BUYING A DRESS - QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

So...you have been searching for ages and have finally found the perfect dress that both you and your daughter agree on! Everything is right, colors, design, even the measurements match up - Perfect! But before you rush in and send your money off, there are some questions that you should be asking the seller and yourself. A few emails back and forth asking important questions now could save you a lot of hassles later. You might also like to read the FAQ's page for even more advice.

 

Q. Will you accept the dress back for a refund if it does not fit or we are not happy with it?

A. If a seller will not accept a dress back for a refund, triple check all of the measurements and ask all of the questions on this page and more. If the seller agrees to accept a return, print out a copy of their email and keep it for your records.

 

Q. Could you please send me some large photos of the dress, both front and back, that show more detail?

A. The photos shown on the dress pages can't show every detail of a dress. Ask for large photos to be emailed to you so that you can clearly see the dress close up. Dirty marks, missing sequins etc often do not show up on a small photo.

 

Q. Is there any damage to the dress, such as frayed edges, missing sequins/crystals, loose stitching, dirt, makeup or perspiration stains?

A. Make sure you are fully aware of the condition of the dress so that you can make an informed decision before buying.

 

Q. Is the dress from a smoke free home? Does it smell of perspiration?

A. Not a very nice question to ask, I know, but you will appreciate asking it when the dress arrives!

 

Q. Is there any room to alter the dress?

A. If the dress is almost right in size, but not quite, check if it is possible to alter. Some dresses are best left alone and if the size is not perfect you need to keep looking for one that is.

 

Q. Are shipping costs included in the dress price?

A. Most dress listings will state if shipping is included or not. The seller will have to take the packaged dress to their post office to get the exact amount of postage that you will have to pay. This is then added on to your agreed purchase price. In the event that you return the dress for a refund, only the dress price will be refunded, not the shipping.

 

Q. Will the dress be insured for shipping?

A. This is up to both you and the seller and is an additional cost to be paid by you. If you decide not to pay for insurance and the dress goes missing, the seller is not responsible and you will not be entitled to a refund.

 

Q. How can I pay for the dress?

A. There are several payment options available to you. I advise my sellers not to accept a personal check as it is just too risky. If you are in the same country as the seller, your best option is a bank/cashiers check, direct bank/internet transfer or PayPal. Some sellers ask the buyer to cover the PayPal fees, usually around 3% of the amount being sent. If you are buying a dress from another country you can still pay by PayPal or a bank check in the sellers home currency. As above, there are fees and bank charges for international transactions as well. In all cases the dress will not be sent to you until payment is received by the seller. No matter how urgently you need the dress, please do not ask for the dress to be sent before payment is received, I advise all of my sellers to not send the dress without payment- for any reason.

 

Lastly...

As a courtesy to dress sellers, if you email them and ask questions or ask for extra photos to be sent, please reply to them. Many times sellers will go to the trouble of taking more photos of a dress to send you, double checking measurements and answering all of the above questions, only to never hear from a buyer again. It can be very frustrating to get no feedback at all when they have made the extra effort to help. Just a simple "Thank you, we have decided not to buy " or just a "Thanks, we've changed our mind" is the polite thing to do. Please email me if you have any other questions that you would like to see answered on this page. Thank you.