There are more and more e-commerce sites popping up for Prom dresses every day. Those of you browsing the web to search for that special dress for your upcoming prom are having a tougher time knowing who is a legitimate and trusted retailer. We have all heard horror stories of customers being sent copies of popular styles, or even having a retailer take payment and never send the customer the item(s) they ordered. As retailers, we would often hear that a potential customer called a particular vendor of ours to “check” our credentials. Many of retailers in the industry realized that shopping for a Prom dress should not be such a “scary” ordeal. Realizing this, an association of trusted Prom retailers was formed to help give the public confidence in the prom buying process. The Prom Websites Association is a growing group of valued retailers in the Prom and formal wear industry. The retailers on the list must pass a strict set of rules before being approved as a member of the association. All members must have been in business AT LEAST 5 years (most have been in business over 10 years), and must have a “brick and mortar” establishment that accepts walk in customers. Other mandatory criteria included below:

Membership Criteria
Websites must:

• Be authorized dealers of the designers they sell on their website
• Be a member of BBB (Better Business Bureau) online
• Use Scan Alert or similar hacker prevention
• Have an SSL certificate
• Use Secure Server to process credit cards
• Allow customers to place online orders
• Allow customers to speak to a customer service representative by phone
• Sell new, authentic merchandise
• Provide customers with a delivery timeframe in accordance with their special event wear date
• Provide a tracking number for their shipment
• Have a physical store
• Have been in business a minimum of 5 years
• Be in good standing with their wholesalers and customers
• Complete the application process and be accepted by the association

Members that fall below this criterion or who have credible complaints are removed.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Prom Dresses.