ValCollections Or Val Collections Worst Business Practices San Diego California

Hello all,

This is Julie from BridalGown.NET and I am responding because my company is being incorrectly associated with Valcollections in this report. This same incorrect report was indicated on a bridal forum by the same poster in this report, I believe in honest error. If anyone has questions related to our business, not valcollections, please feel free to contact us directly.

Also, to clarify, we are based in NY. We are not in OH or CA.

Rather than rehash my response on the bridal forum, I will just copy/paste it below for your reference. I'm sorry to hear of each of your situations. In many aspects, as detailed in my copy/paste information below, I too have been a victim of valcollections. Here is the detail of my correspondence on another forum with the poster above who references my business in error. Please note, the ***** in place of my business name was a change by the bridal forum in response to my report to them of the erroneous association:

Do NOT buy your dress from Val Collections. She sent me the WRONG Bridal Gown.

I knew which wedding dress I wanted and ordered it more than 6 months in advance from Val Collections on line. Imagine my anxiety when 5 weeks prior to my wedding day, I opened the package from Val and it was not the dress I ordered, nor was it a dress that I desired to wear.

I understand that mistakes happen and I am a reasonable person. However, If I had made a mistake like this I would be calling my client and begging their forgiveness and trying to make things right. I have left numerous phone messages for Val to call me, but she insists on only communicating by email. You will never reach her on the phone, and she will never call you. She does email but that takes a few days-weeks.

She did email me saying she would contact the supplier to see if she could get the correct dress within a couple of weeks. But I could not gamble on a second go around on my bridal gown with just over a month until the big day. She will Not refund my money until I send back the wrong gown. I am done trusting Val so this gown is going up on EBay, unless anyone wants a Casablanca 1834 size 8 ivory bridal gown for a really good price. Call Colleen 619-379-3492

This mistake probably does not happen very often otherwise Val would not be in business. But she is not easy to deal with or get a hold of, so I do not recommend doing any business with her. Do not try to save a few dollars on a very important article of clothing for an even more important day, it is not worth the hassle

My wedding is going to be a wonderful day for my fiance and I, no matter what I am wearing.
Good luck with your wedding plans and happy dress shopping.

Naked Bride




NightBride09
8/11/08 5:00 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: COL2BSN Reply Report



There are some things that you need to know about val collections. She is not who she says she is. In fact, she isn't even in San Diego.

Her real name is Madeline Cabell. She lives in Akron, OH. If you have ever wondered why ******* and "Val's" site looked the same, it's because they are relatives. (cousins, I've heard). Both of them are hiding behind fake names and post office boxes in other states.

Madeline is being sued by several designers for everything from fraud to anti-trust violations. Not too many months ago, the owner of ******** (posted on the knot) sent an email to over 400 bridal shops asking if they would sell her their dirty, used sample gowns because her supplier couldn't deliver brides ordered gowns. She was going to pass off crusty old samples as ordered gowns.

The full text of the email was posted on The Knot, which many people saw and responded to. I am *not* a competitor, as alledged below. I am simply a person that catches on quickly and remembers what she reads. The rest of the information was found in a quick google search that could have been done by a trained monkey. No "inside" information was neccesary.




BG
8/11/08 6:05 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: NightBride09 Reply Report



Nightbride -

You have posted before indicating my business is involved with valcollections and this is false. To me you sound like a shop based on the background you have. I reported your prior post as slander against my company which is not related to valcollections. In case you missed it the first time, here is the post I previously made in response to your misinformation:

BG

8/1/08 9:08 PM
Re: Will not respond 90 percent the time, feel lucky?
Reply To: AllansGirl
Reply Report




Hello All,

This is Julie from bridalgown.net. I just registered as this post was brought to my attention. I know brides do not take kindly to vendor posts so I have no intention to invade a board that is intended for brides.

However, I've found the reputation of valcollections has erroneously dragged my company into false association. AllansGirl has the correct facts above. Unfortunately, these individuals decided to set themselves up as competitors, tampered with our vendor relationships and even posted pornographic images on our advertisements (before we realized some of our images were still posted on their server after we purchased the business). It was an exaserbating situation but I have maintained that karma would run its course.

Our job is to worry about our own business and customers and to serve them timely and reliably. Our BBB report and discussion about us via google search proves we have done just this, something we could not possibly do if we were one and the same with valcollections who's online reputation is far different.

It's unfortunate I have to speak to this, but I want to be very clear we have absolutely no association other than the fact I purchased the business from the Bardwells several years ago. I hope this clarifies. If anyone has additional questions, I would be happy to answer but I want to be careful not to appear to be "advertising" here. My goal is simply to maintain our good name that we have worked long, hard hours to develop since being the owners of bridalgown.net

Kindly,
Julie

*********************************************************************
NightBride - Do not slander one company with another's actions. I have reported this previously and will do so again. If this continues I will take legal action.




BG
8/11/08 6:20 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: NightBride09 Reply Report



NightBride, further to your accusations my business NEVER posted to shops looking for sample gowns. The post was by Giselle Bardwell in OH who signed her post as Bartinoco (i.e., Bardwell and Patino...check that out if you want to get your facts straight). If you google this company name it caches to bridalgown.net because Giselle was the former owner of the business.

I BOUGHT the business years later and she then set herself up as a competitor with family members in CA under the name valcollections.

Sorry to disappoint, but you have your facts misconstrued, although I can see how this could happen. Be careful not to slander a business falsely.




NightBride09
8/11/08 8:44 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: BG Reply Report



Nope, not a competitor. I am a member of the knot, and I saw the post (as did many others) of the email that "Giselle" sent to bridal shops. This was not too many months ago. As you are probably aware, Val Collections does not have the best reputation on The Knot. There are many of us there who replied to the post of the cut and pasted email that was sent to bridal shops.




BG
8/11/08 9:23 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: NightBride09 Reply Report



Yes, I am well aware. And I hope it is also now clear BridalGown.NET is not affiliated in any way.




NightBride09
8/11/08 9:43 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: BG Reply Report



You might want to google for that post on The Knot that was signed by "Giselle", because she specifcally used your business name along with the "Bartino" thing. The thread was closed when a guy claiming to be a cop got on there and said that he would seek arrest warrants against anyone that dare said anything about Val Collections. (b*llcrap). Later someone found out that a member of their family is a cop in Ohio. Go figure.




BG
8/11/08 9:48 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: NightBride09 Reply Report



Oh, I missed that! I would be curious to see this. I don't come up with anything via google search. Do you have a link? I would appreciate it.




NightBride09
8/11/08 9:59 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: BG Reply Report



I've been searching for it too. I'll post it if I can find it- I believe it was done very early this year.

You might also want to look into having yourself separated from the original owners on the BBB website. On there it doesn't show a change in ownership, like it does with other businesses. Maybe that is where people are getting the idea that you are the same person as "Giselle"?




BG
8/11/08 10:04 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: NightBride09 Reply Report



Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Can you clarify what business name you are referring to on the BBB? Because BridalGown.NET doesn't show anything with the other individuals names.

I've been assuming because that email post on the Knot was signed Bartinoco that people googled that and came up with the old cache to my business.

NightBride09
8/12/08 3:30 PM
Re: Wedding Dress Disaster
Reply To: BG Reply Report



If you look at other businesses that have changed hands, it lists the previous owners name and the date they started the business. Then it lists the new owner and the date they took over. Changing that would show that the other people are no longer involved, and that you don't have any association to them.

I'm really sorry about what happened with your business. That's really awful that icky pictures were posted on your website. I hope you were able to do something about that!

I too ordered a Wedding Gown from Val Collections in March 08, Delivery was due on 16th August 08. On 24 July i received an email from Val saying she is not taking any more orders from 26 july but that she ''will continue to fulfill orders until every last one has been delivered''

On 5 August i emailed her to check if we were still on schedule for the delivery and got no reply, i continued to email her most days and sometimes twice a day hoping for a reply but still have not heard a word from her.

Its funny that she will not answer any emails from her existing customers waiting for dresses, but i emailed her from another email asking her to refer me to someone who could get a dress for me and she answered that question within 24 hours.

I too intend to sue her, I am in Australia, my brother in law is in the fraud squad over here and is going to check whether this is an internet fraud or is classed as another kind of fraud, if it is classed as an internet fraud then as far as i know i can use people over here otherwise i will have to find someone from the USA, but either way i am not going to let her get away with it.

I do know that Maggie Sottero sued her (or at least took her to court) and i know who Maggie Sotteros lawyers are so i am sure they will have all her details. If i cant do it from over here then i will contact them and see how to go about it.

I intend to make her life a misery and cause her as much stress as she has caused me (and everybody else for that matter). I WILL NOT let this matter drop, and if that other bridal internet site is in fact her cousin i will make sure that everybody knows not to go anywhere near them too.

As you can tell i am absolutely furious that someone can get away with this, and i for one dont intend to let her.

By the way i also googled those other names and couldnt find anything, but if anyone does know anything then the information will come in very handy.

I also was ripped off by Val Collections. I tried to file a claim through PayPal, but they only give 45 days to file a claim and too much time had passed. I filed a complaint with the BBB, but they said they tried to contact the company twice, and Val never returned their messages. They take no further action if the company doesn't get back to them.
I am prepared to take Valerie to court for a refund if need be. I NEVER received a dress. She promised me a refund if the dress was not able to be delivered on time. Now that the wedding has passed and she owes me a refund, she refuses to communicate back with me. I have been sending her e-mails and phone calls for 2 months! She is the worst business person, EVER!
My question is...how do you know her name is Madeline Cabell/Maddy Henderson? Where did this information come from? I did a search through google on both names and nothing came up. I searched the phone book under both names and neither came up. How can a track this fraud down and take her to court?

I also was ripped off by Val Collections. I tried to file a claim through PayPal, but they only give 45 days to file a claim and too much time had passed. I filed a complaint with the BBB, but they said they tried to contact the company twice, and Val never returned their messages. They take no further action if the company doesn't get back to them.
I am prepared to take Valerie to court for a refund if need be. I NEVER received a dress. She promised me a refund if the dress was not able to be delivered on time. Now that the wedding has passed and she owes me a refund, she refuses to communicate back with me. I have been sending her e-mails and phone calls for 2 months! She is the worst business person, EVER!
My question is...how do you know her name is Madeline Cabell/Maddy Henderson? Where did this information come from? I did a search through google on both names and nothing came up. I searched the phone book under both names and neither came up. How can a track this fraud down and take her to court?

I also was ripped off by Val Collections. I tried to file a claim through PayPal, but they only give 45 days to file a claim and too much time had passed. I filed a complaint with the BBB, but they said they tried to contact the company twice, and Val never returned their messages. They take no further action if the company doesn't get back to them.
I am prepared to take Valerie to court for a refund if need be. I NEVER received a dress. She promised me a refund if the dress was not able to be delivered on time. Now that the wedding has passed and she owes me a refund, she refuses to communicate back with me. I have been sending her e-mails and phone calls for 2 months! She is the worst business person, EVER!
My question is...how do you know her name is Madeline Cabell/Maddy Henderson? Where did this information come from? I did a search through google on both names and nothing came up. I searched the phone book under both names and neither came up. How can a track this fraud down and take her to court?

I also was ripped off by Val Collections. I tried to file a claim through PayPal, but they only give 45 days to file a claim and too much time had passed. I filed a complaint with the BBB, but they said they tried to contact the company twice, and Val never returned their messages. They take no further action if the company doesn't get back to them.
I am prepared to take Valerie to court for a refund if need be. I NEVER received a dress. She promised me a refund if the dress was not able to be delivered on time. Now that the wedding has passed and she owes me a refund, she refuses to communicate back with me. I have been sending her e-mails and phone calls for 2 months! She is the worst business person, EVER!
My question is...how do you know her name is Madeline Cabell/Maddy Henderson? Where did this information come from? I did a search through google on both names and nothing came up. I searched the phone book under both names and neither came up. How can a track this fraud down and take her to court?

If you want your money back, you are going to have to look up MADELINE CABELL of Akron, OH. This is Val's real name. She is hiding behind a fake name and a post office box in San Diego. She is from Ohio, as is her family. She thinks she has you all fooled! Time to give it up, "VAL"....errr....Madeline. (She also goes by Maddy Henderson).

Speaking of family.....

Did you ever wonder why BridalGown**** looks alot like Val's old site? That's because her cousin, ********, is behind that one. No wonder your dress shipped from Ohio, that is where these fraudsters are based. Google her- you'll find references to all of their previous online businesses.

There is a Valerie Cabell that lives in McCall, Idaho also. Not sure if they are related.

Funny thing about "Val's" address in San Diego- it's a UPS store! It's highly suspicious that your dress was shipped from Ohio- the same place where the "other" online seller of Pronovias and Maggie Sottero is. Hmmmm. Betcha the addresses are the same.