A popular Australian dress hire business operating in Victoria has sent shockwaves through its customer base and the wider public after revealing the astonishingly poor condition in which some of its gowns are returned. The owner and manager of Dress Hire AU, Ellie Gafforini, recently took to social media to showcase what she described as the 'worst of the worst' customer returns her team has encountered over several years of operation.
Confronting Images Spark Viral Reaction
The confronting social media post, which has amassed more than 285,000 views and thousands of comments, displayed dresses returned with severely stained hems, ground-in dirt, mysterious marks and damage so extreme that followers questioned how such wear was even possible. Social media users reacted with a mixture of horror and disbelief to the images.
'What are they doing in these dresses?' one person asked incredulously.
'Some of these look like they were run over. Are they tire marks?' another wrote in response to the images.
'This is exactly why I don't hire clothes because these are how all my clothes end up after a night out,' one commenter joked, while another added seriously, 'I wouldn't want to risk doing that to clothes I've hired from a company!'
Business Context and Scale
Ellie, who has operated the business since 2015, explained to Daily Mail that her company loans out an average of 750 garments each week. The business opened its Eltham, Victoria warehouse to customers in 2018, serving a substantial clientele across the region. She was quick to clarify that the viral post was never intended to suggest all customers behave poorly, but rather to illustrate the extreme end of what can occur within this particular business model.
'The posts that we put up have been a collection of our worst over the past few years,' Ellie explained. 'Unfortunately, it happens. It's to be expected with hiring, but they were the worst of the worst.'
Common Issues and Weekly Challenges
While the majority of items are returned in good condition, Ellie noted that dirty hems are a common occurrence, particularly following wet weekends. On average, her team deals with one to two particularly problematic returns each week.
'When I say really bad, not as bad as some of the ones in that post, but it just comes with the nature of what we do,' she added.
The Problem of Customer Cleaning Attempts
Some of the most challenging returns involve customers who attempt to clean garments themselves, often exacerbating the damage. Ellie specifically warned against this practice.
'We actually don't like it when customers dry clean it themselves,' she stated. 'Dry cleaning can often set the stain in, and then it becomes even harder to remove it.'
Even more problematic are items that customers handwash at home and then return damp, sealed in postage satchels. This practice frequently leads to mould growth, which Ellie identified as one of the most difficult issues to remedy.
'When it's been sitting in an Australia Post satchel wet for a few days, that's when it grows mould, and mould is one of the hardest ones to get out,' she explained.
Business Policies and Customer Honesty
Despite the shocking nature of some returns, Ellie emphasised that within her business model, they do not take bonds and rarely charge customers unless a garment is completely beyond repair.
'If it can't be repaired, it's the retail price of the dress, but very rarely does that happen,' she noted.
The business offers a $100 insurance option, covers all standard cleaning in-house using an industrial dry-cleaning machine, and can address minor repairs themselves. Customers are only charged the full retail cost if a garment truly cannot be restored.
Ellie stressed that honesty from customers is invaluable and often works in their favour. If damage occurs accidentally and the customer shows remorse, the business is typically less inclined to impose charges.
'The ones that come back and you're like, 'there's no way you can send that back without saying something', that's where we've got to charge for it,' she clarified.
In a lighter moment, Ellie added, 'Strangely we do also get a lot of underwear back. That's a weekly thing.'
Industry Support and Shared Experiences
The viral post prompted an outpouring of support from other businesses within the hire industry. Another dress hire owner agreed that such customer behaviour is 'absolutely not okay.'
'Our pieces must be treated with the same care and respect as if they were your own,' they added.
'Holy moly! We owned a dress hire for 12 years in Perth and never have we ever had this kinda damage before,' wrote one industry peer, while another commented, 'This is gross! I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.'
Final Message to Customers
Ellie expressed hope that the viral attention would not deter customers from hiring garments, but instead reassure them that accidents happen and can be managed responsibly.
'Just be honest,' she advised potential and current customers. 'Definitely don't attempt to clean it, just tell us and it will always work in your favour.'
