I was a steady customer of this laundromat for more than 10 years. But recently they ruined/lost more than $200 worth of my laundry and then refused to fully reimburse me for it.
In late February, I brought in a large load of laundry to be washed and folded. After taking it home I found that many items had been ruined by bleach. Among these: 6 pairs of pants; 4 shirts; several washcloths and towels.in addition, a brand-new set of full-size of sheets and set of matching pillow cases were never returned.
On top of that, they charged me $40 for the wash without having the decency to reduce the price. Nor did they even tell me about the ruined items or offer to fully compensate me for them. I learned of the losses only after I got home and started going through my laundry.
When I confronted the manager of the laundry, she admitted that she had put the ruined items into a washer that contained bleach. She promised that if I brought in receipts for the purchase of equivalent items, she would fully reimburse me. So I set out to purchase these at stores known for their reasonable prices—Target, Old Navy and Costco.
I then submitted the receipts, expecting the promised reimbursement.instead, the laundry offered me only $60—as opposed to the $265 I had had to spend replacing the ruined items.
I wrote to the owner, Irena Cortez, threatening a small claims lawsuit. First she wrote me a letter, assuring me that I was one of her best customers, and she was truly concerned about my losses. Then she called and said that if I brought the ruined items to the laundromat she would reimburse me.
I did so—and she immediately began using words like, "IF we ruined your laundry..." when the bleach-stained clothing was right in front of her. She made it clear she would not fully reimburse me for the damaged articles. At that point I gathered my ruined laundry and left.
I sent her a second letter, giving her a deadline by which to fully reimburse me or face me in small claims court. She called me, but only to lecture me on why I should not be angry with her. I told her to make me an offer, not give me a lecture. She hung up.
On April 14, I filed a small claims lawsuit against her and am scheduled to face off in court with her on June 2. On May 20, she wrote me another letter, offering me $117—out of the $265 owed me—if I agreed to drop the case. I didn't bother to respond.
AVOID THIS LAUNDROMAT AT ALL COSTS. They refuse to accept responsiblity for the negligent behavior of their employees or fully reimburse their customers for anything they ruin or lose.
No matter the worth of the items lost/ruined, they offer only a pittance in reimbursement. The owner—Irena Cortez—is thoroughly arrogant and believes she has a right to treat even her best customers like dirt and still have them love her for it.
If you do your own laundry there, be prepared to shell out big bucks—for example, you get only five minutes' drying time per quarter. If you leave your laundry to be washed and folded by them, be prepared to haul them into small claims court if your clothing is lost or damaged, because they won't behave responsibly otherwise.
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