WARNING: If you get something expensive dry cleaned at the South Riding Cleaners, and they damage it while in their possession, the owner may not contact you and may deny responsibility for the damage. Let me explain.
Please also note that most good reviews of this cleaner are dated (they likely had a different owner), and the one stars are for recent issues.
5/13/17: Dropped off men's CUSTOM FITTED dark blue blazer to be dry cleaned at South Riding Cleaners (SRC). While dropping off, I pointed out to the SRC employee that I WAS AWARE THAT THE TWO FRONT BUTTONS WERE MISSING (I had intentionally taken one off myself - more on that later).
5/17/17: Picked up dry-cleaned blazer from SRC and returned home.
5/19/17: WHILE TAKING THE BLAZER OUT OF THE PLASTIC AT HOME, I NOTICED A PENNY SIZED HOLE IN THE FABRIC (HOLE - NOT TEAR -SEE PICTURES) AND 2 ADDITIONAL SIMILAR SIZED HOLES IN THE LINING FABRIC. I returned to SRC and explained that the holes had been made while in their possession. How do I know that? Because since there was already ONE button missing, PRIOR TO TAKING TO SRC, I HAD DONE A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE ENTIRE BLAZER TO SEE IF THE MANUFACTURER HAD SEWN IN A REPLACEMENT BUTTON SOMEWHERE. Despite my intensive search, I could not locate a spare button on the blazer; therefore, I INTENTIONALLY removed the existing front button so that I could buy a replacement button while the blazer was being dry cleaned. I purchased a matching button and was prepared to sew both buttons back on myself after it got dry cleaned.
I asked the SRC employee: IF they had seen UNREPAIRABLE holes (see pictures) PRIOR to dry cleaning it, why did they then perform the dry cleaning (and charge me for it!), and WHY DID THEY NOT NOTIFY ME? One of the employees then acknowledged sheepishly that actually they HAD seen the holes. Which still leaves me completely baffled as to why they did not call me.
One employee then told me that the SRC owner was away for two weeks, but that THE OWNER WOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY UPON THEIR RETURN.
6/8/17: THREE WEEKS LATER, having heard nothing back from the SRC owner, I decided to stop in to see them. The employees working that day asserted that the holes were cigarette burns and that the owner was not going to reimburse me to replace the blazer. I took the blazer back home.
BOTTOM LINE: The blazer was only 18 months old (and had only been worn 5-6 times), and all I really want is 1. to hear from the owner, and 2. a reasonable dollar amount to go towards replacing this tailored blazer.
Fact is, even if it turns out to be burns of any kind, I am POSITIVE that the damage happened while in their possession. To which one SRC employee said, 'that can't be because we KNOW them' (I'm assuming they mean the people who they send the dry cleaning out to?). Oh ok.
If, in the future, the SRC owner chooses to contact me and 'rights this wrong', I will certainly let YELP know that the problem has been addressed. I certainly expected better treatment from a reputable long-standing business, so I am hoping that this will have a happy ending. read more