Formal-Wear Store Leaves Customers in the Dark

Customers of a Lexington formalwear store are clueless about why the business suddenly closed without notice — and without handing over dresses and suits they purchased.

The problems started in May when customers tried to pick up orders from  on East Main Street, according to a report on WIS. Several customers complained of never receiving paid orders because no one was at the store.

Alexa Tuten told WIS she purchased her wedding dress from the store, but when she went to make the final payment and pick up the dress, no one was at the store.

"All I could see was myself in that dress, walking down the aisle with candles and everything. I couldn't imagine it without it," Tuten told WIS. "That day is so important to someone. Just to take it away from them is just wrong. It really is."

Lexington County Magistrate Court records show that the company that owns Cedarcrest Shopping Center where the store is located issued First Impression a rule to vacate in March. 

Three customers also filed complaints about problems with the store's products on the Better Business Burea website. The Better Business Bureau website shows that it didn't get a response for one of the complaints and wasn't able to contact the business about the other two complaints. 

Customers who didn't receive items they purchased can file a small claims case in magistrate court, an official with the state Department of Consumer Affairs told WIS. 

The department also has a list of businesses who failed to respond to customer complaints from 2003 to 2009. Consumers can also protect themselves by researching businesses on the Better Business Bureau website.