Katie Arth didn’t buy her wedding dress on eBay, but the online auction site has come in handy for almost everything else: Her reception centerpieces. Her tiara. Monogrammed cocktail napkins. Even her veil, which was 99 cents. ($10 with shipping.)
She may or may not wear the veil, but for $10, who cares? “We’re financing about half of the wedding ourselves,” says Arth, an occupational therapist who lives in Thornton. “And I obviously don’t want it to look tacky, but I do also want to get the most for my money.”
Brides on a budget can’t help but turn to eBay, which offers a huge array of wedding goods – from Reem Acra dresses to invitations to someone who’ll design a wedding website – for much less, usually, than what one would pay at a specialty store.
In September, eBay officials launched a bridal hub (ebay.com/bridal ) to keep up with the demand. “There’s a diamond sold every minute on eBay,” says Sandra Graham, the company’s jewelry style director. “It’s not the chance people think it is.”
First-time eBayers should do their research before buying anything, advises Leah Ingram, author of “Buying & Selling Your Way to a Fabulous Wedding on eBay” (Course Technology, 2004).
First, check out a seller’s feedback rating and make sure it’s positive, she says. Then go back and read six months of comments. “That could be a lot of reading, but it’s basic math,” Ingram says.
“If in six months, half of the feedback is talking about how the person’s horrible… that’s a red flag.
If you’re buying jewelry, Graham says make sure the piece has a 100 percent money back guarantee. It also doesn’t hurt if the ring is certified by a reputable organization such as the Gemological Institute of America.
Lastly, Ingram suggests setting up a separate e-mail address to handle all eBay business, which could help one better identify “phishing” scams.
“Don’t let them (scammers)fool you,” Ingram says. “If eBay wants to get in touch, they’ll send a message to your specific website. PayPal will never send an e-mail.”
