ComplaintsforBella Bridal Couture

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  My daugher and I went to Bella Bridal Couture on 3/22/24 to shop for a wedding dress. Our bridal consultant at the shop was named Sarah. While everything seemed great at first (during the shopping process), they have since proven to be a shady operation with terrible customer service. There was a $300 'rush fee' included in our order on 3/22/84 to ensure that the dress would be available by mid-August (for pickup on 8/17, when my daughter would be in town - since she lives in CO.). This would allow my daughter sufficient time to get alterations/fittings done before her Oct. 5th wedding date. The owner (Melissa) is never at the shop, and she refuses to respond to multiple emails and NINE voice messages over the the span of 5 weeks. We have had to "drop in" unannounced 3 times now - just to get someone to talk to us (one of the bridal consultants working that day at the shop)... and each time the associate apologizes profusely and promises to have someone follow up the next day with a status update - ensuring us that the dress is getting ready to be shipped out the following week... but of course, the week goes by and no phone call, no contact, and we're back to square one with them not returning our calls or emails. :( It has now been 5 months since we bought the dress, and we don't even know if the dressmaker has started working on it yet. Most recently, we were told that Melissa (the owner) would call us no later than Tues. am on 8/27 with the tracking # for the shipment, but as expected, she failed to call. They just continue to lie to us. So at this point with my daughter's wedding only 4 weeks away, we are having to dispute the charges on our credit card and find a dress "off the shelf" somewhere else because Bella Bridal Couture has continued to lie to us and failed to deliver the dress as promised. The unnecessary stress they have caused us at a time that should be exciting and special is unforgivable!

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I placed a deposit of $1,352 for a wedding dress in May of 2023. The buisness knows of my wedding date. I called the store in January to see when the dress would arrive. They would not give a specific date. In April I called again to ask if they could order the dress immediately as alterations can take a long time and my wedding is on September 7th 2024. I was assured the order would be placed to have the dress shipped. For months I called and left voicemails with no responses. A week ago I started calling and leaving voicemails every day with no response. I informed them last week that I would like my money back, as it it getting too close to the wedding. I had to physically go to the location to get a response when I was told that the owner was out of town and no one else had the ability to give me information on the timing of my dress. I had to purchase another dress from a different company so I would have time to get alterations as the wedding is less than a month away now. I finally got a call back two days ago and they informed me the dress would arrive soon but they did not have a tracking number. They have refused to refund our money. But we were assured that the dress would have arrived by now. The dress still has not arrived. I’m seeking out a refund on my deposit as the item I purchased has not been delivered timely as was promised. Upon seeing reviews of their company online now, I have found that other women have very similar stories of issues with this company. Communication since I put the deposit down has been completely lacking and I only started hearing from them when I asked for a refund. I am now worried that I will not have a dress in time for my weddings. I ordered this dress over a year and a half ago and made sure several months ago that it would be shipped in time. I feel I was lied to as well because more than once they promised the dress would arrive “by next Tuesday” or “by next week” and each time nothing came and no one called.

• Initial Complaint

  05/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  As a first time bride, I was completely excited to start the wedding planning process and of course my first step was, find the perfect dress. I went to Bella Bridal Couture in Thousand Oaks to pick out my wedding dress. After trying on multiple dresses I finally found THE ONE. It was by Eve of Milady and made me feel like an absolute princess, it was everything I wanted and dreamed of since I was a little girl. We put down a $200 deposit on the dress on 9/29/2022 and were told we can make payments until August. This took a lot of stress off my shoulders because there are so many factors that go into planning a wedding and I felt good knowing I was in good hands. However, in March I received a phone call demanding a payment of $3,200 on the dress by the end of the week in order to get my dress on time. My wedding is 10/7/2023 and they stated that it takes 6 months just to get the fabric to make the dress... When I put the deposit down on my dress they had explained that the deposit starts the process for the dress to be ordered and payments were able to be made and once fully paid off I would be able to pick up the dress. I expressed my wedding is October 7th and that 6 months was only 2 weeks away. They insisted that the dress would be here in time and they hadn’t taken full measurements yet. I had to make a decision in order to be able to have a wedding dress for my wedding day and I then said that I was not able to pay the entire balance at that point because I was under the impression that I was able to make payments. I ended up having to get a different dress from a different bridal shop because they left me no options. After letting them know that I wasn’t going to be able to pay for the entire dress at once, I am still getting harassed for the remaining balance. They now refuse to refund the $200 deposit that I paid thinking my dress was able to be ordered for my one special day. I just hope that no other bride goes through the experience I went through.

  Business response

  05/09/2023

  We have been in contact with this bride since her first day of purchase 9/29/22. I have attached the contract she signed. Per the contract she actually owes us $298.70 for the 10% consultation/cancellation fee. We are nice enough to allow her to use her original $200 deposit towards anything in the store. Below is the list of contact dates and her excuses on not making any further payments. 

  She ended up purchasing a dress at David's Bridal. She tried to say that they carry Eve of Milady -her designer and they do not. We have been patient and kind to her and been very flexible on following up for payment. She was supposed to be making payments since September 2022. Please see below. 

  9/29/22 Bride purchased gown 

  11/18/22 Sh spoke to bride - she does not have a wedding date.  Her fiance is severely injured and will need surgery and then to be casted. She would like to start making payments in January. Asked me to call her first week of January . 11/18 Sh spoke to bride - she does not have a wedding date.  Her fiance is severely injured and will need surgery and then to be casted. She would like to start making payments in January. Asked me to call her first week of January . NO WEDDING DATE  
  
  1/6/23 Sh left vm to callback and get setup on a payment plan for her dress. 
  2/10 SH left vm to followup on ppay plan - asked to callback and let me know when said payment would like to be started
  3/1 Sh left vm to follow up on payment plan 
  3/22/23 MM- spoke to Charli, she is still moving forward with dress, confirmed wedding to be 10/7/23. her  fiance is awaiting a settllement and will pay $3000 in next few weeks.  Side note* dress was discontinued 12/22, MM emailed designher to see if we can still reorder 
  3/22/23 MM- Judie from EOM texted back giving the OK, just need to add a $100 fee
  3/22/23 MM- spoke to Charli and let her know I spoke to designer and they approved her order on discontinued dress , but will need remaining deposit asap 
  3/29/23 MM- spoke to Charli, let her know if we can get aat least $1000 and than schedule payment plan , we can get ball rolling with designer, she is going to talk to fiance and get us $1000, told her as of todays date it would be end of July delivery
  4/4/23 MM- left message to Follow up on payment 
  4/11/23 MM- left message to follow up on payment 
  5/4/23 SM Called to follow up, she answered, she got her dress at Davids, she said it was an Eve dress off rack (told her they do not carry Eve) and we sized her wrong the size 4 was too big and we were going to order her a size 8, she also said she felt really uncomfortable that we made her feel like we could not get the dress in time, she felt really pressured and decided to shop elsewhere, she asked about the non-refundable $200 and said she liked a veil at David's, if we have one here she might use the money towards it... I mentioned the timeline and that she needs to order it sooner rather than later so we can get it in on time, I would say no later that summertime, she then said I was making her feel like the other stylists, very uncomfortable and pressured to buy a veil, why would we need to order it when we have them here, I explained the process and told her let us know a day a time you would like to come in to see the accessories and we will make sure to have a stylist here to help her... her energy sucks, I needed a moment after this phone call   

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went in on November 25th, 2020. I ordered a dress in a bridal size 4, bust 32 inches, waist 25 inches and hips 37 inches. My dress arrived 8 months on July 3rd and was too small on the top bust (29inches) it was custom made, not off the rack. They assured me that alterations could quickly fix it with no problem. They told me to wait one month before the wedding so I would by my closest size to the wedding. One month before on September 11th I went into their recommended alternations shop and they informed me that the bust 3 inches too small and would cost $900 to fix. The waist and hips measured perfectly to me (because they were made to my size) but the bust was made too small. After informing the shop of this issue, they refused to take responsibility for it. We went into the shop later just to prove my bust still measured 32 inches (which it did) but then they stopped responding to our calls and emails. We ended up having to pay $900 to fix a dress that was supposed to be ordered to my measurements. The dress was obviously made wrong if the hips and waist were the correct size but the bust was the wrong size (they informed me that the bust was actually supposed to be 34 inches, so it was supposed to be 2 inches too big, and instead was 3 inches too small. That is a 5 inch difference in what was promised to us.) and they even tried to accuse us of altering the dress before taking it to alterations. They also told me (after I complained) that if I had an issue with the dress the day I picked it up that I should have left it with them so they could contact the manufacturer, but the associates did not inform me of that the day I picked it up, they simply told me alterations could easily fix it. Included are photos of the dress (time stamped for the day I picked it up.), manufacturers sizing chart and the receipt saying the dress was ordered according to the size they measured (a size 4). I am looking to be refunded for the charge for fixing the bust.

  Business response

  12/06/2021

  J***** came in on 7/3/21 to try on and pick up the gown she ordered. The top of the dress was snug, and J***** had informed us that she had a change in her size, over all she left satisfied.
  
    After going to alterations, her and fiancé came back in on 9/19/21 to get her remeasured and dress should have been 2 inches too large in her bust via measurements. We did not get an opportunity to resolve with the gown’s designer, for she had already signed and taken possession of her dress and her wedding was just a few weeks away.  We attempted to get extra fabric with the gown’s designer in order to resolve the fit issue in the bust due to sizing change, but was unable to order due to time line.
  
    We never heard anything back after the fact and we figured all was well until this complaint.
  
    I’m sure J***** was a beautiful bride on her wedding day and wish her and C**** all the best in marriage and in the future!

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