Akarshan Designs Boutique — Local services in San Bruno

They tailored my lehenga top twice and both times it fit worse They upcharged the dresses my friends and I got The dresses were not ready when we were told they would be ready They were closed during the open hours listed They asked me to come 90 minutes early to my appointment, and still showed up late

I won't be coming here again, and would not suggest it to anyone. This has probably been the worst and least professional experience I've had with a business. I would recommend going to Bollywood Fashions up the road for better service and good prices.

In detail: My friends and I had to get lehengas for a wedding that was 3 weeks later. We showed up at the store at 2:30 on Sunday, and they were closed. We called them and they said the would be there in 20 minutes. After going back and choosing dresses, they took our measurements for tailoring. After paying, we asked them when they would be ready to be picked up. The owner did not give us a straight answer, only saying that they "should be ready" in a week. He did not ask for our phone numbers to contact us.

A week later, we called ahead to make sure they were open. They said they would be closing at 4, an hour early, but that our dresses were not at the store yet. The earliest they would be there was 3:30. So we had a half hour window to get there and retrieve the dresses. Upon arrival, we tried them on. Out of the 3 of us, only one dress fit properly. The other two of us both made appointments to pick up our dresses later in the week.

The day of my appointment, the owner texted me to ask me to come 90 minutes early. 5 minutes before our final agreed-upon time, he texted me saying he would be late. When I finally tried on the dress this time, it still didn't fit. I had to choose a different, untailored top instead, and he tried to keep it at the same price, despite being much less detailed and bejeweled, and untailored. I ended up negotiating the price down, but it was still more than the store...

I really wanted to like this shop and appreciated the initial help we received in-store. However, we had a very distressing experience trying to return two items that were not marked final sale in any way — no tags, receipt markings, or signs. We returned the next day with the unworn items and were told there were no returns allowed, which had never been mentioned.

After an emotional and confusing interaction with the staff — including being yelled at and berated over the phone — we were eventually refunded, but only after insisting and referencing Venmo protections. A 6% fee was deducted, which we weren’t informed about beforehand.

I also noticed that we were offered free bangles in exchange for a Yelp review, which makes me question how many of the existing reviews are truly unbiased.

I’m writing this so others can be informed and make their own decisions with full information. I would advise future shoppers to clarify return and refund policies in writing before purchasing.

Update: I’ve read the business’s response and want to clarify a few points. At no time during our visit was a return or exchange policy mentioned verbally, nor was any signage displayed in the store. We paid via Venmo because my partner didn’t have his card on him—Venmo was offered as a standard option, with the sign clearly displayed at the register.

The refund only occurred after significant resistance, including being yelled at over the phone and told, “I hope you get really, really hurt.” That statement was made in front of other customers and was alarming. The partial refund was not a gesture of goodwill—it happened only after I calmly pointed out the lack of any disclosed return policy and shared that I would pursue formal resolution options.

I’m not here to argue, just to provide transparency for future customers. This interaction was unnecessarily hostile and avoidable. I hope the business chooses clearer communication and more respectful treatment...

It is the first year post pandemic that we had a couple of events, meeting friends for Diwali, when I realized I hadn't shopped for clothes outside of pyjamas for 2.5 years, much less ornate Indian skirts/lehengas/sarees. I walked into this store keeping an expectation that I would mostly return empty handed, and boy was I pleasantly surprised! I loved the lehengas + skirts they had. Very good quality, fine work and fabrics. I ended up buying way more dresses than I imagined and even got my husband along the next day to get him kurtas+jacket as well. They have a good selection of lehengas for different price ranges + colors, lighter wear skirts, kurtas and formal jackets for men. The timings of the store are restricted (1-5pm on weekends and by appointment on weekdays), keep in mind you give yourself enough time. Parking is convenient, if not on the street, then there is sufficient parking around parking lots a block away.

2023 Diwali time again..I went back to take a look and came out with a couple outfits. They have fresh inventory. Definetely...