Buyer Beware, If The Deal Is Too Good To Be True, It Probably Isn't A Deal!

You can't buy a fabulous gown on Ebay for $15.37!!

There are some amazing deals on wedding dresses on Ebay.   Some are bona fide bargains, some are cheap imported "knock offs" of designer gowns.  Don't risk being disappointed when your dream gown arrives and it isn't what you are expecting.

Ebay is over run with wedding gown listings that are imports from the far east.  They are NOT the manufacturers of the original wedding dresses you've seen in the bridal magazines and the bridal salons. They are not from the same factories as the original gowns.  They are offering "knock off" dresses at dirt cheap prices, with HIGH shipping fees.  The quality is inferior, the fit is inferior, the designs are either outdated or modified from the original.  I've seen a couple of "knock off" dresses and was amazed at what was being passed off to the Ebay customer.  Words can't describe what we've seen.  Well, we CAN describe our thoughts, but this is a family forum.  ;)

The sellers use photos from the original designers catalog or web site.  That is a violation of copyright laws and agains Ebay's rules as well.   You are led to think that the gown is a Bonny or a Maggie, but you aren't getting anything close to the original other than an unaurthorized photo. 

Many of the major bridal manufacturers police the internet for unauthorized photos.   Maggie and Mon Cheri are vigilant with their designs and photos as are many other bridal manufacturers.  If the original manufacturer finds a knock off of their design, they'll have the auctions taken off Ebay.  If you ordered from that company, you risk NOT getting your gown or not getting the protection from Ebay on the sale. 

Most of the major bridal manufacturers have copyrights on their gowns and laces.  They persue the copyrights vigorously.  They employ the designer. The designer creates the original design.  The design team and the marketing team test market the gowns.  They employ models, fashion stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists and the top photographers to showcase their designs.   The manufacturers makes the gowns, they either own their own factories or are contracted to a factory.  The marketing team steps in to market the gowns.  The company owns the rights to the gowns, designs and photographs.   They use fine fabrics, they have the fit perfected  and they market the gowns themselves. Their factories DO NOT market gowns.   They are offering you the best and their name is at stake. 

The knock off artists are stealing the designs, the photos and the hard work of the major bridal manufacturers.  They are churning out a look alike dress with less embellishment,  inferior fabrics, inferior fit.   You not only pay a large fee for shipping to the USA, you are also liable for customs fees once your purchase hits the USA.  Customs fees are nonnegotiable.   You pay or you don't get your gown.   Add that onto the bargain price, and ask yourself, "Am I saving money?"

• Don't expect much from a $29 wedding dress. 

• I saw a group of wedding dresses priced at $29, they were copies of Sweetheart gowns we sold in the 1980's and early 90's with a few modern gowns thrown in.  Their feedback was good, but their feedback was from selling swords.  Not one was from a wedding dress.  Hmmm.

• You get what you pay for! If you buy a dress for $29, you get a dress worth $29.00! 

• The fabric may be thin low grade satin that wrinkles or thin organza that is used in the cheapest prom dresses.  It WILL wrinkle and be very difficult to press or steam.  When you steam acetate satin, the steam will leave spots and water rings on the dress that you can't remove. Good quality bridal satin won't leave water spots.  Cheap organza will wrinkle and crinkle and "bubble" and you can't press it out.  Its in there for life. 

• The beading may be heat applied or the sequins may be caviar beading, heat applied silver dots instead of hand sewing of the beadwork.  You won't get Swarovski crystals, you will get plastic beads cut to look like crystal, but they won't have the shine and sparkle of fine Swarovski crystals.   If the beading is sewn, it may be machine done, its put on by a chain stitch.  If you shed one bead, and the entire bead area will come loose.  They may also use large faux pearls which take up more area instead of mini pearls and mini sequins which give off a more delicate look to the gown.  The embroidery is generally large and garish instead of petite and detailed.  Or they may employ large battenburg embroidery with large cut outs which was popular in the 90's and not being shown in today's bridal collections. 

• The bodices may not be properly boned to stay up in a strapless gown.  You need boning in the bodice of the gown to keep it up and in place.  Strapless gowns SHOULD have a good inner foundation BUILT INTO THE GOWN to keep the gown up and to enhance the bust line and slim the wasitline. Some designers even build in an elastic inner waist belt to slim the waist and to keep the gown in place when you move.  If the foundation isn't built into the gown, the best bra and tailoring in the world won't keep the gown up.  It will droop and make you look droopy and dumpy.  Dress tape won't solve the problem.   We had a group of short bridesmaids dresses that were very lightweight come in without boning and we sent them back.  They looked HORRIBLE on and we couldn't make anyone look presentable in them. The dresses were very lightweight.  If they were satin, they'd be unwearable without the boning in the bodice.  Translate that into a bridal gown.

• A quality gown should be properly lined in bridal satin and include some sort of built in fullness if its needed for the dress to flow properly.    Some cheap dresses have the thin acetate lining and in white or ivory, its completely see through.  If you purchase a chiffon gown, make sure its lined in bridal satin or you'll be transparent in the light. Straight slips are difficult to find, crinolines can be expensive.   A quality gown will make searching for lining slips an unnecessary headache.

• A revered bridal manufacturer told our group that not all sewing factories are created equal.  Some do a great job of sewing, some are horrible.  The good ones are contracted to the major bridal manufacturers if they don't own their own factories.  

• Are you willing to gamble that that your wedding dress will be what you envisioned?  You are gambling if you don't know anything about the manufacturers reputation and have seen the quality of the goods they are producing.  

• OK....so you are only going to wear the dress for a few hours.  Why spend the money?   Hello...this is the most memorable dress you will ever buy in your life.  You will be on display in front of your guests.  They WILL remember your dress and you will have photos of the dress to show your children.  I never understood how people can spend thousands on photos, invitations, liquor and flowers and then wear expect to scrimp on the attire. 

• YOU ARE THE BRIDE, its your day.  You deserve to look fabulous!  And you can without busting the budget....please read on!

And now for the good news....

There are GREAT deals on wedding dresses on Ebay!

• Look for bridal salons closing out their sample stock. 

• Look for bridal salons having a clearance sale.  We all need to clear out our racks for new gowns we are expected to purchase twice a year. 

The late summer is the time a lot of manufacturers discontinue their gowns.  Some of these gowns are only a few months old.  If we can't reorder the gown, we sell them at discounts.  Huge discounts.  We have to clear our racks to make room for new stock that we are required to buy.  YOU WIN!  I've seen a lot just discontinued gowns on Ebay and the prices are phenomenal! 

• Look for gowns from a cancelled wedding.  Its sad, it happens and their loss is your gain. 

• Look for gowns from a closed bridal salon.  A friend of mine just closed her bridal salon.  She is selling her gowns for a $49 opening bid.  The wholesale cost on these gowns is 10 times that much!  There are similar deals on Ebay! 

• There are good quality replica gowns in the market.  They are "inspired" by the original design, they look similar but are not exact.  DaVinci makes gowns inspired by a major big box national bridal retailer.  I've also known of major manufacturers who do replicas of very couture gowns for select stores and you can barely tell the difference...except in price.

Look at the sellers feedback.  Its there for a reason.  Contact the seller if in doubt.  Ask questions.  Remember, if its too good to be true, it's probably NOT  a deal.