Tired of getting scammed by the sites on the right of your Facebook news feed? As it turns out, many of these sites are all operating under the same company in China, using cheap materials and stolen photographs to recreate clothing from other websites. Use this guide to help you decide what sites to stay away from, and which sites to turn to instead.
Scam Sites:
1. Rose WholeSale
This site sells a lot of of knock-off clothing. For example, this photo from Rose WholeSale for this $10.30 prom dress was stolen from the website PromGirl.
PromGirl’s Photo:
Rose WholeSale’s Photo:
Instead Try:
GoJane.com
This site has an assortment of long dresses but also offers everything from boots to bathing suits.
2. DressLily and SammyDress:
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning about these two sites in April, 2015 after many popular Facebook pages filled with angry customers referred to these sites as “Scam Sites” and “Knock-off Sites.”
Instead Try:
Revolve.com
Revolve offers clothing commonly sold in department stores such as Nordstrom. Many copycat sites steal Revolve’s images to recreate.
3. Romwe:
It is notable that many companies based in China publish images from stores like J.Crew and then send out knockoffs that are made from very cheap material.
Instead Try:
Xenia Boutique
This Australian site is always up to date on what is in style, with off the shoulder shirts and denim dresses. They’re often offering discount codes for free shipping.
4. Choies
Typically many of the websites that are not trustworthy or legitimate, such as Choies, can be found on the right side of your Facebook page.
Instead Try:
Amiclubwear.com
The site has an infinite number of pages to look at. Just make sure you sign up for their emails to receive a discount code right away.
5. Twinkledeals
It is important to beware of sites like these because they are typically known for also having unresponsive customer service and non-returnable items.
Instead Try:
Lulu’s
Lulu’s customer service is very quick to respond. Just send an email or use the Live Chat box on the website to talk to someone immediately.
6. Zaful
Buzzfeed.com has reported, “Many of these companies scam all operate under a larger Chinese e-commerce company called ShenZhen Global Egrow E-Commerce Co., which made about $200 million in 2014.”
Instead Try:
Brandy Melville
Brandy Melville is another site that has simple articles of clothing, but is very reliable. This is an American company, so you can be sure that shipping and returns won’t leave your wallet empty.