If I could give less than one star, I would…read more...
I am not a bride, but a bridesmaid of a nearing wedding. Were I the bride, I would have performed some preliminary research on this business before sending my bridesmaids (and their hard earned money) to this hell-hole of a shop.
Formally known as "Carmen's Bridal" (which also has horrible reviews) - this shop reeks of yellowing lace and inferior service. I was immediately turned off upon stepping foot in this "couture" bridal boutique, simply because it was an eyesore (and smelled like dirty diapers). The small shop is filled to the brim with old wedding gowns stuffed in plastic bags and prom dresses in all shades of hideousness.Unless I'm forgetting what the word "couture" means, this small dive was the opposite of class, sophistication, high-quality fashion, or precise sewing.
I could go into details about the whole fiasco, but all events can be categorized as follows:
Failure to respond to phone calls or written requests for assistance or support:
Prior to picking up my dress on the agreed upon date, I called on four separate occasions, requesting that someone from the store please call me to confirm that my dress was ready for pick up. I never received a call back from the store owner/manager informing me of the status of my dress or what time I would be able to pick it up. I later learned through a fellow bridesmaid (who physically had to show up to the store due to her phone calls being avoided as well) that I did not receive a phone call from V&C was because the alterations of my dress (as well as hers) had not been completed.
Late delivery of products and services:
When I inquired why the alterations were taking so long they said, "The person who does alterations for us had a family emergency, the alterations should be completed next week"... I followed up with them next week to schedule a time for pick up and I was then told "Sorry for the delay, but your dress is still not ready. The person who does our alterations was sick. Your dress should be ready for pick up next week."
Alterations that should have taken no more than 2 weeks, took a full month to complete.
In other instances with different bridesmaids of the same wedding party, V&C failed to provide itemized billing as requested charging, failed to substantiate charges, delayed shipping of dresses to out-of-state residents by 6 weeks (and overcharged them for shipping), and in one case the alterations of the bridesmaid dress resulted in additional damage of the dress, which then had to be fixed by another seamstress.
On the day I picked up my dress, the owner of the store was no where to be found, though she previously told me that she would be there to settle payment/reimbursement issues. Instead, her elderly mother, who speaks limited English, met me at the counter and gave me my dress... (good move on part of the owner. She must have known that I had a few choice words to share with her.)
I paid for my dress and left the store without being a huge headache to the store owner's mother. (I'm not heartless... hopefully it's not her fault her daughter is a swindling, lying, cheat.) The alterations were awful... the hemline was gathered/bunched, frayed, and coming apart in different places. Once at the wedding venue, I found a pair of scissors and took a moment to cut away all of the loose strings dragging on the floor and getting caught in my sandals. I guess for an $80 alteration, I expected a cleaner hemline. Oh well....
In conclusion, if you are looking for an adventure, poor service, untrustworthy billing practices, shotty alterations, and a standard 1990s-styled Quinceañera dress, or perhaps dream of walking down the aisle in a dress reminiscent of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"... this might be the place for you.
If not, save yourself the money, time, and frustration of dealing with this business and find ANYPLACE else to find your formal wear. DressBarn is probably better than this place on all fronts.
For additional reviews, feel free to visit the listed websites:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/carmens-bridal-fashions-hyattsville
http://www.bbb.org/greater-maryland/business-reviews/bridal-shops/vnc-bridal-in-laurel-md-90172787?language=2
