Dottie Couture customers ‘scammed’; retailer closes after gift card sale
(WISH) — Customers of Dottie Couture Boutique in Indianapolis and Fishers are upset with the women’s clothing store’s decision to close on short notice, less than a month after a buy-one, get-one-free gift-card sale.
On Tuesday, store owner Brooke Magdzinski announced the store would permanently close on Friday.
The retailer operates an Indianapolis store on the north side at 8659 River Crossing Blvd. in The Shops at River Crossing shopping center, and has a warehouse in Fishers just northwest of Lantern Road and East 96th Street at 9715 Kincaid Ave.
Autumn Lee was what’s known as a Dottie Couture Ambassador. “A lot of us did lose money and feel like we were scammed by someone we trusted.”
The boutique yearly has had two “BOGO” gift-card sales in which customers can spend a minimum of $50 and get double what they spent in gift cards. One was Sept. 15, just 26 days before the store announced it was closing.
“This year, this was actually the third time they ran this sale, which is unusual to have a third,” Lee said. “They had one in February, one in June, and then this surprise one in September.”
Lee said when the 50% liquidation sale was announced as part of the store closing, products sold out in about 30 minutes.
She said she is now out the remaining $230 she spent on gift cards. “When I went to shop on the last day I never got the chance to check out because my gift card wasn’t working and I emailed the store but didn’t receive a response.”
As an ambassador for the store, Lee said, October commissions were taken from their accounts on the affiliate marketing platform Refersion.
“What we had earned in the month of October was actually taken out of our accounts, so we had lost that money we had worked for as well as the gift cards,” Lee said. “So, it was definitely a slap in the face from a company that everyone has known for 13 years.”
News 8 reached out to owner Magdzinski for comment but did not hear back. She announced the closure to customers in an email and on social media in a statement.
“This is one of the hardest emails to write, but I owe it to my loyal shoppers to let you know Dottie Couture will close its doors online and in the shop this Friday, 10/14/2022 at 7 pm. I’ve fought to get Dottie right side up post-pandemic and just wasn’t able to do it. We will begin our liquidation sale today online and in the boutique. All items are half off and final sale. Please come pick up your store pick-ups and use up those credits. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the best 13-year run. My gosh, I love this little shop.”
Brooke Magdzinski, owner of Dottie Couture Boutique
Lee’s mother, Christy, was also a loyal customer. She spent $300 and received $600 in gift cards during the latest sale. She said she only had the chance to spend $150 of that credit.
Christy Lee said, “I’m still holding on to hope that I’m not out that money. We haven’t had a statement. We don’t know, so I guess I am being optimistic. But, I’m still thinking this will all be corrected.”
One local business told News 8 it is stepping in to help despite not being affiliated with Dottie Couture.
Sara Slaughter, the owner of Brianne’s Boutique in Greenwood, said, “We are offering to anyone with some credit leftover that they are unable to use with Dottie to bring in their proof of credit and we’re going to offer 20% off in-store.”