Dozens of women have been left in the lurch after a bridal boutique went into financial collapse.
Without warning, devastated brides-to-be lost their deposits and found themselves without a dress after retailer Primrose & Finch shut up shop in New Zealand and Melbourne, Fairfax Media reports.
Seventy-nine women are reportedly affected, including at least 24 in Australia, after shelling out payments for dresses selling for as much as $5500. One affected customer’s wedding is as soon as August 27.
Angela Lawson told Fairfax Media she had chosen her dress because she wanted something really special.
“It was the only place I went. I wanted something vintage and couture and very special. This was my indulgence,” she said.
Instead she’ll be wearing a “plan B” dress on her big day.
“I didn’t believe this was happening,” she said.
The liquidator’s report states the business is AU$300,000 in debt, with money owing to landlords, brides, designers and tax authorities.
Employees have also come forward claiming they been left unpaid and described seeing poorly made dresses, samples being sold as the real deal, and even second-hand dresses resold as new, the NZ Herald reports.
Mamamia staff reveal their biggest wedding regrets. Post continues after video…
Primrose & Finch has been trading in New Zealand for three years and in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Fitzroy since 2015.
It is reported three months’ rent remains owed on the Smith St location.
Angry customers have launched a Facebook page named Action Against Primrose & Finch for support.
According to the liquidator’s report, the bankruptcy was driven by relocation costs in anticipation of perceived growth, increased overheads and money needed to provide designer samples.
The opening of the Melbourne store has been acknowledged as a “mistake of fatal consequence given their limited economic capability”.
After filing for liquidation last week, owners Kerry and Matthew Smith are believed to have fled to the UK where the couple have a history of failed businesses, the NZ Herald reports.
Top Comments
It's awful but surely not "worst nightmare" level.
Worst nightmare would be something happening to a loved just before or on the day of your wedding, him not turnign up?
Maybe if the venue burned down or had to shut at no notice for some unforeseen reason.
Those would be horrible. This boutique issue is almost, but not quite up there.
Matthew & Kerry Smith are crooks & apparently this is the 3rd company that has gone into insolvency under their directorship.
The first two were in the UK & then they moved to NZ & started up their next scam.
Matthew Smith is an accountant, so I'm pretty sure they knew exactly what they were doing. I believe they were still taking orders for labels that had ceased to trade with them & were demanding to get final payments made, so dresses could be sent by designers, when in reality, some dresses weren't even made. This is just days before they shut up shop.
Ok, so I am a disgruntled contractor who is out of pocket to the tune of $1800. I worked casually in the Melbourne boutique as alteration seamstress & I am desperate that all the brides who have been conned know what was going on.
I am devastated that I have been associated with such dishonest business owners, & initially I thought I was not getting paid because I was asking too many questions about dresses that were 'not quite right'
Jayne Coney
Excuses & blame was always laid elsewhere. And in the end I was relieved that I had an excuse not to show up to work.
So glad this is finally in the Australian media & really pleased I have been able to assist the designers & brides to get on their way to having their dream dresses.