Posted on 05/22/2011 10:27:50 AM PDT by rawhide
MYFOXNY.COM - Sophomore Jackie Genovese, 16, of New Jersey, had the perfect prom dress and date. But tragedy struck last week when her boyfriend of two years was killed in a car accident.
Jackie's boyfriend, James, died on the way home from a baseball team dinner. He was a popular Jackson High School senior only weeks from graduation.
She bought her $1,200 dress at Freehold's Diane and Co., also known for their popular Oxygen show "Dress Coutoure."
She wanted a refund for her dress so she could help pay for her boyfriend's funeral. Jackie's mom asked the owners of the store for a refund, which is against store policy. Instead they offered credit. But Jackie's mom said when she showed up to bring the dress back, they were nasty and unsympathetic.
Now her friends have started a Facebook page to call on boycotting the dress store.
Diane and Co. denies the accusations. Over the phone, owners said "this terrible tragic situation has been spun out of control. It's not a matter of being vicious or uncompassionate, but we are faced with tragedy all the time. And we weren't given a chance to rectify the situation."
A woman with a dress store in Indiana saw the Facebook page and offered to give Jackie a dress.
She still has the $1,200 store credit, which she is not sure she will.
Diane and Co. is standing firm on the no refund policy, but has offered to make a donation to a memorial set up in James name.
What lesson is that? Never date somebody who might be killed in a traffic accident?
I agree, an exception to the stores policy would have made them look alot better here.
That's a crock. My hairdresser is all excited and willing to listen to all my hopes and dreams and aspirations when I'm in his chair, and then, after I drop about $100 plus tip for my hair color, he could give a rat's a** about me and my aspirations after that. I'm basically out the door with nothing more than a faint 'see you in 3 months'...
Business clothes are an investment and are worn repeatedly. Not so much a one-occasion prom dress.
And you're not a 16 year old girl going to her prom. You know better. Again, the store is under no legal obligation to return the money. Cling to their no return policy, and you're no better than the school administrators who cling to their zero tolerance weapons policies for a kid who accidentally left a 2" toy soldier in his pocket.
Given the extreme circumstances (i.e. the death of a 16 year old) common sense and human decency should have come into play.
good point.
I mistyped, business, spell check missed it, but you really knew what I meant. ;)
She was a sale to them, nothing more. They were only interested in her as far as the sale of the dress. They didn’t care if she wore it or if she had a great time while wearing it. Their responsibility, despite any concern for her you or others might have, ended when they delivered the special order, specially fitted dress and she walked out of the store with it. When she picked up the dress after the alterations, it was her dress. Whether she attends the prom or not, they delivered what they were contracted to deliver.
The store had a no refund policy which is pretty standard policy for special orders or altered merchandise. They offered a store credit and a donation to a funeral fund. They altered their policy for her.
It also turns out the store has given her father a full refund, which he has donated to charity because the boy’s family do not need help with the funeral.
Now back to my question, have you ever run a business? I have.
It sounds like you need some moral introspection yourself. Why should the store be forced to eat the cost of its hard labor because she wasted money on a $1,200 dress and now wants that money back?
She has no moral right to money paid for services delivered. The no refund policy was not hidden. The store honored their agreement now she wants to guilt them into taking losses, threatening economic terrorism through loss of business all because she wants her way, like an entitled little piglet.
Her attitude is symptomatic of why the United States is failing.
The store is offering to donate to a memorial fund. Certainly not an obligation, it's very generous of them and should be praised but it's not good enough for you or her apparently!
Let it be a lesson to her (and her parent(s)?) for wasting $1,200 on a custom dress and a lesson to people like you who evidently think businesses are a bottomless source of money, are owed nothing for their labor, have no obligations of their own and any customer can nullify a reasonable, fulfilled contract on a whim.
She feels guilty over her wasteful spending and she's taking it out on innocent parties. She's 16 so some of that's understandable, particularly while grieving, but where are the adults in her life to show her the damage she's causing? I suppose they're entitlement enablers themselves.
It sounds like you need some moral introspection yourself. Why should the store be forced to eat the cost of its hard labor because she wasted money on a $1,200 dress and now wants that money back?
She has no moral right to money paid for services delivered. The no refund policy was not hidden. The store honored their agreement now she wants to guilt them into taking losses, threatening economic terrorism through loss of business all because she wants her way, like an entitled little piglet.
Her attitude is symptomatic of why the United States is failing.
The store is offering to donate to a memorial fund. Certainly not an obligation, it's very generous of them and should be praised but it's not good enough for you or her apparently!
Let it be a lesson to her (and her parent(s)?) for wasting $1,200 on a custom dress and a lesson to people like you who evidently think businesses are a bottomless source of money, are owed nothing for their labor, have no obligations of their own and any customer can nullify a reasonable, fulfilled contract on a whim.
She feels guilty over her wasteful spending and she's taking it out on innocent parties. She's 16 so some of that's understandable, particularly while grieving, but where are the adults in her life to show her the damage she's causing? I suppose they're entitlement enablers themselves.
They did offer a store credit and did make a donation.
From a marketing / staying in business standpoint, they must preserve their no returns policy. Otherwise the day after the event just sit back and watch the returning customers line up.
Just like those trying to return big screen televisions after the super bowl.
Diane and Co. has offered to make a donation to a memorial set up in James name. They said they’d give her credit. What else do you want?
If by 'run' you mean 'own', no I have not. OTOH, have I managed divisions, hired and fired employees, dealt with clients and been held accountable for profits and losses? Yes, I've done all those things. I've even ate losses to make clients happy and ensure their continued goodwill. But again, how is that relevant?
I'm sure she was a sale, and IMHO probably not a very big one. You indicated you 'ran' a business? Is it still operational? Why not? Perhaps there's a lesson in customer service here for you as well...just sayin'.
Now, hypothetically, let's say that 15 years from now, this gal is running her own successful boutique and a similar situation occurs to one of her customers. I would wager pretty much everything I own that she would refund the money without hesitation, and somehow, still manage to make ends meet for the business, regardless of policies, legal entitlements etc. How? Is she smarter? Is she a better business person? Maybe, maybe not...but her actions would reflect a difference in personal sympathy and human decency. That would be the only difference, and one obviously lacking in the store in question.
There's nothing touching about this story aside from the loss of life.
This girl has the same entitlement attitude that is murdering this nation. Her mother is enabling the same.
I hope you realize the "markup" is where money comes from to keep a business afloat. If it was your shop or your hard labor you'd not be so quick to condemn the store.
If people could thrive on compassion, socialism would be a winning economic model.
Nobody's suggesting the store be 'forced' to do anything. I'm really getting tired of referring you people to the numerous places on this thread that I've said the store is under no legal obligation to return the money. As I stated, and will state again for those of you either too obtuse or emotional to wrap your minds around it, THE STORE IS NOT OBLIGATED TO RETURN THE MONEY. I merely stated it would be the decent thing to do. Based on the Phelps SCOTUS decision, the store is within their rights to demonstrate at the funeral. Should the employees do that as well, simply because it's within their legal rights?
"Her attitude is symptomatic of why the United States is failing."
No. People who confuse "what is legal" with "what is moral" are symptomatic of why the United States is failing.
"Let it be a lesson to her (and her parent(s)?) for wasting $1,200 on a custom dress..."
LOL...you rant about what a business is entitled to do with its money, but apparently you begrudge private individuals what they choose to do with theirs.
Yes, I did co-own a business. I sold out to my partner when I moved to another state. The business was doing well when I left.
I sided with the business on this because I have thought there was probably another side to this “story”.
It now appears all this debate is moot as the store issued a refund to the girl’s father and he has donated the money to charity because the boy’s family doesn’t need help with the funeral expenses.
I thought the whole issue was that the evil store would not bend their policy so to refund this poor girl her money so she could help pay for the boy’s funeral.
I feel very sorry for the boy’s parents, who have lost their son and had to see this drama on the public stage in their deepest time of grief.
As I've stated elsewhere, any private business/organization that is not willing to make an exception to policy for common sense reasons under extreme circumstances deserves the same ridicule that a public school does for suspending a 2nd grader with a toy soldier based on its zero tolerance weapons policy.
Because that don’t pay the bills. now if they had offered to help pay the funeral bill in lieu of taking the return that would be fine.
The thing is they are going to to have to endure a lot of bad publicity, now if that was you would you want that????????
But wait! I thought the business was going to fold, and couldn't afford to refund the money because they have rent, and utilities, and payroll, and if they returned the $1,200 all their employees would be going on the public dole!!
You mean that's not true?!?!?
Now, wouldn't it have made more sense for them to refund the money up front and have built their goodwill? Now, they have a tarnished reputation and have refunded the money anyways due to the negative publicity. You tell me which was the better business decision....
Bull. They offered to make a donation to a memorial set up in the boyfriend's name. That shows human decency. It wasn't enough to satisfy these craven people.
The viewpoint you push is disordered. It's chaotic and ruinous. It's also the foundation of socialism and our entitlement culture.
These people are using a sob story to force money out of the hands of people to whom it rightfully belongs, not simply by appealing to the shop (which has already agreed to a donation) but by force.
They are immoral cretins and economic terrorists.
Joe, I never said the business was going to fold. lol
I just pointed out that the business had other responsibilities than paying the dress supplier.
Do they have a tarnished business? Some of the comments at the oiriginal site were from people who will be supporting them in the future. We’ll just have to watch and see if they are still around in a year or so.
That is, if we remember. I expect this story will be forgotten just like this year’s prom dresses will be out of style.
As I said I feel sorry for the boy’s parents.
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