If I had a pound for every bride who’s called us asking for help with her dress bought on Ebay this year I’d probably be discussing early retirement.
Once again the British desire to find a bargain has sent many brides running towards internet auction sites looking for an imported designer dress.
The trouble is, for many brides this is ending in misery. All too often the dress that arrives is nothing more than a cheap copy of a designer dress and often features cheap satin and ‘crystals’ that melt when the dress is cleaned.
I don’t blame someone for trying to get something cheaper and shopping around in general. We actively recommend that a bride searches as many shops as possible to find the perfect dress.
There is an old saying that rueful bargain hunters often end up quoting after receiving their dress ‘you really don’t get something for nothing’, or the other old favourite ‘you get what you pay for’.
Occasionally it is possible to strike gold in the bargain stakes, but don’t forget that the dress will probably not fit you without some alterations. To have a dress altered professionally may cost a few hundred pounds depending on it’s complexity.
It is normally at this stage that we get a visit from a bride with dress carrier in hand wondering ‘if anything can be done?’. In truth the answer is sometimes ‘Yes’ and sThis year, sometimes ‘No’.
I think for the first time there have been one or two that we couldn’t factor in to our schedule for alterations. We hate turning brides away, but with lots of prior commitment, sometimes we have no choice.
In conclusion, the whole ‘buy a dress on Ebay’ process really is a lottery. If you have plenty of time you might investigate the auction option, but if things are getting close remember that there is no guarantee that the dress will even arrive on time. This year alone we have had a number of brides who simply didn’t ever get the dress despite a huge amount of correspondence with the sellers. Weigh carefully the costs of alterations that will be needed and who you will be able to get to do them.
Of course, there is another way – use a UK shop or designer!
DAK
