Two tabs. That's usually how this starts. One is a Zapaka dress that looks like it stepped out of a 1950s movie. The other is a Stacees gown with a TikTok attached that has a few million views. Both cost less than anything at the mall, both have a checkout button, and somewhere in the back of your head a small voice is asking the question you probably typed to land here: is Zapaka legit for prom?
Short answer first, then the long one.
Both are real stores that really do ship dresses. Neither fits the "take your money and vanish" picture of a scam, although a slice of Zapaka buyers say their order never shipped at all. What separates them is the odds. Stacees has better odds on fit and quality. Zapaka has better odds on a look you can't find anywhere else, and worse odds on almost everything else. And with both, the real trouble tends to start the day the dress arrives and doesn't fit.
That's what this guide is about. Not whether the dresses are pretty (they are), but how long they actually take, what hides in the fine print, what the fabric really feels like, how to size without gambling, and what happens when you try to send one back.
We did not order from either store for this piece. We read public Trustpilot, SmartCustomer and Pissed Consumer pages, third-party summaries of both return policies and the federal notice on import duties, then lined it all up against what a shopper actually needs to know. We have no affiliate link to Zapaka or Stacees here. Checked October 31, 2026. Policies and prices change, so confirm on the live site before you pay.
The 90-second verdict
If you're skimming, this is the part to screenshot.
Both Zapaka and Stacees ship real dresses to real people. The gap is how often things go sideways, and how much help you get when they do.
Trustpilot 3.0 / SmartCustomer 2.5
- Best for: the retro look, with weeks to spare
- Planning window: 12 weeks to be safe
- Return window per third-party summary: 7 days
- Biggest risk: slow or never-shipped orders and partial refund offers
Trustpilot 4.4 / SmartCustomer 4.5
- Best for: modern gowns, especially custom sizing
- Planning window: 8 weeks for custom, 6 for standard
- Return window per third-party summary: 14 days, custom is final sale
- Biggest risk: returns, refunds and slow answers when a dress misses
Star splits are from each retailer's Trustpilot page when we checked in late October 2026. Review counts differ by regional Trustpilot page, and Stacees actively invites reviews, which can flatter an average. Treat the shape, not the decimal.
Zapaka is high style and high variance. Order it if you want the retro look, you have at least twelve weeks, and you'd shrug off a loss. Stacees is the safer bet of the two, especially with custom sizing, but you need to treat a custom dress as final sale and plan for a slow, painful process if it misses.
If prom is closer than four weeks, skip both. We'll get to why.
So are Zapaka and Stacees actually legit?
"Legit" is a slippery word, so let's break it into three questions that matter before you pay.
Do they ship real dresses? Yes, both do. Thousands of people have received dresses from each, and plenty are happy with what showed up.
Does what arrives match what you ordered? This is where they split. On Trustpilot, Zapaka sits at 3.0 out of 5 with a little over half of its reviews at one star and about a third at five. That's a polarized shape, and it usually means a store where the experience depends on luck. Stacees sits at 4.4 with 77 percent five-star reviews and 19 percent one-star. Better, but the one-star group is not small.
What happens when it doesn't? Here both stores get weaker. We'll spend a whole section on it, but the pattern is consistent across the review pages we read: partial refund offers, slow replies, and return rules that turn out to be tougher than the checkout page suggested.
One caution on the Stacees numbers. The company actively invites reviews, and SmartCustomer lists more than 4,600 review invitations in a twelve month stretch. That's not a crime, but it can flatter an average, so read the angry reviews as well as the glowing ones. And take the exact decimals with a grain of salt anyway, since the review counts shift depending on which regional Trustpilot page you load.
If you want to read the raw material yourself, here are the pages we used: Zapaka's Trustpilot page, Zapaka on SmartCustomer, Zapaka complaints on Pissed Consumer, Stacees on Trustpilot and Stacees on SmartCustomer.
Delivery timelines: the date on the product page isn't the date
Here's the single most important thing in this whole article, so I'll say it plainly. The estimated delivery date at checkout is a hope. The real clock has three parts: processing or production, shipping, and then whatever delays land in between. And the first part is the one nobody advertises.
Zapaka is where this bites hardest. Buyers on the public review pages describe a pretty wide spread:
Promised six to ten business days, ordered September 21, and still waiting in the second week of October with homecoming a week away.
Paid for a three to eight business day expedited option, and the dress shipped on day eight.
Promised six to nineteen business days, arrived on day fifteen. That one is actually a win.
Paid for express, and the order placed April 26 never shipped and never got tracking.
Waits of three weeks, a month, and almost three months, all described by people who did eventually get a dress.
One reviewer says the site never disclosed a 7 to 15 day processing time.
Stacees looks better here, but not flawless. Most reports sit between two and four weeks. Custom orders run longer because someone has to make the dress, and one buyer says to allow at least four weeks. There's also a report of a ten day shipping estimate that stretched to eighteen days with nothing shipped.
| Retailer | What buyers say they were quoted | What buyers report happened | Our planning number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapaka | 6 to 10 business days, 6 to 19 business days, or 3 to 8 business days with paid expedited shipping | Day 15 of a 6 to 19 window. A paid 3 to 8 day rush that shipped on day 8. Waits of three weeks, a month and almost three months. Some orders never shipped. | 4 weeks normal, 12 weeks worst case |
| Stacees, standard size | Ship time of about 10 days in one report | Two weeks to a month for most. One 10 day estimate stretched to 18 days with nothing shipped. | 4 weeks normal, 6 weeks worst case |
| Stacees, custom size | Made to measure, so production comes first | Three to four weeks including customization. One buyer advises allowing at least four weeks. | 5 weeks normal, 8 weeks worst case |
Sources: public Trustpilot, SmartCustomer and Pissed Consumer pages, checked late October 2026. Individual reports vary and are not company guarantees.
Notice what the table shows about paid rush shipping. Several Zapaka buyers paid extra and still saw late or missing shipments. So we don't give you a better worst case for paying more. Treat expedited as a coin flip, not a guarantee.
Work backward from prom, not forward from today
The trick is to flip the question. Instead of asking "when will it arrive," ask "what's the latest date I can order and still be okay if this goes badly?" That means counting backward from prom: your worst-case delivery, then tailoring, then a few spare days for inspecting the dress and deciding whether to keep it.
Run it for a prom on Saturday, April 24, 2027, with two weeks set aside for a tailor. The worst-case-safe order date for Zapaka is around January 9. For Stacees standard sizes it's around February 20, and for Stacees custom around February 6. If that surprises you, good. It's way earlier than most people think, and it's why October and November are the sweet spot for spring prom orders. (Our fall dress shopping guide makes a related case: better deals and less of a rush at the tailor.)
Put your own date in below.
Pick your prom date and the retailer. You get the date that survives a slow order, the date that works if things go normally, and the date you must switch to a backup dress.
These are Promsie planning numbers built from the delivery reports we read, not promises from either company. Expedited shipping only trims the likely case, because buyers report paid rush orders that still shipped late. The built-in buffer is 7 days for inspection and return decisions.
One more thing about those numbers. They are our planning assumptions, built from the reports above. They're not promises from either company, and a given order can land faster or much slower. The point of a worst case is that you can live with it.
Customs, duties and the fee that shows up late
This is the part most guides skip because it's boring. It's also the part that's changed the most this year.
For a long time, packages worth $800 or less slid into the US without import duties thanks to something called the de minimis exemption. That's why a cheap gown from an overseas warehouse almost never came with a bill. In 2026 that changed. US Customs suspended the exemption for mail shipments, effective June 24, 2026, and set up a new postal entry process under which shipments now pay the duties that apply to them.
So will you get a surprise bill? Honestly, it depends, and anyone who gives you one number is guessing. The federal notice describes how duties get paid by whoever files the entry. It doesn't tell you what a given retailer passes along. A store can absorb the cost, bake it into the price, add it at checkout, or leave a courier to bill you at your door. Three things decide it: how the package ships, whether the retailer includes duties in the price, and how the garment is classified.
What we found in the reviews is modest. We didn't see a clear inbound customs complaint for Zapaka. We did see a Stacees reviewer who sent items back to China at their own cost, then was told a further £50 was needed to release them from customs, with that sum to be deducted from the refund. That was a return, not a delivery, and it's one report. But it shows the real danger zone: customs on the way back.
For years, small packages under $800 skipped import duties. In 2026 US Customs suspended that exemption for mail shipments, so overseas dress orders can now carry duties. Whether that cost lands on you depends on how your order ships and whether the retailer includes duties in the price. Look for "duties included" at checkout, and stress-test your budget with the calculator below.
The other hidden costs
Forget customs for a second. These are the line items buyers actually complain about:
Original shipping isn't refunded on either store's return, based on the policy summaries.
Return shipping is on you. One Zapaka buyer says returns go to China, cost $60 and took over a month. Estimates for a Stacees gown run roughly $30 to $80.
Zapaka restocking fees reportedly climb with the number of items: 15 percent for two or three, 30 percent for four or more. Order three dresses to compare and you might pay for the privilege.
Some Stacees buyers describe deductions labeled materials fees that they say weren't disclosed before purchase.
Rush and expedited fees are generally non-refundable, even if the rush didn't happen.
Add those up and a "$120 dress" can quietly become a $250 lesson. Don't take my word for it. Run your own order through this and see what being wrong costs.
The sticker price is the best-case price. This shows what the dress costs if you keep it, and what you're out if you have to send it back.
Duty is set to 0 because whether you pay it depends on how the retailer ships. As a stress test, try 15 and then 30 and see how a surprise bill feels. Return shipping defaults to $60, which is what one Zapaka buyer reported and sits inside the $30 to $80 range quoted for Stacees.
Fabric versus the catalog photo
Photos lie by omission. Lighting flatters, steamers hide wrinkles, and a satin that looks like liquid on a model can feel like a shower curtain in your hands. Both stores get complaints here, but they differ in size.
On Zapaka, the complaints are blunt. Buyers describe fabric that looks cheap, a shiny finish, a lining that "feels like felt," a wrong color, and dresses that look nothing like the listing. Another complains about a tacky sequin finish and a strong smell on arrival. Some of this is the nature of retro styling. Vintage-inspired silhouettes live or die on structure, meaning boning, layers, and heavier fabric, and a thin version of a structured dress collapses.
On Stacees, most reviewers say the fabric and stitching are good quality and the dress matches the photos. The exceptions are specific rather than general: frayed lace with white spots, a color that came out deeper than pictured, and a strap that came loose at an event.
The takeaway isn't that one store never disappoints. It's that you can lower your risk by reading the listing like a detective:
Look for fiber content. Polyester satin, a stretch crepe and a heavy duchess satin are three very different dresses.
Find the word lining, and the word boning. If a structured dress doesn't mention either, ask.
Count the tulle layers on a ballgown. One or two layers photographs fine and falls flat.
Check whether the model photos are one dress in different colors. The color you want may not be the one that was photographed.
Ask support for a short video or real-life photos of the exact dress. They may say no, and a no is also information.
Air a new dress out for a day before judging the smell, and steam it before you decide it's wrinkled beyond saving. But don't steam it, wash it or wear it out before you've decided to keep it, because that can kill your return.
- A delivery estimate with no processing or production time listed
- A rush or expedited option that promises days but doesn't say when the clock starts
- Return rules that differ between the policy page, the FAQ and the order email
- No return address until after you ask for permission to return
- Support that is only an AI chat bot
- A cart size that doesn't match the size you picked on the product page
- A price far below what the listed fabric and construction could cost
Sizing hacks that actually help
Sizing is where I'd spend 80 percent of my attention, because it's the one thing you can control before you pay. If you want the deep dive, our dress fit guide walks through exactly where to place the tape. Here's the Zapaka-and-Stacees-specific version.
Zapaka's size reports run in both directions. Some buyers say items came out far too small, with one describing a dress "three sizes smaller" than expected, while others say a dress was much longer and bigger than expected. One bride caught her order resetting to a size 2 at checkout before she paid. Stacees buyers mostly praise custom sizing, with many saying the dress fit without alterations, and the company often emails to confirm measurements. But some still needed alterations for length, straps, waist or bust, and a few blamed their own measuring.
Hacks that save you
Check the size in your cart, not just on the product page. Screenshot it just before you pay.
Find out whether the chart lists your body or the dress itself. Some charts list body measurements, others list the garment, and the difference can be a couple of inches. If the page doesn't say, ask before you order.
Ignore your usual size. In our Mia Bella review we said it plainly, and it applies here: your normal size means almost nothing on an overseas size chart.
Between sizes on a non-stretch dress? Go up. Taking a dress in is easier than letting it out, and a tailor can fix extra fabric but can't invent more.
Lace-up and corset backs forgive more than zipper backs, because you can adjust them. A zipper back on a fitted dress doesn't.
Add your heel height to your length math. Hollow-to-hem has to cover your heels on prom night, not your bare feet. Too long can be hemmed. Too short can't be fixed.
For custom orders, send your measurements once, then confirm the confirmation email. If Stacees emails to check, answer it. That email is your proof if the dress arrives off.
Budget a tailor either way. Simple fixes like a hem often cost well under $100, and bigger jobs cost more, so treat it as a normal line item, not a failure.
Type in your numbers and the chart's, and this will tell you whether a size is a fit, a risk or a hard no.
Type your tape-measure numbers on the left and the numbers from the retailer's size chart for the size you're eyeing on the right. All in inches. Leave a row blank to skip it.
Length row: your number is hollow of collarbone to floor, barefoot. The chart number is hollow to hem. We add your heel height because you'll stand taller on prom night.
A rule of thumb for deciding, not pattern drafting. If you land between sizes on a non-stretch dress, the larger size plus a tailor is the safer bet, because taking a dress in is easier than letting it out. Custom sizing is usually final sale, so measure twice before you pick it.
Custom or standard?
Here's the uncomfortable trade. Custom sizing is Stacees' best feature, and it's also the thing you can't send back. The policy summaries say custom sizes, colors and designs are non-returnable except for defects or damage. So custom turns a small fit risk into an all-or-nothing bet on your own measurements. If you measure well and the dress is simple, custom is great. If you're guessing, a standard size you can return might actually be the safer choice.
Returns, refunds and the alteration credit nobody explains
This is the make-or-break section, so let's slow down.
First, a confession about sourcing. We couldn't open either company's own policy page from our research setup, so the rules below come from third-party policy summaries and from what buyers say actually happened. Those summaries even disagree with each other in places. That's not a reason to skip this section. It's a reason to screenshot the live policy at checkout and treat your screenshot as the rule.
We could not open either company's own policy page from our research setup, so these rules come from third-party policy summaries plus customer reports. The summaries disagree with each other in places. Screenshot the live policy at checkout and treat that screenshot as the rule.
| Rule | Zapaka (per summary) | Stacees (per summary) |
|---|---|---|
| Window | 7 days to request a return authorization | 14 days from the carrier's delivered date |
| Return shipping | You pay. Original shipping not refunded. | You pay, roughly $30 to $80 for a gown. Original and rush fees not refunded. |
| Fees | Restocking fee of 15 percent for 2 to 3 items, 30 percent for 4 or more. Usually none for a single item. | No flat restocking fee for perfect items, though buyers report deductions called materials fees. |
| Custom or altered items | Not returnable | Custom sizes, colors and designs not returnable, except defects or damage |
| Where it goes | Buyers report returns to China | Address sent by email after approval, processed mainly in China |
| Refund speed | About 2 to 3 weeks end to end | 3 to 5 business days inspection, then 7 to 15 business days at the bank |
| Alteration credit | None found | Possible and discretionary: if a custom dress is off your ordered measurements by more than an inch, they may cover local tailoring with photos and a tailor receipt |
Summaries: The Return Guide, dated December 2025 for Zapaka and May 2026 for Stacees. Policies change, so confirm on the live site.
How Zapaka returns work in practice
The summary says you have seven days to request a return authorization. The package doesn't have to arrive in seven days, but you have to ask. You email support, wait for approval, ship it at your cost, then send the tracking number. Altered or custom items can't be returned. Refunds go back to your original payment method and reportedly take two to three weeks end to end.
What buyers describe is messier. Some report offers of a 10, 20 or 50 percent refund, and one received $67 on a $104.99 purchase. Others say they couldn't get a return address, got no reply for weeks, or were told to pay more before a refund could proceed. One buyer says a full refund only appeared after the seven day window had closed, in place of a 19 percent credit.
How Stacees returns work in practice
According to the policy summary, standard-size items have fourteen days from the carrier's delivered date, you pay return shipping, you wait for approval of up to 48 hours, and the return address arrives by email after that. After the warehouse inspects it, the refund can take up to about three more weeks to clear your bank.
Buyers say the advertised fourteen days and the refund they got don't always match. Reported offers include 10 percent, $20 to $70, 70 percent if you keep the dress, and store credit. Some say returns were effectively limited to defective items, and one waited eleven days with no return instructions. A few disputed charges with their card company. Stacees says it's working to improve its return process.
The alteration credit: what it is and what it isn't
You'll see this phrase floating around: "Stacees covers alterations." Here's what the one summary we found actually says. If a custom dress differs from your ordered measurements by more than an inch, Stacees may offer to cover local tailoring. You'd need photos of the measurements and a tailor receipt.
Read that again. May. Offer. Not "will reimburse," not "up to $X." It's a discretionary gesture, and none of the buyer reviews we read mention anyone receiving one. Most buyers who needed alterations just paid a local tailor.
So how do you use it without getting burned?
Get the offer in writing before the tailor touches the dress. A reply email that names an amount is worth more than a policy page that says may.
Document the miss. Photo the dress laid flat next to a tape measure, and keep your original measurements and the confirmation email.
Don't wait for a decision before your own deadline. Book the tailor anyway if prom is close.
When they offer you a fraction of your money back
Partial refund offers are the pattern we saw most often. Before you accept one, ask them to cite the policy they're applying, and decide whether you're okay keeping the dress, because some offers depend on it. Compare the offer against your out-of-pocket costs, using the calculator above. If a refund stalls or the offer is far below what you paid, your card issuer or PayPal has its own dispute process with its own deadlines, so look them up early. That isn't legal advice, just a reminder that the clock on a dispute is separate from the retailer's return window.
Here's your toolkit for when it's time to act.
The window to say "this isn't right" is short, and it can start ticking before you open the box. Set the clock, then work down the list. Your ticks stay saved in this browser.
Window lengths come from third-party policy summaries. Confirm yours on the live policy and your order email.
0 of 12 done
And if you need the words, these save a lot of staring at a blank email.
Short, calm and specific gets answered faster than angry and long. Pick the situation, fill in two blanks and copy.
Send it from the email you ordered with, keep the reply thread, and attach your photos. Not legal advice. If a refund stalls, your card issuer or PayPal has its own dispute process with its own deadlines, so check them early instead of at the last minute.
Before you pay, screenshot the product page, the size chart, the shipping estimate and the return policy, with the date visible. If a policy changes or a listing disappears, those screenshots are your evidence. Save your order confirmation email in a folder named for the dress.
Zapaka vs Stacees: which one for which person
Let's cut through it. On the evidence we found:
Stacees has the better odds on fit, quality and delivery speed, mostly because of custom sizing and higher review scores.
Zapaka wins on a distinctive retro aesthetic you won't find at a big-box retailer.
Stacees gives you a longer return window on paper. Zapaka's is shorter at seven days.
Both are weak on returns. Neither is the kind of store where you can casually order three dresses and send two back.
Zapaka has the thinner safety margin. If it goes wrong, buyers more often report the order itself failing, not just the fit.
Not sure which camp you're in? Answer five questions and let the matcher decide. It's allowed to say "neither."
Five quick questions. The answer is allowed to be "buy something else."
Where these two sit among prom dress sites
Search interest in "best prom dress sites" has been climbing, and for good reason: there are a lot of options and most roundups are written by people who've never ordered a thing. If you'd rather start from the safest end, our guide to the best prom dress sites is sorted by what you actually need, from guaranteed fit to last-minute panic. Our Lulus review breaks down a US-based option's quality, shipping and returns, and our Mia Bella Couture review is another brand where the return policy is the real catch.
For a side-by-side of overseas versus domestic timelines, including how KissProm's return rules compare, see our shipping deadlines and return policy guide. If you're trying to figure out whether to buy at all, the rent vs buy breakdown is worth five minutes. And if a dress you can't return worries you, our explainer on why you can't return a Sherri Hill dress shows how strict retailer return rules can get, even on big-name brands.
The playbook: from order to prom night
Here's the order of operations that keeps you out of trouble, in plain steps.
Pick your backup first. Choose a domestic, in-stock dress you'd happily wear and save it. Then set your backup trigger date with the calculator.
Check your timeline. If the safe order-by date has already passed, treat the order as a gamble, not a plan.
Pay with a credit card or PayPal, not a debit card, and skip the rush fee.
Before you pay, screenshot the product page, the size chart, your cart size, the shipping estimate and the return policy, with dates visible.
Confirm your measurements in writing, and answer any email asking you to check them.
Track the order. No tracking number by your backup trigger date means you buy the backup.
On arrival, don't wear it or alter it. Photograph the package, film the unboxing and work the checklist.
Decide inside the window, and email support with photos before it closes.
Get any alteration credit or partial refund offer in writing, with the amount.
Book the tailor early. The week before prom is when every tailor in town is overbooked.
Choose a domestic in-stock dress you'd be happy to wear and save it to a wish list. Then set one calendar date: if there's no tracking number by that day, you buy it. A backup that costs you a return fee beats a prom where you have nothing to wear.
The bottom line
Zapaka and Stacees both sell dresses a lot of people love, and both can save you real money. They're also both retailers where the savings come with a risk that sits on your side of the table.
Zapaka makes sense if you're chasing a specific retro look, you have twelve weeks or more, and you can shrug off a loss. Pay by credit card or PayPal, skip the rush fee, screenshot everything and keep a backup dress in your back pocket.
Stacees is the better default, especially if you need custom sizing. Order early, measure twice, get confirmation emails and treat custom as final sale. And don't count on the alteration credit until it's in writing.
And if you're anywhere near four weeks out, close both tabs. A dress that ships in a week and returns without a fight will beat a gorgeous one that doesn't arrive.
Got your own Zapaka or Stacees story? Send it through our contact page and tell us what happened, from delivery to return. It helps the next person, and we'll update this guide as policies change.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zapaka legit for prom?
Zapaka is a real store that ships real dresses, but the customer experience is inconsistent. Its Trustpilot page shows a 3.0 score with more than half of reviews at one star, and complaint pages describe late shipments, orders that never shipped and partial refund offers. If you love the retro look, have at least 12 weeks, pay by credit card or PayPal and keep a backup dress in mind, it can work. If you need the dress by a fixed date with no margin, buy elsewhere.
Is Stacees legit?
Stacees is a real retailer with a strong Trustpilot score of 4.4, and many reviewers praise the fit, especially with custom sizing. The recurring complaint is returns: reviewers report partial refund offers, slow replies and fees deducted from refunds. Stacees also actively invites reviews, so read the one-star reviews before you decide.
How long does Zapaka take to deliver a prom dress?
Buyers quote estimates of 6 to 10 or 6 to 19 business days, and reports range from about three weeks to almost three months, with some orders never shipping. Plan on four weeks as a normal case and twelve weeks as a worst case.
How long does Stacees take to deliver?
Most reports for standard sizes land between two and four weeks, and custom sizes take about three to four weeks or more. One buyer advises allowing at least four weeks for custom, and another saw a ten-day ship estimate stretch to eighteen days. A safe plan is five weeks as a normal case and eight weeks as a worst case for custom.
Do Zapaka or Stacees charge customs fees?
The customer reviews we read do not describe a clear customs charge on inbound orders, though one Stacees reviewer reported a customs fee on a return shipment. The rules changed in 2026: US Customs suspended the duty-free exemption for small mail shipments, so duties can now apply to overseas orders. Whether you pay depends on the shipping method and whether duties are included at checkout, so look for that line before you pay.
Can you return a Zapaka dress?
According to third-party policy summaries, you have 7 days to request a return authorization, you pay return shipping, original shipping is not refunded and multi-item returns can carry a restocking fee. Altered or custom items are not returnable. Buyers also report partial refund offers and trouble getting a return address, so email support early and keep photos.
Can you return a Stacees dress?
A policy summary says standard-size items have a 14-day window from the carrier's delivered date, you pay return shipping that can run roughly $30 to $80, and refunds go back to the original payment method after inspection. Custom sizes, custom colors and clearance items are non-returnable except for defects or damage.
How does the Stacees alteration credit work?
According to one policy summary, if a custom dress differs from your ordered measurements by more than an inch, Stacees may offer to cover local tailoring, and you would need photos of the measurements and a tailor receipt. The word may matters. It is discretionary, and none of the reviews we read mention receiving one. Get the offer and the maximum amount in writing before you see a tailor.
Does paying for expedited shipping actually help?
Not reliably. Several Zapaka buyers report paying for expedited shipping and still seeing the order ship late or not at all. Treat a rush fee as a gamble and base your timeline on the normal case.
How far ahead of prom should I order from Zapaka or Stacees?
To survive a slow order plus tailoring and a return decision, order about 15 weeks before prom from Zapaka, about 9 weeks before for Stacees standard sizes and about 11 weeks before for Stacees custom sizes. These are planning numbers built from buyer reports, not company promises.
Which is better for prom, Zapaka or Stacees?
On the evidence we found, Stacees has better odds on fit, quality and delivery, mostly because of custom sizing and higher review scores. Zapaka wins on retro styling. Both are weak on returns, so choose based on what you can afford to lose if the dress misses.
What should I do if my dress arrives wrong or late?
Document everything before you open the package, email support within the return window with photos and measurements, and ask for the resolution in writing. If a refund stalls or you are offered far less than you paid, check your card issuer's or PayPal's dispute process and its deadline. A backup dress bought in advance removes most of the panic.
Sources
Promsie is an independent editorial site. We have no affiliate relationship with Zapaka or Stacees, and we did not receive free products or payment for this article. Details checked October 31, 2026. Retailer policies, prices and timelines change, so confirm them on the live site before you buy.
