As a former lawyer and as a former bride-to-be, if there was one piece of wedding advice that I had to give a bride, it would be: Be careful who you work with.
Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking and if you're not careful you can make some very costly mistakes. One of those mistakes is not purchasing your wedding gown from a reputable, authorized dealer. I know that in this current economy we are all pinching pennies. But if you leave your gown in the hands of a dishonest or invisible (meaning an internet only) dealer, you'll end up paying more in the end anyhow.
Nearly every week we get a letter from one of our dress manufacturers warning us about stores who are failing to play by the rules. At Suzanne's Bridal Boutique we play by the rules. We honor all the requests of our manufacturers even when others don't. Why? Well, that's how we stay in business. We may lose a dress sale here and there, but we don't have to worry that we can't get your gown because our license has been pulled. And our brides don't have to wonder what to do with their dress after it arrives, because we're there to service them all the way to the "I do."
Lest you think we are simply whining, I'm copying a letter we recieved yesterday from our biggest desinger, Maggie Sottero. It warns of the danger of "transhipping" to non-authorized dealers. Transhipping is the practice of an authorized dealer purchasing a gown for an unauthorized dealer.
"January 27, 2010
Dear Authorized Retailer,
We have become aware of emails specifically targeted at inducing Maggie Sottero Authorized Retailers to violate Maggie Sottero's Authorized Retailer Policy by transshipping gowns. The primary offender is a shop in New York referring to itself as Gowns and Other Glitz. The contact phone number provided on several emails we have received is 315-524-4526. This number is listed as the contact phone number on the internet website, Bridalgown.net, and is registered on 411.com to Julie L. Painton. Bridalgown.net, Julie Painton and Gowns and Other Glitz are not authorized retailers of Maggie Sottero products.
The emails we have received claim a variety of reasons for needing Maggie Sottero gowns and the methods used to contact our retailers are equally diverse. The primary method of contact has been using the email address gownsandglitz@yahoo.com, however, some retailers have received messages through eBay from the user name "mywaydeals".
The Authorized Retailer is the heart of Maggie Sottero and transshipping is a direct assault on those loyal retailers who invest in samples each season. These are clear examples of an unauthorized retailer who has not made an investment in the line preying upon our Authorized Retailer network to get product and then taking business from them by discounting in many cases. The best way to prevent the unauthorized distribution of Maggie Sottero gowns is to ensure that our Authorized Retailers understand the seriousness of this issue, and for Maggie Sottero to discontinue business with those who blatantly disregard this policy and damage fellow retailers who have made a commitment to Maggie Sottero.
Included below are two examples of email solicitations that have been sent to Authorized Retailers, one of which requests over 20 specific Maggie Sottero gowns. Please be aware that Maggie Sottero actively monitors all suspicious ordering activity, and any retailer who is found violating Maggie Sottero's Authorized Retailer Policy with respect to transshipping is at risk of losing their authorized retailer status and their ability to receive any pending special orders.
Maggie Sottero is committed to supporting our retailers who invest in our products and we will continue to pursue the unilateral enforcement of our policies which we believe give our Authorized Retailers the greatest opportunity for success.
Sincerely,
Darven Erickson
Executive Vice President
Sent from gownsandglitz@yahoo.com email address:
'Hello and Happy New Year!
I have an off the rack shop in NY but often receive requests for specific gowns. I'm looking for a few specific Maggie Sottero gowns in stock because the brides do not have time to order. Would you have any of the following in stock? I can be flexible on size and color if you don't have an exact match:
Kadence 6 ivory, Sterling 4 or 6 ivory/pewter, Astrid 8 ivory/pewter, Jovi 4 all white and 8 ivory/pewter, Gatsby 8 and 12 all ivory, 6 and 8 ivory/pewter, ASM3239 diamond white 10, Alannah 8 ivory, Chelsea 12 ivory, Nevaya 8 ivory/pewter, Nyna w/cap sleeves 4, 6 or 8 diamond white/pewter and 6 white/pewter, Carla w/bolero 6 pearl/ivory lace/pewter, Layne 10 gold/ivory lace, Aspen 6 ivory/black, Allison Marie 8 diamond white, Adrianna empress taffeta 14 light gold, Zoe 10 white, Ida 10 deep ivory, Freesia 16 white Hope you have some matches and can help! I can also be reached at 585-319-6067.
Thank you,
Julie
Gowns & Other Glitz'
Sent via eBay Message Center:
Dear ,
Hello! I'm wondering if you might be able to assist me. I have about 20 maggie sottero gowns I either need to locate in stock or special order as the shop I used to order from is preparing to close due to family illness. I pay in full and in advance at cost plus 20% and shipping. I'm hoping I don't have to disappoint these brides and we can work together.
I can be reached at gownsandotherglitz@yahoo.com, my name is Julie and I am located in NY.
Please let me know if you can assist. If it helps, I can order Pronovias gowns as well as some other lines that may be helpful to you.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Julie
mywaydeals (110)'"
"What's wrong with all this?" you might ask. Well, an unauthorized dealer obviously doesn't have to play by anyone's rules. They can undercut the price (by the way, our designers pretty much dictate the price we sell the gowns at and they tell us how much we can discount. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a negotiable thing.). And who suffers? Honestly...the bride. Because she's been tricked into believing that she is getting the quality of service that a bride deserves when she purchases a gown. What happens if there's a problem with the gown? You have nowhere to go. They can't send it back to the manufacturuer because they've purchased it from some other third party.
And for those of you who don't think this in any way concerns you -think again. If you bought your dress from a boutique who is providing these dresses to unauthorized dealers, what will happen when their license gets revoked? You won't be getting your gown!
So ladies, this is why we don't price match lowball prices from other bridal stores or prices on the internet. When you're price shopping and you run across an unusually low price, ask: how are they able to offer such a steal? The answer could be important for you and your dress.
Until next time,
Best wedding wishes
P.S. - lest there be any questions, there are some reputable internet stores out there. They typically have a brick and mortar store that you can actually visit and their prices will abide by manufacturer's MSRP. Again, ask questions. The answers are important.
