Wedding Dress & Dry Cleaners Damage

Katapolt

Apologies if i miss any information out, i'm pretty stressed and trying my best.

On 14th Dec i took my unworn sample wedding dress to a local dry cleaners that advertise they have a specialist system for wedding dresses. Did my due diligence, a friend recommended them and they had good reviews.

Upon taking my dress in it was hung up in the middle of the shop, so the dress could hang down and be seen from all angles. The business owner looked over the dress, and specifically the bottom of the dress for marks, and the bodice of the dress. We completed and both signed a form stating the condition of the dress, which advised there was no damage, just a few marks.

A few hours later i received a call to advise a large rip had been found on the dress in one of the layers. She advised this was found during the pre-clean inspection, and hadn't noticed it before on the initial inspection. She then completed the clean.

Only on the 30th December when it was finally ready for collection did i get to see the extent of the rip, and due to the location, size, and impact on the way the dress hangs, i do not believe it could have been there when i took the dress in.

I have a copy of the paperwork signed, and it states that should any damage be found during the pre-clean inspection then the shop owner will contact the client, which she did, but i cannot see how this damage was not visible on the initial inspection. It starts about 5" from the bodice (which she verbally advised she checked thoroughly for marks) and runs down the length of the whole dress.

I stupidly didn't take photos or a video of the dress the morning i took it in, but i do have photos from just over a month prior when i had it on for an appointment and the damage cannot be seen.

The day i took my dress back home i emailed her to advise i really wasn't happy, and felt the damage was new, and she told me to go in and speak with her. The following day I took my mum, as the woman can be quite abrupt and rude and i wanted a witness to the conversation. She got very defensive when i highlighted that neither of us had seen the damage before, which was so clearly visible when the dress is hanging, and she then stopped talking to us and stared at us until we left the shop. After this i then wrote another email explaining why i feel the damage was caused after, and advised the fact that the initial inspection didn't highlight any damage confirms this, as the point of filling in that paperwork is so both parties can confirm the condition of the item prior to any works being carried out.

I have spoken to CAB who think i may have a case, but i would appreciate any comments, advice or input if you have it, but please be kind.

I'm 3 months from my wedding, and now have a dress that at the very least is going to cost me lots to have repaired, if it can even be fixed. I have an appointment Saturday, and another one Wednesday with two different companies to assess whether they think the dress can be repaired and if its worth doing so, as i know i will need that if i do try and move forward with anything.

Links to photos (sorry i don't know how to embed them):
http://https://ibb.co/Df45rVj
https://ibb.co/b2dmjh9
https://ibb.co/k04ZMLc
https://ibb.co/Sc2mHX5
https://ibb.co/WDLSTjD

Katapolt

Think i have the pictures working now, except the first one!

shaun_from_Africa

Here's the first one:
https://ibb.co/Df45rVj

m0bov

If your contract with the cleaner was based on minor marks, then that's it. I would have thought they would not have processed to clean until you had seen the dress. Who is to say they noticed it AFTER cleaning?

Get a quote for repair and send an LBA to the cleaner, then MCOL.

pramsay13

Is an unworn sample wedding dress one that is hanging up in a shop for people to see material / try on etc before ordering their own?

I take in hundreds of items every year belonging to other people and I haven't damaged a single one because I am conscious of it and take care when handling and storing them.

Damage is more likely to occur when being tried on or worn out.

Katapolt wrote: »

unworn sample wedding dress

i do have photos from just over a month prior when i had it on for an appointment

By all means raise a money complaint but you will need to get your story straight.
On current reading I would be inclined to side with the dry cleaner.

shaun_from_Africa

Katapolt wrote: »

She advised this was found during the pre-clean inspection, and hadn't noticed it before on the initial inspection. She then completed the clean.

I agree totally with m0bov.
Why on earth would they proceed to clean a dress after they had supposedly just found major damage on it, something that could well be made worse by the cleaning process.

IMO, I would think that the dress was fine when inspected, put into the dry cleaning machine where it got damaged and to avoid paying out for this damage, the cleaner is now saying that the damage was noticed prior to being placed in the dry cleaning machine.

Paul_DNAP

I too find it hard to believe they would have proceeded after finding that damage, I would also go as far to say they damaged it cleaning it and they are trying it on with this "pre-inspection" nonsense. The inspection you did that they signed off on is the important one, and I think their manager would have easily spotted this damage there and then - particularly as this inspection is probably designed to protect them from people trying it on claiming for pre-existing damage (the opposite of what they are trying on with you).


Anyway, most important thing is getting it fixed and then as said above be prepared for small claims (money claim on line) to get them to pay for it. Hopefully a letter before action will make them stop trying it on, but any sensible court will be happy to see the signed off inspection form stating clearly there was no such damage when you left it in their care (keep it safe!)


PS. That's a gorgeous dress, you'll look amazing!

Katapolt

pramsay13 wrote: »

Is an unworn sample wedding dress one that is hanging up in a shop for people to see material / try on etc before ordering their own?

I take in hundreds of items every year belonging to other people and I haven't damaged a single one because I am conscious of it and take care when handling and storing them.

Damage is more likely to occur when being tried on or worn out.



By all means raise a money complaint but you will need to get your story straight.
On current reading I would be inclined to side with the dry cleaner.

I'd appreciate to know why it is you would side with them so i can address how i'm putting it forward. There is no element of "getting my story straight" at all. The dress was a sample in a shop, they sold me the sample as they were closing down, thus i got it for a reduced rate. Its unworn in that it has never been worn for an extended period of time, not that it was never ever put on. It has been tried on by others and then by myself twice, both for less than 30 minutes each time.

I have photos from when the dress was last out of storage, showing that it had no damage on it. Of course i understand that doesn't prove it went into the shop without it, as i said i stupidly didn't record that, but i do feel it shows the dress was in a good condition soon before the damage then being discovered.

Is there no onus on the dry cleaner to have seen the damage and at the very least noticed it during the initial inspection? As really, thats where i feel a lot of this lies. I was always under the impression the initial inspection is to prove the condition of the dress prior to any work being undertaken, so that then if anything does occur theres a record of the items starting condition.

Katapolt

Paul_DNAP wrote: »

I too find it hard to believe they would have proceeded after finding that damage, I would also go as far to say they damaged it cleaning it and they are trying it on with this "pre-inspection" nonsense. The inspection you did that they signed off on is the important one, and I think their manager would have easily spotted this damage there and then - particularly as this inspection is probably designed to protect them from people trying it on claiming for pre-existing damage (the opposite of what they are trying on with you).


Anyway, most important thing is getting it fixed and then as said above be prepared for small claims (money claim on line) to get them to pay for it. Hopefully a letter before action will make them stop trying it on, but any sensible court will be happy to see the signed off inspection form stating clearly there was no such damage when you left it in their care (keep it safe!)


PS. That's a gorgeous dress, you'll look amazing!

Thank you i really appreciate the response! Unfortunately its a one woman show and shes the one being hard work, so where i normally feel a manager would be more understanding, the buck stops with her :wall:

pramsay13

Katapolt wrote: »

I'd appreciate to know why it is you would side with them so i can address how i'm putting it forward. There is no element of "getting my story straight" at all. The dress was a sample in a shop, they sold me the sample as they were closing down, thus i got it for a reduced rate. Its unworn in that it has never been worn for an extended period of time, not that it was never ever put on. It has been tried on by others and then by myself twice, both for less than 30 minutes each time.

I have photos from when the dress was last out of storage, showing that it had no damage on it. Of course i understand that doesn't prove it went into the shop without it, as i said i stupidly didn't record that, but i do feel it shows the dress was in a good condition soon before the damage then being discovered.

Is there no onus on the dry cleaner to have seen the damage and at the very least noticed it during the initial inspection? As really, thats where i feel a lot of this lies. I was always under the impression the initial inspection is to prove the condition of the dress prior to any work being undertaken, so that then if anything does occur theres a record of the items starting condition.

If you are convinced that the damage has been done by the dry cleaner then you should take it further. Either by checking if they are a member of a trade organisation, or a money claim. You would submit your evidence such as time-stamped photos and initial inspection report and they would submit their evidence.

My point about getting the story straight was saying it was unworn but then saying you had it on for an appointment is contradictory. Of course people will have to try it on but wearing it out or to an event is a different thing and usually when any damage would occur.

pinkshoes

Katapolt wrote: »

A few hours later i received a call to advise a large rip had been found on the dress in one of the layers. She advised this was found during the pre-clean inspection, and hadn't noticed it before on the initial inspection. She then completed the clean.

I would speak to another dry cleaning company and ask what their policy is if they find a rip after inspection, and if they would go ahead and still dry clean it.

That is a huge rip, and for two people to miss that upon the inspection is highly unlikely.

I would guess that they ripped it during cleaning and are trying to pin the blame on you.

I do not understand why they would go ahead and clean a dress with such damage. It doesn’t make sense.