Date: May 5th, 2004

===================================================
BRIDAL BARGAINS NEWS UPDATE: May 5, 2004
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BRIDAL BARGAINS
http://www.BridalBargainsBook.com
May 5, 2004
===================================================


CONSUMER ALERT: Rena Koh bridal gowns

(Please post this story on wedding message boards and pass it on to any other brides).

The editors of the BRIDAL BARGAINS book has learned that bridal gown designer Rena Koh is having trouble filling orders and may be on the brink of closing.

Retailers tell BRIDAL BARGAINS that the company is missing weddings and not shipping scheduled orders. One retailer said Rena Koh missed four weddings for their customers in the past month, forcing brides to scramble to find alternative dresses (and the store to issue refunds to the affected customers).

Rena Koh has a US-based sales office in Florida and has been in business since 1994. Her dresses sell for $1200 to $2200.

The former vice president of the Rena Koh, Stanley Goldstein, resigned from the company May 3. In a letter to bridal retailers, he said “our ability to continue to effectively serve you has been tarnished by the demands of the (Rena Koh) new Hong Kong management team.” A call to Rena Koh’s president, Raymond Lee of Hong Kong, seeking comment for this article was unreturned by press time.

Retailers tell BRIDAL BARGAINS they are now required to wire transfer money directly to Hong Kong before gowns are shipped. “The stores are paying, but no goods are being shipped,” said one retailer. “I haven’t heard of a single store who has paid them and gotten their goods.”

“There are going to be lots of missed weddings,” this retailer concluded, “and the stores are not really at fault.”

Rena Koh had 300 dealers in the US; based on industry sources, we estimate that about 700 special orders for wedding gowns are outstanding (although that number could be higher).

What if you have ordered a bridal gown from a Rena Koh dealer? Contact your dealer/store IMMEDIATELY. Consider a “plan B” dress as soon as possible. In this case, retailers should offer you a complete refund on the Rena Koh dress and work to accommodate you with another gown.

The best retailers we hear are contacting brides and working with them to find a solution. Unfortunately, we also have seen evidence that some retailers are trying to fill special orders with used samples—some going as far as asking other retailers what their specific styles of Rena Koh samples they have in stock. Retailers should NOT try passing off a used sample as a new special order gown, unless the bride agrees to this.

Please contact our offices at 303-442-8792 or via email (authors@Bridalgown.com) if are affected by this situation and want to share your story. If you in the media (or know someone who is), please forward this email as we need to contact as many consumers as possible.