Prom dresses can be expensive, especially if you have to add in alterations or shipping fees, so when girls and their parents find what appears to be a great deal online for a designer gown, they’ll snatch it up while they can. That’s exactly what some companies are counting on, however, and the results can be bad for the buyer.
Several China-based businesses are marketing designer dresses online to girls desperate for a good deal, and when the product is received it’s often a poorly-made knockoff. The worst part is, the gowns can sometimes take months to ship and several consumers have reported that their credit card information was compromised.
“These websites use Google AdWords to advertise, as well as the original designers images and trademarks, to sell poorly made knockoffs to teenage girls and their parents who believe they are getting a deal on their designer prom dress,” said Jon Liney, co-founder of DaphneDresses.com.
The sites will often use faux product reviews and ads to trick buyers into thinking they are legitimate, so navigating through the thousands of web pages selling dresses can be tricky. Luckily, Daphne Dresses has created a guide to help anyone looking for the perfect prom dress find what they want without hassle.
A thorough scan of the site can usually give you telltale signs that it’s not legit; read the text carefully to make sure it seems right and isn’t in broken English. Also, most sites will accept Paypal or will have an SSL certificate that is clickable. If you can’t click on it and check it out, the site is most likely one you want to steer clear of.
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