When your Wedding Dress Sells

Smart Bride International does not get involved in the sales negotiation process at any stage. The negotiation and exchange of any monies outstanding is strictly between the vendor (the person selling the goods) and the buyer.

Before you continue, please familiarise yourself with the common Overpayment Cheque Scam. You also need to read our section on Protecting Yourself When Selling Online

Exercising Vendor Caution

Like any other transaction, you are going to have to decide from the beginning which form of financial transaction you will accept when selling your dress or sale item.

You need to decide if you will accept bank cheque, personal cheque, business cheque, direct credit, or cash. You will also need to think about the deposit, how it will be paid and how much you will accept.

Relinquishing your Sale item

Trusting a potential buyer is always a challenging task for any vendor, and even more so with items that are for private sale. Many potential buyers will want to try-on or at least 'sight' the goods before purchasing.

Furthermore, a potential buyer will usually have to travel some distance to see an item of particular interest. This often means that the buyer has already made some assumptions prior to purchasing or 'sighting' the goods. Some of these assumptions are:

• I will definitely buy it, because it is exactly what I'm looking for
• I will look at it and (if it's in reasonable condition) I will buy it
• I only want to look at it, so that I can compare it to something else I have already seen or found
• I have no intention of buying it, I'm just gathering ideas or browsing

In most cases when a buyer arrives to try-on, sample or view the goods, they will have (at very least) a deposit. The deposit is of course determined by the vendor.

The decision to hand-over the goods upon receipt of 'just' a deposit, is another challenging question. Remembering that there is a certain element of trust during any sales negotiation. Whilst we have never experienced a case at Smart Bride International where goods purchased were not paid-in-full, we urge vendors to consider the ramifications of handing-over goods until full payment is received.

Buyers are Wary Too

It may be worth noting that the vendor (the person selling the goods) is not the only cautious incumbent. The buyer is also skeptical, and often concerned about purchasing something that may have hidden defects or deceiving qualities.

The buyer may be reluctant to leave a deposit, without actually being able to take the goods away. The buyer may also have concerns about the type of financial settlement that is being accepted or offered, ie. cheque, cash, direct credit.

Remember that a buyer has exactly the same concerns, fears and phobias that you would have if in a similar circumstance. A buyer will be naturally cautious, so it is the vendor's job to ensure that the buyer is comfortable with the purchase and that there is clear and precise negotiation and goods exchange instructions during the sales process.

Knowing when to Walk Away

This applies to the buyer as much as it does to the vendor. If at any point during the sale process either party is uncomfortable with either the goods, the financial arrangement, or any other part of the sale, then it is often best to 'walk-away' from the sale.

As mentioned above, there needs to be complete discretion and trust between the vendor and buyer, during the sales negotiation process. Having mentioned the above, (and in order to achieve a positive sales outcome) both parties will need to remain 'flexible'. This may mean that the vendor lowers the price, or that the buyer picks-up the goods in person (to save on postal), or that the vendor offers a discount for faster payment etc.

Finalising Your Sale

The sale of goods can be considered complete, when the vendor has received full-payment, and the goods have been delivered to (in good condition) and accepted by the buyer. At this point the sale can be considered to be finalised or closed.

Sell a Wedding Dress