OVER $2,500 IN DAMAGES, ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY, DEEPLY UNPROFESSIONAL!!!…read more
If I were permitted to give zero stars, I would do so without hesitation. I brought eight valuable garments to GEM Dry Cleaners, including two custom three-piece suits with Italian fabric and buttons, a $500 long coat, and a $200 suede jacket. Every item was damaged. Buttons were loose, seams were torn, and most upsettingly, and without my consent, they ironed sticker labels directly into the fabric of every piece, leaving permanent, burn-like marks.
I was never informed this would happen, nor given the option to use pins--a safer more standard method used by most reputable dry cleaners. When I questioned it, the owner, Bryan McNatt, claimed there were signs. The only one I found was hidden behind the counter, barely visible. Others were small printouts, covered by card readers and equipment. Even Bryan admitted the signs were hard to see, which makes it even more perplexing that nothing was said to me during drop-off.
I contacted no one, yet Bryan called me personally at 8 a.m. from his cell phone (which I assume he retrieved from the customer system), yelled at and berated me, and offered a mere $36.45 partial refund for the damage of thousands of dollars worth of items. I did not accept the offer because of how inappropriate it was. I spoke calmly and expressed I wanted to handle this amicably, but he was immediately defensive, dismissive, offensive, and said I must be struggling financially to care about the damage. When I said I may have to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, he told me to do whatever I needed and banned me from returning.
The staff were also rude. One employee was visibly wearing a court-issued ankle monitor while working. While everyone deserves employment and second chances, I believe this anecdote unfortunately gives insight into the deeper issue -- a clear lack of professionalism, accountability, respect across the board, and oversight at this business.
The garments are permanently damaged, and nothing can undo that. This was one of the most frustrating, heartbreaking experiences I have ever had with a business. I trusted them with irreplaceable items, and they treated me and my concerns with absolute disregard.
Please read through the many other similar reviews. I am far from the only one who has experienced destroyed clothing and mistreatment at this establishment. I am sure they will try to twist and make up some way to rebut this, so I have decided to include some of the photographs of the damaged garments and the obscured signage with this review so that others can see the truth for themselves. I sincerely hope this helps at least one other person avoid the same loss.