Online rip-off artists are no strangers to those who love doing an occasional fashion splurge on the Internet. It’s sadly an all-too-common event for an innocent shopper to think they’ve purchased a glamorous ball-gown spun by the elves of Rivendell themselves, only to receive a frumpy frock fit for a Hobbit. Or perhaps you’re expecting a cute pair of summer pajamas in the mail – and sure enough, you do – covered in an even cuter pattern of humans performing deviant sex acts all over its fine cotton material (we’re not kidding – that’s actually happened.)
So, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to many that largely successful e-commerce website, Amazon UK, has recently attracted this sort of publicity – making internet news with a lacy, black bralette that has reportedly victimized quite a number of upset female customers.
“Thought I’d give you all a laugh this evening. So I saw the post from the girl who ordered this gorgeous bralette for bargain price.. .so I thought fuck it I will spend £4 on my self, don’t normally!
It turned up today! Was so excited!!! Until I tried it on. I brought the XL!!!! Fuck you internet!” writes a clearly disgruntled woman in the Facebook group, Girlsmouth.
Her post quickly rallied a force of other unfortunate buyers behind her, sharing much of the same sentiments.
The straitjacket-for-your-boobs apparently came in two different colours – one black version, and one white.
“Fucking ridiculous I couldn’t even breathe in the white,” writes an unhappy customer, agreeing with the original post.
“Mine hurts to wear its so tight,” agreed another.
The seller of the item did come with its fair share of warning signs, as seen from the product’s rather unprofessional description of the bra being able to “reflect your sexy and charming [sic].” Nice. It was also only being sold for as little as 20p – which brings us to the age-old saying of: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
Additionally, they did mention that the measurements came in “Asian sizing”, which was actually a fair heads up – that only meant that they’d be slightly smaller than that of Western clothing sizes. Unfortunately, even the “XL” of the bunch was just a tad too small, leaving 36H-cup women wondering how the busty product model was able to fit into the item, as seen from the image advertisement.
As mentioned, this definitely isn’t the first, nor the last, of false online marketing. Sketchy sellers lurk in all corners of the internet, sending out packages of disappointment one unwitting buyer at a time. Though clearly obvious advice, it’s an important reminder to always be wary of clothing sold online, lest you end up like these poor folk:
To avoid expecting a supposedly sexy pair of slitted harem pants, only to receive pair that look like they were haphazardly run through with scissors, it’s important to note these golden rules of buying fashion online.
1. Read reviews. Should the review section be cluttered with vexed comments and a number of ridiculous real-life photos (see the first image) – it’s probably not as advertised. One star ratings may also be a signal to click “Back” on your web browser.
2. Be aware of the sizing standard! As with the Amazon bralette fiasco – measurements differ depending on the source of the item. They could very well be tailored to Asian clothing when you’re expecting an Asian size, and vice versa.
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Keep in mind that colours on the displayed image may differ to its real-life appearance. That’s not to say it’s acceptable to receive something in neon-orange when you specifically ordered said item in black – but a shade or two off is commonly expected .
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Research the clothing material – unless you’re dealing with an extra-shady online seller, the true material of the item is often listed in the product description. Use this to determine whether you’re getting a blouse, dress, or shirt with the exact feel and material you’re after.
5. Look at actual non-filtered, non-studio photos of the item. If they aren’t available, you can always request for them from the seller – it’s possible they’ll say no, but in the case they don’t, you’ll have actual product photos to compare to the advertised image.
These tips aren’t completely foolproof – but when kept in mind, it’ll at the very least help weed out the potential product duds on your next online shopping spree.
Got similar (or even more ridiculous) online shopping experiences you want to share? Let us know in the comments below!