09 May Beware of online wedding dress scams
It all begins so innocently. You start perusing the net to get ideas for your upcoming dress appointment, perhaps to educate yourself on silhouettes. Stunning gowns pop up at less than low prices and you are only a few clicks away from having a beautiful wedding dress at your doorstep in just a matter of days. The temptation to go for it is great, but there are strong reasons why you shouldn’t. Let’s look at them.
You’ll miss the dress shopping experience
There is nothing quite like being the belle of the ball at a bridal salon appointment. The helpful attendants are delivering hundreds of pounds of gorgeous material into and out of your change room while the women closest to your heart are right by your side for the epic shopping experience. You are able to get honest and supportive feedback from those whom you trust most while you all have fun playing dress up for a few hours.
Even if you find yourself without a cheerleading squad, don’t fret. The warm and friendly bridal consultants will be able to make recommendations and give you the feedback and information you need. Shopping online does not give you the option to see yourself in a variety of dress styles with a generous 360-degree fitting room mirror and highly trained alteration specialists standing by.
Deceptive photographs
These online stores show exquisite models wear gorgeous gowns at rock bottom prices. Their offer to custom sew your dress from scratch to ensure it fits you like an angel sounds amazing. It is easy to see why thousands of women fall under the spell of such lavish promises every year. Unfortunately, the vast majority of brides who use these sites report that the dress they actually received did not at all resemble the one they ordered.
Differences in the details
Fabric choice is a huge component of a great dress, the shape it maintains and, most importantly, the way it flatters your figure. The embellishments are also critical. The beading and crystal work needs to be done properly and with good materials so as not to look drop dead cheap. Dresses constructed with poor quality fabrics and badly applied bits of plastic are a frequent complaint of brides-to-be who make the mistake of ordering their wedding dresses from these overseas sweatshop factories that turn out garments for pennies — and they look like it.
Fittings are vital
Dress size standards vary considerably from country to country. Therefore, a size 6 in Australia is not necessarily going to fit like a size 6 in America. Real brick-and-mortar bridal salons have tremendous customer service experience with brides and can time fittings appropriately. Ordering online often leaves many women with a heap of material that only barely resembles the lovely silhouette they fell in love with on their computer screen but never had the pleasure of trying on in a three-way mirror.
What you see is not what you get
It’s easy to be captivated with the immaculate showrooms on the websites that supposedly showcase the sellers’ phenomenal locations. However, you will notice the identical showroom photos on many of these online sites. Not only is the dress you get in the mail not at all what you signed up for in terms of fit, material and size; the facility itself doesn’t even actually exist. It’s all a front for an elaborate global scam that is taking money from brides around the world. And you can forget trying to contact the company to sort out your issues. You won’t be able to reach them in any way so you’re stuck.
Shop local
If a beautiful designer wedding dress at a great price is your dream, avoid online sites and support great local bridal shops like New York Bride & Groom of Raleigh. We are the Triangle’s premier bridal salon and you can be certain that you will find the dress of your dreams in our store. Our selection of designer wedding dresses will give you the full range of choices you’ll want when you’re looking for “the one.”