Questions/concerns/suspicions about buying dress off eBay, but the price! What to do?!

[gwendolyn]

Ok, so a few months back, I posted a thread asking about long-sleeved wedding gowns and there was one that was posted that was absolutely DIVINE. My jaw dropped and I just thought, "oh my oh MY, that is PERFECT!"

It's now on eBay for $50, with $140 shipping & $10 insurance: so, $200.

HOWEVER, it is being sold somewhat oddly--well, at least to me. I should state for the record that I only just signed up with an eBay account last week, in order to poke around to get a copy of The Sims 2 for my Mac (way behind the times, I know

). I also signed up with PayPal in anticipation of getting an awesome deal on The Sims (which didn't come, alas and alack). Anyway! I have never ordered anything off eBay and generally am rather skeptical about the whole deal. However, it there is a chance to get this amazing dress for only $200, I'm all for it, but it is screaming "I'm too good to be true!"

I don't want to link you to the exact listing for fear that maybe that will encourage people to bid on it before the sale is over, but the company that is offering it has many other dresses available as well. They say the dresses are custom made, but the picture is exactly the same as a picture from a dress from Demetrios Bridal, so I'm wondering if they are selling this exact same dress that Demetrios Bridal is selling, or their copy of it, or what? Did they just snag the picture and will send any ol' dress to me that maybe looks like that or maybe not? I don't understand how it works.

The information listed is:

sleeve style: long sleeve
size: custom made
color: ivory
condition: new, without tags

After that, the ad (with a larger photo) reads, "100% New dress, No Ready-made Wedding Gown! Need Custom-made! Colour like photo. Made in China. Payment : Paypal payment, International Bank Transfer

Shipping : EMS :$140(5-7days)
insurance :$10

We can Combine Shipping dress . If you buy more .Please contact me. We will give you a new price."

Then it shows a size chart, and says the return period is 7 days (coming from China, which doesn't leave long, I take it) and then says an exchange is the only available method of refund. Am I being psycho? Is this too good to be true, or is this how dress shopping works on eBay? I know it's only $200 so it seems like it might be worth the risk to find out, but I'm not exactly rolling in money at the moment, but I know this is a tiny fraction of the cost I'd spend if I had to buy my dress in the UK or something.

Here's a photo of the dress. Seems kind of intricate for a custom job costing only $50 to me, but if it's for real, I don't want to miss it! So, the bottom line is, how likely am I to get scammed if I go for this?

ETA: The seller's feedback is all good (with one neutral and no negatives), although one of the 'good' comments was, "It was really nice but not what was pictured." Lots of the comments were pleased with how fast the shipping was, and most of them were happy with the product (or at least not unhappy). The one comment about it not looking like the picture was (no real surprise) feedback on what appears to be the same dress. So, what to do? Help, please!

 

[lliang_chi]

Gwen, I don''t have experience buying a wedding dress on eBay, but if this is something that''s being cut & sewn in China, then yes, the dress can be that inexpensive. But the cuts will probably be generic, meaning you should leave room for alterations. The only other thing is I doubt they''ll use the same fabric as the actual gown you saw from the designer. Mayeb you can ask the seller what fabric they use and how they take measurements for the gown. E.g. just the sizing chart they gave or if you can send in your proper measurements and they''ll cut accordingly.

You''re right to smell something dodgy. I mean, you can get a really good dress for really cheap or just something that looks thrown together and sewn by an apprentice. There''s a lot of tailors etc in SE Asia & China etc that do custom made clothes, but sometimes you really "get what you pay for", so to speak. Stuff isnt'' sewn symmetric, cut improperly, etc. I''m not discouraging you, but I guess saying, Wait and ask someone. See if you can get get customer reviews or something. Good luck

BTW, LOVE LOVE LOVE your dress!

 

[gwendolyn]

Thanks, lliang_chi, I''m quite fond of that dress too (although I wouldn''t call it mine just yet

)! I guess what it comes down to is whether I''m willing to gamble or not, because unless someone here happens to have bought from the same vendor, there''s really no way to tell whether I''ll get the sort of gown I''m imagining or some thrown-together piece of pooh. I''ve never been much into gambling, so this would kinda be a first for me.

There''s also something to be said (although not much in my book) for the fact that J and I aren''t technically engaged yet. We most likely will be, and will possibly (if only due to practical reasons) even be getting married in February if my parents and brothers come over to England for graduation (airfare isn''t cheap, and if it doesn''t look like I''ll get a visa extension, we''d probably have to get married around then anyway).

 

[neatfreak]

Those dresses are *usually* custom made replicas of the orginal. Never nearly as nice IMO. If you are picky about fabrics and details, DON'T GET IT. If not, it could be a cheap way to get an ok dress. But none of them I have seen on the knot, etc. are nice IMO...

But I almost guarantee you it is a copy not the real thing...Notice how it says "color like the picture"? It never says that you get THAT DRESS. Just a copy.

 

[Gypsy]

Did you check the seller''s ID with toolhaus.org or did you just check their feedback on ebay. There is a difference. If the toolhaus feedback is also good, then it''s up to you if you want to take a gamble on the gown.

It''s not a designer gown right, it''s THEIR design or their knock off of a design? If that''s the case, then it''s a gamble. If it''s a pronovias (for example) actual gown, then it''s a little less of a gamble. I dont'' like buying things I can''t see ACTUAL pics of. The pic from an advertisement is not enough for me to take a gamble usually, especially on clothing.

 

[sumbride]

There is no reason you need to get it now because I guarantee you that you will be able to find that company again once you have the date set. There are several of these companies on eBay and they all make copies of gowns. Some are better than others. I wouldn''t let the urge to save make you buy it now. There''s no reason for it. And really, you should try a few of the silhouettes on before you buy because what looks good in a picture may not be what you end up loving ON you. Believe me! I was shocked to see that my favorite silhouettes did not work on me and what I ended up with wasn''t remotely what I thought I wanted originally.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 3:44:02 PM
Author: neatfreak
Those dresses are *usually* custom made replicas of the orginal. Never nearly as nice IMO. If you are picky about fabrics and details, DON''T GET IT. If not, it could be a cheap way to get an ok dress. But none of them I have seen on the knot, etc. are nice IMO...


But I almost guarantee you it is a copy not the real thing...Notice how it says ''color like the picture''? It never says that you get THAT DRESS. Just a copy.

Yeah, I tend to be rather picky about the quality of fabric, however I also know we''re going to essentially have no budget to play with at all, so if it looks something like this dress it *might* be the best option for getting something that is close to what I want for a doable price. Maybe. I will only be wearing it for a few hours BUT I don''t want it to look like it was just thrown together at the last minute either.

Anyway, thanks for the input. You''re reinforcing the concerns I have already.

 

[Gypsy]

My problem is that I don''t see it as saving you money. I see it as costing you 200 bucks you won''t be able to unload or re-sell to recoup well enough.

If you haven''t tried on gowns that are very similar, I say NO WAY. It''s amazing how different these things look when they are ON.

I agree totally with Sumbride.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 3:46:12 PM
Author: Gypsy
Did you check the seller''s ID with toolhaus.org or did you just check their feedback on ebay. There is a difference. If the toolhaus feedback is also good, then it''s up to you if you want to take a gamble on the gown.


It''s not a designer gown right, it''s THEIR design or their knock off of a design? If that''s the case, then it''s a gamble. If it''s a pronovias (for example) actual gown, then it''s a little less of a gamble. I dont'' like buying things I can''t see ACTUAL pics of. The pic from an advertisement is not enough for me to take a gamble usually, especially on clothing.

I hadn''t heard of toohaus.org until your post, Gypsy (brand new to the eBay thing as I mentioned), but I have checked now and it''s exactly the same as the eBay feedback: no negatives, one neutral and the rest positives. This seller has been selling since May 2007. It''s a copy, not the original dress, as I understand it. I just messaged the seller to ask for photos of her actual gowns, instead of the stock photo.

 

[neatfreak]

Did you see that random post from someone who wanted a medieval-ish dress, bought from one of these places, and it ended up looking like a cartoon dress? I wish I could remember who that was...but it was pretty different from the picture!!!

I''ll try to find it for you...

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/7/2008 3:57:17 PM
Author: neatfreak
Did you see that random post from someone who wanted a medieval-ish dress, bought from one of these places, and it ended up looking like a cartoon dress? I wish I could remember who that was...but it was pretty different from the picture!!!

I''ll try to find it for you...

Oh god, I remember that one. I dont'' remember who it was but the dress was just flat out horrible when it arrived.

Be careful Gwen, we can find you a lovely gown HERE, and if you have time, and this is important to you, start putting away a little money here and there... 20 bucks a month or 50 bucks a month will go a long way toward a lovely gown for you.

 

[neatfreak]

Ok, that was WAY easier than I anticipated. Here is the link. Check the picture of what they sent vs. what it was supposed to be. WAAAAAY different!!!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-honest-opinions-on-my-wedding-dress-is-it-cute-or-too-gaudy-theatrical.66229/

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 3:52:49 PM
Author: sumbride
There is no reason you need to get it now because I guarantee you that you will be able to find that company again once you have the date set. There are several of these companies on eBay and they all make copies of gowns. Some are better than others. I wouldn''t let the urge to save make you buy it now. There''s no reason for it. And really, you should try a few of the silhouettes on before you buy because what looks good in a picture may not be what you end up loving ON you. Believe me! I was shocked to see that my favorite silhouettes did not work on me and what I ended up with wasn''t remotely what I thought I wanted originally.

The draw is that I''m in the US now but won''t be after the end of this month. It''s possible J and I will end up getting married in February, before I have a chance to come back home, and it looks like a lot of sellers only ship to the US. Gowns (like many other things in the UK) are hideously expensive, and spending £100 on a dress would be absolutely impossible there--of course, there may be good reason for that, I don''t know! But I do know I can barely buy a decent jacket for £100, let alone a wedding dress.

Anyway, that was part of the thinking behind it.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 3:59:51 PM
Author: neatfreak
Ok, that was WAY easier than I anticipated. Here is the link. Check the picture of what they sent vs. what it was supposed to be. WAAAAAY different!!!


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-honest-opinions-on-my-wedding-dress-is-it-cute-or-too-gaudy-theatrical.66229/

Julius' Bridal doesn't seem to carry the Fina dress any longer, but I get your point.

The thing is (and this is sort of in reply to Gypsy who mentioned time and saving money) is that I don't really feel like I *do* have time; one of the many curses of being in an international relationship. I really don't want to have to settle for buying something off the rack at a department store, so I thought maybe this would be a way to get something like what I want without breaking the bank and without having to deal with UK prices/import taxes. It'd be really nice if SOMEthing could be easy, y'know? I think I was just being foolishly optimistic to think one of the easy things could be the dress. Thanks for the help.

 

[neatfreak]

Hmmm...I guess they don't. But suffice it to say that what she thought she ordered was more of a normal wedding dress. Much more. And it looked a heck of a lot nicer in their pictures than it did once it came in.

And don't worry! We will certainly help you find a dress, a beautiful one, that you can be sure will fit and look fabulous!!!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

DON''T DO IT! At the bridal place I am going to, they have a deal with one of those companies and the owner showed me the cheap original ($700) and the Chinese knock off. even from a cheap dress the difference in quality was remarkable. That''s why the owner kept one, so bride''s knew what they were getting.
The demitrios is lovely and you really will get a better deal. We will all help when the time comes.

 

[Gypsy]

If you don't feel like you have time, what is your budget, your size and what do you want (sleeves, I'm guessing?). If you want the demetrios, call netbride and ask for a qoute.

 

[sumbride]

I remember that thread so well now Neatfreak!

Gwendolyn... I would seriously look elsewhere. That dress all-in may be $200, but I only paid $700 for mine, so can you visit a real bridal shop while you''re in the states? Like diamondfan says, a deal is only a deal if you''re getting exactly what you want.

 

[gwendolyn]

I might be able to swing by a bridal shop and try on some dresses before heading back to the UK. J and I are pretty sure we''re going to essentially be eloping but with family present because we will have no money (since we have to spend thousands on stupid paperwork to say we''re allowed to get married in the first place). Thankfully I haven''t been dreaming my whole life of what my wedding will be like, but I know I still don''t want to just wear a white business suit and sign some papers at the registry office and have that be that. I want a bit more than that--no idea how much more, since that will depend on our budget, but a bit more.

Anyway, I really do thank you all for your input. Although I was hoping for "should be ok, go ahead" I knew the chances of that weren''t likely. You know what they say about things that seem too good to be true...

 

[sera]

I just got the Bridal Bargains book and was reading about how the dresses are often made in China. They put the layers of fabric stacked on an assembly line and cut the layers with a laser all at the same time. Also, the fabric is typically polyester or cheap satin (sometimes the synthetic is given names like Italian Silk to mislead the buyer).

I guess some silk-like fabrics wouldn't be bad if you're on a budget (I'm on a budget as well), but some could be pretty bad. I have visions of those itchy, stiff, enevenly-sewn, thin packaged Halloween costumes.

I was also reading David's Bridals has designer copies made in Asia. They are less expensive and the fabrics are synthetic. Obviously they aren't on the same level as a designer gown. Then we have, for example, Impression's DaVinci line is a copy of David's copy of a Maggie Sottero's. I am guessing many of these eBay copies are not as good as the David's copy.

ETA: FWIW, for some off-the-rack gowns, Bridal Bargains gave the grade F to David's, B to DaVinci and C+ to Alfred Angelo. This week I plan on looking at Alfred Angelo. However, I would love to find a pre-owned designer gown in my budget.

They did mention Julius Bridal and some others; they said these are the same places turning out the designer gowns but of course the fabrics aren't the same. Some may be very happy with it- others not. Just depends on what you expect, I guess.

 

[choro72]

I've been researching a lot about dresses from ebay China vendors, so I'll share what I've learned.

First off, there ARE many vendors who are honest and make wonderful dresses. Here are some things to keep in mind.

You said that the vendor that you found had a magazine picture on their website. This is a very common tactic among them. Long story short, the end result is NOTHING like the magazine, and you can't do anything about it because they have a little disclaimer that says "it may be a little different from what you are seeing". Crooked zippers, uneven sleeves...I've heard lots of horror stories. And when you complain, they just give you the run around.

2nd tactic. Outrageous shipping prices. The dress that you have found is $50 with $140 shipping. What happens is, when you return your dress, all they give you is $50, and $140 goes into their pocket. These vendors make money off the shipping cost.

Communication. If you look at many ebay china stores, you see that English is clearly not their first language. You are going to have major problems asking them questions.

Here are some ways to protect yourself. Before you buy from them, ask them a LOT of questions. This will give you an idea of how they will be communicating with you with respect to your order. If you see only magazine pictures, ask them to show you pictures of the actual dress that they make. Ask them what fabric they use. Ask them about colors. Ask them if they sew the beads or glue them on. Ask them about their guarantee. If they never give you clear satisfactory answers, then steer away from them.

Read the ratings. Make sure you check out the reviews in the "Feedback as a Seller", because that is where other customers comment on their experience. You should also contact many of the customers. Ask them about their experience. Ask them to show you their pictures.

That been said, I've heard plenty of horror stories about bridal salons, so it's just a matter of making sure you trust the people you are ordering your dress from.
Here are some vendors that I've heard good things about, but just to let you know, I've never contacted them myself.
First, Milly Bridal, who has a ebay store name of Cinderella Bridal Store. The pictures they show are pictures of the actual dresses that they make, and they sound like language problems are minimal.
Another one is Netbride. Netbride is not an ebay seller, and they sell the actual dress from the designer. You first get a quote from them, and they will match any price that you found elsewhere. I've seen really, really good reviews about them, and they are a member of the BBB. When my time comes, I plan on contacting them myself.

 

[Pandora II]

Hi Gwen,

I would really recommend using the UK ebay when you are back here (www.ebay.co.uk) it''s a smaller site and I find it has more normal people selling than big companies.

I am certain that you will find something amazing if you are happy to buy second-hand or from a 2-dress bride. I would have gone that route if it wasn''t for the fact that I am 5ft 10" and so the chances of finding anything long enough was zero.

Otherwise it is worth checking out Debenhams or Monsoon, both of whom have lovely dresses - including real silk for under £200.

UK is expensive - but there are bargains to be had.

I buy everything on ebay, can''t remember the last time I bought anything in an actual shop except food! I especially love people who buy Hobbs suits, wear them twice and stick them on ebay. I have 5 - Pink, Green, Orange, Black and Grey, and none of them cost me more than £30. Yay!

 

[oobiecoo]

Some of the custom gowns from China being sold on Ebay are actually made at the same factories as designers like Maggie Sottero. During the day they make Maggies(or whatever designer) and at night they make the ebay dresses so alot of times the quality and fabric are similar. Alot of times they are not though.

This is a list of a couple of Chinese gown sites and sellers that people generally have good luck with:
bluecatalog.com
1koo.com
juliusbridal.com

ebay seller IDs:
china-ekt
blue-catalog
antzinternational
jeffliu8000

 

[gwendolyn]

Wow, ladies, thanks for all the great suggestions and encouragement! Not to throw a wrench into the mix, but I''m afraid my options are further limited not only by budget but also because I am a plus size chick who HATES her upper arms (hence my desire for sleeves, although I''m honestly not sure how much the sheer ones will improve matters). I know I''m doing this all kinds of backwards because I don''t even know what time of year for sure this will happen or what sort of location it will happen in, or what the budget is, or what styles will look good on me (although I am sure I know which ones won''t look good on me, and what styles are most flattering on me in general, so I do have some idea what will work, I think). Basically, I''m nuts! Doing it all wrong! And you know what? The boy still wants to marry me! He must be nuts too.

 

[oobiecoo]

Watters has some pretty bridesmaid dresses... some with sleeves... and they come in sizes up to 24!

 

[Gypsy]

Well I wear (currently and deperately NEED to lose weight) a 14 and have 4x arms. You would NOT believe my arms. They are massive. And flabby. So I understand. Totally. But I found that anything resembling cap sleeves just drew attention to them, and any sleeves large enough to fit my arms were attached to dresses WAY to big for me. I look very nice in V neck sleeveless tops and as I wanted to avoid the whole underarm/boob overflowing from side of dress issue (which happened to me even when I was thinner) I went with a V neck sleeveless gown.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 8:26:18 PM
Author: oobiecoo
Watters has some pretty bridesmaid dresses... some with sleeves... and they come in sizes up to 24!

Thanks, oobiecoo, I''m actually very familiar with W&W because I chose the bridesmaids dresses for a friends wedding and they were from there. I''ve looked at their dresses, and I think the problem is that I''m hugely picky--at least at this stage of the game. I think if J and I have to decide to get married quickly due to visa limitations and whatnot, almost any old white dress will do. But for the time being, I''d like to hope we won''t have to get married in whatever''s handy and am trying to have fun looking around, but it''s really just reminding me of how many things I''d like to have just so! Blarg. I''m a pain in my own rear end sometimes.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 4/7/2008 8:49:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
Well I wear (currently and deperately NEED to lose weight) a 14 and have 4x arms. You would NOT believe my arms. They are massive. And flabby. So I understand. Totally. But I found that anything resembling cap sleeves just drew attention to them, and any sleeves large enough to fit my arms were attached to dresses WAY to big for me. I look very nice in V neck sleeveless tops and as I wanted to avoid the whole underarm/boob overflowing from side of dress issue (which happened to me even when I was thinner) I went with a V neck sleeveless gown.

I will inevitably be trying on at least a few sleeveless gowns if only because they make up about 99% of the dress market out there now, but I am not looking forward to it in the slightest because I am ridiculously self-conscious of my body, especially my arms. I too am looking for a V-neck, as my cleavs are one of the few things I feel like I have to flaunt on this ol' bod! (Plus J has put in a request saying he doesn't care at all how my dress looks as long as it shows off a bit o' boob.) I'm starting to think that it might pay off to just design it myself...

I don't remember if I've seen photos of your dress--am going to do a search now, but if you haven't, do you have a link I could look at please?

ETA: Oh, of course! I found your dress, and it's absolutely beautiful! Once I saw a photo I remembered it, sorry about that.

 

[sumbride]

Just remember that sleeves can be added to almost any strapless gown and many sleeveless gowns as well!

and I agree with Gypsy... cap sleeves are worse than no sleeves at all!

 

[Gypsy]

Thanks for the compliments on the dress! It's going to be much nicer once I fix the neckline so that it's not a halter and is more a V neck and I replace that sash with one that is ivory and has no crystals or beads. I fell in love with it cause it makes my waist look tiny (I have a pretty small waist for my size though) and the way the fabric and skirt fall, there's no emphasis on any tummy (which isn't so tiny) I might have poking about. Plus it has the alencon lace I wanted, and a really pretty train that isn't too long. The rest is alter-able with the right seamstress.


This was one of my runners up. It was VERY flattering, it looks so "eh" on the website but in person it had the loveliest lining of silk charmeuse and the lace was beautiful and the neckline and bust were gorgeous. When I added a sash to it, it was even MORE of a knock out because it highlighted the waist. But, there was something about the Moncheri (the price was a factor too, as the Mon Cheri cost less, though with alterations they'll even out) that really caught me.

But I REALLY recommend this gown (I know you weren't too excited about watters gowns, and I have to say for the most part I didn't think many of them looked as nice in person as in the pics, but this one was just the opposite).

http://www.watters.com/product.php?coll=brides&showid=581 IF you look the large pic of the neckline close up you'll see how lovely the detail is on it.