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Victoria's Secret - You SUCK! *updated*  

post #1 of 48
Thread Starter 
My friend and I stopped at the mall today to look for a bathing suit for dd for our trip to Hawaii, and we passed by Victoria's Secret. I love their undies, they last forever, and they're having their semi-annual sale, so I figured I'd pop in and see if they have any sexy bras in my size (36-38 D.) Well, they didn't, they were all bland, plain colored bras (if I wanted to pay $25 for a plain bra, I'd buy a nursing one from Motherhood, at least it would do something) and I was a little bummed out.

My friend was shopping around their fragrance section and Emily got restless. There weren't any benches outside of the store, so I went to the back to find a dressing room. I asked the attendent for one to nurse my baby and she said they were all full. There was enough room in the area where you wait for a dressing room that I just said I'd settle down on the floor and nurse her there, that I'm not shy. Another one of the women working there said, "No, you'll need to use the restroom," and proceeded to unlock the employee bathroom. I firmly said, "No! I don't eat in the restroom, she's not going to eat in the restroom!" Magically, a dressing room opened up after that, we nursed and left (without buying anything, my friend had a bunch of stuff she was going to buy but when she heard the story, she got mad and said she didn't want to get anything.)

Well, my wallet had fallen out of my purse in the store somehow, and $20 was missing when I got it back (convenient, eh?) So, I called the store to complain and was talking to the manager, she said there was no way to check because the store doesn't have video cameras. I brought up the subject that someone asked me to go to the bathroom to nurse and she said, "Well, she was probably concerned that a patron would be offended." I got SOOOO mad at that! My friend said she thought I was going to blow up at the lady with the look on my face (I'm on the phone with her.) I said, "Excuse me? You have half naked women in your commercials, your mannequins and models show more in your lingerie that you have for display and sale than I do when I'm nursing. I'm using my breasts for the very reason they were made, to feed babies, not to lure men!" I went on to her about how she needs to let her staff know that it's inappropriate to ask a nursing woman to use the restroom, and if a patron complains, they can politely tell them to look the other way.

Later this afternoon, I was talking to a woman (just struck up a conversation with a new mama) and I told her what happened. She ff, but she said that with all the media coverage on bfing women being asked to go elsewhere, you'd think companies would start to cover their butts a little better.

I'm going to be calling VS's corporate offices to complain. I know it's happening at other stores, and apparently they need to retrain their staff.
post #2 of 48
I'm sorry that happened to you.

Want me to write a letter?
post #3 of 48
Um, how about "I'm a patron and I was offended by your employee"?

Let's see... let her nurse and maybe possibly offend somebody, or, don't let her nurse and DEFINITELY offend a patron!
post #4 of 48
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lml41981
I'm sorry that happened to you.

Want me to write a letter?
That might help, the more of a stink that is raised, maybe they'll finally change. I can't remember if I'd heard about Victoria's Secret in the news for asking someone to leave their dressing rooms or not. (I know, I wasn't asked to leave a dressing room, thankfully, or I would have really blown up on the woman.)
post #5 of 48
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthla
Um, how about "I'm a patron and I was offended by your employee"?

Let's see... let her nurse and maybe possibly offend somebody, or, don't let her nurse and DEFINITELY offend a patron!
That's what my friend said when I got off the phone! She said, "you're a customer too!" I think this goes along with the view that mommies are sub-human (getting called mombies, blah blah blah.)
post #6 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by firstkid4me
That might help, the more of a stink that is raised, maybe they'll finally change. I can't remember if I'd heard about Victoria's Secret in the news for asking someone to leave their dressing rooms or not. (I know, I wasn't asked to leave a dressing room, thankfully, or I would have really blown up on the woman.)
Geraldo Rivera covered a story recently about a mom somewhere in the south who wasn't allowed to nurse in a Victoria's Secret dressing room. I believe that mom was actually asked to leave the store, but don't quote me. You can probably find the story on his website.

I say contact the corporate office, contact LLL, and organize a nurse-in. You may also want to contact Geraldo since they already covered a similar story.
post #7 of 48
I thought after the incident at a VS in South Carolina that the VS corporate policy was pro-bfing and that if a woman asked to used a dressing room, she was to be given one. Maybe, I got it wrong?
post #8 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by momma2emerson
I thought after the incident at a VS in South Carolina that the VS corporate policy was pro-bfing and that if a woman asked to used a dressing room, she was to be given one. Maybe, I got it wrong?
Oh, yeah, I forgot to add that part. VS stated that they are not anti-breastfeeding and issued some sort of apology. They said that there was just a misunderstanding on the part of the employee. It looks like not only the employee is screwed up in this situation, but the manager too, which is why I think it calls for more drastic action.
post #9 of 48
of all the places in the world to get offended!
post #10 of 48
Oh my goodness, I can feel my blood boiling! A customer in VICTORIA'S SECRET might be offended by seeing a woman nursing her child. WHAT?! I am just speechless. Anyone offended by seeing breasts would not be shopping at VS because they have 10 ft. tall posters of women with boobs popping out all over the place. Give me a break. That is so ridiculous, I just don't know what to say.
post #11 of 48
Contact promom also:

http://www.promom.org/

VS needs to write and enforce a corporate policy
post #12 of 48
Offended by BOOBS at Victoria Secret.... I almost just choked on my soup! :
post #13 of 48
Good grief! I, too, am appalled that people could be offended by bfing at VICTORIA'S SECRET. Geez. Definitely write a letter. It's a shame because I've heard several stories of bfing women being treated very well at VS - staff going out of their way to make them comfortable. Sorry you had such a bad experience.
post #14 of 48
Thread Starter 
Alright, this is going to get your bps rising ladies, I called the coporate customer service line, and the customer service rep said that they don't allow people to try clothing on on the sales floor, and that's why they wouldn't allow me to nurse on the sales floor (even by the dressing room out of the way is considered the sales floor.) I knew I wouldn't be able to reason with the woman, so I asked to speak to a supervisor, who was away from her desk, so I talked to another customer service rep.
post #15 of 48
Thread Starter 
What's the number for Geraldo's people?

Anyone want to go do a nurse-in in Racine?
post #16 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelBee
Offended by BOOBS at Victoria Secret.... I almost just choked on my soup! :
Yep, unbelievable!!
post #17 of 48
this just makes me so happy i live in a state taht allows me to nurse wherever the hell i am!! i think a nurse in should really be organized in every VS in every friggin state in the US!!!
post #18 of 48
CROSS COUNTRY NURSE-IN!! Let's get it going!!
post #19 of 48
I'm more than happy to go nurse at our local VS!
post #20 of 48
What???? How does not trying clothes on on the sales floor equate to nursing on the sales floor? I am very confused by her logic. What did the other rep say? Have you called back to talk to a supervisor yet?
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