ComplaintsforJorka Atelier

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sold to minor of 16. They ordered wrong color and ruined the dress dying it.My daughter had ink all over her.Unacceptable and business transaction.

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  Jorka Ateliers Response to Better Business Bureau
  Complaint # ********.

  
  This letter serves as a response to BBB Complaint ID ********. Made
  on 6/12/2024. Jorka Atelier is responding to the following complaint:
  Sold to minor of 16. They ordered wrong ***** and ruined the dress dying
  it. My daughter had ink all over her. Unacceptable and business
  transaction.

  
  Jorka Atelier is a business that has been operating for over 50 years, we
  pride ourselves in exemplary customer service and satisfaction. In respect to
  selling a gown to a minor, it is not illegal nor unheard of for a high school student
  attending prom to enter a place of business and purchase a prom dress.

  
  On April 13, 2024, the client entered our stores looking for a prom dress.
  She showed us a photo of a hunter green dress made by the designer ******
  Couture. That dress was no longer in stock, so we offered to place an order for
  a similar gown in an emerald ***** by the designer ******. The client was shown
  a photo of the gown via the designers website and agreed to place an order for
  the gown. She left a deposit for the gown as is customary when placing special
  orders. The customer was invoiced, and the invoice was notated with the gown
  style number and ***** (Jovani 5908A in ********* and the client was provided
  with a copy. The order was placed on April 13th and Jovani shipped the gown on
  April 23rd, 2024. It arrived at our store on April 26th, 2024. As with all special
  orders, we call and notify the customer as soon as their gown arrives so that
  they may come in to try it on and determine if any alterations are needed.
  (Please find original client invoice and Jovani shipping invoice attached to this
  message, showing that what was ordered was in fact what had arrived).
  

  The client did not come in for the dress until May 14th, 2024, 4 days before
  her prom. She arrived at our store with her mother. When the client was
  presented with the gown, she expressed concern that that gown was not the
  right *****. The clients mother began to behave rudely and demanded an
  explanation. The owner of the store came out to address the situation and
  investigate what went wrong. The clients mother did not permit us a chance to
  investigate the matter without first beginning to berate the store owner and staff
  and accused us of scamming her daughter. When we reviewed the
  paperwork, it was confirmed that it was indeed the correct gown and, in the
  correct *****. It was a manufacturer inconsistency in the ***** of the fabric,
  resulting in the gown being a lighter green than in the photo.
  

  As previously mentioned, our goal is to provide exceptional customer
  service by providing solutions as needed. We offered to dye the gown free of
  charge. We also waived the express fee for the alterations needed on the gown
  as we typically require 2-3 weeks for alterations. The clients mother calmed
  down, agreed to our offer, and paid the rest of the balance due on the gown. The
  dress also needed to be hemmed and we proceeded to perform the alteration.
  We require alterations to be paid prior to performing the labor, the clients
  mother was unwilling to pay for this service until she returned to the store to
  view how the dye job came out. She stated that she would only pay for the hem
  if she was satisfied with the dye job. We extended a courtesy to her by hemming
  the dress without receiving prior payment.
  

  On May 15th, the Client and her mother returned to the store to see the
  freshly dyed gown and confirm the *****. The mother expressed her gratitude
  and apologized for her daughters delay in coming in to see the dress when it
  first arrived as well as the last-minute changes. She brought to our attention
  some ***** splotches on the bottom of the gown which we explained will go
  away once the dress is washed. It was settled that the gown would be dip dyed
  again to go a shade darker and the client paid for the hem.
  

  May 16th Client arrived at the store with her prom date. They saw the dress
  and were content with the dye job. Our client asked us if we could dye the gown
  one more time so that it could now match her prom dates suit. Let it be known
  that at this point the gown had been dyed to match the ***** of the photo on
  the Jovani website. With a willingness to help, we agreed to dye the dress again,
  at no charge. Later that day, the store owner received a text message from the
  client asking for the gown to be dyed two more times, we obliged. (Please find
  screenshots of the text message attached.)
  

  May 17th the client and clients mother arrived in our stores with a hostile
  demeanor. Jorka Atelier had done everything possible to ensure the dying of the
  dress was immaculate. When presented with the gown the clients mother
  became enraged, she proceeded to cause a scene in the store, berating and
  threatening our employees. She demanded a refund, threw the dress down and
  left the store stating that her daughter would not be wearing the dress to prom.
  She then immediately returned to the store asking for the gown and stated that
  her ex-husband, the clients father, would be returning later to the store to
  further discuss the matter. When the clients father and stepmother arrived, we
  explained the situation and they met us with an understanding attitude. We
  extended a store credit of $350 to be used for any gown the client may need in
  the future. The father stated that if his daughter (client) did in fact wear the
  dress to prom that he would not redeem the $350 credit. Client later posted a
  public photo on social media of her wearing the dress to prom. (Photo
  Attached)
  

  A short time after, the clients mother left us a 1-star review on google
  with her version of the events and proceeded to insult our staff and defame our
  name. Please note, that as a business, we reserve the right to refuse service to
  any party and we refuse to do any business with the clients mother.
  

  In respect to the $500 settlement request. Jorka Atelier will not be
  offering a refund since the correct gown was ordered, and it is our belief that
  we went above and beyond in trying to remedy the situation (which was caused
  by a design inconsistency) offering complimentary services and store credit.
  

  Furthermore, our refund policy is posted in our store and it is also part of
  our receipts and client forms. The policy states that all sales are final. Store
  credit may be given based on management determination.
  

  Lastly, we would like to reiterate that the client did not return to the store
  in a timely manner once she was informed that the gown had arrived; had she
  done so, it would have allowed us ample time to contact the designer to
  discuss any return or exchange options. Each dye job is priced at $100, and the
  gown was dyed a total of five times at no cost to the client. Lastly, the client did
  end up wearing the gown to prom.
  

  Your time and consideration in reviewing this response is appreciated. If
  there is any additional information, we could provide to help solve this matter,
  please contact us. We would be more than happy to provide any further details needed.

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