Suzanne Shrekgast just wanted her dress back. So she went to the place where she'd dropped it off, Clean-rite Dry Cleaners on East 91st Street, to pick it up.
The problem was, the cleaners had closed. Apparently, for good. And that left Suzanne feeling blue about that little black dress.
"I mean it was a big deal to me," she said. "I wore it to my best friend's wedding. It holds a special place in my heart."
Suzanne followed the instructions on a sign left on the gates of the shuttered cleaners. She sent an e-mail. No reply. She filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. She called 311 and filed a complaint with New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs. And she called nbcnewyork.com.
"It's just kind of disappointing on a personal level that this would happen," she said.
Of course, she's not alone. Joseph Villanueva had just dropped off most of his work clothes at Clean-rite, figuring he'd get caught up on his dress attire over the holiday weekend.
Instead, Joseph returned on Tuesday to a pair of padlocks and no clue as to the whereabouts of his clothes.
"Three or four suits, a good week's worth of dress shirts," he said.
The Department of Consumer Affairs advised residents to do some of their own digging. To try and ask around, try and find the landlord for 324 East 91st Street, and to check with nearby businesses for leads.
Of course, small claims court remains an option for customers who aren't able to get answers -- or their clothes back.
