Deborah Ruth Hubers dressmaker of Wentworth Falls, a case of mistaken trust
We are on the lookout for one Deborah Ruth Hubers, a dressmaker of Wentworth Falls in New South Wales. Has anyone seen this woman of late?
Deborah Ruth Hubers, also goes by the name of Deborah Ward-Smith, is a dressmaker of a business called ‘Sew in Love‘ based at her home address at 26 Valley Road in Wentworth Falls in New South Wales, which contains a converted garage made into a studio for dressmaking. This is it below.
We note that there exists a website of the same name which appears to be completely separate and independent from Deborah Hubers and we have no association or concern with that other business.
Back in Wentworth Falls, Deborah Hubers at her home-based dressmaking business ‘Sew in Love’ in Wentworth Falls, came highly recommended to us by a close friend who had bought custom-made dresses from Deborah over some years.
“…the number you have called is not connected…“
So o 17th May 2021, we arranged for two dresses to be custom made by Deborah, meeting her at her studio and then in trust depositing $300 by funds transfer into her National Australia Bank account to the branch at 85-95 Marrickville Road in Marrickville in inner west Sydney on 17th May 2021. Our bank records verify this.
But this NAB branch is located in distant Marrickville, so it did seem odd at the time because Marrickville is 100 km from her home dressmaking business in Wentworth Falls.
Again in trust, we then paid an additional $100 for the dress fabric for a summer dress and a winter dress, sourced elsewhere, which we handed to her and got measured up for the dresses at her dressmaking studio.
And this was Deborah’s gift voucher wording. The two dresses were to be a special birthday present.
“This gift voucher entitles the recipient an experience that will result in a custom made dress to your exact description and measurements. The initial consultation will discuss your desires and cement a design to be created. You will leave the studio with a shopping list for the fabric and incidental requirements. A number of fittings will be booked in to ensure your finished garment is the dream dress that our initial consultation conjured in your mind. I look forward to working with you in the very near future.” – Deborah
That was the last we saw our money, dress fabric for two dresses and saw Deborah Hubers.
However, more than a year later, now August 2022, we have no dresses, despite our many follow up phone calls to Deborah since. She still owes us $400.
When we now try to phone her on her number (02) 4757 4234 it is disconnected. Her dressmaking business has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sewinlovealterations/ but it now reads “permanently closed” in red below:
And this is her registered business information with ASIC since 2010, but we suspect that after next month it may not be renewed.
Oddly, previously in 2008, this same business was cancelled with ASIC. Maybe we should have checked with ASIC in advance of dealing with Deborah.
Well, its legitimate to choose to close a business then two years later to re-open the same business one presumes, but why? Yet it is not legitimate to renege on a service or product that has been paid for. Many would call this theft.
Oddly enough, Deborah’s property is now up for sale.
Before you skedaddle Deborah, we would like our money back. All $400, being both our $300 deposit in trust and the $100 fabric cost. Frankly, now the fabric has bad vibes, so Deborah you can keep it.
After 15 months of our follow up enquiries to you by phone about your progress with our two custom dresses, you have now disconnected your business phone, stated on your Facebook page that Sew in Love dressmaking business is “permanently closed”, that you have your home business property listed for sale on July 28, 2022 by Liberty Property Services in Leura, and no sign of your black BMW – well, the conclusion is pretty darn obvious – you’re doing a runner with our money, dresses and trust!
How many other customers have you done this to? How many other customers will you do this to?
We would presume that if there is some financial difficulty, well then once this sale is cashed in, we should reasonably expect that Deborah ought to be in a position to duly refund our $400 in full.
Sadly, our close friend who recommended you has recently passed away. But we told here you had become a dodge and Clare was mortified.
Oddly enough, since this article was published we have recently checked the ASIC website to discover that one Deborah Ruth Hubers has subsequently renewed the business registration of ‘SEW IN LOVE’ out to 21 September 2025 as proof positive below.
Below is another ‘disguise’ of Deborah Ruth Hubers:
Deborah seems to have done a runner with both our money and dress fabric. She’s believed to be possibly hiding out down in the rural town of Tumut in the New South Wales high country.
And she currently (April 2024) has a different Facebook page changed from https://www.facebook.com/sewinlovealterations/ into https://www.facebook.com/deborah.hubers/
So she’s clearly still trading as a phoenix dressmaker at a secret address.
From our experience with Deborah, we would not recommend anyone approach her for dressmaking or clothing alterations. We would not recommend anyone prepaying 100% up front for a job to be done, even if that business/contractor comes recommended.
This business dealing and transaction were indeed a case of mistaken trust. Consumers have thus been warned about this con artist thief.
Beware Tumut ladies!
