House Of Brides - Beware!
For all you soon to be brides out there, a warning goes out to anyone shopping at any House Of Brides store in Chicago, IL. They also have a website, boasting "the world`s largest bridal mall". Let me tell you that this was the absolute worst shopping experience I had ever had in my entire life! The website has very, very good prices on nearly all designer wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. I printed out a copy of the bridesmaid and flowergirl dress I intended to order and took it to the store in Schaumburg. I wanted five bridesmaid dresses and two FG. The snotty receptionist told me the dresses were ugly and gave me a quote $100 per dress higher than the website. She also could not guarantee me shipping, and told me that she had never even seen their very own website. Their wedding dresses were dirty, and the consultant offered me a slip so dirty I would not let it touch my skin. After an hour of being treated rudely, I left. The consultant never once attempted to help me with anything, even though I had made my appointment six weeks in advance. Everyone at the store was extremely rude and arrogant. Unfortunately I drove four hours to get to the store. The great thing is, I found my dress the same day at the BrideSmart across the street. When I got home, I looked on the Better Business Bureau`s website and was appalled at all of the complaints all five stores had lodged against them. One store had even closed down after 111 complaints in 18 months!! So brides, beware of this store and their website! The website is merely a ploy to get you into the store where the dresses are much, much higher priced. And the way the consultants and other workers treat people while they shop for the "happiest day of their life" should not be tolerated. Good luck to all of you, and don`t visit those stores!!
Posted by jodi; updated 06/18/08
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Yep, I`ve been wondering when someone from Chicago area was going to warn brides-to-be about that place. My daughter was in House of Brides in May. The MOST rude, snotty salespeople I have ever encountered in my life-seriously-and I`ve encountered plenty. I was horrified. Remember that commercial for glasses - where the guy insults everyone and expects them to pay triple for his insults??
That went through my mind after 2 minutes at House of Brides.
Of course, my daughter spotted a dress that she fell in love with right away, so she didn`t walk out as I was ready to do-and as the people in that glasses commercial do!! BUT, after being left alone and standing there, IGNORED, dress in hand - then being talked down to like we were trash, instead of cash-in-hand customers, that was it for her too. We got the bridesmaids` dresses elsewhere and found someone to do professional alterations (at about half their price, by the way - alteration prices there are OUTRAGEOUS).
House of Brides really ruined my daughter`s experience of shopping for a wedding dress. Listen girls, no matter what your age, you do NOT and should NOT put up with that treatment. I was appalled that we were actually giving money to NASTY people for talking to us like they were doing US a favor and very put out about being bothered by us to do THEIR JOBS. This is one place where people should walk out. Maybe if a few of them DID lose their jobs from no business coming in, it would be a wake up call and their salespeople would get a crash course in manners and true customer service.
Surprisingly, we had the complete opposite experience with David`s Bridal on the bridesmaid/flower girl dresses and we walked in cold 3 times-no appts., so I would guess in that case, we lucked out and happened to have a David`s Bridal with well-trained salespeople.
Good luck to all you brides-to-be. Remember, YOU are a paying customer and this is YOUR shopping day. You really shouldn`t take that treatment from anyone.
Terri
Posted by terri; updated 06/22/08
