Faulty Designer Wedding Dress - Please Help

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Back in October 2009 I ordered an Ian Stuart wedding dress for £2150 from a bridal shop.
My dress arrived back in April and I went to the shop 2 weeks ago to try it on. The dress had not been unpacked so I helped the shopowner to do this.
As soon as I saw it I quickly realised it was faulty. I found 8 faults on the dress, snag 20cms approx, loose crystals on tulle, black marked seeded pearl, pinholes in bodice showing where it had not been sewn to secure the ruched effect, tulle missing from the skirt, poor quality workmanship at the joining of the bodice to the skirt, crystal embellishment across top of the bodice was not supported and fell down inside of the dress.

I was in tears and said I no longer wanted the dress. The shopowner kept saying "My Mum will fix it, My Mum will fix it." But I said I don't want a repaired dress I should have had a perfect wedding dress especially at the amount the dress is worth.

I left the shop absolutely devastated and did not hear anything from the shop who promised to call me later that day. After a few days I still hadn't heard anything so I wrote to Ian Stuart Head Office who supplied the dress.
They were shocked at what had happened and acted on it straightaway. I then received phone call from shopowner who couldn't understand why I had wrote to the designer. She never thought I was upset and that I didn't want the dress. Which I cannot understand because I said it several times and so did my sister and friend too.

Anyway, the designer had the dress collected by courier last Friday, he has inspected it and sent dress back to the shop.
Today I have asked them to let me know what is happening and they have told me to contact the shop because my dress has been sent back and they should tell me what their findings were.

Last week I sent a letter to the shopowner after using template letter from Consumer Direct giving them 14 days to reply. I received a letter by recorded delivery asking me to direct my letter to her Mum's shop in Cornwall because that is who my contract is with!!

So, basically what I would like to know is:

Do you think I will get a refund?
What other action can I take?

As you can appreciate it, this is not a normal purchase it is an expensive one which is for my wedding day! I do not want the dress, I do not want a replacement dress either. I have found another dress at another shop from a different designer which I now want to have instead.

Any advice you can give would be most appreciated.

Many thanks

4743hudsonj

Right first of all. Sorry for your troubles.

Right the sales of goods.act 1979 states.amount other things that goods should be of satisfactory quality and free from minor defects. If goods do not meet these implied terms then the seller can be deemed in breach of contract. And because of this breach, you are entitled to reject the goods within a reasonable time for a full refund. This is a reasonable time as you stated your intentions upon first sights of the dress.

Write again, recorded delivery stating the above and the situation giving them 14 days to process a full refund. State that this is a letter before action as of they do not act upon this request, you will peruse recourse through small claims court and that they may also ha liable for court costs.

Hope this goes some way to helping you. Keep us posted on the outcome etc.

Ginger19

My daughter too had a terrible experience with her Ian Stuart dress. She ordered it 12 months before her wedding and was devastated with the faults when it arrived. The owner of the shop accepted how bad it was and refunded our money. With only 4 weeks to go before the wedding she had to find an alternative dress off the peg, which was very difficult and we were in danger of having to cancel the wedding. It spoiled what should have been a very special day for her.