It's prom time and girls are busy picking the perfect dress for prom night, but too many teens are finding themselves ripped off by prom dress fakes.
It's prom time when teens and their nervous moms are out shopping for the perfect dress. At high-end shops like Diane & Company in New Jersey, getting dolled up in gorgeous full length gown like this could set you back hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
But some teens go straight to the internet and find websites offering gorgeous dresses at huge savings. But beware; some of those websites are actually shipping out dresses that are nothing but cheap counterfeits. In fact they're so bad, you could be voted worst dressed at the prom.
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“If every other website is selling the dress for $599 and you found it for $99 you're not getting the real thing,” explained Kimberly Gambale of Diane & Co.
Dusty Hill is president of Sherri Hill, the red-hot dress company that designs some of the most popular party dresses on the market.
Pop singers Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande have both been seen performing in the same Sherri Hill dress, costing $450.
Hill says there are websites out there that actually steal photos from his website. But don’t expect the cute outfit worn by Selina Gomez and Ariana Grande. You'll get cheap junk instead!
Hill showed us a Google search for “Sherri Hill prom dresses” and the results were startling. “Right there it says 80% off,” he said. “I mean that's going to lure you in."
Gomez and Grande’s dresses were classy, flawlessly crafted with real stone cut glass.
The cheap junk? Forget about it! Those are tacky plastic beads and sequins. They're literally hanging by threads! And very likely to start falling off the moment you hit the dance floor.
Hill touched the counterfeit dress and added, “This feels terrible. I can't imagine wearing it. You'd be uncomfortable and itchy all night.”
New Jersey dance instructor Joy Cutrone meant well when she bought a dress online as a reward for her students' Sweet 16 party. The dress bought online at the bargain price of $99 was supposed to look great, but instead, she got something else when it arrived.
“I couldn’t' believe when I opened up the package and this was inside,” she said, looking at the dress.
When her student, Brianna Crabtree tried it on, it looked even worse! Even her friends at the dance school couldn't hide their disappointment.
Fortunately, we had a surprise for Brianna. When we told the nice folks at the Sherri Hill Dress Company about her nightmare gown, they shipped out a whole rack full of their most popular designs.
She tried them all on. One gorgeous dress after another.
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There was a big difference in craftsmanship and quality and it was obvious which was the real deal.
Then, Brianna finally made her decision.
Friends and family broke out in tears and applause when Brianna appeared in her brand new dress, looking exactly like you’re supposed to look on your big night out.
Brianna was very lucky by the time many girls find out the bargain dress they bought online is a tacky fake, it's often too late to get a real one in time for the prom.
Here's another tip, if you find a good internet deal on a prom dress, before you buy, go to the actual designer's website where you can find a list of their authorized sellers to make sure you're not being scammed.
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