Absolutely appalling customer service. My daughter and I went in-store Vaughn location to purchase a high school graduation dress. Paid up front and was told that the dress would arrive on May 20th. Her graduation is June 1st. Called beginning of May to confirm the order and was told that the dress would be ready for pick up May 18th. Called May 21st to arrange pick up as the location is a 2hr drive away. Dress was not ready. Between the 21st and the 25th calls were made and still no confirmation of delivery. Finally May 25th after my daughter was put on hold for over and hour with no response, I called told the associate not to put me on hold but I needed a date for the pick up of the dress as time was running out for alterations. She confirmed it would be in store on the 26th after 4pm. Alterations could be done on site same day. We made the 2hr drive only to be told that it was not there. No call notification nothing bit a waste of time. I will never recommend this store and will actively advise against anyone using this store for purchases. We are now left with a few days to find a graduation dress. Absolutely disgusted with the service and communication read more

Absolutely love this store! Makes me all giddy when looking through all the beautiful dresses. Norma Reed is located inside Fairview Mall on the main level, next to Sears. The manikins on the display windows always lure me into the store - with all those sparkly, glittery jewels and gemstones :D Almost graduation / prom season, I'd say this is a GREAT place to find your perfect dress. Even dresses for bridesmaids, or even an evening gown for a special occasion, Norma Reed can offer the same style in MANY, MANY different colours *claps claps claps* XD The store also offers accessories from earrings to necklaces, clutches to shawls of every colour ;) I was there today randomly browsing (yes, the manikins lured me in alright lol.) and I ended up making a few purchases. BTW, most of the dresses are on sale, and they have styles you don't usually find out there. Love, love, love the unique, one-of-a-kinds! They also kindly offer alternations for $30. Some of the dresses can be a bit over the top (too blingy for me!) But hey, everyone has different taste. Just take some time, try them on, and listen to helpful advises from the staff :) The staff can be a bit chit-chatty among themselves (minus 1 star), but at least it gives you some alone time to figure out what you want, rather than being right behind your back all the time! Have fun shopping for your perfect dress :) I will definitely come back for more! read more

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Went to Norma Reed for my prom dress and Carmen was really helpful with the dress choosing and giving her recommendations Would definitely recommend coming here for your prom dress. :) read more

Terrible customer service by Manager Deanna (unsure how to spell her name) at the Oshawa location. She was eager to please when she knew she was selling a dress but as soon as a HUGE mistake that she made was pointed out, she ran off into the back room and refused to discuss it with me. I had questions about how to fix HER mistake and instead of coming out and handling it as a MANAGER would... she had another staff member walk back and forth three or four times from me in the store front to her in the back room just to avoid admitting her mistake. Absolutely unprofessional behaviour from a "store manager". To top it all off, I asked to speak with the store owner and she (through the other staff member) told me I could not have a phone number or name and just gave me the email address for the store. I have emailed it twice now with zero response. I suspect she's just deleting them before the owner sees. read more

Placed an order online, they sent a free pair of earrings which was nice surprise. The dress is too sparkly compared to the pictures though.

Online store is a scam. They took a full month to send out my order and when it finally came, the order was wrong. Two months later and I still don't have a resolution. They are non responsive. Save your money and the headache and spend your money elsewhere. read more

I ordered a prom dress in mauve 3 months ago, with an expected delivery of 14 days. The dress still has not come and after frequent emails, they finally got back to me saying they don't have it. My question is if you did not have it, why was it "in stock" on the website? Also why had there been no communication? I emailed them 19 times only to get short, information-less responses. Absolutely horrible service. DO NOT BUY YOUR PROM DRESSES HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It still has not come and my prom was 2 days ago. Absolutely heartbroken. read more

I completely agree with the first reviewer. I have purchased two dresses from this store for a couple cotillions that required 9 girls to purchase the exact same dress. The store is colour coordinated so it was great for that reason. The first dress was a red chiffon imitated floor length gown with a rose strap on one shoulder. The second dress was a purple v-neck knee-length dress with ruching at the front. The prices are less than average compared to most stores, but be mindful that you are paying for quality. All of us 9 girls had trouble keeping up one side of the first dress. There are several pictures of us holding up the one side of the dress, and yes we did try pinning the strapless side to our strapless bras however, it was a pretty heavy floor length gown. After the entrance and the waltz (which we spent the majority of the time pulling up our gowns) we all changed into our own dresses. A year after another friend (from the same cotillion) celebrated her birthday. This time it was pretty evident that floor length gowns, and a dress with minimal support is NOT a great choice for dancing. Make sure to try on the dresses in different sizes. Both my dresses are a size small, but the red one was too long and a bit too big. They are very limited in sizes because the x small was way too small, and it's not like I had a choice on what dress style I could purchase. The other dress was again, a bit big, but at least it had two thick straps for support. Now onto the store's service. There is one lady that I met on both occasions. Blond, glasses, hair cut just before the shoulders. Doesn't smile, and looks irritated. If you have kids, especially a baby, she will ask you to leave. If you aren't buying or do not state what event you are purchasing a dress for, she will ask you to leave. We witnessed her doing this to other customers on both occasions. When purchasing, she will look at the size of the dress, then look at you from head to toe, and analyze if she thinks you are too big or too small for the dress. She did this to a couple of my friends after they tried on the dress. It was extremely rude and embarrassing, especially because the sizes she recommended did not fit right at all. If you would like to see a picture of the dresses and how they fit, you can message me. read more

We came here to find a few dresses for our upcoming wedding. They were extremely patient while we spent 3 hours in the store! We left with our favourite dresses on the same day and plan to bring back our friends and family for their dresses as well. read more

Absolutely love the formal gowns. the service was great especially Mariam and Marwa who were excellent in helping me with a lot of choices. Will return to the store any time. Sandra D'Cunha read more

Bad quality dresses, horrible atmosphere, and unreasonable prices. I was trying on some of the dresses last week and they all had bad, cheap fabrics. I don't expect perfect, super high-quality fabric, but it was all itchy polyester, rough tulle, stiff satin, with rough seams, stuck zippers, and overall bad craftsmanship. Some were okay quality, though. Most of the long dresses I saw were both cheaper, prettier and better quality. (I was shopping for a short dress so this store maybe isn't the best place to look for short dresses.) They didn't have enough staff to properly help all the customers, it was 2 people going back and forth between multiple customers. They have a very strict no photos rule, (perhaps it's because their store is in need of a renovation) which means no pictures of the store interior and no pictures of the dresses, even though I wanted to take some pictures to ask my friends for an opinion. The fitting room doors don't actually close, the lock is there to make you think that your door's locked when nothing actually closes. The walls are painted this horrid yellow color, and on top of their shelves, they have a few feathers in vases, and some other tacky looking decor attempts. The employees in the store were quite polite, though. They aren't rude like what others have claimed below, they were very friendly to everyone, although maybe a little too much. Every dress you try on they seem to love, they will tell you that you look beautiful each time you walk out of the fitting room. They bring you around the store, recommending dresses to you, without giving much time for you to give an opinion, and they are very overwhelming. They also get upset when you leave without buying anything like they're making you feel sorry for not finding anything you like. The prices are not too great as well, considering the quality of these dresses. Most short dresses here are 150+, a lot 200+ and very few below 150. I did not find something I liked, each dress I tried on was so scratchy and uncomfortable, not to mention overpriced. I won't be coming back to this store, and I'll be looking for another boutique/shopping online. read more

Disappointing service - WILL NOT SHOP HERE AGAIN NOR RECOMMEND!! I was looking for a dress for my daughter's wedding. I found one but it was not my size. Jesse in the Oshawa store assured me they could alter the dress and insert a corset backing for me. I was hesitant but trusted her knowledge and experience that the dress would fit. Alterations were to be complete on September 6th (wedding was Sept 19th). I received a call on the 5th asking for another week to perform the alterations - they wanted to ensure they did a good job! I arrived at the store on the 12th but the dress was not ready yet. Received a call on the 13th the dress was ready but the shawl would be in the next day. I arrived at the store on the 15th and the dress didn't fit!!! The corset strap was too short, the sides were not let out and panels were not put in - which resulted in the straps coming out of my arm pits (many other small disappointing points but these were the big ones). This was my last day to pick up the dress. They would not issue a refund! They assured me they would make further alterations and then deliver to my home on Thursday evening. BUT - The dress still didn't fit! the straps didn't stay up and still didn't align properly (coming out of my arm pits still) and the bust line was WAY too low (still). Sides were not let out and side panels were not inserted. The corset piece barely covered my back! I wore a sweater over the dress all day but felt very uncomfortable. VERY DISAPPOINTING for paying over $500.00!!! Was offered a free costume jewelry necklace for my trouble! WILL NOT SHOP HERE AGAIN NOR RECOMMEND!! read more

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I do not recommend this store to anyone who likes to be acknowledged. I have been into this store on two separate occasions. First occasion I walked through the store looking for a specific item, there were 3 employees standing by the counter chit-chatting and did not have the time of day. There were absolutely no other customers in the store at the time. Second occasion, a girlfriend of mine was looking for a specific dress. We looked around and starting taking down the dresses which were appropriate. No one came to see if they could help get a fitting room. We finally said "Excuse me....can we get some help". For this, we got an eye roll and reluctant help. During the time she tried on dresses, there was absolutely no interaction to see if any help was needed. I brought several of the dresses back to put away, and the woman just stared at me, so I put them on the counter and walked away. I personally will not shop somewhere where you are ignored, leered at, and treated as below them. I am a 30 year old woman with money to spend and I will spend it where someone will respect my business. I even phoned the following day to speak with the manager of my experience. The manager suggested that perhaps it was just that it was busy and they did not see me. News flash, the first time there were no other clients, the second time there were 2. The staff saw us come in, and just looked at us. Don't give me that bs. Avoid at all costs. Especially staff who is tall, lean, chin length brown hair with bangs. 45ish. Rude. Ignorant. Needs someone to cut her down a size. Wish there was a way to do no stars, as this company does not deserve any. read more

horrible service i agree with the review about the lady with the older lady with blonde hair and glasses says she is the manager has no customer service skills treats customers like shit even though it was a bridle party buying dresses from this horrible store also treats her employees badly stay away read more

Its a needle in a hay stack kind of shop. The first time I came here looking for a dress I didn't find anything. A week later there was so many more options. So look early! They have a variety of styles and colours. The prices are not bad, for a prom dress or even grown,u can spend about $80-180; which is not too bad cuz other stores are probably more expensive. They have different fitted dresses so some run smaller and some run larger. You just gotta ask. Also they have a lady that can hemm or alter the dress in store in the evenings :) overall theyadies are all very nice and helpful. I was able to find a very pretty dress and so were the people I came with. 2 dresses for a bit $300 is a steal! Compared to bigger brand stores. If your not looking for a brand and just want something nice and fitting to wear to an event. Look here, and not just once. :) They get new things and sizes often :) read more

Very shady, sketchy store... bad atmosphere... I'll give it one star for the large selection of dresses, which vary in quality- ranging from poorly made to good quality. You can definitely find many cute dresses for graduation, prom, etc. BUT the service is absolutely terrible- I did not just experience one bad sales assistant but many- ALL of them at the store that day were not only extremely rude, but extremely untrustworthy and constantly lied to my face. I had my eye on two dresses, but I had a few concerns (the fit, whether or not someone else would have the same dress, the quality of the stitching etc). The sales assistants began to lie to me, telling me that the dress had just arrived that day, despite the fact that the dresses were ON CLEARANCE and I had seen it weeks ago in the store, and that the fit looked perfect on me (which was not true, the top of one dress was almost falling off of me). Afterwards, they made a few offensive comments that suggested I had a bad sense of fashion and body- not sure if that was an attempt to make me buy a dress, or to make me leave. They certainly did not seem to understand that buying a dress for graduation is quite an important and expensive purchase. It wasn't like I was simply in the store to try dresses on for fun-- I expressed that I was seriously considering the purchase of the dress (why else would I spend so much time there?) but was only met with rudeness. While I was deliberating and and comparing the two dresses, one of the sales assistants literally grabbed one of the dresses from me, saying that she had to put it away, basically implying that I needed to buy it, NOW. I was so upset I left the store. Later, I heard from a friend that she was TRICKED into buying a dress one size too large, as the SA assured her that she could exchange it for a smaller size when more dresses came in. However, the second time she went to the store, she was told that the store did not allow for exchanges. More on store policy: no refunds, no exchanges, no holds... and apparently, as I was told, no pictures, although the sales assistant was helping another woman and did not say a word as she snapped pictures of herself. I will not set foot in this store again. The sales assistants are not only rude, but untrustworthy. Go here if you do not mind getting scammed, or just need a dress and do not care much about how it looks and plan on just buying and leaving.... It was undoubtedly my worst shopping experience ever. Maybe you will have better luck at the Square one location but after this experience, I don't think I want to visit any Norma Reeds again. It seems like a shady business to me.... read more

I will never return to this store, the service I just received was incredibly rude. I understand the store closes in 12 minutes but to walk in and be turned away. Won't even think about returning. read more

They have a nice selection of dresses, I'll give them that. What really turned me off about this store is the customer service. I agree with the other reviewer here, there is one woman in particular who obviously has no understanding of how to treat a customer. She always looks irritated and speaks in a very condescending tone. If your a curvier/larger girl, these associates can be very offensive sometimes. I have an average body, slightly chubby in places. I picked out two dresses in size L, and the women took the dresses from my hand and looked me up and down. She then said that she didn't think these dresses would fit. I know my body, and I knew those dresses would fit. Still, she was hesitant to even let me try them on, and then told me not to zip up the backs of the dresses. I honestly felt like leaving the store at that point, but was in desperate need of a prom dress, so I decided to try them on anyways. The dress fit perfectly (like I thought), but the price was quite hefty and I wanted to try on some others before committing to one. However, the woman just started getting really irritated and annoyed, as if she didn't think I was going to buy anything. Buying a prom dress for $400 is a pretty big deal to me, and I would like to be sure before I spend all that money, especially since this store has no returns, no exchanges, no pictures, and no holds. It doesn't end there though. I decided to leave the store, and since I was irritated I accidentally left my wallet in the fitting room. I came back for it a few minutes later and the same blonde woman started berating me for being irresponsible. I know it was irresponsible of me to leave my wallet there, but she didn't have any right to yell at me for it in the middle of the store. Needless to say, I will not be coming back here. read more

I found a dress I really love but I refuse to buy it because of the extremely poor customer service. A girl friend of mine and I went in a were completely ignored, we were looking for prom dresses and they basically refused to help us because they assumed we wouldn't buy anything and were only in the store to try things on and take pictures for fun, understandable but completely unacceptable. So after having absolutely no help finding dresses they told us we could only try on dress on at a time and couldn't have two change rooms because we were friends. They continued to ignore us and continued to give dirty looks and complained when we walked around the store in a dress looking for a different size. I found a dress and asked if they could hold it . No. I asked if they could write down the style. No. Can I take a picture. NO! I have found a dress I really love but I refuse to give them my money. read more