Ive been looking at wedding dresses from shops on ebay, can anyone tell me if they are as good...?

Question

as they are in the pictures? There are some lovely ones and ive been dying to buy one but im a bit sceptical that they won't be the same as what they look like in the pics. Has anyone ever bought one?

Answer 1

I bought my dress of Ebay and it's gorgeous! These were my steps:



1) I looked in bridal magazines for ideas of different styles you like.



2) I went to a bridal shop and basically tried on every style there to see what looked best on me.



3) I looked on Ebay for weeks at different dresses and reading all the feedback. At the same time I was considering on having a dress custom made.



4) I saw a dress I LOVED and that I knew would look good on me, and placed a bid. It costs $160, and that's including tax, and the store had a 100% positive feedback.



I needed minor alterations (hemmed, and taken it an inch) but that's all! The price was so cheap I didn't mind the risk. I knew if it didn't work out, I still had money in my wedding dress budget to by another dress from somewhere else.

Answer 2

I haven't bought a wedding dress from E-Bay but I have bought a huge amount of other items. So, just a few words of advice...



1. Check the description to see if it states that the item shown in the picture is the one you will be buying. If it doesn't say then e-mail the seller with a question.



2. Does the seller offer a no quibble return guarantee in the event of disappointment - all reputable sellers should? If they don't, don't bid.



3. Check the measurements given very, very carefully - and also bear in mind that if you are not a standard size it's probably not a good idea to be buying unseen.



4. Check the seller's feedback - it's vitally important, especially when buying something as special - and expensive! - as a wedding dress.



Good luck!

Answer 3

Honestly, you should never have asked to go in the first place. If she wanted you there she would have asked. It put her in the position of having to say no to you. Wedding dress shopping is something for the bride to do with her mom. Something special. You have a son, not a daughter and it's just something you have to accept. You kept pushing by asking about the fitting and it was not appropriate. I think you are being too sensitive and need to back off and give the girl some space before you push her away forever. She obviously doesn't want a close relationship with you and by being forceful you are ruining any chance of her opening up in the future. I am saying this as both a daughter and a mother. Based on all your other questions it seems like you are obsessed with this girl and the situation. She loves your son and wants to marry him. She doesn't want to be close to you or your family. Get over it. At least she lets her son see you, if you keep acting like this she might not, then you'll have a real problem to post about.

Answer 4

This is a tough question to answer without knowingwho the seller is. I managed to buy SEVEN wedding dresses on ebay in an effort to save money and ended up going to the store and buying one. It's been so frustrating!



first, I bought a "Lot of 5" dresses for $190 from a Charity auction on ebay. The five dresses were like a grab bag. You didn't know what you'd get til you got it. I hated ALL of them. I sold one on ebay for two dollars and the rest are at a consignment shop where I will get 40-50 dollars each if they sell. So I might break even on that, minus the shipping.



THEN, I bought a Maggie Sottero (Teresa) gown for $199.00. I REALLY wanted a M.S. gown. Because of my height and the detailing along the bottom, it was not as easy to alter as I had thought. After $250 in alterations, I still would have to wear two crinoline slips AND 4 inch heels to make it work! Since my wedding is in August, I really didn't want to be THAT bogged down in material AND be teetering on heels. (I'm still hanging on to this one for now)



After that, I bought another dress for $100. It was the first style that I really wanted from David's Bridal. It was almost perfect. I just had trouble with the length again. It was not as bd as the first one, but it would involve removing the lace bottom, cutting the satin, then replacing the lace, which my first seamstress said would be expensive. (Another one later told me it could be done for less, but I already ordered the NEXT dress). So I took this one to the consignment shop and will luckily get $225 if it sells.



So feeling completely desperate and defeated, I went to David's Bridal and ordered another dress for $599!!! It was good to talk to someone at the store who could help me figure out how/if the gown could be altered for me.



All of the sellers on ebay were great. And the dresses were exactly as described. The charity box was used dresses, the other two were new, with tags attached. None were overseas.



Just keep in mind that you lose the advantage of trying on the dress and determining if it looks and feels right and if it can be tailored to suit you. With all the money I spent on the wrong dress, I could have actually gotten the Maggie Sottero style from the bridal shop that would have REALLY suited me.

Answer 5

I bought a used dress online (not from ebay--check out preownedweddingdresses.com) and it was pretty close to the pictures--picutures are never exact, though. The colors (white v. ivory) and the detailing (like embroidery vs. appliques) are very hard to distinguish in the pictures because different lighting can create different effects.



I will say this much: if you have looked at any gown designers sites, the pictures on their sites look NOTHING like the real dresses--they always manage to make the dresses look better than they really are. Pictures taken by individuals on ebay are more likely to look like the real thing.



Regardless, I would still not buy unless I could return it. You never know whether you'll like it once you see it.

Answer 6

Read the fine print and contact the seller. Sometimes, the seller makes dresses that look like designer dresses. In these instances, they usually post the designer's pictures instead of their own. Some of the wedding dresses on eBay are from China. It's hit and miss with these. They can look fabulous, but shipping takes a very long time. Also, because of the costs of shipping that you have to cover if you return or exchange the dress, you might end up being out a lot of money if there is something wrong with it.



A friend of mine purchased her dress on eBay, from one of the sellers who make dresses that look like other designer's dresses (in this case, David's Bridal). I don't remember the name of the store, but I would recognize the website if I saw it. If you would like, send me a link of the dress you're thinking about, and I can tell you if that is the same store. My friend had a wonderful experience with them.

Answer 7

I went to David's bridal after chit chatting with a lot of the them. Just realize the dress you are seeing is the Pattern dress- they didn't make it and it's a bought picture so your dress will be a copy of that dress.. Also they are unable to do anything different and a lot of them are from overseas and have problems understanding English. Also always try a dress on before buying it... go to David's and find a similar dress to try on to make sure it looks good. Also ask the vendor about the return policy if the work is faulty.... most won't let you return it if you don't like it.



Good luck!

Answer 8

Regardless...you won't be able to try the dress on before you buy it. All brands run differently, so you might end up with an unpleasant surprise when your dress arrives. If you are set on getting a deal, try and find a local vendor of the same brand and try that brand on before you bid. You can also get a look at the quality and fabric of the dress, something that you can't see on ebay. Good luck!

Answer 9

I bought my wedding dress from Cinderella Bridal on ebay.... i ordered it mid February and it came late March. I was sceptical as well, but didnt want to drop $700 on a dress to wear one day.... Initially after placing the order there was a little confusion---the person in charge had been out sick for a week--- but after that was resolved, very professionally i might add, everything was smoooth and I LOVE my wedding dress... it's exaclty what i wanted and I got it for $290 (including shipping & insurance)!!!! I'll have to have some alterations done (who doesnt?) but mine turned out GREAT!! Good Luck!

Answer 10

With something as important as your wedding dress, you really need to see it and try it on before you buy it.



The chances are that it won't be the same as the picture. But even if it does look exactly the same as the photo, it doesn't mean that you'll like the way it looks when you put it on.



A lot of wedding dresses come from China. They aren't returnable. You need to take account of the postage costs as well before you think about bidding.

Answer 11

I bought my dresses on ebay, it was not a shop though. I check her feedback and read the feedback that everyone else had place. Most the shops on ebay have some kind of return policy. Just check and see and make sure their feedback is high. I love my dress and its prettier in person,



Good Luck, getting married in august

Answer 12

I know a number of brides who have purchased their gowns on Ebay. They have had mixed results. Buyer beware.



In order to try to minimize the risk of dissapointment:

I strongly suggest you go to your local bridal shop, find the same style gown (if possible) and try it on. At the very least, find a similar style/cut gown in your local "David's Bridal" or similar store, even if you can't find the exact same gown. Just make sure you are comfortable with how that style looks on your body.



Once you have chosen a style at your local bridal shop, then search for it on Ebay or one of the discount websites.



Brides that purchase gowns online after trying the same style gowns on in person tend to be much more satisfied with the final result.



Purchasing a gown just based on how it looks on the model in the picture often will lead to dissapointment. A dress can look fantastic in pictures but may not be totally flattering to your own body when you get it home.



One more word of caution:



When you go to your local bridal shop to try on similar gowns, make certain you get full, accurate measurements taken. It would be such a shame to spend money on a gown that arrives too small. A gown that is too large typically can be salvaged by taking it in...but a too-small gown can only be let out by a few inches.



An alternative is to start looking at your local bridal shops gown liquidations. Many of the gowns you find on ebay are purchased at big sales held by David's Bridal (their $99 sales are fantastic for getting beautiful budget gowns) or "last season gowns" at specialty shops.



I wish you the best dear.

Answer 13

the only problem w/ this would be that if it was an expensive...but still "cheap" dress that on ebay.. y do u think thast they r selling the dress in the first place.. either its 2 small or they wanna get rid of it, or its torn or messed up sopmehow, but not all of them r like that...u just ake a chance of it being that way when u buy something off of the internet

Answer 14

I recently bought my wedding gown from eBay, and I was slightly dissapointed. It came from China, and the woman I bought it from could hardly communicate with me & had very broken English. I ordered it in white and it showed up in Ivory. Shipping was $150 so it wasn't even worth trying to return it.



Once I got the gown out of the box, I was so upset. It was all wrinkled, had a weird smell, and was NOT what I was expecting. After airing it out, having it steamed, and getting a few tweaks done, it actually turned out quite beautiful, and I am extreamly pleased with it!



I also bought my bridemaid's gowns on ebay for a whole $5 each (shipping was $75!) and the girls LOVE them. One of my bridemaid's sister actually wants to wear it to her prom. I bought them in bulk, so I got to save on shipping too. It was sooo much easier than rounding them all up and trying to decide on one for all of them.



Contact the seller, check their feedback, see what the return policy consists of (if they refund for shipping as well), and if you find one you can't possibly be without, then go for it! Just be prepared for the worst, and you won't be too dissapointed if it isn't what you expected. Good luck!!!

Answer 15

I got my dress of ebay but it was a designer gown sample, not a dress that some one made.



If you like it talk to the seller regarding their return policy. Get what they are stating in writing (what the fabric is, satisfaction gurantees etc) ask alot of questions...



will the dress be lined? this helps the dress keep its shape...



Is it made to your measurments?



if it is not as promised what is their return policy?

Answer 16

hi yes I bought one and it is actually better than in the picture extremly well made and of good quality material, the measurements were perfect too

I cant remember the sellers id but the dress was called fairy princess and it was only £170

hope this help

xxxxx

Answer 17

My aunt bought one. She sent her measurements in, and the dress was custom made to fit her! She received a fabulous gown for about $150, and it was gorgeous! Check the feedback, and see what their sizing policy is.

Answer 18

The majority of the overseas sellers on ebay who are providing wedding/prom dresses do have excellent feedback. They provide lots of close up pictures, with specific sizings, and in some cases they even ask you to provide your measurements for adjustments. In view of the amount your spending with them, I think its worth taking the chance. Less than £200 is one hell of a deal in my eyes, and tens of thousands of other ebayers seem to agree.

Answer 19

i have bought one from ebay and it was amazing just as it was in the pic i paid £54 and the dress is worth £900 truly stunning dress

Answer 20

well for something that is going to be the most special day in our life, personnaly i wouldn't buy it off ebay.

You haven't tried it on, it may not be as it seems in picture.

What happens if you got to send it back?



Personaly I would try and buy it locally so that you can try it on a couple of times to make sure.

Answer 21

This is an important dress, and shouldn't EVER be left up to simple online ordering. There is no guarantee that it will be what you want, the size you need, or arrive on time. Please, for the sake of your own stress-level, go to a store to try on some dresses and find what you want in a place that is guaranteed to do any needed alterations, and to have your dress on time for your day.

Answer 22

I got my wedding dress off of ebay, and it is gorgeous. If you have any doubts about size, ask for measurements and get measured yourself. This is what I did and it fits really well. I couldn't be happier.

Answer 23

Read the feedback on the sellar. Also, ask for photos through email.

Answer 24

I haven't .. but a close-up photo usually doesn't lie. Don't forget, you can always put them back on e-bay if you are not happy... or maybe ask them about a return if not satisfied.

Answer 25

I know you are not supposed to as it is spam but why dont you email a couple of previous customers and ask them

Answer 26

they never, ever turn up anything like the pictures, I know 4 brides that went out and bought another dress, and another that didnt, and it fell aprt getting out of the limo on the way into the church

Answer 27

Try the sample sales.

Answer 28

OMG!

They could be made of ANYTHING!!!!!

Go to a store, and get a fitting!