‘I started to panic’: Nebraska woman paid Tip Top Tux $3,200 for tuxes she won’t get

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – After Tip Top Tux abruptly closed nationwide this week, many wedding parties were left without their outfits.

Sam Haag of Syracuse, whose daughter is getting married Saturday, said they’ve been planning the wedding for about a year now.

She said all the groomsmen went to Tip Top Tux at 48th Street and Normal Boulevard to rent their outfits.

“All of the groomsmen paid in full, so we’re talking, there was 11 tuxedos — $3,200,” she said. “We paid in full, we got fitted. Everybody was good to go.”

Haag was supposed to pick up the tuxes on Thursday, but she got a call telling her she needed to come on Monday instead.

When she got to the store, she found a note on the door saying it was closed.

She first tried the website, and eventually went to another location.

“And there’s a note on their door as well,” she said. “As I’m standing there, another couple came up and said, ‘We’re supposed to be here for a fitting.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening.'”

Haag said no one at any of the locations or the corporate office would answer any phone calls.

“I started to panic, and I didn’t know what to do,” she said.

Haag then turned to the internet, posting about her situation on Facebook.

From there she connected with Gentleman’s Choice Formal Wear in Omaha, which helped her get new tuxes in time for the wedding.

She has to pay for those, too, but said at least she won’t be empty-handed for this weekend.

“We got fitted, we’re getting tuxes, but it was very stressful,” Haag said. “I probably made 47 phone calls trying to get ahold of somebody to figure this out. You don’t expect this to happen the week of your wedding.”

Gentleman’s Choice said it’s had dozens of new clients looking for tuxes on short notice since the shutdown.

In Lincoln, Andrew Shannon with Shannon Formalwear said he’s also seen an influx, and the store is trying to accommodate.

“What we really need for people to do is get in right away, get their measurements to us, get in the shop so we can start an account and get people taken care of,” he said. “Obviously, we’re staffing up right now to take on this surge.”

Tip Top Tux hasn’t stated a reason for the sudden closing yet, but reportedly, employees received an email at 2 a.m. Monday telling them they were laid off.

Haag said she’s contacted her credit card company to try to get her money back but hasn’t heard anything yet.

If she doesn’t get anything back, she’s considering a lawsuit.

Haag said this ordeal hurts young couples who “don’t have a lot of money.”

“That really breaks my heart,” she said.