Sequin Evening Dress with Ruching and V Neckline

I ordered this for my mother in law, who found it very hard to purchase a dress for my wedding, and she absolutely loved it. This was especially impressive because it was really hard to find something that fit her nicely. She is tall, size 14, and most of the dresses we tried emphasized things that were not complementing her at all. She still to this day excited about how she looked with this dress. I ordered both colors, navy and silver, but in my opinion the navy looks much better (and this is what she eventually wore). The only thing we did regarding alterations was removing the pads from the dress (went to a seamstress for that), which were irrelevant for her chest size, and she wore it with a bra anyways. 10 out of 10.

I am extremely upset and disappointed with this seller. The moment I opened the package, I noticed that the dress did not appear to be in its original packaging. The plastic bag had clear tape all around it, which immediately made me suspicious, so I carefully inspected the dress. What I found was completely unacceptable. The zipper had been damaged and repaired, and the repaired area was clearly visible. The bottom of the dress showed signs of wear, the tag was wrinkled, and there were loose threads coming out around the back/butt area. The overall condition strongly suggests that this dress had either been on display for a long time, had previously been tried on or worn, or was a returned item that was repackaged and sold to me. This is NOT what I paid for. I purchased a brand-new dress, and that is exactly what I expected to receive. If an item is a display piece, previously returned, repaired, or otherwise not in brand-new condition, the seller should disclose that honestly and price it accordingly. Customers are not stupid, and it is extremely frustrating to receive an item in this condition while being charged for a new product. Please do not try to pass off used, repaired, or damaged merchandise as brand new. Transparency and honesty with customers matter. I am returning this dress and ordering another one. I sincerely hope the replacement arrives BRAND NEW, unworn, undamaged, unrepaired, and in its ORIGINAL packaging, because I will absolutely inspect it when it arrives. This experience was completely unacceptable.