How to Avoid an Ebay Mother of the Bride Dress Nightmare
Ebay is becoming a more and more respectable alternative for procuring otherwise unattainable items. Even so, many brides turn their nose up at purchasing their wedding gear from the same site that sells Elvis paraphernalia and used roller blades. However, an ebay mother of the bride dress or bridesmaids gown can be just as high quality as any dress purchased in a bridal salon. The trick to finding a great mother of the brides dress or bridesmaids on ebay is to know how to navigate the system.
The following are some common fears about using Ebay:
-What if I purchase an item and never receive it?
-What if there are hidden costs involved in shipping this item? Where is the bargain really at?
-What if my one of kind designer mother of the brides dress is fresh off the factory floor in Taiwan?
-With the increasing concerns about internet fraud, will my credit card information be stolen?
These are all legitimate concerns for a potential ebay shopper. Taking everything that could go wrong into account, why even bother to use Ebay at all? However, if you take just a few moments to review these following basic guidelines, an ebay mother of the brides dress or bridesmaids gown can turn out to be a cost-effective solution for the wallet conscious.
-First, remember that Ebay is an alternative for your wedding planning needs, not a last minute solution for lack of planning. Give yourself plenty of time to search and compare ebay offerings and plenty of lead-time to return them, if its not what you want.
-Take time to carefully review the seller information box in the upper right hand corner of the auction page. Here you will find relevant feedback from other buyers who have purchased from this ebay vendor. Look for a seller whose feedback is at least 96% positive and who has been selling for at least three months. Non-legitimate sellers will have difficulty maintaining a positive reputation for that long. Look for more information than an email. Most fraudulent sellers will make it as difficult as possible to make contact. Also, check to see if the seller is a member of Pay pals Buyer Protection Plan, which will provide up to $1000.00 of insurance in case of non-delivery.
-Look for items where the seller has provided a shipping calculator for you to calculate shipping costs. This will avoid unexpected charges later on.
-Ebay mother of the bride dresses and bridesmaids gowns should have a clear full-length picture, a description including fabric, size and other features. Most importantly, the description should include up front any defects or problems with the dress.
-Carefully read the description of the item in the sellers window. Do a real life price check on Cnet. For example, if a $3000.00 Oleg Cassini gown is going for $75, it is either a fake or severely damaged. Also beware of misspelled product names. For example, if find a Dessy mother of the brides dress on ebay spelled as Desy, it is probably not a legitimate selection.
-To maintain credit card security, learn how to spot phony emails from Ebay and Paypal. Often, phishers will send a message saying that your account needs to be updated or will be suspended unless you do XYZ. If the message has live links within the text, this is an immediate tip off that the email is a fake. Always type the ebay URL into browser, if you want to see your account information.
Using the above tips and guidelines, you should be able to find an ebay mother of the bride dress or bridesmaids gown with relative ease!
Andrea Pellettiere has been has been a freelance writer for a number of years. She is a new contributor to .
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