Trusting your Retailer
Don't get caught out with false promises
Choosing the right retailer
Just Perfect have built up a reputation of being honest and professional with our clients and we do not mislead or overpromise. Unfortunately we have had customers that have had bad experiences of other bridalwear outlets and internet purchases and in some cases this has caused major upset.
So with this in mind, we have put together a guide to help you when you are shopping for that perfect gown.
Bridalwear and the Internet
The internet has revolutionised how we buy and how retailers sell. In most cases the internet provides an excellent and convenient service, but buying your wedding dress or prom gown, in our opinion, must be done at a bridalwear/prom specialist such as ourselves as this is such an important purchase. You need the right advice from highly trained specialists and you must afford yourself the time to try on gowns and not rely on photos.
Also, internet based retailers can only post photos of gowns on their websites, some more unscrupulous sites will post photos of amazing gowns, yet when your purchase arrives it looks nothing like the photo. If you buy from the internet you may save some money but you may also be let down. We have seen first hand the difference between the gowns customers expected and the the gown that was delivered, shoddy workmanship, sub standard materials and ill fitting are commonplace.
If you have bought from the internet and are not satisfied and think you may not have time to organise a replacement gown then don't worry, we stock over 400 gowns and we have a wealth of experience in dealing with brides and prom girls that have been let down and we have always managed to supply a gown that they were more than happy with.
Non-Authorised Retailers
Another scenario we have encountered is bridalwear stores claiming that they are authorised stockists of various designers gowns. To enable you to be certain that you are dealing with an authorised stockist below are some points to help you.
- Check on the designers website, they all have a list of stockists
- Call the designer, occasionally a retailer may have recently become a stockist but the website may not have been updated.
- Check the labels on the gowns, if they are the stores own or have no labels then they may be reproductions.
- The store should have literature and catalogues from the designer.
- Ask other retailers, the designers normally have a geographical based exclusivity. Therefore not having too many stores offering the same product, if more than one store in close proximity of another are offering the same designers product chances are one could be misleading you.
Yo-Yo Stores
Possibly the worst experience for any bride is to order their gown and then when they are due to collect they find that the retailer has closed down. Usually after taking your money!
Although there are new bridalwear retailers opening that will look after your interests there are others that will not. Be careful of new stores and ensure you follow the guidelines given for non-authorised retailers. Also, if the store asks for the full balance of the gown up front then this should also be an area of concern, a gown can be ordered 2 years or more from the date of the wedding and we only take a £100 deposit and the balance is paid when the gown arrives to the store.
Some of these stores that close without notice will re-open under a new name. But, chances are they will still use the same business methods and will not last very long.
Again, ask other retailers, friends or family. Most of our business is gained through referrals and we pride ourselves on that as it has taken a lot of hard work and making sure that all of our clients are given the highest level of service before during and after the wedding.