Interesting story about CSM Dry Cleaners

[Mark]

Taken to the cleaners over trashed wedding dress taken from the Guardian 26th May 2007 (today) read original article here

It is a time she will hold dear all her life - the day last September when Susie Willis married Paul Stanway. And one of her treasured mementos was her wedding dress, a ?1,980 number from designer Jenny Packham, writes Tony Levene. "It meant so much to me" says Susie, 32, who works in marketing.

But now the dress, with its tulle, sequins and crystals, is a mess. After her honeymoon, Ms Stanway took the garment to be dry cleaned. "I went to CSM Dry Cleaners in East Dulwich. The shop said it would need special-ist cleaning, quoting ?120 - about 15 times the normal cost for a dress. I agreed."

But when the dress came back in December, she was appalled. Only the top quarter of it was original. The rest had been replaced by cheap fabric which did not even match the original colour.

"I was outraged. I don't know whether it was cleaned by special-ists or just by CSM. It was ruined while in their care. It seems they used bleach on the delicate fabric. And rather than own up to the problem, they botched a repair. I cried as the dress has so much sentimental value."

Ms Stanway received no help from the manager, who was then replaced by new person who did not want to discuss her wrecked dress.

"I took advice from Consumer Direct which told me to chase them for the cost of the dress plus the cleaning fee.I got nowhere so I took out a small claims action against CSM, a limited company, for ?2,100 plus ?135 costs."

CSM did not defend the action. But like so many other victims who have fought through the small claims court and won, it didn't end there. The dry cleaner still refused to pay.

"So it was send in the bailiffs time, which cost me ?55. They came back empty handed. They were fobbed off with an excuse about CSM having new owners."

But even if it did - and Companies House records show director Nask Hussain and company secretary Kassem El Sayed both still in their posts - her case was against CSM, not an individual.

"I've gone back to the court and applied for the bailiffs to try again, telling them not be put off by excuses. But when you start the process, there is no warning that you can win your case but still lose. It has upset my faith in the system. I could still get it fixed by Jenny Packham for ?1,000. If CSM paid me that much it would be better than nothing. But for the moment, this dry cleaner is just laughing at justice."

CSM Dry Cleaners, 9 Lordship Lane

[mockney piers]

That's dreadful!!

[dulwichmum]

Absolutely dreadful.

It is no consolation at all I know, but Scobies in the Village cleans precious clothes for several famous designers. They did a terrific job on my wedding dress, even stuffing it with bleech free paper and putting it in an enormous special box like a coffin - now stored under the au pairs bed (Please not Miss Polly D!).

Is there anything further she can do now?

Is Huguenot about? I believe he knows a lot about legal type stuff...

HUGUENOT...

WHERE ARE YOU?

[mockney piers]

I think he's in Singapore, bt I'm sure he'll log on with good advice once he's settled.

Sounds like this lady is doing all the right things, just total criminal behaviour from these people, especially the excuse about the premises changing hands.

Not that that did west ham any good.

[mumra]

Wow, that is a truly awful story. I had my wedding dress cleaned by 'friends of Fabric' on Bellenden Rd. Forgot about it for a while I admit but the guy in there is so super friendly that it did not cost me anymore and he still remembered me when I came in. Can't remember how much it cost, but remember thinking it was cheap. I went in there the other day to pick up a dress and he told me he had dry cleaned 3 times to get the red wine stain out-at no extra cost. Will def never use CSM.

[karter]

If CSM is the dry cleaners by the roundabout then Im not surprised. The owner recently sold up some months ago.Have to say that the new owner is a nice chap though, however, I had some adjustments made to clothing by the old owner , they messed it up. A friend of mine took her best dress to be cleaned (by the new owner) and they ruined it.She is rather upset about it and she is just too nice to complain.These are my experiences and just putting them forward.

I hope this thread does not start to slate this shop though. Admin be ready please.

[monica]

Im amazed i know the nrew guy who has taken over and he does seem quite inexperienced and i know the sale of the property was not straightforward because the last owner had a left a lot of problems.This however is no justification,for their actions,CSM carried the work out so CSM are responsible.

I dyed my wedding dress black and wore it to a ball,very fetching(much to the disgust of hubby)then donated it to a charity shop.

[elizlondon]

Thanks for posting this. After having a skirt cleaned by two different cleaners, they both messed it up and I've been very nervous about getting other delicate clothes cleaned since.

Sounds like Friends of Fabric or Scobies are the best ones for me to try. I have a vintage velvet top that was my grandmother's that I need cleaned, so need to be reassured it will be treated well.

[Louisa]

I have beeen a customer at CSM for nearly a year now, and I must say the new owners are very friendly, offer a great service, and I have NEVER, not once experienced any such difficulties with them. I understand others may feel differently, but I am not prepared to come on here and destroy this poor mans business on the hear say of others. I find it awful that everyone is 'jumping on the bandwagon' about this story, it happened long before these people arrived, and any such difficulties experienced since are clearly being exagerrated and or fabricated, and designed to tarnish CSM. I am having non of it!

[mockney piers]

Well it does rather look like the business has ben kept within the family, so the change of hands was probably done to absolve the company of liaibility. If they'd held the hands up in the first place and done the right thing by this woman instead of forcing her at great expense to trawl through the courts there wouldn't be a thread in the first place would there.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Louisa,

I can't see anyone here jumping on the band wagon here. People are discussing their experiences in a rather measured way (see Karters post above). Chill out sweetie.

[mumra]

Hmmm, have to add Louisa, that when I said 'will never use CSM', meant really that never would need to as have aforementioned 'Friends of Fabric' 5 mins away, rather than give the impression I will stop using a shop I have never used. Also should admit at this point that I don't really have enough clothes that are dry clean only to warrant more than a few visits a year to a DC. Primark fabrics seem just fine in the washing machine.

[dulwichmum]

Hi Mumra (tu),

You see Louisa, we are all nice people on here. Not bandwagonjumperoners...

Feel the love...

[Amelie]

There are lots of dry cleaning cases in the law reports, and plenty of legislation inc. the Sale and Supply of Goods and Services Act. Susie should definitely pursue this and she might consider asking the local Trading Standards office to investigate as well.

[badger]

Mark do you know Susie? If so, and she wants some (legal) advice, she can PM me and I'll see what I can do.

[Keef]

It is a bad story, but to be honest, if Susie, 32 in marketing can afford one ?2k dress, she's obviously got more money than sense, and should just nip out and get another one. It's a bloody dress for God's sake. Sorry, but come on, who cares!

[Louisa]

DM I am feeling the love now, I may even have a dry cleaning event on Goose Green I am feeling it that much... wish to help me promote the event?

[Mark]

Hi Badger, I don't know Susie, I just read the article and posted it on here just out of interest

[snorky]

?2K for a wedding dress?

The Dry cleaners may have been negligent, but the person who paid ?2K for a dress wants needs to be arrested by the l;ocal filth and get a couple of years in the chokey for her criminal and vulgar lack of taste

Oh dear me.

whatever next.

[Jeremy]

2k for a wedding dress may sound like a lot to some of us - but that doesn't change the fact that she trusted her property to the cleaners, and they ruined it... and then tried to cover up!

[Keef]

No, I agree, but the story would've been far more touching if it had been the dress that her granmother made for her mother's wedding ;-)

[Amelie]

Very male responses to the loss of a wedding dress here, clearly you boys have no idea of the huge sentimental value that women attach to these dresses. My mother still has the dress she wore when she married my father and it has never been worn since. A little more sympathy and understanding required chaps.

[all_star]

"My mother still has the dress she wore when she married my father and it has never been worn since."

That's the point! ?2k for something that will be worn once. Who cares if it got ruined after the event - it's not like it's going to be needed again. Weren't Asda doing them for ?35 last year? (a man writes...)

[Amelie]

This is obviously a 'girl thing'.:))

[clare]

sorry amelie. I agree with snorky. ludicrous waste of money.

(I find I agree with snorky about lots of things actually. Hurrah for snorky. the voice of reason.)

ps I am not a male.

pps also not married ! ( not at 2k a dress)