Complaint Review: House Of Brides - OakLawn, Schaumberg, Glen Ellyn, And Downtown Illinois

This company is currently under IRS investigation. They raided the Glen Ellyn store in June with armed agents and detained staff. This is the latest article from the Daily Herald newspaper that really doesn't paint a very accurate picture. I was walking by the shop when I noticed all the commotion and decided to stick around and watch the show. I suggest anyone interested in seeing all the articles this company has describing this incident go to dailyherald and do a search. To me, it was very enlightening. Daily Herald Staff Writer Posted Tuesday, July 04, 2006 An attorney for the House of Brides said the reason the Illinois Department of Revenue is investigating the chain of bridal shops is plain and simple. It's an audit to determine if they correctly reported their sales tax, attorney Mark Rosenbloom said. Department of Revenue spokesman Mike Klemens confirmed last week the agency had visited House of Brides' Glen Ellyn shop last week but declined to specify the nature of the probe. Rosenbloom said House of Brides' customers who have already ordered or paid for dresses won't be affected by the audit and that it's business as usual. This has absolutely, positively nothing to do with it, he said. My client's going to deliver every order. He said the audit covers all four House of Brides stores, which, besides Glen Ellyn, are in Schaumburg, Chicago and Oak Lawn. Rosenbloom said he expects the matter to be resolved in the next three to six months and that company officials are working with the department of revenue and other state personnel. Glen Ellyn Deputy Police Chief Bill Holmer has said the village's police department is not involved in the investigation.

This company is a blatant RIP OFF and is currently under investigation by the IRS as evidenced by the following links: (((ROR REDACTED LINKS FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) This company is obviously suffering from gross mismanagement and NEEDS to be shut down. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Amy! Retract your apology!! You did nothing wrong! I started reading your story and thought that you were just trying to get back at HOB. Upon reading all of the rebuttals to your original posting, I side with you 110%! I am currently engaged to a wonderful woman who will be purchasing a dress shortly. I research every large purchase such as a wedding dress which I know that I will not purchase from HOB or any company associated with them! HOB is defiantly bluffing. If they were going to come after you for slander, their attorney would have contacted you directly and they would not have posted a rebuttal. You were probably never contacted by an attorney because HOB never had a case to begin with. House of Brides, thank you for your rebuttals because it just confirms that you are truly a SHADY company and you obviously have a lot to hide. I just hope that ANYONE who is looking to purchase a dress has the opportunity to view this posting and its rebuttals before they engage in any business with HOB. Amy, again take that apology back! I hope all is going okay with you and your family. Thank you so much for the information that you have provided to the general public.

Amy! Retract your apology!! You did nothing wrong! I started reading your story and thought that you were just trying to get back at HOB. Upon reading all of the rebuttals to your original posting, I side with you 110%! I am currently engaged to a wonderful woman who will be purchasing a dress shortly. I research every large purchase such as a wedding dress which I know that I will not purchase from HOB or any company associated with them! HOB is defiantly bluffing. If they were going to come after you for slander, their attorney would have contacted you directly and they would not have posted a rebuttal. You were probably never contacted by an attorney because HOB never had a case to begin with. House of Brides, thank you for your rebuttals because it just confirms that you are truly a SHADY company and you obviously have a lot to hide. I just hope that ANYONE who is looking to purchase a dress has the opportunity to view this posting and its rebuttals before they engage in any business with HOB. Amy, again take that apology back! I hope all is going okay with you and your family. Thank you so much for the information that you have provided to the general public.

Amy! Retract your apology!! You did nothing wrong! I started reading your story and thought that you were just trying to get back at HOB. Upon reading all of the rebuttals to your original posting, I side with you 110%! I am currently engaged to a wonderful woman who will be purchasing a dress shortly. I research every large purchase such as a wedding dress which I know that I will not purchase from HOB or any company associated with them! HOB is defiantly bluffing. If they were going to come after you for slander, their attorney would have contacted you directly and they would not have posted a rebuttal. You were probably never contacted by an attorney because HOB never had a case to begin with. House of Brides, thank you for your rebuttals because it just confirms that you are truly a SHADY company and you obviously have a lot to hide. I just hope that ANYONE who is looking to purchase a dress has the opportunity to view this posting and its rebuttals before they engage in any business with HOB. Amy, again take that apology back! I hope all is going okay with you and your family. Thank you so much for the information that you have provided to the general public.

Amy, What a load of nonsense! Amy, they are merely trying to scare you. They can't do anything to you, and they KNOW it. A reputable company with nothing to hide would NEVER threaten someone for warning others about their horrible business practices. Just goes to show you what kind of people they really are. Go ahead, HOB. SUE ME for saying that. Jerks. We reviewed the 3 comments posted on this site as of today, 12/2/05, and submitted them to our lawyer. We cannot distinguish the author beyond the information provided on the site as Amy - Burbank, Illinois. Therefore, we will proceed with our action against you. If there is in fact a third party, we ask that you submit the name and contact information of the party to our corporate office so they can be added to our complaint. Your comments are slanderous and misrepresent our company with the intent to do harm. Please be advised. The House of Brides, Inc. X - X, Illinois U.S.A.

Don't worry Amy. They cannot sue you for what you believe is true. Slander is when someone says something that THEY KNOW IS FALSE, yet they say it anyway in order to cause harm. This obviously does not apply to you, and any lawyer would know this. This company wants you feel uncomfortable, and to worry, which is the real travesty. They know no lawyer would pursue a case like this. With all of the bridal shops in the Chicagoland area, I would most definitely take my business somewhere else, and tell all of my fellow brides to be to do the same. Post to some of the leading bridal planning websites with chatrooms and spread the word.

If the response on this website is truly from HOB representatives, I wonder what they have to hide. Take a few moments and read through some of the other threads on this website. Walmart, Circuit City, Best Buy.... some of the largest retailers in the country, being accused of a lot of things. And gee, guess what??? Do you see any of them publicly going after the poster? NO! To me, a response of this type tells me that you want to make sure that no one complains about you, or you'll teach them! If you're so upright and honest, why would you worry about this posting? I'm sure there are many others like me out here who are wondering the same thing. And wondering WHY we would EVER shop somewhere that treats people in this manner. Amy, should you be contacted by an attorney concerning this, please keep us updated. Whether you wrote the post, or a friend used your name to do so isn't the issue.....the company's handling of the complaint is. Good Luck

I send out my deepest apology to the company - and I regret what was said on this site. The internet is an uncontrollable medium...and honestly, due to the nature of this site, no party involved realized the legal responsibility of discussing their opinion of a particular business. (Since websites such as this exist) I truly beg that this is not pursued legally...financially I am unable to pay for legal fees and with a baby on the way, I will be unable to sufficiently begin a proper life for him/her. (since this would cause me to be in debt due to legal fees) Again, I hope you reconsider your actions against me. I will try to contact the host and have all comments removed.

Amy, We reviewed the 3 comments posted on this site as of today, 12/2/05, and submitted them to our lawyer. We cannot distinguish the author beyond the information provided on the site as Amy - Burbank, Illinois. Therefore, we will proceed with our action against you. If there is in fact a third party, we ask that you submit the name and contact information of the party to our corporate office so they can be added to our complaint. Your comments are slanderous and misrepresent our company with the intent to do harm. Please be advised. The House of Brides, Inc.

Okay, Okay - See above statement (The reason for the report) "A friend of mine was screwed by this company...thats why I'm writing..." True - but she just emailed me, and has been using my info to add credibility to her report against HOB. (She just asked me to take a look at this report -because she seems to have pi**ed off the people she intended to pi** off...)I did quit working there, and at times, disagreed with the way they handled situations - and yes, I would complain to my friends about my job - and often times with another friend of mine who used to work for HOB. (Don't we all do that with co workers??) However, she did take my complaints and exaggerated them! I DO NOT have a beef with this company...Consider all above reporting just complaints by an angry customer - NOT A DISGRUNTLED WORKER!!! I - as the ex-employee - RETRACT all above statements. I am currently trying to take my info off this site - and am asking that no one can use my info again against this particular company!!! **** I am a happily married woman - not looking for trouble - and expecting my first baby - I do not want to be bothered with insignificant grievances. Again, all statements (at least posted as an ex-employee) are false.

Okay, Okay - See above statement (The reason for the report) "A friend of mine was screwed by this company...thats why I'm writing..." True - but she just emailed me, and has been using my info to add credibility to her report against HOB. (She just asked me to take a look at this report -because she seems to have pi**ed off the people she intended to pi** off...)I did quit working there, and at times, disagreed with the way they handled situations - and yes, I would complain to my friends about my job - and often times with another friend of mine who used to work for HOB. (Don't we all do that with co workers??) However, she did take my complaints and exaggerated them! I DO NOT have a beef with this company...Consider all above reporting just complaints by an angry customer - NOT A DISGRUNTLED WORKER!!! I - as the ex-employee - RETRACT all above statements. I am currently trying to take my info off this site - and am asking that no one can use my info again against this particular company!!! **** I am a happily married woman - not looking for trouble - and expecting my first baby - I do not want to be bothered with insignificant grievances. Again, all statements (at least posted as an ex-employee) are false.

Okay, Okay - See above statement (The reason for the report) "A friend of mine was screwed by this company...thats why I'm writing..." True - but she just emailed me, and has been using my info to add credibility to her report against HOB. (She just asked me to take a look at this report -because she seems to have pi**ed off the people she intended to pi** off...)I did quit working there, and at times, disagreed with the way they handled situations - and yes, I would complain to my friends about my job - and often times with another friend of mine who used to work for HOB. (Don't we all do that with co workers??) However, she did take my complaints and exaggerated them! I DO NOT have a beef with this company...Consider all above reporting just complaints by an angry customer - NOT A DISGRUNTLED WORKER!!! I - as the ex-employee - RETRACT all above statements. I am currently trying to take my info off this site - and am asking that no one can use my info again against this particular company!!! **** I am a happily married woman - not looking for trouble - and expecting my first baby - I do not want to be bothered with insignificant grievances. Again, all statements (at least posted as an ex-employee) are false.

Okay, Okay - See above statement (The reason for the report) "A friend of mine was screwed by this company...thats why I'm writing..." True - but she just emailed me, and has been using my info to add credibility to her report against HOB. (She just asked me to take a look at this report -because she seems to have pi**ed off the people she intended to pi** off...)I did quit working there, and at times, disagreed with the way they handled situations - and yes, I would complain to my friends about my job - and often times with another friend of mine who used to work for HOB. (Don't we all do that with co workers??) However, she did take my complaints and exaggerated them! I DO NOT have a beef with this company...Consider all above reporting just complaints by an angry customer - NOT A DISGRUNTLED WORKER!!! I - as the ex-employee - RETRACT all above statements. I am currently trying to take my info off this site - and am asking that no one can use my info again against this particular company!!! **** I am a happily married woman - not looking for trouble - and expecting my first baby - I do not want to be bothered with insignificant grievances. Again, all statements (at least posted as an ex-employee) are false.

I will not post anymore - but I do stand by my opinion of HOB. I do not think that it is a credible place of business...some workers may leave there loving it - but me, and most of the people who have left there (and there are quite a few who agree with me - and who have experienced everything that I have)are happy that they left. That's why I quit.

I know and talk to plenty of ex-employees of HOB who are disgruntled and see things my way.

I know and talk to plenty of ex-employees of HOB who are disgruntled and see things my way.

I know and talk to plenty of ex-employees of HOB who are disgruntled and see things my way.

I know and talk to plenty of ex-employees of HOB who are disgruntled and see things my way.

Amy, Your comments on this website were brought to our attention. Your remarks are slanderous and untrue. As of today's date, we have consulted our lawyer and will proceed with action against you. You should be considered a disgruntled ex-employee bent on retaliation. The House of Brides, Inc.

I am sorry that you are going through this frustration - but fortunately, "yes" you will get your gown by March. I am positive that you will get the run around for another month or so - they will tell you that the designer made an error - the shipping company made an error - they'll tell you that the dress was sent to the wrong store(and that they didn't know for a while)- they'll try to divert the blame for as long as they can - or if by some miracle - or just mere chance it comes in...they'll say "See, we told you it was coming." But, really - they just lucked out. Here is my advice (because I know that they will not give you the shipping info - although, BELIEVE ME, they totally could print it out for you.) They know exactly what day they sent out the order - if they are not showing you - it is most likely because it was delayed from the day of purchase. (but I'm sure they processed your money right away) Generally no later than the Monday following your order - but they may not have printed your P.O. # info and sent it to the designer on time. They seem to think that collecting their money is important - but that they can wait on stuff like "umm....let's see....THE ACTUAL WEDDING GOWN!!!" I'm sorry - but it's so true! Anyways, call the Glen Ellyn store and demand to speak with Mrs. Beah or Marlene - they are the only two people who can really resolve anything. (There's Mr. Beah - but I worked at HOB for 10 months and never even met him) I wish you luck - remember, (and I'm sorry this is cheesy) but "The sqeaky wheel gets the oil!"

Dear Amy, I am currently in the process of buying my dress from HOB... they orginally told me the dres would be in at the end of December. They now say the end of January... My wedding is in March... Will I get the dress in time or should I buy another dress????? Also, If I demand the paperwork on the order date... Will they supply it to me? I think they lied about when they submitted the purchase order and they definitely deposited my money the same night I wrote the check to them. Thanks for your honesty!!!!

Hello Amy, I didn't buy my wedding gown from HOB, but I had a horrific experience with Exclusives for the Bride (see my report in Illinois Bridal Shops), and I am glad to see that there are some honest employees in such a corrupt business. When I was dealing with my wedding gown situation, I kept thinking how awful the owner Exclusives was to put her employees in such a crappy position. I can't even begin to imagine how many times that poor receptionist must have been screamed at by irate brides (not that they don't have the right to be furious, but I always had the "don't shoot the messanger" mentality). In any case, kudos to you for being honest and doing your best to help the brides who were getting screwed by these people. I have no idea why they're still in business, but I hope that the government will step in and do the right thing.

I normally would have never "ratted out" a previous place of business like this - but recently, one of my own friends got screwed by this place...I warned her not to order through them...but, since they dominate the bridal industry - it's kind of hard not to look at HOB. Anyways, of course she got the run around (and I could see through every lie they told her - because they were the same lies they told when I was there)Anyways, I don't feel bad about my report - because it is all 100% true...anybody who says otherwise is not telling the truth.