DON'T GO TO DAVID'S BRIDAL!

pbenden

I went into David's Bridal to begin my search for a gown. I had about 15 I liked written down. The bridal consultant brought only 2 or 3 of these to me. I didn't like any of them so I tried on the one the consultant had brought me that she thought I would like. I absolutely fell in love with it. What the consultant didn't tell me was that the dress was discontinued and I couldn't order it in the size I needed which was only one size larger than the sample. When I inquired about ordering it, I was told it was discontinued and told I could purchase the sample. First of all the sample was too small, second of all it was ripped and missing beads and third, they wanted to charge me FULL PRICE for the sample! Safe to say I told them to keep the dress and left close to tears. To make matters worse... other than bringing me the dress, the consultant had to be chased down anytime I wanted anything!!  Talk about CRAPPY service and LIES! Don't tell a bride you can order any size in your dresses that you have and wait until she falls in love with a dress to tell her you can't order that one! If you want a stress free experience I suggest going somewhere else!

deborah2121

That totally sucks. I feel so bad when people have bad experiences at DB. I did buy my dress from DB (coincidentally a beaded discontinued dress, too! pic in bio), but I had mixed experiences. I went to three before finding one I loved!  I wrote a letter to the DB corporate office, and I got a prompt response.  If there were dresses there you liked...perhaps you could try a different location (check Yelp or local boards for recs) and ask corporate to give you a better discount than what's offered!

What dress is it?  Maybe you can call around to other stores to find it. 
The consultants work on commission so I think sometimes they try to sell from their stores, but you could always look elsewhere.

 If you have no desire in trying DB again, happy dress hunting, and I hope your dress finding experience gets better!

PreppySailor

If you know the style number of the DB dress that you like you should totally check oncewed.com, and preownedweddingdresses.com.

dramabooks

I'm really sorry to hear your experiance sucked.  Try a different location.  I had a great experiance there when I bought my Prom dress there 7 years ago, so I went there for my Wedding dress and had a great experiance again.  The only complaints that I have is that they kept calling me about when I'm going to bring my girls in for their dresses. I eventually had to tell them to stop calling me, and they did.  The other one is that the very first time I called about setting up an appt for my Wedding dress the girl got snippy with me because I called when they were closed, I didn't know they were closed, and she didn't have to answer the phone. 

stymitz

i had an amazing experience at DB i saw a dress online that i liked and tried it on and it fit me almost perfectly i would def. recommend to anyone.

nosaj

Sorry to hear about your bad DB experience. Is that the only place you've shopped around? There are actually a lot of designers out there that are really affordable and there's lots to choose from. I'd take it as a sign and keep looking til things fall into place a little easier. I'm sure you'll find another dress you like even more than that one. Best of luck!

KappaUCF20

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but David's is a chain so service varies greatly depending on the specific store and who works there. I personally had a fantastic experience, and my local DB has a great reputation.  It would be kind of silly to tell other brides not to visit their stores simply because you got a crappy consultant.  That can happen anywhere.  Complain to the manager if you're not happy.  When I was shopping, I encountered subpar service even at the higher end boutiques, but I never told other people not to go there.  Maybe the managers/consultants I worked with just happened to be having a bad day.  It's not necessarily indicative of the business as a whole. 

lisaweds2010

I am just starting my quest for the perfect dress.  I went to DB and wasn't impressed.  I would love a small shop in Phoenix.  any suggestions?

ecuchika

In response to what Kappa said....I thought that too about it being a chain and service varies.  But I understand why I wouldn't recommend ANYONE to go to David's.
 I am from the Charlotte area and I went to the bridal show in Charlotte.  I was very excited b/c it was the first wedding thing I did and I went with my mom and FMIL.  I wanted to try on dresses and the DB booth said go over to our store its just a few minutes away...GREAT! Got there and that little desk at the front of the store had an employee who basically said...we can't help you we don't have the time or the man-power.  I was like well I just want to look I drove 1 hour over here and she was like come back tomorrow its againt policy for you too look w/o a consultant.  BOO on you...
But to add to my dislike of them...in my college town (NOT the same store) I went with my roommate who needed a formal dress for an event and she was willing to lay down $200 on the spot for a dress that day..they didnt want to help us at all then they didnt want to sell her the dress b/c of the event she was attending (it wasnt a wedding or prom).  BOO # 2
I also know 2 people who work at David's one in PA and one at the above 2nd store...they told me to avoid going there.  The customer service it horrible.  Everything about that store it bad.  One girl is getting married and she refuses to buy anything for Davids...she went to a local boutique.  I asked why are you working there...their repsonse was the same... its a job and I need money! But when I have a chance to leave for a better job I will take it!
Now that it bad...for an employee not to recommend where they work.
TO me I would never buy anything from them or want to see my friends go though the misery of working with them.
Best of luck

kadydidit

DB is like the Walmart of formal dresses, I will not be buying a dress there.

KappaUCF20

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_dont-davids-bridal?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:24dad356-a616-4367-9d3a-1e93d530efb3Post:c8376e56-ed11-4530-ae2c-8abb8476db86">Re: DON'T GO TO DAVID'S BRIDAL!</a>:
[QUOTE]In response to what Kappa said....I thought that too about it being a chain and service varies.  But I understand why I wouldn't recommend ANYONE to go to David's.  I am from the Charlotte area and I went to the bridal show in Charlotte.  I was very excited b/c it was the first wedding thing I did and I went with my mom and FMIL.  I wanted to try on dresses and the DB booth said go over to our store its just a few minutes away...GREAT! Got there and that little desk at the front of the store had an employee who basically said...we can't help you we don't have the time or the man-power.  I was like well I just want to look I drove 1 hour over here and she was like come back tomorrow its againt policy for you too look w/o a consultant.  BOO on you... But to add to my dislike of them...in my college town (NOT the same store) I went with my roommate who needed a formal dress for an event and she was willing to lay down $200 on the spot for a dress that day..they didnt want to help us at all then they didnt want to sell her the dress b/c of the event she was attending (it wasnt a wedding or prom).  BOO # 2 I also know 2 people who work at David's one in PA and one at the above 2nd store...they told me to avoid going there.  The customer service it horrible.  Everything about that store it bad.  One girl is getting married and she refuses to buy anything for Davids...she went to a local boutique.  I asked why are you working there...their repsonse was the same... its a job and I need money! But when I have a chance to leave for a better job I will take it! Now that it bad...for an employee not to recommend where they work. TO me I would never buy anything from them or want to see my friends go though the misery of working with them. Best of luck
Posted by ecuchika[/QUOTE]

Again, it all depends on the store.  I didn't encounter any of these aforementioned problems at my local DB.  Both of my consultants were amazing, the customer service was beyond my expectations, and my Oleg Cassini dress was gorgeous.  I'm still getting compliments on it.  My seamstress, who is a nationally recognized wedding gown designer herself, even told me that the Oleg Cassinis are of superior quality compared to most other designers in the same price range.  So take that for what you will.  If your local DB has a bad reputation then by all means, stay away.  But not all of them are created equal :).

ButtonsPepper

There are a ton of DB near me, and they are all awful. Just awful. But I know people in other locations who got top notch service and were so pleased. I'd say check different locations until you find one that you like, if you really love that dress. Call around see who has what, and look online.

MNVegas

Sorry you did not have a good experience.   I had a very pleasant experience, but I do know it does depend on the store you shop in. Trust me when I say that not all DB are the same.

I am a 2 dress bride (PIB) and bought both my dresses at DB. My consultant and everyone I encountered in the store I shopped at were great.  One of the best things is they had samples in my size, which most bridal shops in my area do not. 

My gown length ceremony dress was a sample but was only $99 and in excellent condition.  It did not even look like it had ever been tried on by anyone other than me.  I had to order the Galina tea length dress, but the dress actually came in earlier than they originally told me it would. I also found beautiful shoes and matching chiffon wrap for both dresses.

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prideeinpynk

That's too bad you had such a terrible experience.

I also bought my dress from DB. Haven't receieved it yet, but I can tell you that the staff at my DB was AMAZING!! I went in three times before I finally committed to my dress. The first one my consultant brought me any and everything I wanted, even though the store was about to close for the night.

The 2nd time, I had the same consultant; she brought me the dress I loved from before, as well as another pick she knew I'd love (and did) and also helped me with accessories.

The 3rd time was a different girl, a little more rushed but also very helpful, and didn't pressure me to buy the sample even though it was in the size I ordered! In fact, she said that she wants all of her brides to have their "own" dress and always orders a new one, regardless of store policy.

I have also purchased a bridesmaids dress from DB (different store) when I was in my FMIL's wedding this past August. Still a great experience.

I was definitely wary about buying from them because of their rep. However, after my experience I will be definitely recommending my local DB! Also, like Kappa said, the Oleg Cassini dresses are gorgeous! I ended up with a Galina Signature, which is their other "higher end" line.

jessNlane52804

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_dont-davids-bridal?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:24dad356-a616-4367-9d3a-1e93d530efb3Post:7382a5fa-a5a7-4c67-8c60-10d3f590e978">Re: DON'T GO TO DAVID'S BRIDAL!</a>:
[QUOTE]DB is like the Walmart of formal dresses[/QUOTE]

I say the same thing! We bought BM dresses because it was convenient. I went to three differnt DB (BM's live in different states) and received poor service at each. Most of our problems were from the consultants having 2-3 appointments at once and being inadequately trained on their merchandise. I think it helps to go on a weekday if possible because they are a literal madhouse on a Saturday afternoon! The first time we went, the consultant was helping a bride, so we just picked our own dresses with minimal help. I think it helps a lot if you go in with something specific in mind. When I went with several BM's at once, we knew exactly which 3 dresses we were going to look at that day, and I was able to find them for the consultant since she was new and was unfamiliar with their stock. I guess the moral of my story is that if you go in not expecting great service, you'll have a better experience. However, I also understand that shopping for BM dresses is very different than shopping for a wedding dress.