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Action 9: Woman has trouble selling wedding dress at consignment shop

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman gave her wedding dress to a consignment shop to sell, but she said she hasn't seen it or any money since.

The business moved and Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke had a hard time tracking down the owner. It took him several weeks to find her.

As much as Laura Arant adored her wedding gown, she decided to part with it. She looked up bridal consignment stores in Charlotte and found Budget Bridal on Crownpoint Executive Drive.
 
"The place was full of dresses," Arant said. "She was very nice."
 
Arant handed over her dress, veil and costume jewelry. She signed a contact that Budget Bridal would hold onto them and try to sell them for six months.
 
When Arant came back to check on things, the shop was gone.
 
Action 9 looked into Budget Bridal. The owner is Dana Blackmon. The Better Business Bureau gave her business an F rating and even posted an alert saying it had trouble getting in touch with the shop.
 
Action 9 dug deeper and found complaints on the BBB's website and others which used words like "nightmare," "unprofessional" and "headache."
 
Action 9 called Budget Bridal to find out where it moved and where Arant's dress.
 
The woman who answered wouldn't say.
 
After a search of the web, Action 9 ended up at a house on Margaret Wallace Road, where a man said he's been living since 1967.
 
Action 9 finally found the right address, which is also a house on Margaret Wallace Road. A woman, who was not identified, wouldn't discuss the dresses or the business.
 
As Action 9 was leaving the business, it ran into customers buying a dress who defended Blackmon.
 
However, Arant said trying to sell her dress was a different story.
 
"It's just disheartening," she said. "Nobody sells a dress because they feel like it. They do it because they probably need the money."
 
Arant's contact was up Saturday. At last check, Blackmon gave Arant her jewelry back. She still had Arant's veil and sold her dress, but for less than Arant said they agreed on.
 
Arant said she may sue in small claims court.