7 On Your Side: How to get a refund from Selix after it closed

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- One of the oldest businesses in the Bay Area closed on Monday for good. Selix Formalwear slipped into history after more than a century in the tuxedo business. 7 On Your Side takes a look at what this means for its many shocked customers.

At 6 p.m. all six of the Selix stores closed forever. It's hard to tell if customers were more upset about losing a classic tuxedo shop or having to scramble to find a tux for that upcoming event. The stores had orders for hundreds of tuxedos and now it will be a bit of a challenge to get a refund.

Selix formalwear has fitted Bay Area men with tuxedos for the past 109 years. Now, the six Bay Area stores closed their doors forever.

Hung Pham is the longtime manager of the shop in San Francisco where the Selix name has forged a place in history. The shop still bears remnants of the early days; antique mirrors, garment trunks, even collapsible top hats.

"Once in a while, we see a group with a tour guide standing in front of Selix and talking about the history of Selix," Pham said.

The Selix staff was gearing up for the busy prom and wedding seasons, advertising just recently for more sales help, when the shocking news came. The company had just filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and had to lock up everything by 6 p.m. Monday.

Forty full and part-time employees are out of a job. Brides, grooms and boys going to proms suddenly have to make new plans.

Jennifer MacDonnell of Saratoga had ordered eight tuxedos from Selix for her brother's wedding Saturday. When she took her sons to get fitted, she found out they wouldn't get their tuxes at all. They said they wouldn't be able to do her brother's wedding.

"Honestly, I didn't know where else to go. So, yes, we were kind of at a loss," MacDonnell said.

In San Francisco, Pham was fielding frantic calls during the store's final hours.

The Selix owners had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in November. When they couldn't find a new buyer, they went into Chapter 7 -- meaning total liquidation.

If you paid for a tuxedo and didn't get it, you now must go through the bankruptcy courts to get a refund. Selix promises to make it easy for you.

The bankruptcy attorney tells me owners wanted to save the business, but "there was too much competition from big chain stores and online sales." The old fashioned business couldn't survive.

Customers made their last purchases and then it was time to say goodbye.

The bankruptcy attorney told 7 On Your Side customers who paid for tuxedos since November will get top priority for refunds. However, payments must go through a bankruptcy trustee following the liquidation. The trustee may notify you if you are entitled to a refund. I will also keep you posted on how to get your money back.