Brides-To-Be Mull Options After Bridal Shop Filed Chapter 7

Cold feet. A double-booked venue. Inclement weather forecast. Wardrobe malfunctions. These are just a few of the obstacles couples have to dodge when tying the knot. However, not very many brides can say that their bridal shop filed for liquidation in bankruptcy court and abruptly shut down without delivering their wedding dress.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to customers with pending purchases at Alfred Angelo Bridal Shop in West Palm Beach, Fla. Due to failing to find a buyer, the Delray Beach-based company filed to liquidate its operations Friday, July 14, and permanently closed its doors. Is it still possible for those brides-to-be to get their wedding dresses? If so, how?

Contact the Attorney Handling the Case

The Miami law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller, Weissler Alhadoff & Sitterson was retained by the Board of Directors for Alfred Angelo just days before they filed Chapter 7 and permanently closed their doors, according to the Sun Sentinel. The “Closed” sign posted on their doors of each shop advised customers to contact the law firm for additional information.

Attorney Patricia Redmond said she will submit a request for a court-appointed Trustee to release all the dresses on hold within the now-closed store locations that are still awaiting pickup. There is apparently a $1.2 million shipment on its way from China. If Redmond is able to persuade the Trustee to release that shipment, even more brides will be able to receive their orders and proceed with preparing for their special day.

Competitors Try to Save the Sale

Once the news of Alfred Angelo Bridal’s demise became public, it did not take very long for some of its top competitors to swoop in and try to save the day (and the sale.) For instance, David’s Bridal tweeted about offering discounts to the expecting brides affected by the Alfredo Angelo closings. In addition to offering a 30 percent and 20 percent discount on replacement wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses, respectively, the company also said it would waive the rush fees for alterations needed for fast approaching wedding dates.. And Camille La Vie, a formal dress and bridal apparel retailer, also offered discounts for the displaced customers.

Getting Refunds for Affected Credit Card Transactions

If you ever run into a similar situation with a company who files for bankruptcy before delivering your order, you may be in luck if you paid for the order with a credit card. According to CreditCards.com, it may be possible to have your money refunded, even if only a partial deposit was charged to the card and the shop you bought the item from closed.

According to the report, the credit cardholder must initiate a merchant dispute, provide backup documentation on the sale and evidence proving it was never received. As long as everything checks out, it is the acquirer (or the financial institution that establishes contracts with merchants to accept specific payment cards) that will deduct the requested amount from the merchant account.