CLEVELAND — Darla James at DarlaFoxx Bridal and Formal in Cleveland’s Tower City said it’s doing more harm than good for some girls when buying their prom dresses online.
Now, she has an urgent message to help you avoid the trouble after I asked her if she experienced this problem when she first started her business 15 years ago.
“It’s been getting worse every year. I would say it started like three years ago, and it’s been getting worse every year,” said James.
On Thursday, James told News 5 she’s been hearing horror stories where some girls are being ripped off big time.
She even said there have been some cases where some won’t ever get their prom dress.
“Two weeks ago, I had a girl in here like an hour before her prom. Her hair and makeup were already done. Tracking was showing that the gown was arriving that day and when she got it and opened it, it wasn’t the dress that she ordered,” said James.
Cybersecurity expert Alex Hamerstone, an Advisory Solutions Director at TrustedSec, told News 5 he’s not surprised, given the increase of online marketplaces and how comfortable he said young people feel while exploring the internet.
“They tend to believe a lot of things, and really just have grown up a little bit in a bit of a different way than some of us have— just with this always being the place that you sell stuff,” said Hamerstone.
Hamerstone said you should do your research to know who and where you’re buying from, and to avoid putting down a deposit, especially if you’re not buying an item that’s in high demand.
Meanwhile, consumer expert Teresa Murray, a Consumer Watchdog Director at US Public Interest Research Group, said it’s best practice to pay with a credit card for added protection.
She also recommended buying from a specific brand name to know if what you’re buying from an authorized seller is real or fake, since she said there’s not a lot of online transparency.
“They're trying to get a better selection, and [a] 'Oh this is really cute and nobody at school is going to have this' kind of dress, but then if you don't have any dress at all, then that's, that's a problem,” said Murray.
Experts encourage you to file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office if you aren’t able to get your problem solved.
“I don’t understand why not just prom girls but brides too, why they don’t want to come into the store and just even have that experience of trying stuff on,” said James.
