Nickel & Diming – or is it Pounding??

It's true what IR Dingo commented on an earlier post, though, about the Brits being charged up the bum for everything, even though they have all those cut-rate airline deals at their disposal.

Here's an example: the bridesmaid dresses. What Lucy has gone through to get these dresses in the first place... well, I won't even go there. Personally, I think the costs involved in throwing a wedding seem like such a SCAM by the wedding industry... but anyway...

Anyway, once Lucy did arrive at a decision that pleased both her sisters (*I'm not going to complain that the dress is in fact the one colour that I dislike -- pink -- and it's a style that is harshly alien to my current wardrobe*), they are forcing her to bend to their ridiculous ideas of customer service. Is it just me, or is a 3-month waiting period for 3 dresses a bit much?? Plus, they are charging her an absolute fortune for alteration, e.g. £12 per seam!! I mean, what for heaven's sake is that?? I'm sure when the dressmaker's noticed the choice of a two-piece dress, they went cha-ching!

So, what I have suggested is that Lucy courier the dress to me when it arrives -- at the end of February! -- and I will get it altered here at a fraction of the price, and I won't have to muck around at the dressmaker's TWICE when I'm there. I can think of plenty of things I'd rather be doing than standing idly in a bridesmaid dress, like sitting in the sun on a Spanish beach!