Wedding Dress Ruined

[Dress Disaster]

Washington. The seamstress that the bridal shop sent me to has ruined my dress 2 weeks before the wedding, and it can't be repaired. Who is responsible for a replacement or should it be split between the two? How should I proceed? There is no duplicate available, so what cost should be recoverable--the amount originally spent at the shop or what is available for purchase presently?

 

[quincy]

Washington. The seamstress that the bridal shop sent me to has ruined my dress 2 weeks before the wedding, and it can't be repaired. Who is responsible for a replacement or should it be split between the two? How should I proceed? There is no duplicate available, so what cost should be recoverable--the amount originally spent at the shop or what is available for purchase presently?

The seamstress is responsible for damage she did to the dress and the bridal shop can be held liable if the seamstress is employed by them.

 

[Dress Disaster]

The seamstress is responsible for damage she did to the dress and the bridal shop can be held liable if the seamstress is employed by them.

Thank you! I believe that she was just recommended by the shop--and I doubt that the seamstress has insurance, but I can always hope.

 

[quincy]

Thank you! I believe that she was just recommended by the shop--and I doubt that the seamstress has insurance, but I can always hope.

You should be able to get a judgment in the amount of the original cost of the dress. Collecting on a judgment is always the hard part.

I hope you are able to find a nice last-minute replacement dress. The good news is that your soon-to-be spouse will be looking only at you and not your dress.

Best wishes for a happy wedding and happy married life.

 

[Dress Disaster]

Hi Quincy, one last question--and thanks so much for your advice. The seamstress has offered to pay for the original gown, but then wants to keep it rather than returning it to me--so that she can repair it and resell it I guess. Can she do that, or if she pays for it since she ruined it can I get it back in order to have someone else try, as I don't trust her to do so at this point?

 

[Dress Disaster]

P.S. thanks for your kind thoughts--this will be a bump down the road eventually, but it sure doesn't seem like it now.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Hi Quincy, one last question--and thanks so much for your advice. The seamstress has offered to pay for the original gown, but then wants to keep it rather than returning it to me--so that she can repair it and resell it I guess. Can she do that, or if she pays for it since she ruined it can I get it back in order to have someone else try, as I don't trust her to do so at this point?

You don't get both. If she pays you for the dress she buys the dress from you.

 

[Dress Disaster]

You're so kind to help with your expertise! At this point I feel that the best option is to not pay her present bill, and try to have her pay for repairs elsewhere since she's "responsible" for the damage. Is this recourse valid, or could she refuse to pay a repair bill since she "thinks she can fix it"?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

If she has offered to pay for the dress take the money and run.