ComplaintsforPratt Abbot Cleaners

• Initial Complaint

  06/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The business lost a $350 shirt that I gave them 2 months ago for cleaning and has stopped returning my calls simply asking them to compensate me for that loss.I am just asking for them to pay back the value of the lost item. It should be quick and easy to solve for an honest business with fair practices..

  

  Business response

  06/10/2024

  We have attempted to contact the customer multiple times to address this issue. Specifically, we called him last on Sunday, June 9, and on three other occasions. Unfortunately, there has been a delay in our communication as he tends to wait a few days before returning our calls. We understand the customer is requesting compensation for a missing item. We are prepared to resolve this issue as soon as we communicate directly with him to confirm the details and come to an agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  June 6, 2022 - Dropped wedding gown off to have cleaned, pressed and sealed. Requested to review dress before pressed and sealed. Told a large backlog of owns. Most likely October before ready. Oct 2022-Feb 2023 - Dress not ready. I indicated I wanted to see the dress to assure it wasn't lost. Feb 21-****** at business (Cottage Rd So Ptld) said she's been emailing me. I haven't received them but have for other articles at Pratt Abbott with no problem. Saw dress on 2/25. Cleaned but very poor condition. I requested them to press and make a repair of a small hole (not Pratt Abbott's fault). Followed up in April 2023 - saw dress on 4/15 - very poor condition. Sent message to responsible employee. She indicated dress would be pressed but it would take time. I requested it look as it did on wedding day on 4/27. Followed up on 5/27 - no response. Followed up on 6/13 - no response. Notified that I would contact BBB if no reply. I requested a manager and none provided. Dress is expensive and concerned it's ruined.

  

  Business response

  06/19/2023

  ********************* dropped her daughter's wedding gown off at our Scarborough location last June. At the time of drop off, she was unsure whether or not she wanted preservation (as noted on her intake form). We told her that we could arrange a viewing of the cleaned dress, at which point she could determine whether or not to have it preserved.Preserved dresses are not pressed since they will be folded and placed into boxes. This is an industry standard per the *********** of ******* Gown Specialists. She signed our dress intake form, which states that, Pratt Abbott will put forth our best effort to restore your gown to as like new as possible, however, some stains, tears, and abrasions to the material cannot be restored.
  
  Our wedding gown coordinator, ****** regularly emailed ********************* and other wedding customers that dress cleaning and preservation were taking longer than normal in 2022 due to the huge backlog of Covid weddings. We have records of these communications being sent. Occasionally they do end up in spam folders,as they originate from a different email address than our order-ready notifications. ****** has communicated with the customer via phone call, email,text message, and through our point of sale system. ********************* had a voicemail that was not set up, so we had some barriers to communication.
  
  At the time of the initial viewing of the cleaned dress, ******************** told us that the dress was "very clean" as evidenced by her text sent on 2/25/2023 (attached). Our staff explained to her that it was not customary to press out preserved dresses (as they would need to be pressed again anyway once taken out of the preservation box down the road). We are not sure why ********************* now feels that it was in "very poor condition"during that interaction. She asked for the dress to be pressed out and for a small hole in the top layer to be fixed prior to preservation. She asked to ******* again after the repairs were completed.
  
  Our seamstress repaired the hole to prevent any further damage or tearing. With holes, they cannot always be mended to appear invisible to the naked eye. This is particularly true on a material like a mesh tulle, which cannot be sewed on without leaving marks. Much like scars, you can only hope for less noticeable and mend where damage has occurred.This was explained to the customer both by the counter staff and by our wedding coordinator, *************
  
  Ahead of the second viewing,our general manager personally spent over an hour personally pressing out the dress, which is voluminous and has many, many layers of tulle. ********************* was not charged for this pressing. ****** explained all of this to the customer in the texts provided. We once again asserted the dress was not ruined; the only thing different from the first viewing was that a hole had been stitched up and more of the layers had been hand pressed. We explained that it was lightly pressed free of charge and that it is not our practice to fully steam out a dress to wear-ready condition when it will be folded up for preservation.
  
  The customer said that this was unacceptable and that she wanted the dress to look like it did on her daughters wedding day. ****** replied that we could do a wear-ready press but that we would need to charge for both the pressing and preservation. Pressing out such a complicated dress would take roughly 4-6 additional hours of work on our end. As we are currently in the height of wedding season, we have given priority to cleaning and pressing dresses that brides need for upcoming weddings.
  
  The customer has been notified that the dress will be fully pressed and ready for her to pick up next weekend at the Scarborough store. As she indicated No preservation in this complaint,the dress was not preserved. We cannot reimburse her for the cost of purchase of the dress nor can we cover her bridal alterations, no damage occurred during the cleaning process nor in our care. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 8th, I used this laundromat. Their electronic service took my money and then froze, causing me to lose said money in their electronic system. The business did not have the cash on hand to reimburse me and assured me a check would be mailed. I have repeatedly contacted the owner who claims a check was mailed in July. As of September 1st, I have received no reimbursement. This is my money that was owed back to me and I did the business a favor by allowing them to pay me back. I need the money I LOANED said business. I do not give a business money for fun. This was my money, it was their electronic service error and I again, did them a favor in stating they could refund my money by mail.

  Customer response

  09/12/2022

  I have not heard a resolution from the business as of Monday, 9/12. I used the Pratt Abbott Laundromat in ****, ***** on 6/8 and their electronic machines took my money without service provided.  The cashier would not refund me, only offered a gift card on their electronic site or a check mailed if I was unwilling to drive to another town for the check that day.  As of 9/12, noone will provide me the reimbursement of 4.65.  Please advise on how to receive my funds that I loaned this business THREE MONTHS ago. 

   

  

  Business response

  06/14/2023

  The customer was issued two checks for the refund amount of $4.65. The first one was postmarked 7/11/22 to the address she provided to us and was never cashed. The second was issued and 9/7/22 and hand-delivered to the Forest Ave store by our owner. It was deposited on 9/15/22. 
  
  Several refund options were provided to this customer at the time of the incident. She was offered free starts for other machines or store credit. We do not provide cash refunds immediately. They require the approval of management, which the customer was told at the time. She was told that a manager was working at another store one mile away from the Saco store who could issue her a cash refund on the day of her complaint. ****************** responded that she did not have time to travel there. 

  This BBB complaint was not seen as it was left on a page for *******'s Cleaners in Scarborough, which has never existed as an entity. The initial complaint was addressed to *******'s Cleaners, which has been defunct since 2018.

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This complaint was about the horrible experience at Pratt Abbott service and with the corporate office people (Regional Manager-*********************** and the president-*****************************) and they damanaged my $1200 Canada Goose coat. On March 4th, 2022, I dropped off my Canada Goose coat ($1200) for the first time cleaning. When I dropped off at the Falmouth location, I showed the lady who took the coast at the counter where the stain was (on the left chest area); my husband was with me and asked me to take off the fur hoody (fortunately, I did). The lady at the counter said " a very expensive coat" and smelled. After one week, when I picked it up after the cleaning, I noticed there were several stains, two big ones on the back, which it did not have, and also one more on the front, besides the original one on the left chest. I also noticed there were several areas (Sleeves and pockets) looked damaged. According to what *********************** informed me later at their Forest Ave location, she called it "Over washed". Then, I went back to the Falmouth Location and showed it to the ladies at the counter; she said, "Oh, no. Sorry. I will let my manager know."The manager did not call me until I reached out to her 3 days after.Then, she said that she was told the coat was supposed to be wet washed rather than dry cleaned...all that she said sounded like no one knew how to wash my coat appropriately; they were exploring or did an experiment on my coat. Then, I asked what they were going to do with my coat; she said they needed to wash it again. Then, they washed it again, the stains were gone, but the coat was damaged. *********************** told me again it was over washed that was why some of the areas the color were off. She agreed to compensate me, but later she totally denied it. I escalate this issue to the cooperate office to the General manager and then the president, they refuse to compensate me for replacement. I urge them to compensate me $1500 as the coat style is limited edition.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  To Whom It May ****************************** vehemently contest ************************* narrative of the situation. We reviewed all interactions with ********************* both using video logs and eyewitness accounts from other employees present but not directly involved in the situation. ************************* account of events continually changes and is discrepant with all first-hand accounts and visual evidence. 

  An independent lab, the ***************************************** reviewed the situation (report attached) and determined that all damage and staining present on the garment originated with the customer and that *************************************** did not mishandle, stain, or damage the garment in any way. ************************* principal complaint changed with every interaction: at first she was unhappy with staining, which was existent at drop off. She stated that she wanted the stains removed because otherwise it would be unwearable. We removed the stains. She then stated that there was damage at the cuffs and corners of the pockets. We informed her that this was extremely minor pilling and wear due to customer use of the garment. She attempted to tell us that she was careful with her coat and it was due to "overwash" (a term we do not use in the industry and would not have communicated with the customer. The third time she came in, four managers examined the coat before it went out to the customer. All certified that there was no remaining stains and no damage. When she picked it up the final time, I (*****************************) personally inspected it with her. She examined the coat for over 4 minutes, and appeared to become frustrated that she initially could not find anything wrong with it. Finally she noticed a small line on one of the sleeves, which I politely told her that I could not see. She smiled and said she would need to speak to ***** about it. This is wildly discrepant from her later assertion that I was "wildly argumentative" during the interaction. 

   

  We do not compensate customers for undamaged garments, particularly when the damage is so minor that it cannot be readily observed and was determined to have not been caused by anything in the cleaning process. Furthermore, ********************* valuates the coat at $1,200 but has on multiple occasions failed to produce a receipt, bank statement, or any other proof that she or her husband paid that amount. When we do pay out claims, we assess the garment at the value the customer paid, not its retail value. We reimbursed the cost of cleaning since she was not satisfied, but we have repeatedly told her that we are not at fault in this matter and will not pay her for it. 

  Please let us know if you need further documentation of this matter. 

   

  Sincerely,

   

  *****************************

  Pratt Abbott Garment Care

  Customer response

  07/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

   

  I am surprised Pratt Abbott Let ***************************** respond to my complaint rather than *********************, the regional manager, who admitted the cleaning staff crew is inexperienced, and the coat was Over-washed (That was her original sentence). I am not surprised at the response ***** wrote to BBB that is untrue, as she did not involve in these conversations.
  I encountered ***** twice merely when I picked up my coats twice from the branch when I complained to her, she said to me loud and sounded I am so sorry for the stains and the damage, but I could not do anything at my level. You have to speak with my manager. Both ***** and the other lady at the counter admitted about the stains did not clean after the first wash, as well as the damage by the end. Now, she is lying, and I wonder why. 

  
  The market value for my coat has been appreciated to $1500 now. It is very common if Pratt Abbott needs to find the price for my coat. I have no obligation to provide you with the original receipt. You have to pay the full value of my damaged and limited-edition Canada Goose Coat. I will escalate it further if they dont
  
  Sincerely,[You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *********

   

   

  

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  As we have stated previously, the International Textile Analysis Lab (****) examined this garment specifically for damage and determined there was no damage present. The **** is frequently used by the ****************************** for dispute resolution services. 

  Pratt Abbott offered *********/******** the option to do a subsequent **** analysis after the stains were removed, after the second redo (picked up on 3/25/22), which she refused. We repeatedly told her that we would not pay out a claim on her coat unless an independent agency (the ****) determined that the garment was damaged. Their initial report from March states that the garment is not damaged. 

  She was also informed that IF the coat was determined to have damage resulting from the cleaning process, she would need to provide proof of purchase for a reimbursement. A local salvage and surplus retailer (********) sold many defective Canada Goose coats in 2020 and 2021 at a fraction of the retail cost. If *********/********** husband purchased her coat from a department store or directly from the Canada Goose website, the retailer would most likely have a record of their transaction in the system. It is industry standard to base claim amounts for damaged items on the actual purchase price adjusted for depreciation. We do not let the customer name their price unless they have evidence to back it up. As it currently stands, the **** has determined there is no damage on this garment.

  (It should be noted that  camera footage and store schedules/time punches show that ***** was working in at the Falmouth store with a male employee on 3/25/22 when the coat was picked up for a final time. This directly contradicts *********/********** narrative involving the "other woman" present.)

  I am happy to provide before and after pictures of the garment, showing that the stains were removed and that there was not damage to the garment. 

  Customer response

  07/20/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  What kind of people is working with this local Pratt Abbott company? I have seen and experienced such a bunch of low-standard, cheap and dirty minds, under-educated, liars and cheaters. I dont know who wrote this response; it is full of lies.

   

  Ive never suggested having a Lab test on my coat; they did it on their own and with their own partner lab; of course, it would say it is not damaged.

   

  Who would buy Canada Goose Coat or any decent merchandise from Mardens?! I realized now they probably DO that a lot, because thats their life standard. Now, I remembered why *********************, the so-called bitchy and ignorant regional manager accused me of being materialistic only because I wear a $1200 coat and drive a Benz, while she said I would be happy just get the clothes from ******* or Target. Isnt it too funny and pathetic!

   

  Who would keep the receipt that long to prepare for the compensation due to your stupidity and incompetency of the basic and simple cleaning work? What else could you guys do?  Actually, your message reminded me where my coat could get the inspection and the receipt; It is from Saks Fifth ******* ***************** in ****** where we bought it. Does any of the names sound familiar to you? Or, only Mardens is sound and loud in your mind.

   

  It is only $1200 coat, it is so sad to see how poor peoples quality and soul are if they have one.

  Keep lying and scamming, you will spend the rest of your life in the dry clean store

  
  

  *********
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *********

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  09/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Due to Pratt Abbott's monopolistic market stronghold, they run run their business autocratically. I paid cash for services and then was billed on account on multiple times. Even after bringing to their attention, they remain steadfast in collecting twice for services rendered.

  

  Business response

  06/14/2023

  **************** was not double charged for services. He had a cash credit on his account in 2018. After he had used those funds, his orders were charged to a billed account. Between 2/28/19 and 6/11/19 he picked up 11 orders on several different occasions which were charged to his billed account. He also picked up 4 orders charged to his billed account on 1/10/20. During this period he paid for several orders at the time of pickup: he paid cash for orders picked up between 9/25/19 and 10/26/19 and again paid cash for 4 orders on 12/5/19. He paid with a credit card for 3 orders on 2/19/20 and several orders on 5/15/20. However, he still owed payment for at least 15 orders totaling roughly $300 from 2019 and early 2020, which were reflected on his billed statement. 

  The likelihood of **************** paying cash and the employee accidentally selecting "Bill to Account" instead of cash on seven separate occasions is highly unlikely. If this did occur, there would be a record of cash overages in our bank deposits, which there was not. 

  There were no known instances of employee theft within that timeframe. As a safeguard, we perform weekly physical inventories which highlight discrepancies of unpaid transactions. Our point of sale system requires orders to be physically scanned before they are paid for. Once they are scanned the *** requires payment or a manager override. We also review security cameras when discrepancies occur or when we suspect theft could be happening. In roughly 30 years of using this system we have never had a thief avoid detection for longer than a week. ******************** transactions occurred over the course of a year and a half when several different employees were working. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩