My daughter is getting married next month and we went to David’s Bridal in Birmingham on 4 November 2017 to choose a dress.
When the £1,200 order arrived at the beginning of January we noticed a hole in the bodice. Staff were apologetic and said they would reorder.
Three months later when the replacement was ready, staff discovered they’d ordered a “petite” instead of a “regular” so the length and fit were all wrong.
We were asked to select a different dress but there was nothing we liked and didn’t want to have to wait another three months for alterations. We told them we would seek an off-the peg style elsewhere, and asked for our money back. However, it is refusing a refund. The branch manager would only offer a store credit.
I emailed the company’s UK customer services rejecting the garment under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. No reply. I sent a hard copy. No reply. I went on Twitter and complained and, eventually, had a response. This is how it has continued – no communication until I go public.
The UK regional director admitted the first dress was faulty and the second not fit for purpose, but insisted we must accept a repair or replacement.
WS, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
You would have to be a tenacious bride to get a response out of David’s Bridal. The email I sent to the marketing address on its website bounced back; my call to customer service rang out unanswered and an email to the regional manager received no response.
Its deafness and intransigence could be related to the fact that the US company owes creditors $1bn which falls due next year and, a month before you demanded a refund, the credit-rating agency Moody’s downgraded its outlook to negative.
Nonetheless, your experience has been unforgivably poor and online forums suggest that you are not alone. Under the Consumer Rights Act you have 30 days to reject goods that are faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose and receive a full refund. Only after those 30 days are up can the retailer insist on a repair or replacement.
You rejected the second dress immediately, and the store shows a woeful ignorance of the law in insisting on a replacement.
I finally got a response after contacting the UK marketing manager who claims that the marketing address I initially used was wrong, although it’s still advertised on the website. All she will say is that David’s Bridal is “dedicated to making the experience for brides uniquely enjoyable” and that it’s “deeply saddened” when any customer is dissatisfied. “We have been in correspondence with the customer as it is always our intention to resolve any issue directly and satisfactorily. We look forward to coming to a positive solution.”
Given that your last correspondence was to threaten legal action, it’s unclear what they are expecting from you. However, in an abrupt volte face, prompted either by the threat of free publicity or legal action, it has decided to refund your money as a “goodwill gesture”, although it maintains it has already fulfilled its statutory obligations in “assisting with your requests”.
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