Darren Beaman Re-Appears

Darren Beaman is a London-based "tailor" who is apparently attempting a comeback after disappearing for 18 months to avoid his angry customers. He's been showing photos of partially completed jackets on the Film Noir Buff forum, the same trick he used during his first incarnation.

If you find yourself tempted by this faux tailoring, be advised that I personally know at least five men that gave Beaman money and never received their suits. I'm one of them.

After seeing some of his work and talking to men who had been customers, I gave Beaman a 50% deposit on four suits a couple of years ago. After two fittings, two of them looked done and two needed another fitting. I asked him to send me the two completed suits. He said he'd send them and charged my credit card. That was April. Of course, the suits never arrived. When I finally reached him two months later after a dozen unanswered calls and emails, he muttered something about them being stuck in customs and he'd get them right out. Nothing, and no further response to any communication.

In October of that year a friend of Beaman's who was on his way to London agreed to stop by and pick up the suits. When he got there, it turned out that they were being held by a subcontractor (this despite the statement on Beaman's web site that he does all his own sewing) and I was once again told that Darren would be sending them along shortly. The friend told me that he did have the two incomplete garments. Disgusted, I asked him to bring me those so that I could have them completed locally.

When they arrived, they did so minus the cloth and parts necessary to finish them. One was even minus the trousers. Note the photo of the jacket ticket indicating the name of the tailor. And, of course, I never received the other suits. To top it off, my credit card company refused to reverse the charges saying too much time had passed.

I freely admit that I was both stupid and not paying enough attention. What is not understandable to me is that Beaman's never responded or acknowledged that he has taken $8,000 of my money and never delivered anything but garbage. So far as I am aware he has not filed for bankruptcy, and still owes me the money. If he'd so much as said "I regret that your suits are being held by a contractor that I am unable to pay but may be reclaimed by you if you wish to pay the money I owe him for the work" I could have dealt with that. Or, he could have offered to make another suit. Instead, his response on FNB's forum was that "Some day the other side of the story will come out." I look forward to that day.

Let the buyer beware.