5. Raising a dispute may not be successful.
Changes In Wedding Dress Styles
Usually a woman's wedding suit, unlike a man's, is worn only the once. The most lavish and indulgent purchase for any girl is generally her wedding dress. Dreams from a young age of the fairytale wedding often centre around the perfect dress. The choices in wedding attire today are great and cater for the often vastly different bridal personalities. Many brides, however, choose to revert to the more traditional theme warranting a more traditional gown for the occasion, such as Lady Diana's silk, taffeta gown created by the Emmanuals.
White wedding dresses have long been accepted in society as a symbol of purity and innocence although today's brides often opt for a more flattering ivory hue. During the first part of the last century a white wedding dress, because it couldn't be washed and reused, was a sign of wealth. Coco Chanel reinforced this idea in the late 1920's with her short white wedding dress with full veil which inspired the acceptance of the white wedding dress worldwide.
The traditional wedding dress is likely to simple bridesmaid dresses be a jewel encrusted luxury fabric such as duchesse satin, organza and silk. Wedding dress styles vary from the traditional A-line through to vintage lace styles. The traditional A-line style's popularity is due to its ability to disguise most imperfections in body shape, an essential requirement if the bride is to look her best.
Accessorising to complement your traditional or modern wedding dresses plays a crucial role in bringing the whole look or theme together. Satin pumps, jewel encrusted veils, sparkling tiaras - the range of accessories is vast and includes blue laced garter for the important 'something blue'.
Eggshell, ecru and ivory are just some of today's popular choices of 'white'. Additionally, in keeping with today's civil wedding ceremonies, most brides will choose an off-white gown of modern style. Fashion trends often dictate the style chosen by the young modern bride wishing to veer away from the traditional style of ceremony. The modern bride is likely to want a dress designed by people like Vera Wang or Maggie Sottero. Hand sewn embellishments and cutting edge design challenge the more traditional wedding gown.
Whatever the design - modern or traditional - the dress must wholesale evening 2013 gowns be compatible with the bride's personality. Vera Wang's statement about a woman never being sexier than when she's comfortable in her clothes is so true for the day of your wedding.
Prom Dresses From Overseas Auction Sellers Five Things You Need To Know
Browse online auction sites and you're sure to be amazed by the number of bargain prom dresses being advertised. However many people fail to factor in shipping charges, customs duty and VAT before purchasing a gown and end up with a prom dress which costs more than they expected. In addition to this, buying overseas may make it harder to get a refund if you receive a gown that does not match the description.
The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the things to bear in mind when buying prom dresses from overseas auction site sellers.
1. They may be making money on the shipping charge, not the purchase price
Does the price of the gown seem too good to be true? Many sellers offer a very low price on prom dresses and make their money from charging very high shipping charges. They do this because they know that many consumers will focus on the purchase price, treating the shipping price as an incidental cost. In some cases, by the time you've added on shipping costs, you can end up paying more than three times as much as you expected.
What to do: Many people focus on the bargain purchase price and try to put the postage price out of their mind. When ordering a prom dress from overseas the cost of shipping becomes part of your cost of purchasing the item. Always check the postage price and calculate the total amount that ordering this dress will cost you before making the decision to buy.
2. Overseas Prom Dresses will cost you 30% more than you think
If you're importing a prom dress into the UK from a county outside of Europe you will be charged VAT and Customs Duty by HMRC if the amount you pay (for the item, shipping included) is over ?0. VAT and Customs Duty are calculated based on the shipping and purchase cost. Once added on these taxes will normally increase the price knee length dresses for juniors of prom dresses by around 30%. This means if you pay ?0 for the dress and ?0 for delivery the total you will end up paying will not just be ?20, it will be close to ?60.
What to do: Contact HMRC for advice on how to work out the VAT and customs prom dresses attract.
So let's say you receive a gown and wish to return it. What are your options with regards to prom dresses which don't fit or dosn't meet their descriptions?
3. It will cost you money to return the Dress
If the seller agrees to let you return your prom gown then don't forget that you'll be the one who has to pay out for international postage to send it back to them.
What to do: Ensure that you bear this risk in mind when purchasing your gown.
4. You where to buy evening dresses may find UK law unenforceable
What happens if the factory refuses to allow you to return an item? If you were buying from a UK seller you have the options of contacting Trading Standards or taking the seller to small claims court. However, while UK law is enforceable in the UK, you may find it very difficult to enforce if you've bought prom dresses overseas.
What to do: Be aware of the risks involved; the greatest protection you have are therefore the threat of negative feedback or using a protected payment method.
5. Raising a dispute may not be successful.
If worse comes to worst and the seller won't refund your money for a dress which doesn't match the description then you have two options. You can either threaten the seller with negative feedback or (if you've used a secure payment method) you can raise a dispute. However do bear in mind that such disputes are often difficult to settle and it is by no means a guarantee that you will definitely get your money back.
Buying prom dresses overseas from online auction sellers not only has hidden customs and VAT costs, it also has inherent risks. Be aware that buying abroad often means paying high shipping costs, customs duty, VAT and can affect your ability to return an item with which you are not satisfied. With this in mind you will be in a position to make an informed decision about whether the costs and risks involved in buying from an overseas seller make it a good option for you
