SheIn Scams – What Consumers Should Know
SheIn is one of the latest e-commerce stores to grab attention. Many American consumers are eager to purchase their cute clothes but the website might not be what it seems. Should you consider purchasing clothing from this website? Or, is it best to protect your money by staying far away from it? Within this article, we’ll try to find out whether SheIn can be trusted.
What Is SheIn?
First and foremost, you should know that SHEIN claims to be an international B2C fast fashion e-commerce platform. While it focuses mainly on women’s wear, it also sells men’s clothing, children’s clothes, accessories, bags, and other items. The site says the company mainly targets American, European, Australian, and Middle Eastern markets.
SheIn was allegedly founded in 2008. The website says SHEIN ships to more than 220 countries and regions around the world but it offers nothing about the company’s headquarters. We only find information about the “company” when reading the terms and conditions page. Here, we learn that SheIn is being run by Zoetop Business Co. Limited which is based out of Hong Kong.
Zoetop has a handful of trademarks in the United States including ROMWE, SHEIN, SHEINTEE, DIDK, DOTFASHION, MAKEMECHIC, FLOERNS, VERDUSA, MILUMIA, EMMACLOTH, and WDIRARA.
If we look at the company’s Better Business Bureau profile, we see that it claims to be located at 1980 US Highway 1 Building 3D in North Brunswick, New Jersey. It doesn’t help that SheIn isn’t very forthcoming on its website.
A Storefront On AliExpress
Being a Hong Kong based company, SheIn has fully embraced AliExpress. The company has a brand store on AliExpress. On there, SheIn claims to have started as a small group of passionate fashion loving individuals in North Brunswick.
Surprisingly, the prices are cheaper on Shein.com. So, it is best to buy directly from the website instead of purchasing from AliExpress. Or, it might be best to avoid the site completely. Nevertheless, the prices are likely still too high considering they’re coming from Hong Kong. Furthermore, consumers will likely run into a lot of issues when dealing with SheIn.
A Worrying Trend
Unfortunately, a lot of consumers have experienced trouble dealing with SheIn. There is a good chance that you’ll do the same. By looking at the business’s BBB profile, we can see that it has an F rating. BBB is quick to defend businesses and often gives generous ratings. So, it is very concerning that the company has so many complaints.
On 3/22/2020, one customer complains that “I believe I have been scammed.” He or she goes on to say that one item arrived in a package that did not have the name brand of the company on it. It didn’t have a packing slip and they never ordered the item. Another item came with a broken zipper. There is an interior stain on one item and a dress is completely see-through.
SheIn doesn’t have a customer service email or toll-free phone number to call so the customer has trouble remedying the issue. Another custom says they ordered $80 worth of clothing from SheIn and it the delivery carrier tried to deliver it in another state. When trying to get a refund, the company said they refunded it but the customer never received that money.
On 4/13/2020, a customer said they ordered 3 items nearly a month ago. They didn’t know the items were from China and the shipping label was created much later. At the time of the complaint, they were still waiting for their order. SheIn’s Facebook page has disabled reviews and there is likely a good reason for that.
On the Facebook page, one customer has spammed the company’s posts pleading with them to allow her to return a wig and even agreeing to pay return shipping. However, SheIn’s customer service is the worst because there is no email or phone to speak with them.
It doesn’t appear that the company has responded to the customer yet. Furthermore, the customer says the wig is too bad quality and she hates it.
Should you Buy Clothes From SheIn?
Ultimately, you can do whatever you want. However, it is pertinent to analyze the risks before deciding to do business with an online store. SheIn has too many complaints and its customer service is nonexistent. If something goes wrong with your order, you’re likely going to have difficulty getting assistance. Do you really want to go through that headache? If you enjoy a calm, peaceful life without drama, do yourself a favor and stay away from SheIn.
