Complaint Review: Isabelle & Company - Eau Claire Wisconsin

The owner is investigating the facts not in an attempt to try to remediate the situation but in an attempt to criminalize the customer so she can defend her unfair policies.  

While I relayed the facts as shared with me by my daughter and some dates appear to have discrepancies, the core issue remains unchanged:

1) My daughter spent $160 on a dress.  Whether the signage is there or not-- it was not visible to her or she did not see it. The policy was not explained to her.
2) We emailed (via facebook) the owner soon after and received no acknowledgement
3) My daughter called and visited the store in pursuit of the refund.
4) the dress ultimately was returned, new with tags, unworn and with a receipt
5) there is no written proof of credit - nothing to show for it and just a bill to pay.

Ask yourself before you shop here,  is this the kind of response you would expect from the business manager or owner when you voice a complaint?
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email chain for today...

Katy,
I've searched my email, including my Spam folder, and I don't have any email from your mom.  If she's going to allege that I ignored her emails, please have her provide me with those emails. And to say that I refused to respond by phone based on one phone call when no voicemail was left is also a misrepresentation of the truth. 

Please also ask her to clarify her suspicion comment - it reads to me (and probably others) like you suspected that I was the one who was telling you that the manager was unavailable.  I don't know if her intention was to have it read that way or not. But regardless - it is misleading.

I don't know what to say about your visit on December 3rd since I know you didn't come in when I was working and Emily says you didn't come in when she was working either.  So I don't know who to believe. I guess it's a classic case of he said she said - but I can assure you that I did not receive any written notification that you had stopped in.  Which is unfortunate if it is true, because a lot of this could have been avoided as I would have most definitely called you back. 
Regardless, the accusation that we have a non-disclosed policy and that we refused to respond to inquiries in person, phone, or by email are most definitely false.

The facts are that your mom sent me a Facebook message to my business page on Saturday, December 1st and I received it when I returned to work on Monday, December 3rd and that I had not yet responded to her by the time you posted on our wall on Friday, December 7th - at which point I did respond.  The fact that you stopped in the store twice and left a note (which unfortunately is still disputable) when I happened to not be there is only unfortunate timing, not refusal on my part, especially if I did not receive a message from you.  Anything else meant to imply that you tried contacting me relentlessly for more than a week with no response is misleading.     Please let me know once your mother has corrected her claim on the website I listed below and any other complaints she may have filed.  Again, because of the severity, and inaccuracy, of her accusations and the attempted defamation towards me and my businesses, I cannot let this go too long unanswered.    

Regards,
Jessica Fredrickson, OwnerIsabelle & Co.Oakwood Mall4800 Golf Rd.Eau Claire, WI 54701p 715.552.1800f 715.552.0306

From: "Faust, K
To: Jessica Fredrickson 
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 5:08 PM
Subject: RE: Greylin Dress

Jessica,
I will speak to my Mom about this issue. I believe she is confused about the date of my attempted returns- the days I came to return the dress were December 3rd and December 7th. I am aware that she did attempt to send you an e-mail sometime before Dec. 7th, and I know myself that I attempted to call your store on Dec. 2nd. However, as I said previously, I was unable to leave any sort of voicemail on your phone, and it doesn't seem that your phone allows this to be done.

Additionally, I most certainly did come in and leave a message with my phone number and name, asking you to call me about the return with your employee. I then never received any sort of contact, whatsoever, until I posted a comment about my experience on your Facebook page on Dec. 7th.

I will ask my Mom to edit her comments to reflect the accurate dates, as well as the fact that a sign is posted in your store- although it was never seen by me until I returned with my dress. However, I believe the rest of the comment is accurate. What my Mom means by the suspicion of being helped by the store owner is that you are the person who originally sold me the dress and failed to inform me of the return policy, which is accurate.
If there is anything you feel I am overlooking, please let me know.
Thanks,Katy

From: Jessica Fredrickson 
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 4:45 PM
To: Faust, K
Subject: Re: Greylin Dress

Okay, I understand.  I'm just trying to get to the bottom of exactly what happened and when.   
My employee, Emily, was working last Friday, December 7th when you came in (I had run to Gloria Jeans to get coffee) and she was also tho only person who worked, other than me, on Monday December 3rd.  And neither of us helped you on that day.  I've talked to every one of my employees and they all say that you did not come in to return the dress when they were working - with the exception of Emily when she helped you this Friday. Your mother is claiming that you tried to return the dress the very next day after you purchased it (you purchased the dress on Tuesday, November 27th).  So there's a discrepancy there either way.  

I'm also confused because the Facebook message that your mom sent to the Isabelle & Co. page stated that you had spoken to us about our policy and were aware that we didn't give refunds, only in-store credit - but that was sent on Saturday, December 1st.  This really isn't that relevant since either way, it was within the 14 days that we allow for returns - and we did take your dress back no questions asked.  However, because there are 3 people involved in this it's hard to determine if facts are getting blurred, or if people are not being truthful.  I don't know what you've told your mom, I only know what your mom has accused me of.  She may believe it to be true if it's what she's heard from you, or maybe she's embellishing to make her case.  Either way, she's reporting some very blatant untruths about the incident. 

Are you aware of the threats she has made against my business and the lengths she has gone to thus far?  I have been notified by one site already ( http://www.ripoffreport.com/isabelle-company/clothing-stores/eau-claire-wisconsin-4D167.htm )  and she's expressed her intent to publish this to more websites and has also said that she's already filed this with the BBB as well as the federal and state consumer protection agencies. 

If you read her recount of what happened I think you'll see what I'm upset about.  I have no problem with her filing a truthful complaint or review about our policy.  However, this statement is not the truth of what actually happened.

Not only is that fact that you attempted to return the dress one day post purchase incorrect, your mother also claims that "there was no signage or indication of final sale or a no-returns policy" other than on the receipt.  The policy is posted in a large 8" x 10" frame on the counter where customers pay.  To my knowledge your mother has never been in the store to see this for herself, and regardless of my response to you both - more than once - in which I referenced this signage, she claims it doesn't exist. In addition, she claims that when you did come in to make the return one day after purchase you asked to speak to the manager and was told that the manager was not in, and you suspect that I might have been the one telling you that.  We both know that is not the case.  

She then goes on to say that you returned to the store the next day (again, based on your email this is false) and left a written message to be called.  You do claim to have left a written message for me - but my employees contest this.  She also says she emailed our website contact info - which is also false.  She says in the header of the report that I refused to respond to inquiries via email or phone which is also false. I never received a single email or voicemail until the one you sent me on Friday - which I replied to.  The Facebook message from your mom which was sent on December 1st - and I saw for the first time on Monday, December 3rd - was the first I had heard about your request for an exception.  It is our busiest time of year and I had not had a chance to respond to your mom's one and only message during the work week.  When you came to the store on Friday, December 7th I was notified by Emily, and within a couple of hours you had posted on our Facebook page and I commented immediately.         

You seem like a very intelligent and reasonable young woman.  That is why I'm bringing this to your attention. I understand that you are upset about our return policy.  I very much wish you would have mentioned needing your mom's approval, or said anything at all that would have made me think to point out our return policy to you, but it didn't occur to me to do so since you seemed so sure about the dress for your event. We've had the same policy since we opened in 2008 and I take for granted that some customers may not be aware and I don't think to mention it to everyone at checkout. So for that I apologize. And I've already explained to you why we take such a firm stance against making exceptions. I think you can understand that as well.  As you can imagine, I take the reputation of my business very seriously.  I'm asking you to clear up the story with your mother and have her edit her complaints to reflect the truth.  If she does not do so I will have to evaluate my legal rights. If she knows what she's posting on these sites if false, it's libel and it is against the law.  

Please email me back by tomorrow and let me know if you've had a chance to address this with her.  Because of severity, and inaccuracy, of her accusations and the attempted defamation towards me and my businesses, I cannot let this go too long unanswered.   

Thank you,
Jessica Fredrickson, OwnerIsabelle & Co.Oakwood Mall4800 Golf Rd.Eau Claire, WI 54701p 715.552.1800f 715.552.0306

From: "Faust, K
To: Jessica Fredrickson 
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 2:54 PM
Subject: RE: Greylin Dress

Jessica,
I'm sorry, unfortunately I do not remember the exact times or what the employees looked like during either of my visits.
Thanks,Katy

From: Jessica Fredrickson 
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 2:03 PM
To: Faust, K
Subject: Re: Greylin Dress

Thank you for your response. Do you remember approximately what time you came in on December 3rd after your classes? Can you recall what the employee who helped you looked like?
Thanks,

Jessica Fredrickson, OwnerIsabelle & Co.Oakwood Mall4800 Golf RdEau Claire, WI 54701715.552.1800
Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 10, 2012, at 1:45 PM, "Faust, K

Jessica,
I first called your store on Sunday, Dec. 2nd, but for some reason could not get through to leave a message. I am not sure if your store does not have a voicemail, but the phone just continued to ring without ever being answered. I then stopped in on Dec. 3rd after my classes, and left a message with my name and phone number, but received no response. Lastly, I stopped in this past Friday, and asked if I should wait for you to return to the store. The employee working advised me that it was not worth it, as you never made any exceptions.
- Katy

From: Jessica Fredrickson [[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 1:15 PM
To: Faust, K
Subject: Re: Greylin Dress

Katy,
Can you please tell me when you first came in to return your dress (date and approximate time)? 
Thanks,

Jessica Fredrickson, OwnerIsabelle & Co.Oakwood Mall4800 Golf RdEau Claire, WI 54701715.552.1800