West African Store - Jamaica, New York

E Sanders

I brought an item for alteration, a knee length, faux leather, buttonless vest w/collar. I asked him to taper it in the waist area, to give it a more A line look because it was just straight and had no shape to it. It was made of many panels and had a waist seam as well, so there were plenty of seams to work with. I told him, I don't want it to be straight and boxy as it already is. Give me a more tailored look in the waist. I asked if he understood and he said he did, and he pinned it in the a waist area for the fit. I had my sis pick it up, but when I tried it, all he had done was sew it straight down the sides from the point he pinned for my waist!!!! So now, the vest is narrow, still shaped like a box, no taper AND tight in the hip area.
Now, when I first arrived he wasn't there and a young man told me 20 minutes. I gave him an hour. When I came back he was praying and I waiting for him to finish, declining to sit in the chair offered by his staff because it was too close to his prayer space. When he was done and he approached me, I whispered my issue in his ear because he's a friend of my sister, and others were in the store. He told me to put it on so he could see it. I did. But then he got a little loud and said that's what I asked for. I let him know it was not, told him how very specific I was, and he's telling me I wasn't. After much back and forth, me never raising my voice, he asked me what I wanted him to do so I asked him what could he do? And he went on about I have to tell him what I want. I said, "I told you, and you didn't do that. So now what can you do"? Then he said my sister and I have no respect for him and he looks at us like family. I asked how I disrespected him seeing as his business relationship has been with my sister and I just say hello if I'm nearby. This was my first time using him for myself. He said nothing. I am so disappointed. There are two tailors within walking distance of my home but I purposely came here to support my brother who blew me off, yet says I disrespected him. I don't believe in karma. I believe in God. I don't know who he was praying to before our interaction. I know who it wasn't.

R

I have been grabbing my favorite incense here for some time. Always encountered kind, friendly & attentive service here!

Micha El Saieh

Honestly I wouldn't even give him one star for the disrespectful way he treated me in front of my 11yr old daughter. My daughter was literally afraid and kept asking me for us to leave his shop. I gave him a half deposit, fabric that I purchased and the design of the dress that I was paying for. I didn't hear from him for three weeks so I contacted him and he told me I can come to see the dress but he had some final touches to do on the dress. So I showed up the next day and the dress was not what I had ordered. So when I politely explained that to him, he automatically became rude and irate,while I am continuing to be polite, I explained to him that he can make some changes because it doesn't look like the dress I ordered from him to do,so he continued to be rude and kept telling me to take my deposit and go and I definitely agreed because he was very nasty for no absolute reason and the dress looked like a HOT MESS! Then he thought I was going to hand over the dress he had sown with my fabric for free so he can sell the dress he made with the fabric I bought with my own money. I replied back to him no you are going to give me back my money that I bought the fabric before I hand it over to you, so then he proceeded to call the police on me and told the police that I am trying to steal one of his dresses, I was absolutely appalled. He told me to wait for the police with my 11yr old daughter standing right next to me and I was not afraid of what he was doing because I know I didn't do anything wrong. He wanted to steal and not pay me for the fabric he used on the dress. So he had a friend in the store with him and his friend was telling him what he was doing to me was wrong then he agreed to give me the money for the fabric that he used that I purchased... I would NEVER RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE. HE WAS RUDE AND IRATE FOR NO ABSOLUTE REASON. If you want a professional person to make your dress or outfit he is definitely not the one to go to!

Marie Hendriksen

Owner does not honor his word... Eventhough my outfits were ordered months before the set date for pick up I had to wait more than two extra weeks , sat at the store an entire day for 8 hours and come back the next day to wait for another 2 hours in order to get the clothings I preordered... He gave me one price when I came to the store to order the clothing ; but changed it on the pick up day... He added an extra (200) two hundred dollars to the bill...He changed the embroidery that was in the sample and replaced it by something cheaper and easier to do. I was very disappointed when I finally got the outfits . I will not shop there any more . My experience there was very frustrating and negative.

Emani T

First let me start by saying this is the absolute best African shop I’ve come across in years ! It has everything from shoes to bags, dresses, fabric, black soap, jewelry, waist beads, literally everything. I came across this shop because of a recommendation from a friend, my daughter is going to prom this year and she really wanted an African themed dress and I was never more happy when I walked in the shop the owner literally custom makes all the dresses in the store and there are hundreds of them my daughter showed him a few pictures of her inspiration and he took her measurements and she choose a fabric and we arranged a pick up date very reasonable price for a custom dress btw and I was extremely pleased with his customer service the dress was ready before my pick up date and it was exactly what my daughter wanted she was so happy with the outcome and so was I definitely will be shopping here again

S. Konah

WARNING WARNING....Let me start of by saying I rarely write reviews. If the service is good I continue going back, if it's bad I never return and if it's worst then I result to this.

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING OR GET ANYTHING MADE By THIS GUY. HE IS A FRAUDULENT SENEGALESE MUSLIM.

HIS MATERIAL ARE OVER OVER PRICED AND HE DOES NOT FOLLOW DIRECTION OR HIS OWN DRAWING WHEN GETTING CUSTOM ORDERS.

I was looking to get a custom, but pretty simple design shirt made to wear to my brother's baby shower and since my original tailor was back up with orders I resulted to trying someone new. I came in with a same shirt that I had my original tailor make for me and ask him to make the same design, he did a quick sketch.. (half ass) not as detail as my design and told me he "got it" because I was uncomfortable I ask him if I should leave my shirt so he doesn't make any errors. He said no and confirm he understood exactly what I wanted.

I also bought a material from him and made a second order for the same design shirt. I paid him more than half of the deposit and confirm my pick up date.

He called my 2 days before my pick up date to confirm the sizes and I did.

Because I was busy on pick up date (Saturday June 24th) I made a huge mistake by sending my wife to pick it up. When she return with the shirts they were complete opposite from my original design.

I didn't even bother to try it on; I call him immediately and he told me to bring them back and he'll fix it. I knew it was impossible to make it from West Chester to queens and back in time to still go to the shower so I end up wear some thing else.

I return today Monday, June 26th and he refused to fix it or give my money back. I ask if I would give him $30 more to fix it. I said absolutely not. After series of verbal exchanges be he and I he threaten me and call the police. The police came and advices me to take him to small claims court.

HE IS A FRUAD A FAKE. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM HIM!
I'm taking him to small claims court. Waste of my time but he need to be taught a lesson because he seem so comfortable with his act as a business owner.

Janee Mills Chosen One

This is a very nice store! I had a couples outfit made, it was ready n less than 4 days. Very nice work. Honest and professional!

Bruce Munro

Genuine African Merchandise. You can get your outfit tailored made right in the store.