Attorney requests refunds for Amber Vinson's bridesmaids, owner of Akron store is shocked & insulted

AKRON, Ohio - When bridal shop owner Anna Younker opened a letter from an attorney representing Amber Vinson, she expected an apology for the major inconvenience delivered to her from the Ebola scare.

Instead, she was stunned by a request to refund $479.89 for Vinson's bridesmaids who either paid for gowns in full or put down a deposit.

While holding the letter inside Coming Attractions Bridal and Formal, Inc. on Monday, Younker said, "I'm looking at this thinking, 'Are you kidding me?'"

The three-paragraph letter written by Dallas attorney Stephen Malouf acknowledges "Amber's Ebola infection brought significant attention to Coming Attractions, not all of it positive."

Still, he asks for refunds of $107 for two of the bridesmaids and $132.92 for two other bridesmaids "due to the most unusual circumstances."

"In order to minimize additional public scrutiny, Amber has decided that it would be best if she used another bridal shop for her bridesmaids' dresses, and kept it strictly confidential," Malouf wrote.

As of Monday afternoon, the lawyer did not return a phone call from newsnet5.com seeking comment.

Younker was insulted by the letter and surprised that the bridal party would go elsewhere.

"The lady who was here and caused the problem here wants her money back... If anybody that would back me up or continue to do business with us, I would expect it to be her," Younker said.

Vinson, an Akron native and Dallas nurse, visited the store in October, a few days before she was diagnosed with Ebola and admitted to a Texas hospital.

Younker is especially annoyed because she lost thousands of dollars after shutting down her store for more than three weeks to ease the fears of her customers.

She paid a high-tech company to use ultraviolet light to decontaminate the building.

Younker reopened the bridal shop a few weeks ago with a sale, but admitted she's struggling to regain some customers because of the stigma caused by the Ebola scare.

Younker will discuss the letter with her attorney, but doesn't plan to refund any of the money to Vinson's bridal party.

"I don't know what she thinks about our business. Does she think she's hurt it enough? I don't know what's going through her head."