“They haven’t said anything. They won’t call me back,” the bride-to-be said of what she knew about the 12 gowns she and her wedding party had paid for but not received.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Michael Tucker on Wednesday appointed David Kebrdle of Chikol Equities receiver for the company after an owner requested that the shop’s parent company, Int’l Bridal LLC, be wound down.
Tucker is also presiding over a breach of contract and improper termination lawsuit filed by Jill and Yaser Aldineh of Dayton concerning the company and operations of Madison Avenue Bridal in Covington, Ky.
Jill Aldineh founded Int’l Bridal with Scott Wells of Cincinnati and Alvin Short of Miramar Beach, Fla., according to court documents.
Wells filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Wednesday. He listed his assets as $102,799 and his liabilities as $2.3 million. A message left on his voice mail was not returned Friday.
Wells told the Dayton Daily News that his online bridal gown business, www.RomanticGowns.com, brought in $7 million in sales annually. Bridal n Tux opened in March 2010. He said the Centerville-based business provided for 30,000 weddings a year.
Listed under its prior name, International Bridal LLC, the company has an “F” Better Business Bureau rating for 27 problems with product and service and seven delivery issues in three years.
The problems at Bridal n Tux follow the closing of Bethany’s Bridal and Prom in The Greene in Beavercreek in January and the shutdown of SharNett’s bridal salon in July 2009. Both closings created major problems for area brides. As she stood outside the door Friday, Kidder didn’t know the fate of her bridal gown, eight bridesmaids dresses and three other ordered for her Sept. 24 wedding.
She said the store had given her the run around since they were picked out and paid for in February. Among other things, Kidder said her dress was the wrong color and size. She said she was consistently told that her bridesmaids dresses were on back order.
“They won’t do anything but hide,” the 27-year-old said. “They won’t answer the phone or they hang up.”
The store is trying to resolve issues for brides by distributing their dresses, offering replacement stock items and refunds when possible. No new dresses will be ordered.
Several number of brides-to-be left the salon Friday with the gowns they ordered or floor-model dresses.
A promotional sale of all of the business’ remaining inventory and assets will occur in the near future. Other area bridal businesses will be contacted, a store official said.
Tiffany Sanders of Dayton said she and her mother are working to have purchase of 14 never-delivered dresses they bought from Bridal n Tux removed from their credit cards. Jointly they spent about $1,800 for dresses.
Sanders spent Thursday searching for replacement dresses. She found replacements at nearby Alfred Angelo.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author
