Customers Frustrated As Bankrupt Zoots Opens For Clothing Pickup

BOSTON (CBS) – Zoots, the dry cleaning company that went bankrupt and closed last month, opened its doors for one day Friday to allow customers to pick up their clothes.

Locations are open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., but some customers expressed frustration with how the situation has been handled.

People at Zoots in Concord told WBZ-TV they got back dirty clothes. Others had items that didn't make it back from the plant.

The company also said customers have to pay to pick up their clothing. Several people on Friday, however, said Zoots did not have money to make change.

Workers said they were given an hour's notice to lock up and leave when the store's closing was announced. Those with direct deposit say they still haven't been paid.

The Attorney General's office is reviewing several labor complaints and referring employees to the Department of Unemployment Assistance to claim wages.

"Very poor management. I understand people go bankrupt and things happen but they should give us warning," said Christina Kendrick. "Especially for people that live pay check to pay check and have little kids this is serious for them."

Zoots store manager Lucas Vered said he doesn't know if he will get paid on Friday as scheduled.

"After all the false promises and things that were said that weren't true, I don't know," Vered said.

In the Cambridge location, customers waited for up to three hours to get their clothing back.

"It's been three weeks without clothes and now I'm standing in line for a couple of hours. They gave us one day to pick up clothes, it's terrible," customer George Varghese said.

If you are unable to make it Friday, clothes will be brought to a central storage location and made available at a later date.