Connecticut

Davids Bridal RANT!

I started dress shopping today. For my very first time, I went to David's Bridal in Manchester to begin looking at different shapes of dresses. From the second I got there, I was STRONGLY pressured to buy.

When I arrived, they had me fill out a registration form. I didn't leave my email address because I'm already being bombarded by emails from them. I just got my email taken off their list, so didn't want to give it to them again. They wouldn't let me go with my consultant until I provided an email address...so I made one up.

Before I even showed my consultant what types of dresses I liked she was trying to get me to sign up for the David's Bridal credit card. She said I should open the card now so that I can look for gowns without worrying about cost. I had already told her that all of their dresses were in my price range, but she still insisted I sign up for it. I flatly said no.

Each dress I tried she turned up the heat more and more for me to buy it. I didn't love any of the dresses she was showing me, but she kept berating me for not wanting to purchase one. She said that I'm going to go home and think about the dresses and realize that I do love them, and when I come back it will be gone. She said they discontinue things overnight and that she could sell it by that afternoon. 

My mom was supposed to come with me, but was unable to make it at the last minute. There was 1 dress that was okay; I wasn't in love, but it was a possibility. I told her I would go home to think about it and bring my mom back to see it if I decided I wanted to see it again. She told me to just call my mom and tell her I fell in love with a dress and I'm buying it so she can just deal with it. Those were her exact words. She was so rude. I told her I was not in love with the dress, and that my mom is paying for my dress so I wasn't going to buy something without her even seeing it or having the experience with me. She said I should just open a David's Bridal credit card and figure it out later. She said, "Just open a David's Bridal account, you know she'll pay for it". She doesn't know me or my mother and her high pressure sales tactics were extremely aggravating. She said if I bought the dress today, I could come back another day and try on dresses again just so my mom could see dresses...because my mom would love to have a fake shopping experience with me I'm sure. I kept telling her i wanted to get out of the dress, and she kept pointing out reasons why I should buy it. My favorite reason of hers was that I am running out of time to buy a gown. My wedding is a year away. She told me I'm 3 months behind schedule and that I need to hurry up and decide on a gown. I said again that I wanted to take it off and leave and she told me she just had to put a veil and tiara on me before I could take it off.  I then just went into the dressing room myself to take it off and she yelled at me for taking the gown off myself. I told her many times that I wanted to leave and she wouldn't take it off so I was left with  no choice but to do it myself. She was holding me hostage in a dress! After her scolding, she insisted I make an appointment for tomorrow to come back with my mom. I told her I was no longer interested in purchasing a gown there and left.

They have been rude and annoying a few other times that I've gone to that store (it was for non wedding related things). I thought they may be better if I was actually there for a gown, but they were far worse. I do NOT recommend them. Even if you don't like a dress, they will belittle you and torment you until you either buy something or escape.

Re: Davids Bridal RANT!

  • Vanessa630Vanessa630 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I don't even know how to respond to that- it sounds AWFUL. I'm glad you stayed strong. 
    Not sure what your price range is but I went to Mariellas and never felt pressured- they had a bunch of dresses for under $1000.  I went to Bancroft Bridal in MA, right over the border, yesterday- again, no pressure, and found a dress I loved for under $1000.  
    Good luck! Your shopping experience can only get better now!
  • edited December 2011
    I am sorry you had to experience something like that on your first dress shopping excursion.  I, too, felt very displeased with my David's Bridal dress shopping time.  I went to the one in Danbury CT......somewhere I will NEVER go again!!!!

    Hang in there......I purchased my dress from a small bridal boutique called Occasions in Bethel CT.  It might be a drive for you but definately worth it.  You can go on-line and check out what they have to offer before you make the trip.  www.occasions.com

    Best of luck,
    Jo
  • edited December 2011
    I went there for first time dress shopping and had a not so good experience as well. I also ordered invitations for them, and was alerted 1 month after the fact that they had been discontinued - and it took another month for them to credit my credit card. It think it's safe to say they just have horrible tactics and customer service.
    i would recommend Julie Allen's in Newtown and Something Blue Bridal in Southbury for cute boutiques.
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  • edited December 2011
    I had a really bad experience with DB also in Danbury.  They forced me to give them my contact info too, and even though I opted out of getting contacted, they gave my phone number and email out to every crappy local vendor they associate with in CT.  You were so smart to give them bogus info.  Even though I'm already married, I still get calls from them.  Have to change my number because of it at some point.  It seems like a lot of people have a good experience with DB, but I frankly HATE them.

    I also visit one other boutique in CT that gets good reviews.  The owner scolder me for trying on a dress without her (after she left me sitting in the dressing room in my underwear with my mom and 2 BMs for 15 minutes and having tried on nothing).  Then she realized after some conversation that she went to high school w/ DH's dad.  She said she had a huge crush on him and aren't we loaded with money, etc.  Yes, she went there.  Then she proceeded to try to charge me 60% more for the dress I liked (the only one I liked and the one dress I physically picked out myself b/c it was from a trunk show rack in the front on the store) and told me I had to order it that week at her 'extra low price' or else she couldn't offer it to me at that rate... this was 14 months before my wedding.  I ended up calling Pearl's Place and ordering it mail order from them for the price that was 60% less.

    So, sorry you had such a bad experience.... and I wish your experience at DB was atypical, but it's kind of not.  There are a lot of boutiques that girls in CT rave about.  I'm sure you can get some good recommendations here.  Good luck!
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  • EStar73EStar73 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow that is terrible! I'm so glad you posted this, I was considering going there to try on dresses just to get an idea of what style I like but if they behave like that I am going to avoid them like the plague. Thanks for posting and I hope your dress shopping experience is only good things from here on out.
  • edited December 2011

    Awful, awful awful. I bought my dress there my sales lady was nice. BUT the lady who was ringing was the biggest b!$@&. dragged my dress around on the floor, almost marked it with a pen. We asked her a few times to put it in a bag and she was like yeah,yeah. So its either okay service or horrible. Definitely not the best place but i really liked my dress I found so I bought it there. Sorry your experience was so disgusting.

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  • Vanessa630Vanessa630 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The consultant makes such a difference!  I had 2 great experiences working with a consultant who was new (I was one woman's first appointment, since being trained).  Even though they might not be as familiar with the inventory, they'll actually take the time to listen to you and they haven't had any bad experiences yet to make them burnt out or pushy, etc.  
    So my advice would be to call around and find someone they just hired, haha
  • edited December 2011
    I'm sorry you had such an experience.  Although it does not surprise me to hear this sort of review about DB.  A few years ago a friend of mine worked there as a bridal consultant, and after she quit she told me I should never go there when I get married.  She said managers/corporate pressure the consultants to push for contact info, opening DB credit cards, and to make sales quickly and aggressively (by any means possible).  Consultants are threatened with being written up if their numbers in those catagories don't stay at a certain level (and a certain number of writeups can get you fired).  My friend also told me most of their dress stock is cookie cutter, and also not all of them are well made (sort of a "you get what you pay for").  She also said many of their alteration departments were not so great (stitching coming loose, undone, etc).  Even though, there are plenty of people who are satisfied customers from DB, I just decided never to chance it.  Then again, my mom just ordered her MOB dress from them and had a great experience (Orange location).  So I suppose it's hit or miss.

    I can recommend The Wedding Dress in Portland, CT.  I got my dress there and am doing my fittings there.  It looks like a small shop, but they have a great selection and the girls there (Shelley and Lisa) are wonderful.  They are a lot of fun and not pressuring at all.  They have a good number of dresses under $1000.  I got my dress (casablanca 1802) for $911.  This included the base price for the dress ($800), plus custom measurements (rather than just ordering by size chart), and sales tax.

    And btw, you are not "behind schedule" at all.  You have plenty of time to get your dress.  I got mine around the 9 month mark (which is recommended) and it came in around the 4 month mark (which is typical), and gives plenty of time for fittings.
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  • edited December 2011
    Agreed with Carrie. They sold my info to a bunch of crappy vendors and I was getting spams daily and phone calls like once a week until I told the vendors to put me on their do not call list. I went to the one in Orange and my experience was ok. I only went there to see what style fits me. The consultant I had was really friendly and sweet but I felt like I was doing all the work and she was only good for helping me getting out of the dresses. I was more knowledgeable about wedding dresses than her! 
  • wrdgirlwrdgirl member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Sorry to hear about the experience!

    I went to the Manchester one on a Wednesday afternoon and had a consultant named "April".  She was nice, showed me all the dresses in my size and didn't pressure me to do anything.  I wasn't asked to sign up for a credit card at all.

    I did set up a profile on their website so when they asked for my info I just told them it's on the website.  I can't remember what info I put there though.  So far I haven't received anything from them yet.

    The only reason why I went is to see what style looks good on me since I already have someone make my dress.

    I would agree with all other people that you should probably look for a salon or boutique with much better service when you want to purchase.  It did seem a bit weird for me but since I wasn't planning on buying it didn't matter.

    Good luck!
  • edited December 2011
    All great advice girls! I agree with all the places you're recommending. I never planned on buying a dress at DB because of the horror stories I've heard, and I would have skipped the trying on different shapes part if I'd known what they were like. 

    I have always really wanted to go to The Wedding Dress in Portland, but their schedule never seems to coincide with mine. I actually drove down there on a whim yesterday, but they were closed for the holiday weekend. One of my BM's lives in Bethel and highly recommends Occasions, but its a long drive for me. I do plan on checking them out if I don't find anything on Tuesday.

    Tuesday I will be looking at Something Blue Bridal, Mariella's, and Stylez for the Aisle. I also wanna try to get to Bancroft Bridal if there's time. I'm super excited for this line up of stores because I've heard great things about all of them. 

    Yesterday I had also looked at East West Bridal in Manchester and Bridal Bells in Berlin. Both places offered a much nicer experience. I've heard bad things about East West, but we had a good time there. It's very laid back. You look around and pull your own dresses. The consultant just kind of hangs around in case you need help zipping or lacing. I did actually find a great Maggie Sottero gown there, but I would order it elsewhere. 

    The other place we went to was Bridal Bells in Berlin. At first I was not impressed. She didn't have anything in the store that matched my style. Her gowns seem to cater to older or more modest brides. I told her about the Maggie Sottero gown I liked, and she said if I ordered it through her she would give me $100-200 off the asking price of the other store. It also seems like they could basically make your dress or BM's dresses into anything you wanted. I've read reviews that her seamstress is one of the best in the business.

    Thanks for all the feedback girls! I'll let you know when I find the dress!
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_connecticut_davids-bridal-rant?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:65Discussion:93dc5edf-d3f8-44c9-bbce-778260ed9957Post:20706dc9-2cdd-4b8c-b07c-01fa96c5abfe">Re: Davids Bridal RANT!</a>:
    [QUOTE] I have always really wanted to go to The Wedding Dress in Portland, but their schedule never seems to coincide with mine.
    Posted by Salamandy24[/QUOTE]

    If you still want to try them, call again for an appointment, and explain what your schedule is.   I've made like 4 appointments with them when dress hunting over a few months before I actually bought the dress (2 just looking, 1 to show my dad and sister the dress, 1 to re-show my mom and at that one we bought it), and now 2 fitting sessions so I'm familiar with booking with them.  I've found them to be very accomodating scheduling appointments when the store is "closed".  They had no problem scheduling an appointment with me on a day when the store was closed to the public.  It was so much fun having free run of the store.  So try seeing if they will work with you.
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  • edited December 2011
    Thanks! I'll definitely try that! I love their website. They seem to have a lot of unique gowns.
  • callista21callista21 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow!  That's a truly horrible experience. Mine last month was actually very smooth and relaxed so I thought I would share that it doesn't have to be that bad!  I think it truly depends on your consultant: some are great, some are awful.

    My consultant at the Manchester location was great (April, again), and gave me absolutely ZERO pressure.  She picked out tons of dresses and really figured out what I was looking for quickly.  I had no intention of buying a dress that day -- just wanted to get to try on dresses with my mom and sisters while I was in town, and get an idea of what I wanted -- but I fell in love and had to buy the dress.  We were able to order the size I wanted and it came in last week.  They're shipping it to me out of state this week and I really don't have any complaints.  Plus, it was quite a bit under my budget, and so far the only thing I have been able to come under budget on!   No crazy phone calls from vendors, but the emails got annoying until I unsubscribed.  So if you're on a budget, don't rule them out, but hope you get a good consultant!
  • edited December 2011
    I am sorry to hear about your awful experience, but I am relieved that I am not alone in thinking that their customer service stinks! I went my appointment at the Machester DB on a Tuesday evening, because they couldn't accommodate me on a weekend. I just wanted to look for bridesmaid dresses, but I wanted someone to coordinate a look for my bridesmaids, and I specifically told them that's why I was coming to the store, and that's why they had told me to make an appointment/consultation. After driving an hour to get there (I live in Norwich), I was told to just browse around and the girl didn't even get up from her seat at the front. She merely pointed to this rack, and that rack, and if I needed any help just ask someone. I was so disappointed because there was no customer service at all! And there was no one available to ask for help anyway! If that was how my "appointment" was going to turn out, then I should have just come in on a weekend because I don't think it would have been any different. I will not go back to DB!
  • edited December 2011
    Yeah, I had a wonderful time at DB in Milford with Patricia. I even took my friend there and together we had a truly fun experience. It stinks when brides have a bad experience at dress shops, even when it's your first time trying on dresses. Did you go during a big sale?
  • jennylove810jennylove810 member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    DB is crap.  I'm really sorry OP, it sounds like you found out what tons and tons of girls find out all the time.

    I've gone there (Manchester) for party dresses now and then, but I'd never go for a wedding gown for so many of the reasons listed above.  Namely, 'you get what you pay for,' but also because so many of their gowns are exactly what a PP said - they're cookie cutter and mass produced.

    It sounds like you're definitely headed in a better direction looking at smaller boutiques.  I went to the Bridal Mall in Niantic and had a wonderful experience, so that's another place you might want to consider.

    Good luck!
  • edited December 2011
    I have a friend who is dead set on looking at DB in Manchester, because she loves a gown on their website. I will def recommend April to her since she's been recommended a few times here. My consultant was Sam, so if you must go to DB make sure you don't get her!! And I do agree with some of the girls on here that DB is not always terrible, but that seems to be the exception. One of my BM's got her wedding gown from DB in Mass and she had a great consultant and no issues with ordering or alterations. Her bridesmaids all got their gowns from DB, but got them altered elsewhere and a few different seamstresses told them that DB purposely produces their gowns with uneven hemlines so that you HAVE to get them altered. They are a great place if you're on a tight budget, however, I've seen some great gowns at smaller boutiques that you can buy off the rack for under $500. More dress shopping tomorrow, hopefully with better luck!
  • Vikki2payVikki2pay member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm so sorry you had such an awful experience with DB, I got my dress at DB in Manchester, but had a good experience, they were all very helpfull and super nice, no one pressured me into anything.  Good Luck in your seach you will find the perfect dress.
  • edited December 2011
    oh my goodness i am so sorry! they can be so jerky there. you should seriously complain to the manager or something about her. i was lucky enough to know someone from college who worked there as a consultant for a short while so she didnt pressure me into anything (she's since left since they were all wackos pretty much).

    i did buy my dress there, but nobody told me what to do or pressured me into anything....luckily, or else i would have smacked someone

    and you have PLENTY of time.

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  • SuMmErKuTiESuMmErKuTiE member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_connecticut_davids-bridal-rant?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:65Discussion:93dc5edf-d3f8-44c9-bbce-778260ed9957Post:6f168c97-1e1e-401a-b31a-71976f64370d">Re: Davids Bridal RANT!</a>:
    [QUOTE] i would recommend Julie Allen's in Newtown and Something Blue Bridal in Southbury for cute boutiques.
    Posted by crushme8602[/QUOTE]

    Goodness! I'm so sorry this happened to you! I had an awful consultant when I went to the DB in Orange, even my mom was upset with the service we received. But ditto crushme! I got my dress from Something Blue Bridal in Southbury and have had a great experience. I have my final fitting there this weekend! :0)
  • edited December 2011
    Wow I had April too at the DB in Manchester.. she was wonderful and never pressured me at all. I did end up buying my dress there and everything went very smooth. Someone should give that girl a raise! 3 satisfied clients in one thread :)
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