BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. -
Customers at a Fairless Hills, Pa. dry cleaners are steamed over the apparent closure of the business- with their clothing trapped inside!
A parade of angry customers stopped by the Payless Dry Cleaners at 150 Lincoln Highway to learn the bad news first-hand.
"Its closed?" asked a stunned Linda Levenkron as she peered at a sign on the locked glass door of the cleaners. "What happens to the clothes that are in there, or are supposed to be in there?"
Customers were drawn here by low prices- one sign says "Any garment, $1.99"- but some say service went downhill after a recent change in management.
Then, the place closed.
A sign blames a broken water pipe- suggesting the shutdown was only temporary.
But that was at least a week ago.
Now, thousands of cleaned and pressed clothes- already paid for- sit, just out of reach.
"What I have right here is my husband's navy coat," said one woman who declined to give her name. "I'm supposed to give it to my grandson. And I told him I'd have it cleaned. And I don't want anything happening to it. I want it back!"
The Falls township Police Department is just down the street. Lt. Hank Ward tells Fox 29's Bruce Gordon that the department ended its dry cleaning contract with Payless about a month ago, due to poor service.
As for that sign blaming a broken water pipe?
"It's our understanding that there may be a civil dispute between the water authority and the consumer for non-payment," said Ward. "We don't know if the water's been shut off, but there's definitely no water main break."
With Payless' owners nowhere to be found, our Bruce Gordon called the Philadelphia law firm believed to be representing the cleaners. His message was not returned by late afternoon.
Meanwhile, frustrated customers continued to stop by and peer through the window.
"So you've got how many work shirts trapped in here?" our reporter asked George Smoudianis, who works at a nearby car dealer and brings his logoed work shirts to Payless. "Five that I know of," he answered. "Can you get them out?"
Not without a rock!
If you have clothing "trapped" at Payless, keep your receipt and go to Buckscounty.org, where you can file a formal complaint online. The county's Consumer Protection office is hoping to track down the owners and arrange for them to open the business so customers can retrieve their clothing.
A sign outside of a Bucks County dry cleaners notifies customers the store is closed..
