Message From Trishas Formals
To all of you who think Kimmy is me, she isn`t. She has been great and I know that she has been scared to death due to all of this. I never had intentions of screwing anyone. Ever. The merchant company I dealt with did hold and still is holding the funds. They kept telling me they would release them. I had ordered some gowns through a gown broker for the Maggie gowns and then I was waiting on the other money to be released. They would tell me in a week, then two weeks then a month. I have been screwed by them and in the process have messed up a lot of you. I never meant for this to happen. I do not want your money nor have it. Please Please charge your cards back. They merchant company has the money they will have to get it back to you. As for my emails. I have not received emails from anyone but Kimmy and Betsy. Why? I don`t know. My mailbox could have been full, but I did check and I have still received junk mail but no emails from customers. Oh, no I did get email from Linna, who I gave back her money today in cash as she paid me. You ladies can think what you want of me. I can`t change that. You can tell how fishy my story is. That is fine also. There is not fishiness to this. I worked hard to be nice and respond and try to build a business. Unfortunately I was put out of business and when I talked to my merchant company I told them if they did not release the funds it was going to bankrupt me. That I could not order the gowns without it. They simply said it was not their problem. Believe what you will. You will anyway. You wanted an explaination, so here is it. I think a wedding and marriage is a wonderful thing, that is why I got into this. The love I have for my husband I hope everyone finds in their lives. The business I chose and the company I decided to do business with apparently was bad choices and it has affected many. As for Maggie, I was told by Scott (the rep for my area) that I could go ahead and tell that I was selling Maggie gowns and take the orders. I contacted them several times when I did not get my welcome package. I received no response. It is sad, all things were in my favor, but then they all fell apart. I wish you all luck and do recommend that you do charge backs on your cards. I can tell you that Stephanie your dress is due in 2-13, you did not let it come in before getting your money back. It was ordered and will come in, please email me and I will send you who will have it. I have a confirmation on it, Last name Remenak your gown will also come in I have confirmation on that, it is also due in 2-13-05, and Last name Boenker your is also due in 2-13-05. These are the only ones that I received confirmation on. If you like you can email me about them at trishasbridal@charter.net. Stephanie, you I guess will get your money and a dress. This will come up to me in a letter from the merchant company and it will be disputed. Only becuase you do have a dress coming.
Patty
Patty
Posted by Patty; updated 12/31/04
Reply
Patty,
I`m sorry but cancel the order. I emailed you three times at trishasbridal@charter.net, the same email we had corresponded with before with no problems, and I heard nothing from the first two emails, and the third was kicked back due to full inbox. You`re telling me you have only heard from Betsy and Kimmy? I guess Betsy and Kimmy by themselves filled up your inbox? I left you three messages on your cell phone, the last one clearly stating that if I didn`t hear from you by the end of the week, I would be canceling my order, disputing the charges with my credit card, and moving on. I never heard from you, EVER! You closed your business without contacting your customers, what did you expect me to think? To fly on your good word and the fact that I had lost any means of contact with you? By 2/13 I was SOL if that dress didn`t show, and had no means of verifying it had been ordered other than your good word. I got your cell off this board, as your business line was disconnected. I wanted to believe you, I contacted maggie sottero to see if they had a record of my order and you, and they didn`t, and Maggie recommended me order my dress from a prefered maggie vendor, which is what I did. If you recieve the gown you placed for me, then you can sell it on ebay, because I wash my hands of this whole situation. I am sorry you are going through a tough time, but the way you have handled this whole situation has been completely unethical. You wanted to play business owner with the big kids and that involves contacting your customers and re-assuring them when things go wrong. A simple 3 minute phone call and verification from Maggie that the dress had been ordered would have resolved this entire situation, but you seemed unwilling to take even this miniscule amount of effort on my behalf. Our business relationship is finished with this, the cancellation of my order.
I`m sorry but cancel the order. I emailed you three times at trishasbridal@charter.net, the same email we had corresponded with before with no problems, and I heard nothing from the first two emails, and the third was kicked back due to full inbox. You`re telling me you have only heard from Betsy and Kimmy? I guess Betsy and Kimmy by themselves filled up your inbox? I left you three messages on your cell phone, the last one clearly stating that if I didn`t hear from you by the end of the week, I would be canceling my order, disputing the charges with my credit card, and moving on. I never heard from you, EVER! You closed your business without contacting your customers, what did you expect me to think? To fly on your good word and the fact that I had lost any means of contact with you? By 2/13 I was SOL if that dress didn`t show, and had no means of verifying it had been ordered other than your good word. I got your cell off this board, as your business line was disconnected. I wanted to believe you, I contacted maggie sottero to see if they had a record of my order and you, and they didn`t, and Maggie recommended me order my dress from a prefered maggie vendor, which is what I did. If you recieve the gown you placed for me, then you can sell it on ebay, because I wash my hands of this whole situation. I am sorry you are going through a tough time, but the way you have handled this whole situation has been completely unethical. You wanted to play business owner with the big kids and that involves contacting your customers and re-assuring them when things go wrong. A simple 3 minute phone call and verification from Maggie that the dress had been ordered would have resolved this entire situation, but you seemed unwilling to take even this miniscule amount of effort on my behalf. Our business relationship is finished with this, the cancellation of my order.
Posted by Stefanie; updated 12/31/04
Reply
FYI to all Brides to be
Only buy your gown from an authorized retailer - either online or in a store. Only authorized retailers can sell you the gown. It is obvious that Patty is NOT an authorized retailer for Maggie. She stated a that "her broker" - right there lies the problem. First of all Maggie PROHIBITS retailers selling their gowns on line or below the MSRP!! And when you deal with a seller who uses a "broker" problems like this happen.
No bride should have to go through this on what is suppose to be the happiest day of her life so if you do not want to get scammed or ruined your day, do your homework. Many on-line sellers have full service stores that offer the gowns on-line at discount prices but just make sure that they are a REAL buiness. Check with the BBB, check with the deisgner to see if they are authorized to sell their gowns, get phone numbers and USE a major credit card for protection. There are many good vendors here who like what they do and do it honestly. But you the buyer have to protect yourselves since you are not doing the sale in person. I hope the brides who got scammed by this Patty receive their gowns of their dreams and there are many vendors here to help you.
As far as Partypop goes, I feel the owners of this site better do a better job of checking out vendors before they are allowed to use this site a source to scam any more brides out of their hard earned money and their dreams.
Good luck to all you brides and best wishes!!
Only buy your gown from an authorized retailer - either online or in a store. Only authorized retailers can sell you the gown. It is obvious that Patty is NOT an authorized retailer for Maggie. She stated a that "her broker" - right there lies the problem. First of all Maggie PROHIBITS retailers selling their gowns on line or below the MSRP!! And when you deal with a seller who uses a "broker" problems like this happen.
No bride should have to go through this on what is suppose to be the happiest day of her life so if you do not want to get scammed or ruined your day, do your homework. Many on-line sellers have full service stores that offer the gowns on-line at discount prices but just make sure that they are a REAL buiness. Check with the BBB, check with the deisgner to see if they are authorized to sell their gowns, get phone numbers and USE a major credit card for protection. There are many good vendors here who like what they do and do it honestly. But you the buyer have to protect yourselves since you are not doing the sale in person. I hope the brides who got scammed by this Patty receive their gowns of their dreams and there are many vendors here to help you.
As far as Partypop goes, I feel the owners of this site better do a better job of checking out vendors before they are allowed to use this site a source to scam any more brides out of their hard earned money and their dreams.
Good luck to all you brides and best wishes!!
Posted by Real vendor; updated 12/31/04
Reply
Patty,
I understand that you do not come on here, because you no longer have a need to do so. That is totally understandable. BUT...I think all of the brides would have appreciated it if you would have posted 1 last message telling everone that you had closed your shop & that all the gals who had recently placed orders would still get their orders. I didn`t even know you were closing your shop untill I asked you. You had said you were thinking about it, but you never said you were 100% certain you were going to do it. Then there were all these gals posting messages wondering why they coldn`t look at your site & such & I told them it was because you closed...and I kinda felt funny doing that, because that is not my job, it is your job as an owner. I was just trying to be a good friend to you. I am sorry, maybe I should not have said anything at all & directed everyone to you if they had questions or problems. I was just trying to be helpful.
Also, I just want you to know that I am not mad that my dress does not have a corset back, I am slightly dissapounted though. When I ordered the dress I expected it to come back 100% the way I ordered it. That is all. Like I said...I am not mad, especially not at you, because I don`t hold you responsible. However, my fiance` was more than a little angry when I told him it was not as we ordered it. He was the one who started ranting & raving about a breech of contract & told me to mention it in my post. Which, when you honnestly think about it, that kinda is true... If you order something & what you get is not exactly what your contract says you were suppose to get...that is a breech of contract....I am not saying this to "stir the pot," because God knows it doesn`t need anymore stirring.. I am just being honnest & truthful. I can not say anything more about my dress untill I actually recieve it (which by the way it did not come today).
Also, I am not sure how many times you looked at the photos of my dress, but there is no lavender at all in my dress. The original has 6 colors. Fuchsia/pink, navy/baby blue, & dark green/sage. According to an article in a bridal magazine I read, the whole concept of the dress is light shades of color vs. Dark shades of color. I am sure the dress will look very nice with the lavender & I will still like it I am sure, but there will be that little voice in the back of my mind telling me that, that is not exactly what I really ordered. Like I said in an earlier post, we order dresses that we like, because we like the way it looks, so when it comes back not looking like what we wanted or ordered, we can help but be just a little dissapointed. Like I said, I know that you are not exactly responsible for what your company adds or takes away from dresses, and I am not angry at you in any way. I wish though, that I could have got a quick glimpse of the dress, then I am sure my fears would have been calmed a lot. I have had faith in you all along, but I hear stories that other girls tell & then I don`t know what to think. It`s one thing when you are talking to someone about their dress & how they are unhappy...but it is a totally different thing when it comes down to your dress.
I am still anxiouslly awaithing my first glimpse of the dress!
I understand that you do not come on here, because you no longer have a need to do so. That is totally understandable. BUT...I think all of the brides would have appreciated it if you would have posted 1 last message telling everone that you had closed your shop & that all the gals who had recently placed orders would still get their orders. I didn`t even know you were closing your shop untill I asked you. You had said you were thinking about it, but you never said you were 100% certain you were going to do it. Then there were all these gals posting messages wondering why they coldn`t look at your site & such & I told them it was because you closed...and I kinda felt funny doing that, because that is not my job, it is your job as an owner. I was just trying to be a good friend to you. I am sorry, maybe I should not have said anything at all & directed everyone to you if they had questions or problems. I was just trying to be helpful.
Also, I just want you to know that I am not mad that my dress does not have a corset back, I am slightly dissapounted though. When I ordered the dress I expected it to come back 100% the way I ordered it. That is all. Like I said...I am not mad, especially not at you, because I don`t hold you responsible. However, my fiance` was more than a little angry when I told him it was not as we ordered it. He was the one who started ranting & raving about a breech of contract & told me to mention it in my post. Which, when you honnestly think about it, that kinda is true... If you order something & what you get is not exactly what your contract says you were suppose to get...that is a breech of contract....I am not saying this to "stir the pot," because God knows it doesn`t need anymore stirring.. I am just being honnest & truthful. I can not say anything more about my dress untill I actually recieve it (which by the way it did not come today).
Also, I am not sure how many times you looked at the photos of my dress, but there is no lavender at all in my dress. The original has 6 colors. Fuchsia/pink, navy/baby blue, & dark green/sage. According to an article in a bridal magazine I read, the whole concept of the dress is light shades of color vs. Dark shades of color. I am sure the dress will look very nice with the lavender & I will still like it I am sure, but there will be that little voice in the back of my mind telling me that, that is not exactly what I really ordered. Like I said in an earlier post, we order dresses that we like, because we like the way it looks, so when it comes back not looking like what we wanted or ordered, we can help but be just a little dissapointed. Like I said, I know that you are not exactly responsible for what your company adds or takes away from dresses, and I am not angry at you in any way. I wish though, that I could have got a quick glimpse of the dress, then I am sure my fears would have been calmed a lot. I have had faith in you all along, but I hear stories that other girls tell & then I don`t know what to think. It`s one thing when you are talking to someone about their dress & how they are unhappy...but it is a totally different thing when it comes down to your dress.
I am still anxiouslly awaithing my first glimpse of the dress!
Posted by Kimmy; updated 01/01/05
Reply
Patty,
How very arrogant of you to tell people to "think what you will..." about this situation. You wait until your customers hear from outsiders that you closed your shop and then you FINALLY come on this board with a very "that`s just too bad" attitude. Regardless of what happened here, you had an ethical if not legal obligation to go on this board, since you are a vendor here, and announce your intentions to close, and YOU provide an email/phone/cell numbers for brides who paid you to contact. Rather than do that, they find out on a message board from other brides you have already closed, not getting ready to, but already have. By the way, every bridal shop need not be "authorized retailers" to sell an authentic designer gown. Independent reputable vendors purchase authentic gowns all the time at discounts and pass savings on to customers. Personally, I don`t care how my vendor gets the gown as long as it is authentic and what I paid for, and I could care less if they`re an "authorized retailer". I only care that I get an authentic designer gown, if that`s what I paid for. But anyway, Patty....your attitude in finally responding was disgraceful. You totally suck. Good riddance.
How very arrogant of you to tell people to "think what you will..." about this situation. You wait until your customers hear from outsiders that you closed your shop and then you FINALLY come on this board with a very "that`s just too bad" attitude. Regardless of what happened here, you had an ethical if not legal obligation to go on this board, since you are a vendor here, and announce your intentions to close, and YOU provide an email/phone/cell numbers for brides who paid you to contact. Rather than do that, they find out on a message board from other brides you have already closed, not getting ready to, but already have. By the way, every bridal shop need not be "authorized retailers" to sell an authentic designer gown. Independent reputable vendors purchase authentic gowns all the time at discounts and pass savings on to customers. Personally, I don`t care how my vendor gets the gown as long as it is authentic and what I paid for, and I could care less if they`re an "authorized retailer". I only care that I get an authentic designer gown, if that`s what I paid for. But anyway, Patty....your attitude in finally responding was disgraceful. You totally suck. Good riddance.
Posted by Solange; updated 01/01/05
Reply
Solange, at a time when there is already a great deal of anguish and dispair, you should not be passing along mis-information so that more brides can be taken by un-ethical people prowling this website. Authorized dealers most certainly are the only place can you can legitimately get a brand new, designer gown from and be certain that it is the genuine article. Maybe if you understand how this works it will make more sense to you. Just like an automobile dealer (Talkin BRAND NEW Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc.) bridal shops who carry a vendor must purchase so many pieces of inventory every year to remain an authorized dealer. That makes them an authorized dealer. If you go to a shop that doesn`t carry say Maggie and want to buy from them, they cannot go to the manufacturer and order 1 dress. They either have to find a way to get it from another shop that is an authorized dealer (a practice known as transshipping) or they have to find one of the gazillion knock off experts to make you a "inspired" or copy gown. Both of these options can cause problems for you the consumer. If they are getting it from another shop that is transshipping, you could lose because if that shop gets into a bind with the manufacturer (caught transshipping or maybe they just didn`t pay their bill), your gown is held up and the shop you actually ordered it from can do nothing to help you. If you order from someone who is selling you an inspired or copied gown, well just check the posts from the girls that are having problems with Trisha`s. Gowns are not coming as ordered because for whatever reason, her knock off shops can`t duplicate exactly. DBS and the million other "discount" business available typically are getting their gowns through a third party. They can discount even though they have to pay a premium price for the gown because most of them work out of an office or their home basement. They do not carry inventory, pay employees, or have any related expenses that go along with running a shop. BUT you also notice that they need twice as long as it really takes to order a gown and if you have a problem (wrong color, wrong size, wrong beading) they cannont act as a liason with the manufacturer because they didn`t buy the gown from the manufacturer.
In the end, I would just like to encourage every bride to get the gown of their dreams that is within their budget. If you can only afford a $500 gown, shop in the $500 gown department. Don`t make yourself sick by trying on $5000 gowns and then trying to find that gown for $500. You cannot buy first quality, designer gowns that sell for $5000 in stores for $500 on line. First of all if there was that kind of markup in gowns, Donald Trump would have the biggest bridal shop in the world and we would all be shopping there. Second of all, if you believe you can buy a designer Reem Acra for $500, than you probably believe those Rolex watches or LV handbags that you buy on Canal street in NYC are the real thing too.
In the end, I would just like to encourage every bride to get the gown of their dreams that is within their budget. If you can only afford a $500 gown, shop in the $500 gown department. Don`t make yourself sick by trying on $5000 gowns and then trying to find that gown for $500. You cannot buy first quality, designer gowns that sell for $5000 in stores for $500 on line. First of all if there was that kind of markup in gowns, Donald Trump would have the biggest bridal shop in the world and we would all be shopping there. Second of all, if you believe you can buy a designer Reem Acra for $500, than you probably believe those Rolex watches or LV handbags that you buy on Canal street in NYC are the real thing too.
Posted by Mary; updated 01/01/05
Reply
Patty,
You need to refund Betsy her money. I`m sorry you are going through such a hard time, but so does everyone else. Many of us have brothers, fiance`s, fathers in Iraq fighting for their lives every day. You are not alone, so don`t use it as an excuse. You should refund everyone their money, and not contest any of the dispute claims made against their credit cards. You are making matters worse on yourself by not refunding Betsy her money, and causing problems for others.
You need to refund Betsy her money. I`m sorry you are going through such a hard time, but so does everyone else. Many of us have brothers, fiance`s, fathers in Iraq fighting for their lives every day. You are not alone, so don`t use it as an excuse. You should refund everyone their money, and not contest any of the dispute claims made against their credit cards. You are making matters worse on yourself by not refunding Betsy her money, and causing problems for others.
Posted by Anonomous; updated 01/02/05
