Ann Silvas Sewing Center

Dear Governor Lujan-Grisham and the Customer Service Department, Bernina This letter addresses two problems. One, employees at Ann Sylva's Bernina tried to rip me off by pressuring me to pay them $1000.00 for a broken, used sewing machine. The second problem, Tina, an employee of Ann Sylva's, told me that Governor Lujan-Grisham had allowed them to work 40 hours a week, in what Tina described as "a sweat shop" making masks, but without wearing masks themselves while open to customers. I found a used Bernina Artista 200 online between 23 and 25 May 2020. The machine I am writing about now was sold by a Michael, whom I contacted by phone. It turns out that Michael (Mike) is an employee of Ann Sylva's Bernina Sewing Center in Albuquerque, NM. Mike's job is servicing sewing machines, and he told me that he posted that machine for the store, that it had come in the previous Thursday, that he himself seever trust this businessrviced that machine, that it came with more feet and accessories than the original machine came with in 2002, when this model made its debut. Mike said that that machine came with a table for under $50.00, and that the machine had low hours, and that he could show me the hours when I came in at 3:30pm. Mike spoke very highly of this machine, even to tell me that it was a Great Deal and that I was lucky to grab it so quickly. I agreed and told him that I wanted to buy it today. I called Ann Sylva's Bernina and made an appointment for 3:30 pm that day. The store closes at 4 p.m. and I felt pressured to leave after only 30 minutes checking the machine before I bought it, all before they closed business for the day. At 3pm, 26 May 2020, I arrived at and entered the Ann Sylva's Bernina Sewing Center. I had a 3:30pm appointment confirmed to buy a used Bernina Artista 200 for $1000.00. When I made this appointment, I was told by employee Tina that masks were mandatory. I agreed. Only one employee I saw, Jan, wore the mandatory mask inside the store while I was there, until just after 4:00 p.m. Some employees had masks on their necks or chins, but some employees and customers simply wore no mask at all while I was in the store. From 3pm to 3:30pm, I shopped for fabric. I don't remember the name of the employee who helped me with the fabric, but I had to ask her nonverbally to put her mask over her nose and mouth. She complied. Around 3:30 pm Tina and Jan both walked me to the back of the classroom. Jan brought a thread spool stand, which she told me to buy, and began to thread the sewing machine on the stand rather than the spool holder on the top of the machine. Guess why. There was no spool cap to keep the moving spool from spinning off the machine. That's not all. The automatic machine threader did not work, so Jan tried to thread the machine needle by hand. Then, the whole machine stopped working when Jan picked it up and moved the machine a few inches from in front of where I was sitting to being on the table in front of her. Then bobbin case door fell off. Tine brought over a new power cord for me to buy, because the original one was loose. Tina then told me that the Artista 200 machine didn't come with all the original feet, that there was no table as described by Mike, that the machine had not been serviced at all, (surprise there!) and most importantly, both Tina and Jan insisted that I had not spoken by phone with Mike that day because he was at home nursing a sprained back. Of course, I refused to buy the broken sewing machine. The entire time that I spent in close contact with Jan and Tina, Jan was the only employee in the building who consistantly wore a mask and wore it correctly. None of the other employees in the building complied with the law while I was there. I don't know why they tried to lie to me about this machine, and I have not yet made a complaint to Ann Sylva herself because she probably knows her used sewing machine inventory and she knows the business practices of her employees. Cyndi Yelton

User's recommendation: Never trust them!