'I was more than heartbroken': This Houston mother paid $2.5K for her daughter's custom prom dress — but says she wasted another $8K after the designer 'dropped the ball,' ruining her night

The dress was in pieces

Jones Harvey says the designer was booked in August and her daughter even went to fittings. They were told the dress would be ready. But when 5 p.m rolled around on the day of prom — the promised time of delivery — all communication from the designer stopped. Two hours later, the designer’s mother called.

“Rocky seems to have dropped the ball,” Jones Harvey recalled the designer’s mom saying.

Panicking, Jones Harvey raced to the designer’s studio and says she discovered her daughter’s dress in pieces. She also saw other parents there who were wondering about their daughters’ dresses.

Jones Harvey told KHOU 11 News she had shelled out $2,500 for the custom dress, plus an additional $8,000 for every other prom detail.

“We saved money up for two years to make sure that everything went according to plan,” she said.

A refund was issued for the dress, she says, but the rest went down the drain, and she’s hoping to recoup some of it.

Other parents shared they either received a refund or were promised one, and one family said they were considering legal action, according to KHOU 11 News. The broadcaster says it made multiple attempts to contact Rocky Boston before the designer stated she had no comment.

Jones Harvey claims that Rocky made a now-deleted Instagram post saying, in part, she “would never intentionally ruin anyone’s special moment.”

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How consumers can protect themselves

Leah Napoliello, vice president of operations at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Greater Houston and South Texas, explained to KHOU 11 News that one of the best ways consumers can protect themselves when making large purchases, such as those made by Jones Harvey, is to get all communication in writing and to not pay the full amount up front.

“We recommend no more than half and then only pay the full amount once the whole dress is completed,” she said.

This way, if you don’t get what you paid for, you may only be out the deposit.

Before putting down a deposit, be sure to get in writing when you can expect what’s being promised. Ask for a contract to clearly outline the terms of the sale and what you might be owed if the business doesn’t complete your order on time.

It’s also worth it to take the time to look up online reviews from other customers about their experience with a company to see if they’re reliable.

If a business is listed on the BBB, reporting problems may help to get a complaint resolved if you can’t come to an agreement with the company itself. Other options include reaching out to your state’s consumer protection office.