BrideSave.com - "We Don't Lie!" Oh Yes, You Do
Full Review
Well, BrideSave.com is now out of business.
Posts on www.theknot.com documents panicked brides who have paid for their dresses before they went out of business, but won't receive them. Sympathies to all brides who have been left in the lurch by this situation.
Who knows why this happened. But my opinion is that bad business practices make for unsatisfied customers.
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One of my girlfriends is getting ready to walk down the aisle with Mr. Right! Woo-hoo. (I even mention her in my recent review of The Rules. Won't tell you who she is, of course, so let's just call her Susan.) Susan, like me, isn't much of a wedding girl. When it came to finding a dress for her, we were both pretty lost.
Buying a Wedding Dress Online - Pros & Cons
A wedding dress needs to fit well, and they tend to be quite expensive. And most people only buy a wedding dress once in their lives, so they usually don't have a lot of experience shopping for them. So buying them online is very risky.
Most wedding dresses are available in standard sizes - which are NOT your regular clothing size, so pay attention to the sizing chart and make sure to measure yourself carefully! The sizing not only varies from designer to designer, but also varies from dress to dress, making things even more complicated.
And it's not just about the right size. For example, I'm 5'2", so for me, a standard size wedding gown just won't do. I need custom-sizing that takes account of more than the usual bust-waist-hip measurements. (I tried on a dress at David's Bridal - the boobs were up to my neck! So sad.)
If you are lucky enough to be able to wear a standard size gown without it swallowing you, you will still likely need some alterations done. (BrideSave.com says that 99.99% of all gowns will require alterations.) It's a special gown, after all, and you want it to fit you like a glove.
If you choose to shop online, probably the most helpful thing to do is to try the gown on at your local bridal salon, so you can see what your size is, and how it looks on you, before you order it. However, as useful as this may be, it's also somewhat ... sketchy. While I have no objection to anyone choosing to not buy something, it's a little bit icky that you visit a bridal salon for the sole purpose of checking out their wares to buy them somewhere else.
Bridal shops are known their own sketchy business practices, too - such as cutting tags out of their dresses to prevent this very type of comparison shopping. BrideSave.com also says that some places will also size up the customer to see how much she's willing to pay and charge her accordingly - so you shouldn't be too enthusiastic about a dress or show off your expensive engagement ring ... dang, it's like buying a car! (To encourage you to buy from them, BrideSave.com does trash-talk the local bridal salon quite a bit, who, according to them, are all out to rip you off. In fact, they do a pretty good job convincing you of that.)
So I really don't know where I stand on this. But buying online can save you money. So if you choose to do so, just make sure you shop wisely.
So to sum up:
* Some drawbacks to buying your dress online:
- not all designers are available online from authorized dealers: while you can buy quite a lot online, some designers refuse to deal with businesses who sell on the net, so your total selection might be limited
- customizing your order directly from the manufacturer will save you $$$ on alterations later
- a good salon will take your measurements and order the gown to be made for you; this option is not always available on the net so there's more of an off-the-rack problem, size-wise, and even when it is, you have to measure yourself (or go to a seamstress) - and there's just that much more room for error
* Some drawbacks to bridal salons:
- Salons are not without risks, either, unfortunately! I already mentioned how some shops may gouge you, or push expensive dresses on you.
- I've also heard some other horror stories - some shops will deliberately order a gown that's too big for you, so they can over-charge you on alterations.
- Yet some salons will sell a used/sample gown as brand-new. Yucky.
We sadly discovered that salons are not the only jerks who sell used dresses as new - BrideSave.com does it, too.
Finding the Perfect Gown (After A While, They Start to All Look Alike ...)
Susan had visited several bridal salons. I also went to David's Bridal with her (huge sale!), and a trunk show. We bought three bridal magazines, and pored through the gowns on www.theknot.com. And we still hadn't found the right gown. Susan's budget was reasonable, so money wasn't the limitation.
I heard about BrideSave.com from Epinions. (Yey!) I told Susan about the site and she thought it was a great idea because she had more to choose from. BrideSave.com claimed at that time to have over 4000 wedding gowns available on their website. We found out that this is a bit of a fallacy - the fact is, they can *order* over 4000 gowns from a handful of designers. As this is the case for most bridal salons anywhere, it doesn't make them special. (And I noticed that they no longer offer 4000+ gowns on their website.)
We googled similar sites, and looked for e-tailers that were reputable: that they also had a brick-n-mortar store, and were also authorized sellers of the designers they sell. (Tip: only brick-n-mortar stores can be authorized dealers of most reputable designers.) What we liked about BrideSave.com was that they showed you the pictures and price right on their website, and did not require you to call in to get a quote on a particular gown.
Another thing that sets BrideSave.com apart is that they offer returns. Wedding gowns are typically not returnable anywhere. However, BrideSave.com accepts returns with a 15% restocking fee. (But there is a catch, so read on for details).
So as I said, BrideSave.com has a good selection. For example, they carry more designers than another authorized online seller we found (www.jaysbridal.net). Aside from wedding gowns, they also sell gowns for the bridesmaids/flower girls, shoes, veils, etc. Another thing we liked about BrideSave.com was that they provided a very comprehensive glossary about wedding gowns that would certainly help clueless shoppers like us. In addition to the glossary, they also offer an alterations price chart, and a detailed measuring section to help you with your gown purchase. In addition to that, there are a lot of other very helpful tips, including wedding etiquette, photography, and even engagement and wedding rings! The fact that they provide such tips helped us feel like BrideSave.com really does care about the happiness of the bride.
Since we already had an idea about the silhouette, neckline, and color, we browsed the gowns. The search is laid out very well, allowing you to select your gown with the exact criteria that you want - size, color, designer, silhouette, etc.
Susan ended up finding the gown she wanted from one of the in-stock gowns. (And lucky Susan is someone who can wear a standard size gown - i.e., tall and busty.) It was a lovely gown designed by Maggie Sottero. Since I wore a Maggie Sottero at my wedding too, and Susan liked my dress, it made Susan feel better about buying it. And buying an in-stock gown meant she would receive it very fast. (Dresses from the manufacturer takes about 4 months, which is the standard time.) So she placed the order.
The shipping cost was approximately $16-17, which I think is very reasonable. Susan received her dress in about a week via UPS.
The So-Called "Return Policy"
BrideSave.com offers returns, which is a bit unusual in the bridal industry. The first thing to be aware is that it only applies to wedding gowns, and nothing else. Returns are only accepted if you contact them in 2 business days, and the gown is received by them in 10 days. There is also a 15% restocking fee.
So again, keep this in mind: required for returns- notice in _2_ days, sent back in _10_ days. (This is important for later.) Note also that it's not 2 or 10 BUSINESS days. What if you get your dress on a Friday? I guess you'll have to catch them on Saturday.
While I think this is pretty fair, we sadly discovered that BrideSave will bend over backwards to discourage you from exercising their return option.
Susan's Experience
So Susan was eager to receive her gown. It was an in-stock gown, and because it was a discontinued style, there would be no returns accepted. This was fine because Susan didn't expect to return the gown. It was sent with a matching shawl, which we did not know was included, so that was a nice bonus.
The problem was, the dress was DIRTY.
There were visible lipstick smudges on the inside of the bodice, and the inside hem had quite a few dirt marks. And the edges of the bodice were blackened. Ewww, it was gross.
The website said that the dress was brand new! Susan also called BrideSave.com to confirm that the dress was new, and they told her that it was. She called BrideSave.com the day after receiving the dress, and told them that the dress was dirty. The lady she spoke to just kept repeating, "Nope, it's a brand new dress!" Susan requested to speak to the manager, and was told that the manager was out to lunch, but would call her back. So Susan confirmed that they had her correct phone number, and hung up. The manager did not call her back.
So Susan called again to ask for the manager, who was still unavailable. She left her phone number again, and the manager NEVER called her back.
After waiting a week, Susan called BrideSave.com again. This time she asked for the manager right away, who offered to have it cleaned for her. Susan would have to pay the additional shipping charges (to send AND return), which was hardly fair since it's BrideSave.com's error! But at least they were making some effort to address the situation so Susan thought it was better than nothing. Susan confirmed they had her correct e-mail address so that they can send her an "reinspection form" that she needed to fill out and put in the box.
Susan never received any e-mail, nor heard from BrideSave.com again.
Based on the considerable dirt on the dress, Susan's gown was probably a store sample - tried on, which explains the makeup marks - and perhaps displayed on a mannequin, which explains the dirt on the hem and the outside of the bodice. In any case, it was definitely not a brand new dress, as they had claimed. BrideSave.com should have accurately stated the gown's condition on its website. If Susan didn't mind buying a dress that needed cleaning, she would have checked out sample sales, or bought a used dress (which are perfectly good ways to save money, by the way). Susan wanted a pristine new dress, so she paid for one. But she didn't get one.
So Susan contacted her credit card company to dispute this charge. (She felt bad about it, but they informed her that this is absolutely the right type of case to dispute.) I took pictures of the dirt marks, and then we carefully folded the dress back up. The whole experience was rather sad, because the dress was gorgeous: the satin felt very rich and luxurious, the beading design was simple and elegant, and the unique corset back was stunning. Susan loved the gown, she just didn't love the fact that it was dirty. And who can blame her?
What Happened Next?
So Susan filed a dispute with her credit card company. Some time later, they called her to let her know that BrideSave.com is disputing the claim. Susan showed me a 2-page letter that the CEO & general counsel of BrideSave.com wrote. His reason for demanding the money back? Susan "failed" to send the dress back for re-inspection.
How can she send the dress back????? She called the merchant several times - they NEVER returned her call once, and they failed to send her the documentation they require for returns, AFTER they told her they would send it. Just what else is she supposed to do?
The letter made me really angry. Susan really made an effort to work with these people nicely, and accomodate all their demands. She was even willing to pay shipping charges (to & fro) even though BrideSave.com made the mistake!! But how can you work with a business who simply NEVER CALLS YOU BACK after they say they would? And who NEVER SENDS YOU THE PAPERWORK after they say they would? How is Susan supposed to get the authorization in time to properly return the dress?
Susan did not have the option of just sending them the dress on her own accord - the BrideSave website even specifies that if you JUST send your dress back without getting an authorization, they will interpret that as a "forfeit" and keep the dress AND your money. My goodness.
So how many times does she need to call them? How long does she need to wait for them to call her? How patient does she need to be? What else is she supposed to do?
Based on this ca-ca-filled letter from the CEO/attorney of this company, which completely failed to address the condition of the dress, by the way, but *only* focused on the fact that Susan failed to return the dress - it occurred to me that ... this is their little trick! If you ever try to return a dress, they will give you the run-around and make it impossible for you to comply with their conditions. If they ignore you long enough, 10 days will have passed and you are screwed.
Susan wrote a reply to her credit card co. addressing this letter. She pointed out that they completely failed to call her back, even once. The CEO/attorney wrote another letter immediately. He didn't dare dispute BrideSave's failure to communicate with Susan, but his *new* reason for wanting his money back? The dress is in "perfect condition."
Perfect condition? At that point, I just had to laugh in disbelief. Funny how he never mentioned this before. And who in their right mind would argue that a white dress with lipstick marks and dirt on the hem is a dress in "perfect condition?" (Thank goodness we had photographs.)
[How the story ended: With respect to the credit card charge dispute, BrideSave.com fought Susan tooth-and-nail to keep the money for the dress (well after Susan returned the dress to them). The dispute was finally sent to Visa headquarters and was resolved in Susan's favor. It took 4 months to get vindication ... but there you have it. The ugly story is finally over.]
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of good things about BrideSave.com - their search function is good, their website provides helpful information to the consumer, and the item we ordered was delivered in reasonable time.
But while they offer a return policy, it's become clear that they deliberately discourage the consumer from using it, so it's more of a gimmick to lure the customer rather than a true advantage.
Conclusion:
Based on Susan's experience, BrideSave.com sold her a gown that was soiled, but was represented as "brand new." When she contacted them, they did nothing to address the situation and wouldn't even return her call - she waited a whole week, and then she had to call them! Then they tell her they will send her some form she needs, and never sends that either.
I just can't imagine how any average consumer is supposed to cope with this situation. I mean, honestly!
So my friend's experience was definitely bad - BrideSave.com was dishonest, then unresponsive towards her. Before I read the CEO's letter, I wouldn't have described them as "sleazy." But now I see what they're all about - their whole trick is to ignore a complaining customer until they go away.
FYI: this is the guarantee they provide for Susan's type of purchase:
#4 - Quality Guarantee for Immediate Delivery/Clearance Merchandise - We thoroughly inspect each and every dress in our Immediate Delivery/Clearance inventory. It will be a first quality, brand new dress or item. It will have all labels and hang-tags intact. We will not ship a "knock-off," copy, second or sample gown or item instead of your actual selection. We only sell lines for whom we are an Authorized Dealer. We do not buy through third parties or "gray market." We back this with our "We Lie, We Buy" Guarantee (explained in Guarantee #1). (emphasis added)
They definitely did not honor this guarantee, in Susan's case.
Conclusion
I'm going to have to give BrideSave.com one star. I initially gave them two, because I thought that they were one of the better websites of its particular kind due to the inviting design and detailed search function. But I've since learned that there are many more reputable online retailers. (Some other sites: netbride.com, rkbridal.com, pearlsplace.com, gownsales.com ... I haven't shopped at any of these places, but I can't imagine them being worse. They certainly wouldn't have the gall to try to pass off a dirty dress as a new one, would they?)
If you happen to know exactly what gown you want, you know a good tailor, and you're sure you want to buy a gown online, buying online can be a way to save money. But be very aware that there are inherent risks with buying your wedding gown online - there are a lot of things that can go wrong.
Should anything go wrong, BrideSave.com's customer service is definitely lacking. They wouldn't even return Susan's call or send her a promised e-mail! That's just flat out wrong by any standard, there's just no excuse for it. So I can't give them more than a "below average" rating.
Reviewing the other Epinions reviews of BrideSave, it becomes clear to me that some people have a good experience with them because nothing went wrong with their order. But for those who had problems, the experience was very negative. I think a business should be judged by how they handle *problems*. And like with any bad business, BrideSave.com is great if the stars align and everything happens to go well. But if things don't go perfectly well and you're not 100% happy, their modus operandi is to ignore you and hope you go away. (Seriously, I imagine that they mark their calendars and *schedule* to ignore you for 10 days, so they can beat the date you can return the gown.) Once they've got your money, they no longer care if you're happy. All their lofty guarantees on their website - "We Lie, We Buy" - are untrue, unfortunately.
Truly, I feel just icky even thinking about them now. Ugh. Bunch of liars.
It's a shame that such an important, meaningful purchase as a wedding gown went sour for Susan. Yes, even for non-wedding-girls like us, it is quite a special dress. Even though I yawned and complained through the whole process, once I got my own wedding dress, I put it on, looked at myself in the mirror, and couldn't help doing a goofy dance around the room squealing.
So to sum up: I don't think it's too much to expect a wedding dress listed as "brand new" to be free of lipstick. I also don't think it's too fussy to expect a phone call to be returned as *repeatedly* promised. BrideSave.com failed on both accounts.
BrideSave.com sucks.
Recommended:No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? wedding gown
