A word to the wise.

lindaatno9

I'm going to spout off about purchasing you wedding gown "off shore" and aplogies in advance for doing this, but felt it a good source of info incase anyone was considering this option.
I know there have been MANY success stories but along with those do come the bad ones.
As you may know I belong to a sewing forum where many of the BAD BUYS are discussed and viewed.

Have found a few things about ordering from "off shore"
1. The refund policy is, if the dress has been ordered standard size, as long as it is returned within 7 days and is in perfect condition, you will get a refund. But, you will be expected to pay 30% restocking fee (whatever that is) and return postage. Now, correct me if i'm wrong, but on a £200 gown that is £60. Plus return postage. You could buy a bridesmaids dress for this, so as I see it, you are throwing away good money in the hope you will get your dress for a bargain. Returning the item ensures the company you purchase from has some form of payment.
2. If you are ordering made to measure, they do advise having measurements taken by a professional dressmaker (who may charge for this) You will NOT be entitled to a refund.
Again, they do say they will send you a standard size, but how do you know what their standard sizes are? It comes, it needs altering, more money. So, to be on the safe side what do you do. Have it made to measure. At this point they have you by the short and curlies. No refund for made to measure.
Do you really want to enter into a contract with a company who will take your money for whatever the reason.
3. In uk law, you are entitled to a 7 day cooling off period.But, one off shore supplier states this from their website.We will start making your order as soon as payment received, and we can't cancel such an order. So, if you get nervous or want to cancel after you hit the confirm payment button, your money is theirs.


Think long, think hard and explore your options. Again, source your local dressmakers. Just because you have something made to measure doesn't mean you have to pay silly money.
Soap box moment over.

bride_on_a_budget

Hi Linda,

i bought my dress from from china through ebay, i fell in love with the photo of the dress, i had my measurements taken and bought the dress, inc shipping it cost £100.
while they were making my dress i went to a local bridal shop and found the exact dress for £950, i tried it on and still loved it.
my dress arrived after 35 days and was exactly the same as the one in the bridal shop. (spoke to a friend of the owner and she said they buy all of their dresses from china)
The measurements were perfect and my dress went down a storm on the day.

i have since directed clients of mine to this seller and they have found the dresses of there dreams too.

i know there are alot of offshore companies that do let brides down in regards to sizing, colour and rip off shipping prices, and that you can not try on dresses before you purchase but i think this company was brilliant

bride

lindaatno9

It is good to hear of the success stories and even better when you can go by recomendation.

Minxy_Bella

The thing is, the terms and conditions are in plain view when you start to look at the websites, so you know you might be taking a chance. Caveat emptor - if that's the right phrase??

I can't recommend Landy highly enough - my dress is amazing and I feel like a princess in it. For £150, it's an absolute bargain as it looks like it's worth ten times that.

I did my research very carefully and ordered a standard size with a corset back - it fits like a dream and would do if I lost or gained a stone in the next ten days!

I understand what the OP is saying but I think that the poor Chinese manufacturers are few and far between tbh.

*Louise*

I spent months poring over reviews before ordering from Landy. I still worried even after I sent the order.

But, realistically, no company can please all of the people all of the time, there are always going to be a few bad stories, but at least the successes outweigh them - £150 for a dress, jacket, bag and postage is a chance I am willing to take. If I lose out, then at least it's not hundreds of pounds

There was no way I was going into dress shops and changing umpteen times, I'm just not one for that. So I chose something simple in an A-Line style and got made to measure. (For length more than anything else as I'm 5'10) hopefully the corset back will allow for any fluctuations around the middle.

augustsmummy

Hiya,
I had trouble with a bridal company in this country, that much like the off shore ones you have mentioned made to measure.
I thought I was safe as their ebay feedback was great, and it was a London based company, so no shipping problems etc.
I chose the dress I fell in love with and payed about £100 for it to be made. The picture I had seen was of an ivory dress with delicate pink tulips embroided on both the front and the train. I took the measurements carefully.
Anyway, the dress arrived as schedualed, but I was horrified to find the delicate tulips had been replaced with PURPLE Forget-me-nots!
I tried to return it, but due to their terms I would have only had a refund of £25, after paying for delivery back to shop (which was £35) and their fees as it had been made to measure. I was gutted!
I did have sucess buying from ebay later. I bought a Wedding dress from a lady who had closed her shop and was selling off her stock. The dress was stunning and fitted like a dream (well that was until I lost weight, but that was my fault ). It cost me £99 including delivery for a dress and matching jacket, which had its original price tag of £850 still attatched. It was my dream dress and everyone commented on how lovely it was!
What I am trying to say is be careful, if you can't see an actual picture of the finished dress before you pay it really is buyer beware.
Good luck to all you brides to be!

lindaatno9

Yep, there are cowboys in the UK too.
I'm surprised they never offered you a full refund because they changed the design. They should have notified you and asked if this was satisfactory. Unless, of course, you agreed to their T&C without reading the small print. I am going through mine with a fine toothcomb. T&C shosuld be there to protect not only the supplier but the customer too.
I guess for me, if someone isn't satisfied with my work, they can always pay me a visit!!!!
I'm so glad you got sorted though.

alfiesmum

There is a special website dedicated to letting people know the truths about buying wedding dresses that seem too good to be true. Been looking for twenty minutes, and can't find it...will keep trying!

One thing worth noting too, is that if you buy from eBay, and the dress costs, say, £10, and then the shipping costs £130, even if it's made for a Sindy doll when it arrives, you're not covered on Paypal protection. The reason being, that postage costs are not covered, and neither is any item under £15....so don't think you're safer because you're using Paypal. There are ways around all of that for some sellers..

alfiesmum

Found it!

www.bridesaware.co.uk

Although it's not specifically warning about dresses from overseas, it's about buying from non authorised internet sellers of wedding dresses.

strawberries1

[QUOTE=alfiesmuThere_are_ways_around_all_of_that_for_some_sellers..[/QUOTE]
Thanks for this.