Counterfeit prom dresses are rampant in the marketplace. Unethical internet sites sell millions of dollars of counterfeit fashion items to unsuspecting customers each year by misrepresenting these items as actual products from designers - marked down at a low price. However, there are several steps consumers can take to protect against luxury item fraud online.
Often, customers who have ordered a counterfeit prom dress by mistake receive poor-quality prom dresses in return, or worse, never receive anything at all. These consumers cannot even take a legal action against the site in question because most of these retailers are not based in the United States.
So how can consumers protect themselves from purchasing counterfeit prom dresses? There are several steps you can take to identify and protect against luxury item fraud online.
If It Looks Too Good to Be True, It Is
Counterfeit fashion websites have gotten sneakier. Often, frugal prom-goers may be enticed into saving money on their garment, and are tricked into purchasing prom dresses from a counterfeit website simply because it offers much coveted luxury items at deceptively low prices. These websites are able to entice customers to make a purchase because they promote these garments using the manufacturer's actual photographs of the dress, tricking consumers into believing that they're receiving the actual item by the designer.
However, what often seems like a great deal is actually a scam. The reason why many high-quality prom dresses are sold at a certain price is because authorized retailers must adhere to a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). This means that dresses with an unrealistic "discount" are either illegally discounted or are counterfeit fashion items.
Protect yourself - if the deal seems too good to be true, reconsider your purchase.
Buy Your Dresses from Reputable Stores
Purchase prom dresses only from reputable stores, and when in doubt, contact the manufacturer to verify that the seller is actually an authorized retailer. You can also visit the website of the designer, as they often have a complete list of the sellers authorized to distribute their garments. Additionally, consumers can research the background of the company at the Better Business Bureau before purchasing the dress.
The retailer's website should clearly list contact information that the consumer can use to contact a customer service representative. Look for this information - store locators, phone numbers, email or online chat. Use this information to chat with the company about their products - if you are able to speak with an actual person who can answer your questions, it's a good sign that that the company is an authorized seller and is not a counterfeit fashion retailer.
Additionally, check reviews for the store. Does the store have a four or five star rating on Google? Are there testimonials? Does the company have a Facebook or a Twitter page? Are there online complaints for the company on other websites? Perform a search query on the store in question and read as much as you can about the company. This will likely help you determine if you are dealing with a counterfeit fashion retailer - unhappy customers tend to be vocal about their complaints, and you're likely to stumble across the truth if you dig a little deeper.
Website Verbiage
Look out for certain terms on the website that are red flags for counterfeit fashion retailers - does the website use descriptions expressing how "real" or "authentic" these prom dresses are throughout the site? Do they use phrases such as "similar to," "inspired by" or "the same as" in the product description?
Thoroughly read the product descriptions, because chances are, it's not quite "similar to" the quality of the real designer's luxury garments.
Read the Terms and Conditions
Always read the company's return policy, which should be posted prominently on the website. Do they offer to refund your money within a certain number of days if you're not happy with the product? Most counterfeit fashion retailers won't make these promises, because they expect that you will be dissatisfied and won't want to return your money.
Additionally, read all of the company's terms and conditions carefully. Again, scan for verbiage that stands out - you may catch a section or two that admits outright that their prom dresses are not the real deal, as many counterfeit retailers assume that you won't take the time to read the entire policy.
Protect Your Personal Information
Consumers often don't realize that while they may have been fooled into purchasing a counterfeit prom dress, it's even scarier to realize that they have given personal data - such as credit card information - to the fraudulent seller. The implications of this are even more serious than receiving shoddily-made prom dresses, as you may have to take action to protect against identity theft or distribution of your financial and/or personal information.
So be cautious - while it may seem like you've found the deal of a lifetime, you could actually face serious repercussions from purchasing a counterfeit fashion item, the least of which includes not having a dress for prom.
