Kaufman's Wedding World No Gown, No Refund deceptive company tricked and lied to us Glen Burnie Maryland

My daughters wedding is July 5, 2003 and we wanted to get the gown early so we told the shop that the wear date for the gown would be April 19, 2003. We did not hear anything from the gown shop before 4/19, so I called Kaufmans and spoke with a consultant named Debbie.

I expressed my concern that the wear date had passed and we had not heard anything from the shop. She promised to get an update by close of day. I called Debbie again on 4/23 because she had not given me an update. She said that two urgency requests had been submitted, but she still did not know the status of the order. The gown shop called on 4/25 to report that the gown was being shipped to the shop overnight.

On Tuesday, May 6, we went with our daughter to the shop for a fitting. The gown was not the color that was ordered. We ordered Ivory/Silver but the gown was Ivory/Ivory. My daughter was very disappointed because this is not what she ordered. At first the gown shop said it was the correct color, but when I showed them my receipt, they acknowledged that the color was not correct. They promised to do an inquiry. Later in the week, we were informed that the Ivory/Silver color had been discontinued.

The gown shop made an effort to find a replacement gown, but it was not successful. They shipped in about 6 gowns that they thought might work. I went with my daughter once again for fittings on 5/6/03. The gowns that they shipped did not meet my daughters approval. They were not a style that she wanted. She was expecting to get the gown that she selected in January, and none of the replacement gowns were satisfactory. We spent 2 weeks trying to find an acceptable replacement, but it did not happen.

On 5/6/03 I told the shop attendant, Debbie, that we needed to consider a refund. Her response was that they would be more than happy to give us a refund, so I agreed to a refund since they could not deliver the gown that was ordered. Debbie then told me that they did not have authority to issue a credit to my account. The owner was the only person who could issue a refund. They needed my original order receipt and original charge slip. I presented them and they gave me a copy of the order receipt and returned my original charge slip. Debbie said that Mrs. Kaufman would process the refund and that I would get a refund check in the mail. I asked how long the process would take and she did not know.

Two more weeks have passed. On 5/21/03, I called the gown shop for a status on the refund. I was given a customer service number (814-696-7858). I called the number and left a message requesting an update on the status of the refund. I called the gown shop again on 5/22/03 to see if they could give me a number where I could speak to a person. Debbie told me that they are not allowed to give out any phone number other than the customer service line.

It is now over 3 weeks since they told me they would be happy to process a refund. I have left 3 more messages on the customer service line. No call back yet. It really ticks me off that Kaufman's has over $500 of my hard earned money and they never delivered the gown that I ordered over 4 months ago. They will never be able to deliver the gown because it was a discontinued style.

They need to step up to the plate and give me the refund they told me they would be "more than happy to process for me"!

Mary
Ellicott City, Maryland
U.S.A.