David's Bridal: Pros and Cons

Ok, so you know I got my dress from David's Bridal. And ONLY my dress. Why? Well, because the other items in the whole "package deal" are pretty pricey, and you can get more for your money elsewhere.
So, here are some things you should know if you plan to go shopping there:

1) The sales clerks work on commission.
Depending on the clerk, this can mean a higher-pressure selling situation. I was talking with a gal who used to work for David's, and she noted that they were trained to "upsell," (selling you a similar but more expensive item) or add items. For instance, she always gave the potential customers undergarments, slips, and crenaline to try on dresses. These are things that you may or may not need with your dress, but as you are trying it on "in the moment," you think they are MUST-HAVE items. They also have a pretty big markup, so the profit margin for David's is pretty large- you can probably find the same things cheaper somewhere else.

But the clerks will ask you if you want these things and they will want to write it all up and get it paid for in full right away- be prepared to thank them kindly and say no, at least until later when you can assess what you really do and don't need.
I know a lot of wedding dress shops operate on commission, but I have experienced the
"hard sell" most keenly at David's.

2) You can buy the dress you try on "off the rack" but you can also order a brand new dress that has never been tried on for the exact same price. It seems like they are pretty up-front about this, but it's good to know, just in case.

3) They have sales in January and June. Most dresses are $50 off at that time.

4) They charge you for a garment bag to keep the dress in! This is ridiculous. But another example of how the actual dress is just a starting point to get you to buy, buy, buy. If you have a nice garment bag, take that instead.

5) Their tiaras and veils that are WAYYYYY overpriced. I found a much more beautiful veil in a higher quality material at one of the high-end wedding shops in the cities for half of what David's charged (and I still didn't pay that- I got mine on ebay for $12.).

Anyone else have David's experiences to share?