I went to Le Bella Donna looking for a dress during a Trunk Show in 2020. My first impression was…read moregreat--the store is beautiful and well-presented. However, the experience quickly went downhill.
After browsing and not finding anything I liked, the salesperson insisted I try on five dresses she selected. None of them suited my style. I mentioned to my friend that I preferred a dress I'd seen at another store, and the salesperson overheard and asked to see a photo of it. After looking at the photo, she told me she could order the same dress for me. Since I was already there, I agreed.
She took my measurements, and when I told her the specific color combination I wanted, she dismissed my choice and insisted on a different color, saying she knew what she was doing. I disagreed, but she assured me everything would be fine and the color combination she was ordering was the one I tried on the other s
About a month later, while showing pictures to my sister-in-law, I found a photo of the dress tag and zoomed in--turns out, I was right. The color ordered was not what I had requested. I immediately emailed the salesperson, explaining the mistake and asking her to correct it, especially since the dress wouldn't be delivered for several more months.
Then COVID hit. By the time the dress arrived and I went in to pick it up, it was still the wrong color. I told the salesperson, and she brought the owner into the dressing room. The owner assured me they would have the lining replaced by their seamstress to match the correct color.
A couple of months later, I went back--but the dress was still wrong. I pointed it out again, and this time the store manager got involved. She insisted it was the correct color until I showed her a photo of what I had originally ordered. Only then did she admit it was wrong and promised to send it back to the designer.
When I returned again, the dress had still not been corrected. I almost took it home out of sheer exhaustion--but decided to speak up again. The manager said she'd try one last time, but warned me the dress had been discontinued.
At that point, I was devastated. I emailed and asked for a refund, as they had clearly failed to deliver what I paid for. Instead of apologizing, I received a rude email stating that I would now be charged $25 per week for storing the dress and should come pick it up. I responded that the dress wasn't being stored--it was still there because they never got it right. She then offered to ship it to me, but given their track record, I didn't trust them.
Eventually, she scheduled a pickup, treating it like they were extremely busy--though the store was empty every single time I went in.
After nearly three years, Le Bella Donna was unable to provide the dress I ordered in the color I asked for. I'm now stuck with a dress I never wanted. Thankfully, my wedding was postponed due to COVID, so I now have time to find a dress I actually love from a store that values its customers.
Don't be fooled by the store's appearance. Once they have your money, customer service is gone. The staff is rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. Save yourself the time, money, and frustration.
