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Mother seeks answers following homecoming dress mix-up
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BATON ROUGE - A Denham Springs High School senior is without a dress for homecoming. Her mother, Sundi Freeman-Rodgers called 2 On Your Side because she says this should have never happened.
Freeman-Rodgers says she got one excuse after another from a dress boutique on Florida Blvd. in Baton Rouge. The homecoming dance is this Saturday.
"He said, 'leave the dress with me, I'm going to get on the phone with my reps and if I cannot get the dress I will give you your money back because it was my fault,'" said Freeman-Rodgers.
On Sept. 16, her daughter ordered a two-piece blue floral and lace dress from Rita and Albert's Boutique, putting $300 down. She was measured twice for the dress and was told to order a size down. Freeman-Rodger's daughter is 6'2", so there was a concern over the length of the dress. After being assured the dress would arrive the next day, Freeman-Rodgers says it didn't come in until nearly a week later on Friday, Sept. 22.
Her daughter paid the final bill of $36.81 and picked up her purchase from the store after school. When she brought it home, she had noticed it was a size smaller than she had ordered and after trying the dress on, she was confident it did not fit.
At first, she wanted a refund, but knowing her daughter was set on the dress, Freeman-Rodgers gave the store a chance to fix things and gave the wrong-fitting dress back to the store. While the store salesman worked to find the dress in another size, this concerned mother says on Sept. 25, he offered a selection of other options. None of them worked.
"Number one, they violate the student dress code for homecoming," she said.
With time running out, Freeman-Rodgers gave an ultimatum and called the store.
"Do you have the dress?" she said. "I've never heard from him after that."
She called 2 On Your Side Monday after she says she's called the number she had for the store salesman at least a dozen times and got no response.
Tuesday morning, 2 On Your Side visited the store along with Freeman-Rodgers. The doors were locked and the lights were out.
"He's not answering my calls, has taken my money and he has the dress that's too small," she said. "I don't know where he's at."
Tuesday afternoon, 2 On Your Side called the store owner, Rita Garret. She told WBRZ she would refund Freeman-Rodgers the $336.81 for the dress and apologized for what happened. Around 4 o'clock, the money was back in Freeman-Rodger's pocket.
That still leaves the dress. Her daughter does not have one to wear for the homecoming dance this Saturday. Freeman-Rodgers says they have some shopping to do.
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