PETERS CLEANERS

Review: I dropped off my winter coat to be cleaned at Peters' downtown (Clybourn Ave. ) location on 3/10/14. I picked it up on 3/17/14, but did not take it out of the plastic bag until two days later. On 3/19/14, I took the coat out of the bag and saw that the color had been severely faded in large patches. Around the collar, pockets and hem, the dark purple color had been reduced to white. It was as if the color had been sucked out of the fabric. I took the coat back to Peters on 3/19/14 and showed the coat to the woman behind the counter. She was very friendly and agreed that it did not look right. She took the coat back and told me that she would ask the owner to look at the coat the next morning. The next morning I received a voicemail message from Dick Peters, the business owner. He said that he had gone over my coat with a lint roller, and that nothing was wrong with the coat. I called him back (I reached him at the Greendale location) and told him that the coat I dropped off last week was a rich, dark purple color; something must have happened in the dry cleaning process to destroy the color. He denied that anything was wrong with the coat and told me that he had done "a beautiful job" on the cleaning. He refused to discuss replacing the coat or reimbursing me for the value. He even refused to refund the $15.30 I paid to have the coat cleaned at Peters. He spoke very condescendingly, and addressed me as "young lady." After some heated argument, he hung up on me.

After Dick Peters hung up on me, I drove directly to the Clybourn location to pick up my coat. There were two customer associates there: the woman who was working the day I originally dropped off the coat, and the woman who was working when I brought the faded coat back. They both agreed that Peters Cleaners had ruined my coat, and that Dick Peters should be held responsible. They also told me Dick Peters is known for mistreating customers whose clothes have been ruined by his services, and that he has been sued in the past. They told me that they have witnessed Dick Peters mistreating customers in person as well as over the phone. I asked them to refund my $15.30. They said they thought I rightfully deserved a refund, but that Dick Peters would notice the money was missing and punish them.

I told the ladies that Dick Peters is a dishonest, unscrupulous businessman, and no one should have to work for a man like that. I gave them my phone number and told them that they would be welcome to use me as a reference to find a new job. If a potential employer were to call me, I would attest to their excellent customer service skills.Desired Settlement: Peters Cleaners should refund the $15.30 I paid them to clean the coat, plus an additional $250.00 to replace the coat. (The same coat is currently priced at $225 +tax and shipping.)