Distraught and in tears, my fiancé called the store for me where he was told that they didn’t have any appointments available but that if we wanted we could come in and look at other dresses on our own.  They went on to tell him that because the dress I purchased is a discontinued item, that all sales are final.  But that they would check with the Regional manager and see if they could make an exception and offer me a store credit, but that it would be a few days before they hear anything.

We drove into Austin (we live about 25 miles away outside of Manor) to look at the remaining dresses in my budget, none of which fit or were anything close to a style I like.  They said I could come back this Friday and talk the seamstress to see if anything could be done.  However if they are able to do alterations, it would require going up the equivalent of 2+ sizes. And although I am not a professional seamstress, I know enough to say with confidence that it will not look the way it is supposed to.  Furthermore the only appointment they had that would even come close to working for me is still going to make me have to take some time off work.

I will also say that one of the young ladies at the store (I don’t recall her name, but it wasn’t the one who helped me try on a couple of dresses) even asked me when the wedding was and if I thought I would be able to lose enough weight between now and then.  I can’t tell you how demeaning and embarrassing that was for me.  It should never have been suggested at all, let alone broadcasted in front of my fiancé, best friend, and a store full of strangers.  It’s difficult enough for a plus size bride to find a nice dress that will fit without making them feel bad about their figure in the process.  Needless to say, I left the store in tears.

I spent 10 years working at Macy’s part time, most of those in management or training new employees on customer service skills.  And I would never think of treating a customer that way or making them wait several days to find out if there will be any resolution at all to their issue.  Especially considering it concerns a wedding dress - which is a major focal point in the biggest day of woman’s life.  Frankly, I am surprised at the lack of authority that the assistant manager had in terms of not being able to offer a resolution without consulting the regional manager.

Yesterday, I got a call from Jennifer Torres, Regional Manager for Alfred Angelo (Phone number 888-203-4541 ext. 108 or 210-561-9036) and they refuse to give me any refunds or store credits.

Words are insufficient to describe the emotional toll and aguish that this has caused me over the past week and will continue to cause me until the situation is satisfactorily resolved.  After my experience, I do not want any part of my wedding to be associated with Alfred Angelo. 

A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion and it is the one moment in a woman’s life when all eyes are on her.  She should be treated like a princess, not a problem.

Ultimately, I bought a gorgeous new dress Sunday at David's and Candice was absolutely fabulous and turned my tears into excitement!  And my bridesmaids are getting their dresses from Belle Saisson and Tracy over there has been amazing.

I hope for your sake you will go somewhere else other than Alfred Angelo so you don't end up in a similar situation. They only care about you until they get your money and are not interested in fixing their own mistakes.