special ordered' a NEW dress in my size. The sales clerk called 'the manufacturer' to see if they would be able to make the dress in time for my event (6 weeks). I was present when she called and they assured her they would get the dress made and to me in time.

I went to pick up the dress today and first thing I noticed was a beat up price tag attached to the dress. Closer inspection I saw there was a white 'deodorant' type mark under one of the arms and the interior of the dress had clear lint balls and spots indicating that it had previously been worn. When I pointed these out, the sales clerk (same one that sold me the dress and ordered a 'new' one) stated that the mark was a 'tailor's mark' and the lint was 'shipping debris'. She tried to tell me that all of their dresses come in with a price tag on them. I expressed my doubt and asked to speak with the manager.

I explained to the manager that this was not a new dress, which is what I had ordered. The manager told me that David's Bridal store is an 'off the rack' store and none of their 'special order' dresses are newly made. A 'special order' dress means that they have a department that calls around to all of the stores to find the right size on the rack and ship it to the store that needs it. I asked if this was for EVERY dress and she assured me it is. Every dress they sell as a 'special order' is off of a rack in one of their stores. NO DRESS, not even the wedding dresses, are newly made, even if you order one.

She tried to tell me that all sales clerks tell clients this at the time of purchase and argued that the woman helping me made it perfectly clear she had told me this when I bought the dress AND when I complained. Luckily I had a friend with me who verified this was not true and I had never been told this. The manager offered to refund $20.00 off the price of the dress and have it steam cleaned to make it 'good as new again'. They do not refund the full price of the dress since I had prepaid it in full.

The wedding is in 2 weeks and there is no time to order a new one from anywhere!. So I ended up getting a used dress when I had special ordered and paid for a new one/. I was not told the dress was going to be off the rack from a different store?. I was led to believe they were having the dress made:.

BUYER BEWARE: If you want a NEW WEDDING DRESS do not purchase it from David's Bridal;. You will only get a dress that has been tried on by multiple people in one of their other stores and quite possibly damaged". They will 'steam clean' the dress for you if you ask and believe this makes it 'good as new'?.

When you buy a dress from a bridal shop and they 'special order' it after speaking to the 'dress makers', you assume it will be a newly made dress,. David's Bridal lied about this and did what I believe is Bait and Switch, which is illegal. 38b6586

• sales clerk
• special order