The online world is an amazing place. We can book holidays, do our banking, catch up with family and friends, or even trade online. But, it’s also a scary place at times.
Cybercrime is on the increase. Figures published in the Crime Survey Of England and Wales last year revealed that you are 20 times more likely to fall victim to a crime via your computer than being robbed in the street. Identity fraud, hacking, dating site scammers, and online shopping fraudsters are all running amok across the internet. Yet it hasn’t put us off and 38% of people in the UK shopped via their smartphone at least once a month.
All too many people, however, end up with no purchase and a hole in their bank account after buying something online. It’s happened to me and it’s probably happened to you, too. Even if you do receive the item, there is no guarantee it is the item you thought you were buying. If you are planning a wedding this year, you might be wondering whether to shop online for your wedding dress, but how likely are you to find your dream dress online?
The Rise in Online Shopping
Previous generations bought wedding dresses from a local shop or stepped down the aisle in an heirloom passed down through the family. The notion of shopping online for the most important dress of your life was unheard of.
Nowadays, though, it’s incredibly easy to browse through listings on eBay or online wedding dress stores and bookmark some amazing designs. You can save time and money buying a dress online, and enjoy a wider selection of dresses, but the savings you make are can be offset by your chances of being scammed.
Be Careful
When shopping for your dream dress online, you need to be very careful. Buying a wedding dress from an online scam site and ending up with nothing has the potential to ruin your big day. Do you really want to end up with three days to go and no wedding dress?
No, of course, you don’t. The good news is that you can go shopping online for a wedding dress and end up with a dress that is made for you. So long as you research before you buy, read customer reviews, and stick to well-known and well-established dress retailers, you should be OK. We found Pre Owned Wedding Dresses and Once Wed have good reviews and years of established reputation – something you want to confirm before buying.
There are plenty of legitimate bridal stores online that sell some beautiful dresses to suit all budgets, but it is important to keep your wits about you at all times.
Try Before You Buy
How important is trying on the dress prior to buying? We don’t all have perfect size 8 figures. Some of us are top heavy and others have lumps and bumps. Trying on a wedding dress is the best way to know whether it’s going to fit. When you buy a wedding dress online, you may not have the option to try the dress on first like you can with Nearly Newlywed.
Be realistic. If you don’t fit a standard size, shop local so you can try on multiple dresses and have your dream dress altered to fit.