Designer wedding dresses offer exquisite detailed embellishments – pearls, crystals, lace applique, ribbons, bows, ruffles and frills….

And in efforts to avoid the price tag that’s attached to designer dresses, brides will search the designer and style number online to find the dress at a lower price. Except these dresses do not even remotely resemble the quality or look of the authentic because it’s a counterfeit.

Selling counterfeit wedding gowns online has become almost effortless by often using pictures of real designer gowns, but at a significantly discounted price – directly targeting brides who don’t want to pay a fortune for their gown. However, chances are it’s a counterfeit from an unauthorized foreign seller. Here are a few tips to ensure this doesn’t happen to you:

1. Bad reviews. Read through reliable wedding forums to see what reviews that online seller has received. Spending just a few minutes researching the website could prevent you from spending hundreds of dollars on a gown that’s poorly made and well below your expectations.

2. Check the designer’s site before making a purchase. The designer’s site will tell you which online retailers are authorized. This will tell you which stores are permitted to distribute the designer’s gowns – rarely it will be an online retailer.

3. Restocking fees. The company will refund your money, but only with a restocking fee. This is a huge red flag. It suggests that the company makes most of its money from selling low-quality dresses that women will want to return. Even worse – some companies won’t even accept returns.

4. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If an online retailer is selling a new designer gown for 50 percent or more off the retail price, it may be unrealistic. You want the gown you fell in love with – not a counterfeit with uneven seams, itchy fabrics and unflattering cuts.

Finding a discounted (yet still exquisite) dress is possible. Wedding dresses are typically worn once, so why not buy a used one? Or maybe you’ll opt to sign up to receive emails from your favorite bridal boutiques – easy way to stay up to date with latest sales and exclusive promotions.

Author: Felicia Felmlee