WARNING - Trisha`s Formals/Bridal

Betsy,
I understand your fustration with not getting exactly what you wanted, but I am very good friends with Patty & I can`t understand why she would dissapoint you. I have contracted with her to do my dress as well, and I am very pleased. She is doing dresses for the whole wedding party. Her service has been A1 100%. She has done everything in her power to help me along in the dress choosing process & even cut me some great deals. I am getting a $1,000 dress for $125. Patty has been there for me any time of the night or day to calm my fears. My dresses are due any time now, and I am very confident that Patty will come through with a great product. I am not saying that this is your fault, neither am I saying it is Patty`s fault... Maybe there could have been better communication some place down the line. Maybe she didn`t go see the dress like she said she would (she has been having some tough personal problems lately)...I know that she sends photos out to every person before she ships their gowns, why didn`t you say something before she shipped it if the mistake was that noticeable? I am glad you are stating your opinion because it is good to have a variety of additudes, but mine does not match yours. I am just posting this message to tell everyone that I have nothing but a great expierence with Patty. She has treated me like a princess & I thank her for that!

Kimmy-
I was also very happy with Patty during the whole process. If I remember correctly both you and I took up for her the last time she got a negative post.

There has been no miscommunication between us about the fabric. I asked her directly if the fabric would be silk ziboline and she answered yes, exactly as the original. It is also in the contract. Never did she mention anything about it being a designer trade name or having to find a suitable alternative. Instead she tried to pass off another fabric as silk ziboline.

In the past I`ve always thought these posts were brides turning into bridezillas and over reacting. But when you get something in the mail that is not as you contracted it is very disappointing. Especially when you trusted the person who is selling it to you. Now that this has happened to me, I have to wonder, how many of her gowns are correct? The latest posts that I have seen are 0-2.

I truly hope your order turns out better than mine. Good luck!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I was very naive when I saw the pictures of my gown. I saw that it was shiny but I thought it was just a bad reflection with the camera flash. I contracted for silk ziboline so I really didn`t think twice about it.

Hello,

Ladies: We are all looking for the best prices for our weddings. But I have to say: when it comes to your gown, do not compromise and try to get "replicas" made. Replicas are just that, "almost authentic". "Almost" is usually not good enough. I saw a negative post awhile ago about Trisha`s, and someone responded it is not worth it to go this route. I agree 100%. Do what you have to do to get the authentic gown of your dreams. Take a 2nd job part time, save money, or borrow from the bank or family to get your authentic dream gown. Cut back on other things, such as the menu, number of guests and bridesmaids` attire, whatever else you can get away with, but not your wedding gown. When that is a disaster, all the other things going well doesn`t matter, if the bride doesn`t feel she`ll look her best. Since this was in the bride`s contract, I would think she would be due a refund if it is not what she ordered. It DOES matter. I personally will not let a waiter/waitress bring me a COKE when I order a PEPSI, I know the difference, and it isn`t what I asked for. Instead of admitting they are a COKE establishment, not PEPSI, they`ll try to bring me a COKE, and it never works with me. I take one sip, give it back and will not pay for it. This is similar, only hundreds of people will be present for the wedding, and if the bride is not feeling confident, it will show in her face. Shame on Trisha`s and all these other shops offering "replicas" or "knockoffs". Brides, if you can`t afford Amsale, and most of us can`t, there is nothing wrong with having 2nd and 3rd choices for an authentic dream gown. As you can see, it is not worth ordering a replica. In my opinion, 97% of the time, brides ordering "knock-offs" are not happy, because the difference in the replica and the original are downright noticeable. There is no way anyone can expect to pay less than $200 for a $5,000.00 gown and be happy with the outcome...just no way. Don`t be fixated on ONE particular gown and then try to get a replica of that gown. Be open-minded and have other choices in gowns that you can afford. But don`t bother trying to find a "replica". It`s not worth it. I wish these vendors would stop rushing to brides offering "replicas" when brides post saying they`re looking for gowns. If they wanted replicas, they`d say that in the post. I hope this bride gets her money back. Shame on Trisha`s for not being honest. If the bride was told verbally and in writing what the fabric would be and the product delivered is not that fabric, the bride deserves a refund. So businesses: if you think being stubborn and refusing liability is the way to go, be prepared for the public backlash. Trisha`s and ALL other bridal vendors: SATISFY THE CUSTOMER. DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE THEM HAPPY. Your reputation is at stake. Is your reputation worth the price this bride paid for the gown?

I am really sorry about your dress. I can only imagine what you are feeling right now. I am not against you in any way, I am just trying to defend Patty, because she has been very good to me. I can`t understand why she would lie to you. I have not known her to do that before. I am sure there was a mistake someplace in the process. I am assuming that she had planned to have your dress made exactly as you wanted it & then found out some time in the process that the dress maker was unable to get the material you wanted so, they went to a substitute. That is OK, if they contact you & let you know, or ask you if that is ok. Maybe the dress manufacurer went ahead & did it w/o asking Patty...I don`t know. It just doesn`t seem like her to make a bride dissapointed. Thankfully my dress is made of easier to find material like chiffon. I have confidence in Patty...that is not a problem...but I don`t know the company who is making the dress so, that makes me uneasy...but I trust Patty & I have seen some of the dresses that the company has made. I am confident that the dresses will turn out beautiful. I am sorry about your situation. By the way, are you going to use your dress or what are you going to do with it?

Jackie,
This is just my opinion..but geeze don`t you think your opinion is a little on the vain side? If you have to get a second job to pay for a wedding dress I suggest you get a different (more affordable) dress. I don`t think any bride needs to take out a loan to get a wedding dress, but that is just my opinion. I agree that the bride should look & feel wonderful, but I think a bride would look just as good in a $50 e-bay dress or a recreated original that cost much less. Why skip on other details of your wedding to be able to afford an insanely expensive dress that you will only wear for a few hrs. What a waste of money. Thrisha`s Bridal was able to recreate the beautiful $1,000 dress that I wanted for $125 & I am confident in the dress maker`s abilities. I have seen other samples of what the dress comapny can do & it`s truly amazing. I feel the samples I have saw are BETTER than the originals. But that is only my opinion...if other brides want to take out a loan or a 2nd job, be my guest...but I won`t...not when the replica is better than the original for 1/10th of the price!!

Thank you both for posting. I agree with both of you in a way. When I ordered my dress, I wasn`t willing to pay the designer price. But now that I`ve been through this, I know I would have been better off if I had.

Even though I didn`t pay designer prices, I do feel that I paid alot ($900) for something that wasn`t done as contracted. I was naive and when Patty seemed so confident that I`d be happy with the result I couldn`t resist temptation to save the money.

Kimmy, just be smart and I`m sure you`ll be fine. Don`t just believe that because something is contracted that you will get it. Spell out everything in detail in your contract, make sure there is a clause to fix things if they aren`t correct, and get swatches!! I agree with you and think some of this may be out of Patty`s control, I just wish she`d fess up when she knows its wrong. Instead she was very unfriendly with me, denied any wrongdoing (however spelled out her wrongdoing as I posted above), and refused to do anything to make it right. And I haven`t heard from her since....

As far as what I`ll do with the dress...I`m still hoping there is an ounce of good in Patty and that she`ll make things right. If I don`t hear from her today, I`m filing for legal action. I have no choice, I haven`t heard from her and need my money back.

I will never recommend a business again until I get the final product.

Uhhh....

Kimmy, you are "very good friends" with Patty? Your opinion isn`t exactly unbiased here if you are "good friends." Also, what is stopping Patty herself from writing a message in this thread to defend herself and simply signing it as another person?

Betsey, I am so sorry about your situation and it is absolutely ridiculous that someone will not refund your $$ due to their mistake.

Kimmy,

To each his own. Weddings are so insanely expensive unless there is a J.O.P. Ceremony. Remember every bride doesn`t want a $5,000 dress to begin with - I was only speaking of those that want the very expensive dresses. Wedding attire is a very personal thing, and not for me, you or anyone else to pass judgment on what someone else likes. I don`t personally like Amsale, but this bride did. We all know you wear the gown for one day and maybe it is not practical to spend that much. But being a bride for most women is a life long dream come true to feel like Cinderella, so to each his own. Personally, I feel you could get a nice, authentic brand new designer gown for less than $1,000, even lower. I meant what I said toward the bride who just has to have the more expensive gown. Whether you agree or not, there are brides like that, who will do what they have to do to get their dream gown, even if it means cutting costs elsewhere. So what if it makes them happy. It may seem vain and make no sense, but every woman is entitled to make the decision for herself what gown she wants and then figure how to pay for it. Taking a 2nd job is a lot better than some gals who come on the boards begging for sponsored weddings. If they`re willing to work for what they want, so be it. It`s their prerogative. I bet the bride who read of this disaster and who did get a 2nd job (I meant temporarily), a loan or did whatever she had to do is a lot happier than this bride who tried going the "replica" route. It doesn`t sound at all to me like the gown is just as good as the authentic gown. If it were, Trisha`s wouldn`t have a complaint. Just because you had a good experience doesn`t make the bride who didn`t out to be a liar. Trisha`s should do the customer service thing and refund that bride`s money. The bride didn`t get what was stated in the contract. A refund is due her.

Maybe this site should come up with a rating system like EBAY so that ALL brides can see what the vendors rating is from a real source - the customer!

OMG!!!!

She did me wrong too.. Not with a dress but with shoes and a bra... Some lady that had her`s for sell didnt fit me so Trish said she would be willing to take her`s and send me something that fits me.. Well, to this day I havent seen it.. It`s been over 4 months... Damn, and to think I thought she was a nice lady and i even stuck up for her a few times.... Not anymore!!! This is a damn shame Trish you would do this to us....

I was going to get a dress from Beautiful Bride but im re-thinking that now... I dont want to pay 900.00 for a dress and NOT like it... I would die if I got my dress and it wasnt what i thought!!!

Trish- You should REFUND her MONEY ASAP!!

April.

Kimmy:

I agree with Jackie. I don`t think the post is vain at all. She makes 2 points there. She says she doesn`t like Amsale, a high-end designer. She is saying for the bride that just has to have that $5,000 gown, they should work for it basically. Or, have other choices in gowns like most of us do, who can`t afford that number 1 dress. I knew I didn`t have the $2,500 to get my dress either and neither of our parents were rich. I worked part time waitressing until I had the money I needed. I worked at a great restaurant and got great tips, especially on the weekends. It was an alternative to taking out a loan. I don`t feel this was vain at all. I waited until my late 30s to get married, and I got the dress that made me happy. For me, it wasn`t the designer name, it was the way this gown made me feel. The other less expensive ones were beautiful too. But any bride can tell you, it`s not "the look" alone that makes you want the dress. It is that feeling you have when you are wearing the gown that seems made for you. That`s when I made my decision to work for what I wanted. I`ve never liked replicas of anything, whether it`s a knock off shoe, purse, scarf, much less a wedding dress. No thanks. Now look at the headache this bride has trying to get a replica. I`ve never thought they were worth it. I don`t care what anyone thinks about how I got my dream gown. At least I did not go begging or asking for money as gifts for my shower or wedding. By the way, I think Trisha`s should refund this bride her money. How come we haven`t heard from Trisha`s yet?

Hi All-
I just wanted to post that in no way did I mean for this post to be a debate between replicas and originals. The fact is that it`s a bride`s choice based on her budget. And I do not think that all of the people who make the replicas are bad - I have heard some great things about some of them, and as I mentioned above, the others (except Melody, of course) were honest with me when I asked if they could do the gown in silk ziboline.

I in no way needed the Amsale tag to make me feel good. However, there were some specifics such as the dress fabric that were outlined in our contract that I did need. I just wanted to share with other brides the dishonesty that I encountered and warn them to think twice before contracting with Trisha`s.

By the way, I still haven`t heard from Patty. Maybe she`s under the weather or something, but I just wish we could clear things up soon.

I always forget one line!!
I also appreciate all of your support and sympathy. It means alot that others understand what I`m going through.

Betsy,
Speaking from someone who also had issues using and internet company. If you used a credit card for the purchase you may have recourse there. If you have a contract and Trisha`s did not hold up their end of the bargain you can file a complaint with your credit card company. May want to try that option if you can.

I hope others that read these posts get a little more weary of using and internet company for their big purchase. Do some research. See if the company is actually listed with the Better Business Bureau and Google the company name, phone number or address. I got burnt but ended up getting my gown from an eBay seller. I was a lot more confident because of the feedback.

Good luck Betsy. I hope you can get your refund.

Just wanted to give you all an updated. I still have not heard from Patty since the nasty email she wrong me on Saturday. Kimmy, have you heard from her since Saturday?

I understand your pain, but there are online sites out there that have good stuff and are honest. Try alight.com. You can order beautiful dress in your size and they make it from scratch for you. I think the company Calito works with them to get the dress done.

Betsy,
She has written me a few e-mails this week.. My dress has been shipped & will arrive any day now..she has done nothing but be friendly to me so, I can`t understand her situation with you. Like I said earlier, she is having some tough personal problems... Her husband is not in great health & she is undergoing the stress of possibly loosing him & it is more than she can handle. She has decided that because her husband is so sick that she had no choice but to close her bridal shop. She is working with me to get my order finnished & that`s her final order. She is my good friend & I feel very sorry for her & know that this is a busy & stressfull time of the year for everyone...let alone having to worry about loosing your husband above all the other stresses of the holidays..BUT.. I admit, that does not give her the right to not respond to you...althought she told me she has.. I don`t know what to tell you Betsy. Patty has closed her internet shop & her physical shop in order to be by her husband`s side right now. I can try to talk to her for you..what is it that you want? A total refund or just to have her fix something for you or what?? I am very sorry that you are having to go through this. :(

If you paid $900 for the dress and are positive the specific silk was in the WRITTEN contract then you should take her to small claims courts ASAP.

Kimmy,
You need to get real girl. Sure they are going to sound all nice, DUH. Then when they don`t get back to you soon, or your dress is late, then all the sudden these personal problems come up. I was scammed the same exact way, it was by another lady, but the story sounds exactly like mine. She was nice to me the whole time (what like she is going to be mean while she is trying to get your money I think not)and then soon after it was excuse after excuse. Many of these people this is their job, scamming people, and they have become VERY good at it. You know and I hate to mention this because I haven`t worked with Trishas bridal but when I told the lady who was scamming me I had found another vendor she said "I sure hope it isn`t Trishas bridal". She never said why, just that. Betsy, call the police in her area if you have a problem getting a refund, with my situation they had already recieve complaints about the lady I worked with and many women had recieved refunds that way. Also contact your credit card company ASAP or the time window for you to do say may lapse, if it hasn`t already. Many of these scamming ladies know there is a time window for credit card refunds and that is why the excuses are given to draw the time out.

I don`t know why this isn`t posting to the right board. In any case, if it does...
Kimmy,
I don`t think she can redo my dress. She`d have to redo the entire dress since the problem is with the fabric and I`m not sure I`d trust her enough to wait for it to come in wrong again. I want a full refund ($900). Wouldn`t you? I promise I`m not a horrible person, she just didn`t hold up her end of the contract and the mistake that was made is not something I`m willing to accept.

Finally heard from Patty, this was her message:

"I do not respond to threats. I do not think I was wrong and have already responded to your emails."

I guess the threats she`s referring to is me mentioning that I`ve contacted my attorney and the BBB. I simply meant those to let her know I wasn`t just going to let this go.

Question: How long does it take for the credit card company to do the chargeback? Should I go ahead and file the small courts claim? I`ve got swatches and the contract for proof. It looks like Patty thinks she can just take my money and run. I can`t wait to send the Sheriff to her door with the summons.

You need to get a hold of your credit card NOW, there is this window of time and if you pass it they can`t help (Can`t remember off the top of my head how long). Second, I would be interested in having this ladies name and number and everything so I don`t get involved with her!. Third, if you have a written contract, fabric samples etc... You go for it, take her to court. People like her need to stop doing this to people. I can`t believe she said "she doesn`t respond to threats", that is pathetic!
"Patty",
If you contract to do a job it is your responsibility to get it done, and according to the contract, you aren’t free to substitute other material, or make changes according to your will! Now you have broken the agreement and she has every right to a refund, if you will not give it to her free of your own will then what you will find is yourself in court and the fee you will have to pay will not just be 900 but 900 plus court costs plus, plus, plus whatever Betsy would like to add to it! Do the math; wouldn’t it be better to give her one now?
Now watch out ladies, I have a feeling this whole “This is my last order” is just a scam artists way of saying “due to the bad publicity I will be changing my business name”, it happens all the time, that is how they keep going! That is also the reason they don’t mind bad BBB comments. Good Luck with your refund Betsy, and if you need any help let me know. NO bride should have to deal with this.

I guess now I know why I haven`t heard from Patty. I was just about to go start a contract with Patty for an Eve of Milady dress and then it`s like she dropped off the face of the universe. The number for her shop has been disconnected, her cell phone only goes to voicemail & website is no longer up.
I`m sorry for anyone that had a bad experience (no bride should have to suffer!).
My wedding is in January of 2005, I found a lovely shop with a GREAT owner (if anyone needs a bridal salon in New Jersey, feel free to contact me). I ordered a Mary`s PC dress that is amazing (they`re so afforable and if I didn`t know better, I thought I was looking at Reem Acra or Amsale Dress).

Hope everything works out for everyone!

Can anyone tell me Patty`s last name and any and all information you have for you including the state she is in?

Hi, I just wanted to follow-up with you all. For those of you in business can you help me with one thing. I`m wondering what good a contract does if you don`t have to abide to it? It really bothers me that to start the work we needed the "contract" but it was not abided to, and that is doing nothing for me (in Patty`s eyes). I`m playing the waiting game with my credit card company, but will the "contract" actually serve a purpose in the end??

Hey gals...I am just curious...what e-mail addresses do all of you use when you try to contact Patty? The one listed on this site, trishasbridal@charter.net has been disabled & kicks the messages back to you. I have tried to contact her through the yahoo address phegler@yahoo.com, but I am not sure if that one is working or what... Any other ones?? Thanks.

This is a word of advice from a previous bridal store owner. Dont let these fake people get you this is the problem with bridal now a days. There is an answer to all problems. Example I LOVE THIS DRESS BUT OMG IT COST 3000 dollars so i will go have this person I KNOW NOITHING ABOUT copy it for only 900 no way ladys for every high end gown there is a no name company that makes the same darn dress at less then 1/2 the cost you dont have to settle and be unsure. And if this patty chick is reading well damn you anyway you give bridal a bad name. I had a wonderful seamstess at my store she didnt charge girls high prices for custom work and she would go get samples before the work started and never asked fopr anything up front except the cost of material. People like patty ought to have the butts tore up either the legal way or street way lol.