My mother went to Brides by Demetrios in Youngstown, Ohio on July 12th to look for a dress to wear to her grandson's wedding on July 26th. My mother can't drive so my father accompanied her. The reason she can't drive is due to a brain tumor that was removed which left her partially paralyzed. After the tumor was removed she had bleeding on the brain as well as 2 strokes. The strokes also left her with no peripheral vision. Needless to say her mental capacity as well as her sight has been diminished.
While shopping at Demetrios, the saleswoman, Betty, sold my mother a dress that absolutely did not fit her at all. Betty kept telling her how wonderful it looked and it was perfect for her. Betty kept telling my father to tell my mother how good she looked in the dress. Finally he said it looked okay. My father wouldn't know a good dress from a burlap sack. My mother kept saying it didn't fit and that she didn't want the dress.
After my father said she looked okay in the dress she started doubting her judgment about the dress and thought maybe she was confused as she commonly gets. She decided to get the dress in spite of her instinct but she didn't want to sign the statement saying that there were no returns permitted. She said she wanted to think about it when she got home and she had a few other women look at her in the dress.
Betty told her that she had to sign the statement of no return policy in order to be able to take the dress home. My father by this point was becoming very impatient, as you can imagine a man being. He said to sign the statement. He simply wanted to go home. My mother kept insisting she didn't want to sign the statement. She finally gave in and signed it because of the pressure Betty was giving her as well as my father by this point in time.
As they were getting ready to leave the store, Betty said to wait for a minute. She got a broom and swept up sequins off of the floor to put in a plastic bag for my mother to take with her. She said my mother would need them to repair the dress before she wore it.
When my mother got home and tried on the dress for other women, not one of them said the dress fit. The cost of the dress was $300 tax. To a lot of people that might not sound like a lot but to my parents that is a lot of money.
As the wedding date came closer my mother grew more and more angry. She knew that her instincts had been correct and that Betty had taken advantage of the situation just to make the commission. Betty knew that my mother was confused and wasn't sure she wanted the dress but forced the sale anyway. If Betty did actually think the dress fit she should be fired due to incompetence.
My wife went with my mother to purchase another dress for the wedding. They purchased a dress that really did fit and was just right for the occasion. I didn't realize what had happened until after the fact. I went to the store, explained what had happened and wanted to return the dress and get my mother's money back. Betty said she remembered the dress and she remembered my mother but refused to entertain a return. She said I had to talk to corporate headquarters. When she said that with that smug smile on her face it absolutely infuriated me. I talked to the manager of the Youngstown store and she basically laughed it off as well. She reiterated the no return policy. I asked her if it was their policy to sell damaged merchandise. I told her that Betty had swept up sequins off the floor and put them in a bag so my mother could repair the dress before she wore it. She didn't care in the least. Stacy, the store manager, said she had the signed statement of the no return policy and that was all she needed. She told me there would be no return and for me to go and have a nice day. What is most bothersome is that she seemed very pleased with herself as well. I wonder if Demetrios trains their employees to be that way?
The bottom line is this - Brides by Demetrios in Youngstown, Ohio took advantage of an elderly, disabled woman and seems to be proud of it. All I can say is that whatever goes around will eventually come around.
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