Well, it happened. I was lured by a Facebook ad. Yup, I made an impulsive purchase.
It was late at night when I thought I’d check Facebook one last time. I spotted an ad for vintage Christmas dresses. Not second-hand dresses, but dresses with an old-fashioned appeal to them. They were bright and colourful and in the similar style of a poppy dress I had worn to a wedding in the summer. I loved that dress!
So, surely these dresses would fit well and look just as good. I noticed several friends had “liked” that particular Facebook page. This must mean it was a decent company. I trusted my friends’ judgement!
I lost track of time as I perused through page after page of similar-styled dresses. Soon, five dresses were in my “wish list.” It was a fine line, I knew, between wearing a festive dress and wearing what looked like a Christmas tablecloth—
—or Christmas wrapping paper!
I narrowed it down to one dress. It featured a long-sleeved black top—perfect for winter! –paired with a flared skirt with multi-coloured dots. I proceeded to the checkout. A sign flashed: PLACE AN ORDER FOR ONLY $20 MORE TO QUALIFY FOR FREE SHIPPING!! Well, I knew hidden shipping costs could be costly, so I checked if there was a dress for $20. Surely, this cute dress with the Santa hats printed on it would do. Yup, $22.99. Now, if the first dress didn’t fit, I’d have a back-up dress!
I consulted the listed measuring guidelines chart and grabbed a tape measure. Hmmm, apparently, I was a size Large! I’d prefer to be a Small or a Medium, but if I ordered too small a size, nothing could be done. It is was too large, it could always be altered.
I placed the order and proceeded once more to the checkout. I selected standard shipping. I’d already spent money on two dresses. No way was I upping the ante. I read it could take 12-25 days. This was December 1st. I was cutting it close for a Christmas party dress.
A new alert popped up, in small print. Very small print. COD charges for import duties may be additionally rendered upon shipment to your country. Oh my! I recalled my hubby having to pay an exorbitant amount once for such charges. Where were these dresses coming from anyways? China? Yes, China! Well, that explains why I was a size Large!
Buyers’ remorse overcame me the following morning. I feared I’d be wearing pants to any upcoming Christmas party. Two days passed before I confided to my dear husband, Guy, how I’d placed an online order for dresses from China. What had I been thinking? I often try on many dresses before getting the proper fit. I asked Guy if he wanted to see a photo of the dresses from the Chinese website.
Guy replied, “No. I’ll wait to see them when you wear them . . . next Christmas!” He admitted an item he ordered once from China took six months to arrive.
I continued to hold hope. What did I have to lose?
On December 16th, a lightweight parcel arrived from China for me. I excitedly texted my daughter.
No COD charges, either! It was the second of the two dresses I had ordered—the Santa hat print dress. It was a little oversized but when the waistline was cinched with the dress’ belt, it looked far better.
I ended up taking it to a seamstress at the mall. I showed her the gaping armholes and large shoulders on the dress. She took it in at the bust. I trusted her. She was a professional. The repairs came to $22. The original cost I had paid for the dress, ha-ha! Still a bargain for a holiday outfit.
I figured I lucked out. No duty was charged and one out of two of the dresses arrived . . . on time. There’s still a chance the other dress may arrive on Monday, in time for Christmas Eve festivities.
Merry Christmas, my friends!
I hope all your online purchases arrive in time! Especially, presents!
myowncalcuttablog.com 