Shine Dry Cleaner

BUYER BEWARE!
I used to think Shine was a good local business but after a recent experience, I would advise anyone to avoid at all costs – Malika, the owner, is dishonest and can’t be trusted with your clothes.
I dropped off a load of dry cleaning in October 2014. Upon pickup, we realized a pair of my pants were missing. Malika said she would contact another patron who may have mistakenly received my pants.
About 3 weeks go by with no update. Malika tells me she will begin process with her cleaning provider and their insurance provider to compensate me for my lost pants. I provide proof of purchases for may pants, which cost $ 360. I had just got these pants in July and only worn them about six times; they’d never even been drycleaned.
Several weeks go by with no update; I repeatedly had to go by the store and ask Malika what was going on, and she kept putting me off and telling me she was waiting for an answer. It was really frustrating and time consuming. I left the country for 4 weeks and went back to Shine in late December. Malika continues to tell me she is waiting for an answer from the insurance company (it had been 2.5 months by this point…)
I revisit weekly and am continuously told to wait for an answer. I was trying to remain patient and give Mailka the benefit of the doubt because she seemed like a good person. But it was clear by now that she was trying to give me the run around. Eventually I express my displeasure with this poor service and she finally tells me the «insurance company» will pay me $ 75 for my pants. This is only 20% of the value of brand new pants!
I refuse this offer, of course, and provide more documentation on how much the pants truly cost. Malika actually had the audacity to accuse me of falsifying the receipt and told me «no pants cost $ 360» which is just ridiculous. These are made to measure dress pants; I have jeans that cost almost that much!
I tell Malika that I want to speak with her insurance provider so I can take the matter up with them directly. She tells me that the matter «is between her and the insurer.» I keep trying to get their contact information but she has been putting me off for a few weeks now. Bizarrely, she tried to tell me that she is selling her business to someone at the end of the month so I should take her offer now before she leaves. It’s pretty apparent she is simply trying to further misdirect me.
Obviously, this behaviour is not the sort you would expect from a reliable, trustworthy business. At this point I have been forced to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Ottawa; if necessary I will file suit in Small Claims Court.
Although Malika has provided me with useful alteration services in the past, after her poor customer service and dishonesty, I would strongly advise you to choose a more reliable cleaner and alterationist, one that can be trusted with your clothes. Because if anything goes wrong at Shine, you’ll be on your own.
Draicchios Tailoring is right around the corner and does their cleaning on-​site; you better believe I will be going there next time I have need cleaning or tailoring.

Give yourself some good karma and take your dry cleaning to Shine. It is run by a nice woman named Malaika with the help of her two high school/​college aged kids. The service is always quick and first-​rate. They have done alterations for me that went above and beyond what I have gotten elsewhere in terms of quality and at very reasonable prices. I don’t think they have coupons but they have a discount if you bring in five items at a time for cleaning.
Shine is located in a building that is undergoing a face lift right now so their storefront is partially concealed. Because of the renovations, business has been really slow. If you live in South Bank or Glebe, bring your cleaning to Shine and help out a local working family.
(They are across from the side door of Hartmann’s grocery).