Bridesmaid Trade is an online consignment service for bridesmaid dresses. Bridesmaids whose dresses are still in excellent condition (the 'Sellers') can create postings on the website, which will then be viewed by future bridesmaids and brides ('Buyers') who are looking for bridesmaids dresses. If a Buyer finds a dress that she likes, she can make the purchase directly from the site, and the dress will be delivered to her within 10 business days in most circumstances.
Ebay and Craigslist are not designed for consignment sales of bridesmaid dresses. They are not set up for search by designer, size, color, or other features that a shopper would need to find the right bridesmaid dress. In contrast, Bridesmaid Trade is specifically designed for easy posting and search of bridesmaid dresses. It even allows bridesmaids dresses from the same event to be linked together so that dresses from the same event can be viewed easily and quickly.
Bridesmaid Trade was launched in 2009 by two friends who saw an opportunity to connect past and future bridesmaids. Please see the 'About Us' section for more information.
To sell your dress, go to 'Sell A Dress' and click on 'Create a Dress Post'. You will be asked to fill out a quick form and upload pictures of your dress. Dresses must be described as accurately as possible, especially in regards to any alterations or marks, stains, etc., and that dresses be in "event ready" condition. When deciding on the prices of a dress, we recommend pricing the dress at 40-60% of the retail price. Please also note that sellers are responsible for shipping costs, so you may want to consider the expense (usually between $6-$12) when you price the dress. Once you complete your form, that's it! Your dress post will be viewed by visitors to our site and if the dress is purchased, you will receive an email notifying you that the dress has been sold. You will receive a second email shortly thereafter, with the address of the buyer. You will be asked to ship your dress within 3 business days once you have been notified that your dress has been sold. You will be asked to include a tracking number with your shipment. Once the dress is delivered to the buyer, the buyer will have 48 hours from the time of delivery indicated on the tracking number to document and report any issues to Bridesmaid Trade. An "issue" is defined as a discrepancy between the dress as it was listed and the dress that you receive. In more than 95% of the cases, there are no issues reported. Once 48 hours pass and if there are no reports from the buyer, we will send your payment via check or PayPal (your preference). If there are any issues, Bridesmaid Trade will mediate between the two parties to reach a resolution.
--Can I post a dress that’s not a bridesmaid dress?
For now, we encourage you to please use Bridesmaid Trade to only post your bridesmaid or semi-formal (prom, quinciñera, formal events, etc.) dresses. Visitors come to our site to find these types of dresses, and it would make it difficult to find the right dresses if there are a lot of items on the site that were not bridesmaid dresses. We reserve the right to remove posts of non-bridesmaid dresses.
-- Can I post my wedding dress?
As mentioned in the previous question, we encourage you to use Bridesmaid Trade only for bridesmaid dresses. If you are looking for a place to post your wedding dress, we think the good folks over at www.oncewed.com have a pretty great site dedicated to resale of wedding dresses.
Nope. Images from designers’ or retailers’ catalogs or websites are protected by copyrights. We’d rather not get sued, so only use photographs you took or you gained permission to use. And while we’re on it...
Our goal is to provide a Buyer with the most accurate description of the dress. Please submit photos that offer the best visual representation of your dress.
We strongly encourage you to price your dress at no more than 50% of the retail price (the price you paid for the dress). Our research shows that the majority of potential buyers are most interested in once-worn dresses in this price range or lower. Although you may be tempted to price higher, we believe you have the best chance for a successful sale around this price range.
To assist with website operation.
We recommend that dresses are dry cleaned, but our policy is that a dress must either be "event-ready" or otherwise accurately described. "Event ready" means that other than ironing out a few wrinkles, the dress could be ready-to-wear, whether that's dry cleaning or washed. We understand that this is not always possible, and so our first priority is that dresses are described honestly. If, for example, if you are selling a dress that has noticeable deodorant markings that will need to be dry cleaned, this must be stated in the description, or we reserve the right to cancel an order if someone finds the dress in an unsatisfactory condition. We want the experience to be transparent for everyone. Thank you in advance!
Yes! Now we are offering the option for bridesmaids to mail us their dress and we will create the post - we will send you the check when your dress sells! If you are interested in this option, please mail us your dress to 128 Cherry St. #1, Cambridge, MA 02155 AND email us at sales@bridesmaidtrade.com.
Woo hoo! You just saved a ton of money on your bridesmaid dress! You'll receive a confirmation email with your purchase. The current owner of the dress is then contacted and asked to send the dress to your address within 3 business days. A tracking number must be included with the shipment, and we will email that tracking number along to you. From the time of delivery of the dress as indicated by the tracking number, you have 48 hours to document and report any issues you find with the dress to Bridesmaid Trade via email (in more than 95% of the cases, there are no issues). An "issue" is defined as a discrepancy between the dress as it was listed and the dress that you receive. If in the rare case that there are issues and you report them within 48 hours of delivery of the dress, Bridesmaid Trade will mediate between you and the seller to reach a resolution.
We will let you know within 48 hours of your purchase if for some reason, a seller has not confirmed with Bridesmaid Trade that a dress is available. Typically, a seller confirms a tracking number within 3 business days, but sometimes situations arise, i.e. the seller is traveling and needs an extra day to ship the dress. To the best of our ability, the Bridesmaid Trade team is committed to keeping buyers and sellers aware of any new developments in regards to time contstraints or unforseen circumstances. Our promise to you is that we will do everything in our power to make sure a dress is shipped within 3 business days. If it cannot be, we will communicate this with you early, clearly, and frequently. We know that a bridesmaid dress is a time-sensitive, expensive, and unique purchase, and we will do our best to honor your time, money, and trust.
It is the buyer's responsibility to track the dress and to be aware of estimated and actual delivery times. We will do everything we can to work with you within this period, but in fairness to all parties, we must hold this timeline firm. All issues must be reported within 48 hours of delivery, as indicated by the tracking number. After the 48-hour period, we can continue to work on an issue that has already been reported, but we cannot address a new issue. Payments are issued promptly at the end of the 48 hour period, and thus neither Bridesmaid Trade nor a seller is liable for issues that are raised for the first time the end of this period.
--What is your return policy?
Once the dress is delivered to the address specified by the buyer, the buyer has 48 hours to document and report any issues you find with the dress to Bridesmaid Trade via email (in more than 95% of the cases, there are no issues). An "issue" is defined as a discrepancy between the dress as it was listed and the dress that you receive. Once the 48 hours have passed, no returns will be allowed. If any issues are reported within the 48 hour window, Bridesmaid Trade will mediate between the buyer and seller to reach a resolution.
At this time, Bridesmaid Trade is not responsible for and cannot give refunds in regards to issues related to fit, color, style, etc. outside of discrepancies between the dress as it is listed and the dress as it is received.
We want every dress to be amazing, but we know that sometimes details are miscommunicated. In the rare event that a dress is not described and you'd like a refund, the process is similar to the way in which a dress is purchased. Bridesmaid Trade will send you the seller's address, and the dress should be shipped back to the seller within three business days. A tracking number should be sent to Bridesmaid Trade. After the dress is delivered, Bridesmaid Trade will issue a full refund directly to your credit card. Bridesmaid Trade will contribute $5.00 towards the cost of this return shipping, but a buyer is responsible for any amount over $5.00.
In most cases, you should receive the dress within 7 business days of your purchase. If the dress is no longer available or if there are any other issues, we will contact you via email.
