Bridal Buyer Beware: missing labels and hidden charges
The Mystery of the Missing Label
Labels ripped out of the wedding gowns you see in a bridal shop should raise a red flag. This is, in fact, illegal because of the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act. This federal law requires all clothing to be labeled to show the country of origin, fiber content, and the name or registered number of the manufacturer. The only way it is legal to remove the manufacturer labels is if the shop substitutes its own with the store name and the other information required. If the replacement only provides the store name, that store is not in compliance with the law.
Why would a store break the law to withhold information from the consumer? That is the key questions, and the answers are not very reassuring. The salon may not want a bride to know exactly which dress you are trying on in order to prevent her from finding the identical dress elsewhere for a lower price. The removal of the label could also be obscuring the fact that the dress is not, in fact, the designer dress the saleswoman presents it as. It may just be a copy of the designer style. What’s the difference to you? The comparable price is the difference, for an original Vera Wang may sell for $6500, but a gown that is made in imitation of the design would fetch far less.
The store may not be hiding information about the designer but about the fabric, aiming to pass off a gown made of a silky polyester blend as genuine silk. Given the advances in synthetics, someone not accustomed to various fabrics may not be able to tell the difference based on appearance or feel. Yet there is, certainly, a difference when it comes to calculating the component cost of the dress. So you have a right to know which fabric is used in its construction, and you also have to know it in order to avoid damaging the dress when cleaning it. (see What-to-expect-when-shopping-for-a-bridal-gown-part-3) You also have the right to know where the dress was manufactured if you have views on labor conditions or the quality standards in certain countries. You cannot simply take the saleswoman’s word for where the dress’s country of origin; its label should say so.
Surprise fees
These include fees for the privilege of trying on gowns or for not showing up for an appointment to do so, special handling charges, and payment fees. You see, while everyone wants bridal business, they do not like spending a lot of time with brides trying on many different styles to figure out just what they want, and then, possibly, buying elsewhere. The salon solution? Charge the customer a fee for trying on. The amount, which could be as much as $100, would be applied to a purchase but not refunded if the bride chooses not to buy from the salon. Just be clear on whether a fee will be incurred for your appointment to try on so that you don’t have an unpleasant surprise. Also be wary of offering your credit card information when making the appointment, as you may be charged for not showing up as much as you would have been for coming in. I've heard of some well-known New York bridal salons that do charge no-shows. It is understandable why they do so, but you still want should be told in advance to know what you are getting into.
Other fees that get tacked on include shipping and handling on your orders. A $10 to $50 charge can be added on to each item ordered. Such charges may be standard for shipping, but here the items are not, in fact, delivered to your home. They are delivered to the store from which you will have to pick it up. So you are paying not for your own convenience, but that of the store. Do not be taken in by claims that the charge is for insurance against damage. In truth, retailers are supposed to deliver undamaged goods; they are, after all, supposed to be new and made to your order’s specifications. If the item is damaged by the carrier service, the retailer is the one responsible to take care of it.
As a special order bridal gowns can easily run you four figures, it is common to pay a deposit of about half and then the remaining half upon delivery of the finished product. If that is the agreement you have, be sure that there are no surcharges added on for the convenience of breaking up the payments this way. Also beware of an extra charge for paying with your credit card. It’s true that credit cards do charge retailers a small percentage, but that does not mean the cost is to be passed on to the customer. In fact, some states have laws against charges for credit card use. A store that claims to accept credit card payments should do so for the same price offered to cash customers.
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