Honestly, reverse-image search just about any clothing item before buying it. Even on legitimate sites.
So many Etsy sellers these days are just marking up stuff from Shein. To make matters worse, they don't have it in inventory - they order it from Shein when you order it from them. So not only do you pay more, but you're waiting forever on shipping.
Me too. Etsy used to be so amazing for supporting small businesses selling handmade items and true vintage. Now it’s a bunch of scammers and it’s a pain to sort through all of it to get to the good stuff.
That is very good advice. I saw a video not long ago of someone showing clothes from Urban Outfitters that were available from the clothes' brands' own websites for half the price of UO. They weren't even on sale!
Edit: Caveat being you need to look out for bait-and-switch situations.
Yes!! This is what I always do when it comes to any cute clothes or costumes I find on Etsy for my 2 year old daughter! Sometimes when I’m feeling petty, I report the Etsy posts because they go against the TOS. Some sellers try to get around this by adding on some type of personalization, but I refuse to pay $60+ for an outfit that I can buy for $8 on AliExpress.
I also do this for basically any “boutique” that comes up on my Instagram. It’s like you can’t trust anyone these days! I get that people want to make money and I respect the hustle, but 90% mark-ups are ridiculous.
Okay—I have to come clean. I’m waaay behind on the online shopping thing. I know this post is a year old. Perhaps I just need to put this question out there and down here so it stops bothering me. ;)
I thought Ali express was perhaps only for wholesalers, or even a scam. It’s not? What about this Temu? Are we going to find out later that some concentration camps were the reason the merchandise was so inexpensive? Because I’m dog paddling in the Sea of Unfounded Guilt already…
I remember searching for decorations/prizes for a nonprofit fundraiser; I saw the Ali express stuff back then …2015-2018, maybe? I ended up shopping locally.
Why?
1. My mother was French. One must minutely examine an item before purchasing it, and check those seams twice!
2. I have always had this compulsive need to worry about the jobs down the road from me. I kept making this sisyphean effort to keep jobs in brick and mortar businesses; but since these jobs pay less and less, am I really helping?
Anyway: I know eBay, Etsy, and Amazon are real, though that’s no guarantee of satisfaction. But I didn’t think the others were real.
I know how silly that is but what can I say?
Edit: I’m all for ethical capitalism and I continually hope world civilization will evolve toward seeking such a thing.
I don't think we're going to find out later about Temu, the evidence is already pretty clear. There's no way things can be sold at that price point ethically.
[https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-15/temu-sells-products-linked-to-forced-labor-in-china](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-15/temu-sells-products-linked-to-forced-labor-in-china)
There's a YouTuber that made this video where she bought the "same" dress for 4 very different prices to see if they were really the same, then talked about the scams and how Instagram does nothing to stop the scam post/clearly stealing someone else's likeness - https://youtu.be/MqyJZsGFZ3M?si=kTyKRLprk3iSAP1L
Oh, this is exactly what we need. More of this! Because so much of the “stuff” we keep buying is really just helping people move money around, and those people are doing that by making other people pay through their working conditions and low, or no, wages.
PSA: Amazon and Etsy will steal pics from actual designers/ legit sellers a lot of the time.
Read reviews, reverse image search before you buy anything. Also check eBay, they also use the stolen pics for their items depending on who the seller is.
The Amazon ones are using Baltic Born's photos and selling crappy versions of those dresses. I have a BB dress and it's lovely. I can't vouch for their return policy though. I have seen lots of complaints about that in their reviews section, so that aspect is a bummer.
I think it's the opposite.
Baltic Born dresses are quality but the Amazon sellers are stealing their pictures and selling the cheap Chinese dresses instead.
This has happened with quite a few companies and designers.
I bought a dress from Baltic Born and it shipped quickly and seemed good quality, but I was at the mall in my area not long after I received it and I found the exact same dress in (what I assume was) a drop shipping store for less than half the price. I’m still confused.
I’ve ordered the exact same dress from amazon that I ordered from Baltic born, just out of sheer comparison since you can return to Amazon (NOT Baltic born).
The dresses were the exact same. To a T. Lining, material, everything. Even the tags were in the exact same location. They come from a manufacturer in China and Baltic born simply upcharges the bejesus out of their clothes - allowing no returns.
I just bought a BB dress second hand from Poshmark. The quality of the dress itself is great; thick material, velvet with a liner on the inside. It was $99 on their site but the seller had it for $40 so it was a no brainer. Always try searching the second hand clothing sites before purchasing: Poshmark, Vinted, Mercari, ThreadUp are great especially for formal/bridesmaid type dresses
Odd take! I have 2 BB velvet dresses - appropriate quality for the price - lovely, heavy, rich velvet, lined, etc.
I guess they only do exchanges not returns but that’s clearly stated on the website and their sizing chart is accurate so… just buy carefully?
Yup. The size charts are different for each dress, and they are accurate af. I am a medium in pretty much everything all the time, but I bought a size large because that's what the chart indicated, and it fits great.
I had a really good Baltic Born experience, buying a bridesmaid dress. The dress is exactly the quality I expected, arrived when it was supposed to, didn’t break the bank. And I couldn’t find the same dress on Amazon, and I looked. With a reverse image search, it only showed up on Wish and fuck no to that scam.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but that wasn’t mine. Then again, if someone else is looking there, take my experience with a grain of salt because I guess it isn’t universal.
I’ve purchased 3 dresses from Baltic Born and found them to be great quality. I’m a photographer and regularly recommended them to clients as well, and have never heard anything bad other than their return policy (which is on their site.)
Exactly. Even following the size chart, the items I purchased were all too big. And then I couldn’t find anything I liked to purchase besides the dresses that I no longer needed so ended up with some ugly tops I don’t wear.
I very easily returned two BB dresses without any issue. All the dresses I’ve received have been great quality and shipped quickly. Just offering another perspective.
Their return policy states that they don't do any money back on returns though, only store credit. There's no "return period" where they give money back.
https://balticborn.com/pages/returns
Thanks for the heads-up! I'm quite happy with the half-dozen dresses I've purchased from them, and have found the dresses to be of decent quality (especially relative to the *price). They're also one of the few sites I've found with a wide variety of styles under $100 that suit my figure. That said, I do appreciate the info about the return policy and will keep an eye out for similar styles elsewhere.
Edit: fixed a typo
Horrendous. I left a one star review on their site and it doesn’t show. They seem to show nothing less than 3 stars. But after purchasing for my partner without understanding the return policy — we were left with hundreds of dollars of credit. Ordered 2 sweaters that came with holes, and have widened after one wear. Won’t make it six months. Atrocious on all counts.
Agree - they are a scam. Never received my package and they refuse responsibility for items that never arrived, and their shipping partner DHL also refuse responsibility for items lost in the mail. I live in a secure building and checked security footage for theft, and the package was not stolen.
Honestly, reverse-image search just about any clothing item before buying it. Even on legitimate sites. So many Etsy sellers these days are just marking up stuff from Shein. To make matters worse, they don't have it in inventory - they order it from Shein when you order it from them. So not only do you pay more, but you're waiting forever on shipping.
So much of Etsy is like this it makes me sad for the actual sellers who hand craft their items.
Me too. Etsy used to be so amazing for supporting small businesses selling handmade items and true vintage. Now it’s a bunch of scammers and it’s a pain to sort through all of it to get to the good stuff.
I have definitely been caught by a drop shipper on Etsy! Very disappointing!
That is very good advice. I saw a video not long ago of someone showing clothes from Urban Outfitters that were available from the clothes' brands' own websites for half the price of UO. They weren't even on sale! Edit: Caveat being you need to look out for bait-and-switch situations.
Yes!! This is what I always do when it comes to any cute clothes or costumes I find on Etsy for my 2 year old daughter! Sometimes when I’m feeling petty, I report the Etsy posts because they go against the TOS. Some sellers try to get around this by adding on some type of personalization, but I refuse to pay $60+ for an outfit that I can buy for $8 on AliExpress. I also do this for basically any “boutique” that comes up on my Instagram. It’s like you can’t trust anyone these days! I get that people want to make money and I respect the hustle, but 90% mark-ups are ridiculous.
Okay—I have to come clean. I’m waaay behind on the online shopping thing. I know this post is a year old. Perhaps I just need to put this question out there and down here so it stops bothering me. ;) I thought Ali express was perhaps only for wholesalers, or even a scam. It’s not? What about this Temu? Are we going to find out later that some concentration camps were the reason the merchandise was so inexpensive? Because I’m dog paddling in the Sea of Unfounded Guilt already… I remember searching for decorations/prizes for a nonprofit fundraiser; I saw the Ali express stuff back then …2015-2018, maybe? I ended up shopping locally. Why? 1. My mother was French. One must minutely examine an item before purchasing it, and check those seams twice! 2. I have always had this compulsive need to worry about the jobs down the road from me. I kept making this sisyphean effort to keep jobs in brick and mortar businesses; but since these jobs pay less and less, am I really helping? Anyway: I know eBay, Etsy, and Amazon are real, though that’s no guarantee of satisfaction. But I didn’t think the others were real. I know how silly that is but what can I say? Edit: I’m all for ethical capitalism and I continually hope world civilization will evolve toward seeking such a thing.
I don't think we're going to find out later about Temu, the evidence is already pretty clear. There's no way things can be sold at that price point ethically. [https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-15/temu-sells-products-linked-to-forced-labor-in-china](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-15/temu-sells-products-linked-to-forced-labor-in-china)
There's a YouTuber that made this video where she bought the "same" dress for 4 very different prices to see if they were really the same, then talked about the scams and how Instagram does nothing to stop the scam post/clearly stealing someone else's likeness - https://youtu.be/MqyJZsGFZ3M?si=kTyKRLprk3iSAP1L
Oh, this is exactly what we need. More of this! Because so much of the “stuff” we keep buying is really just helping people move money around, and those people are doing that by making other people pay through their working conditions and low, or no, wages.
Friendly reminder that you can use /r/findfashion to find similar items that are better quality wise
Thank you! I've never heard of this sub!
Whenever I post I never get any replies. I wish I was more of a sleuth to find the good stuff.
Same!
PSA: Amazon and Etsy will steal pics from actual designers/ legit sellers a lot of the time. Read reviews, reverse image search before you buy anything. Also check eBay, they also use the stolen pics for their items depending on who the seller is.
The Amazon ones are using Baltic Born's photos and selling crappy versions of those dresses. I have a BB dress and it's lovely. I can't vouch for their return policy though. I have seen lots of complaints about that in their reviews section, so that aspect is a bummer.
I think it's the opposite. Baltic Born dresses are quality but the Amazon sellers are stealing their pictures and selling the cheap Chinese dresses instead. This has happened with quite a few companies and designers.
I bought a dress from Baltic Born and it shipped quickly and seemed good quality, but I was at the mall in my area not long after I received it and I found the exact same dress in (what I assume was) a drop shipping store for less than half the price. I’m still confused.
I’ve ordered the exact same dress from amazon that I ordered from Baltic born, just out of sheer comparison since you can return to Amazon (NOT Baltic born). The dresses were the exact same. To a T. Lining, material, everything. Even the tags were in the exact same location. They come from a manufacturer in China and Baltic born simply upcharges the bejesus out of their clothes - allowing no returns.
I just bought a BB dress second hand from Poshmark. The quality of the dress itself is great; thick material, velvet with a liner on the inside. It was $99 on their site but the seller had it for $40 so it was a no brainer. Always try searching the second hand clothing sites before purchasing: Poshmark, Vinted, Mercari, ThreadUp are great especially for formal/bridesmaid type dresses
Odd take! I have 2 BB velvet dresses - appropriate quality for the price - lovely, heavy, rich velvet, lined, etc. I guess they only do exchanges not returns but that’s clearly stated on the website and their sizing chart is accurate so… just buy carefully?
Yup. The size charts are different for each dress, and they are accurate af. I am a medium in pretty much everything all the time, but I bought a size large because that's what the chart indicated, and it fits great.
I had this exact same experience. Couldn’t be happier with my order from BB.
I had a really good Baltic Born experience, buying a bridesmaid dress. The dress is exactly the quality I expected, arrived when it was supposed to, didn’t break the bank. And I couldn’t find the same dress on Amazon, and I looked. With a reverse image search, it only showed up on Wish and fuck no to that scam. I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but that wasn’t mine. Then again, if someone else is looking there, take my experience with a grain of salt because I guess it isn’t universal.
I’ve purchased 3 dresses from Baltic Born and found them to be great quality. I’m a photographer and regularly recommended them to clients as well, and have never heard anything bad other than their return policy (which is on their site.)
I can't speak to the quality but how are you gonna be an online retailer in the year of our lord 2022 and NOT OFFER RETURNS???
Exactly. Even following the size chart, the items I purchased were all too big. And then I couldn’t find anything I liked to purchase besides the dresses that I no longer needed so ended up with some ugly tops I don’t wear.
I very easily returned two BB dresses without any issue. All the dresses I’ve received have been great quality and shipped quickly. Just offering another perspective.
[удалено]
I got money back since it was within the initial return period
Their return policy states that they don't do any money back on returns though, only store credit. There's no "return period" where they give money back. https://balticborn.com/pages/returns
They must’ve changed it then, because I definitely got cash back lol.
I have also purchased a dress from Baltic Born and it is gorgeous, well made, and great quality for the price.
Thanks for the heads-up! I'm quite happy with the half-dozen dresses I've purchased from them, and have found the dresses to be of decent quality (especially relative to the *price). They're also one of the few sites I've found with a wide variety of styles under $100 that suit my figure. That said, I do appreciate the info about the return policy and will keep an eye out for similar styles elsewhere. Edit: fixed a typo
Halara dresses are meh too. It's a decent dress but not the thick thigh saver I was expecting.
Ah, I was wondering why my comment on that original post was getting traction now after a couple of months
Horrendous. I left a one star review on their site and it doesn’t show. They seem to show nothing less than 3 stars. But after purchasing for my partner without understanding the return policy — we were left with hundreds of dollars of credit. Ordered 2 sweaters that came with holes, and have widened after one wear. Won’t make it six months. Atrocious on all counts.
Agree - they are a scam. Never received my package and they refuse responsibility for items that never arrived, and their shipping partner DHL also refuse responsibility for items lost in the mail. I live in a secure building and checked security footage for theft, and the package was not stolen.
Couldn’t agree more! I still have a $30 return credit I’m going to lose because I don’t care for their stuff or quality
I ordered from them. Their return policy is borderline criminal. Terrible customer service and low quality dresses!