A couple of months ago I told you about a dress I ordered online that seemed too good to be true. It was only $29.99 so I ordered it anyway as an experiment because I wanted to check out the quality. Besides I thought I could just send it back if I didn’t like it. WRONG.
Where do I start to list my complaints?
If you’re online you’re bound to see the ads from JustFashionNow. The clothes on their website are fashionable and great looking, but I knew something had to be seriously wrong with a chic linen dress for only $29.99 and there was.
These fabulous looking linen fashions from one of their online ads ARE NOT the clothes you will receive!
Talk about false advertising!
This is the dress featured on JustFashionNow.com website that I thought I was ordering. This was not the dress I received!
- For starters the dress was advertised as linen. LOL!!!!! The dress I received is the thinest, cheapest… cotton?… mystery fabric? I don’t know, but it sure as shootin’ isn’t linen.
- The color is wrong. The “linen” dress they showed online was red. The dress they sent me is hot pink, and the invoice in the box said “burgundy.”
- The Contessa, my friend in California, told me their clothes were not as advertised and run small, but since this was an experiment… and their size guidelines said a medium would fit me… I ordered a medium. Even so I needed to be a contortionist to get my shoulders and arms through the opening in the neck without ripping the dress… and I’m not a big woman! And the darts on either side are made for women who have small to no breasts!
- The dress is paper thin and you can see EVERYTHING under the dress! I have thin lace panties that don’t reveal that much about me!
- The label on the back says “MISSLOOK.” If I had to guess I think they’re hoping we’ll read it as “MISOOK,” a wonderful brand of exceptional quality knits and woven fabric clothes sold at Neiman’s and Nordstrom’s.
- The photographs of the models and clothes on Just FashionNow and their ads that popup online are stolen… as are their designs… from reputable brands who originally made these clothes.
- The paperwork included in the box has no way to contact the brand or initiate a Return. When I went to their Return & Exchanges policy on their website, they state their return center is in China. I emailed them and they told me if I want to return something I have to pay for the cost of shipping it to China, PLUS possible custom fees, MORE than I paid for the dress, OR they will give me 15% cash refund which is $4.49 I can use “to alter the cloth” if there is a sizing issue. LOL!!!
We hear a lot about “fast fashion” these days: trendy, lesser priced clothes sold by Zara and H&M. Last week I bought a pale, yellow, tiered midi skirt online from H&M for $39, and I love it. Yes, I imagine a lot of their things were made in China or India, but they’re much better quality AND you can return them! Zara and H&M are reputable brands.
JustFashionNow gives fast fashion and online shopping a bad name. It is fake fashion and bears no resemblance to the truth of the original designs.
If you read my Fashion Friday posts then you know I buy almost everything online—makeup, lingerie, clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, shampoo—and THIS IS MY ONLY BAD EXPERIENCE. I know many women aren’t comfortable shopping online, but please don’t let this discourage you.
Here’s a post I wrote earlier this year detailing exactly how to find what you want online and how to purchase it. Ninety-Nine percent of brands are reputable. They make shopping and returns easy peasy because they want you to buy from them again. And I do.
A good rule of thumb for shopping online: Order two sizes and send the one back… or both… you don’t want. Every brand I know lets you return things for free… except JustFashionNow.
Beware of brands that are “too good to be true.”
46 Comments
I’m sorry you had a bad experience—but I’m glad you shared it! At least you’re not out a bundle of money. I’ve wondered the same things you did about this brand and others that have similar quirky names and many of the same clothes. You’re right: If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Thanks !
I meant “If it seems too good to be true, it probably IS!” Clearly, not enough java in my system before replying!
Thank you Marita for reading and leaving me a comment. We must warn one another about brands that take advantage of us. Brenda
I just got sucker punched from another online buy from Arealook. They advertise on Instagram and sell the same clothes you’ve shown. What I received is no where close to what was shown on the models. I also sized up thinking I’d rather have it too big than too small. Well, I can’t get into anything I bought and no way to return them. The price was too good to believe so I’m writing this off as a loss.
Interesting Christine. I’m thinking all of these brands are really the same company. We catch on to one bad brand so they introduce the same clothes under another name. Thanks for including the name of that brand, Brenda
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. These ads pop up a lot and the clothes are very nice and the price is outstanding. I’ve thought about placing an order. You’ve saved me all the aggravation you had to endure. Thanks again for sharing
Hi Jane, The clothes are very nice. The red linen dress I ordered was so chic! Part of me held out hope that it would arrive as advertised, but alas… So disappointing! If only they would make the clothes that are pictured… for a reasonable price… We’d be recommending this brand to all our friends, and they’d have a hit on their hands. Thanks for adding to the discussion Jane! xoxox, Brenda
Interesting! Sorry you got taken, but I have also wondered about the beautiful pictures that scroll by on FB or Instagram. They do seem too good to be true, and I know from experience that returning anything purchased overseas is a pricey and usually futile effort. Thanks for sharing this experience and savings some of us from trying it.
Hi Laurel, You don’t know before you order that this brand is in China. Grrr… That alone would have sent my alarm bells ringing. I’ve ordered from a couple of brands in Europe but the return policy is usually more difficult and drawn out so I’ve crossed them off my list. Thanks for reading and leaving me a comment. xoxox, Brenda
Well, Brenda confirmed my suspicion- I have 4 linen tops I ordered 6 weeks ago from Heronia, which I saw on Facebook-$29.99 each, already charged on my Visa- no sign of anything yet, but I could kick myself for being so gullible – I thought they were coming from Mexico, but probably not! My fears are they have my Visa # – adding to the list of my growing fears of Facebook come-one!
Katie, Leave me a comment here on this post when your four tops arrive. I’d like to know if they’re as advertised. It’s so disheartening to find scammers at every turn and the internet is the perfect place for them to put on their best face and reel us in. xoxox, Brenda
OH GOOD JOB telling EVERYONE about those ADS and YES THEY STEAL from OTHERS in fact my CAFTAN COMPANY where I buy MY HEAVY LINEN CAFTANS have been TARGETED!THEY are even using THEIR PHOTOS!MY Place to BUY is on ETSY at YUME WORLD and I buy the MENS MEDIUM at 5’10” tall.I LOVE THEM………They are about $200.00 and come from the island of CYPRESS!
I had GOOD luck about 5 years ago with a COAT I purchased off of Instagram………….I get compliments every time I wear it!Even covered in WINSTONS DOG HAIR!BUT NO MORE………….NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT LOOKS AND SPEAKS TO ME!THis last order is BAD way TOO BIG and CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP………….NO paperwork in my parcel at ALL.I ordered a LARGE and got a small!IT FITS!!!!!!!THat was the NYLON DRESS I posted on Instagram!Should have been COTTON!I did NOTE it shipped from CITY of INDUSTRY down in Los Angeles!Must be a distribution center for the CHINA GOODS!
HUGS TO YOU!
XX
Elizabeth, Thanks for all the great info about brands you’ve tried and sizing. I’m going to a beach wedding off an island in Puerto Vallarta next month and would love a beautiful kaftan that doesn’t cost me as much as my trip. I will check out Yume. xoxox, Brenda
The Chinese COPY everything. They finally had to give up on copying designer handbags, including the logos, as the crackdown on that was so furious. The garments are made for small, tiny Asian people, not for us guys. And, everything is SMALL, so I would have to order an XXXL to get into anything, as I’m 5’7″ otherwise the dress or pant would be way too short. Now, on the flip side of this. Everything is a copy or inspired by SOMETHING. From the beginning of time. Aspirational or reprised fashion is on every runway around the world. When the designer shows happen it takes about 2 weeks for knock-off’s, or almost identical pieces, to be shown somewhere. And, that’s never gonna change.
We just need to be careful about ordering from China. Of course, $29.00 is too good to be true for anything we would want to wear. When I love something, but cannot possibly afford it, I take a beautiful fabric to my seamstress and she makes something beautiful, not a copy, but I got the idea from someone else. Thanks for this post, it’s very enlightening ! Big hug !!!
Big hugs to you as well, Marsha! Yes we all know China knocks everything off, but the sad thing is if they just upped the quality of their things by 20% their products would be so much better. I have a wonderful woman who’s great at alterations but I don’t have a seamstress who can make things from scratch. Now that’s a smart way to go! Thanks for the input. xoxox, Brenda
I’ve had similar experiences with Zulilly. They are not worth dealing with!
xob
Barbara, I remember Zulilly from several years ago but they’ve dropped off my radar for some reason. Perhaps poor quality is why. Thanks for adding their name to the list. xoxox, Brenda
Thank you for your comment on Zulilly. I’ve been so tempted to buy from them, but as of today I will NOT. Once in awhile I buy from Groupon but I always read all the comments first. They have stopped me many a time.
Maryann, Groupon may be great for some things… I’m not a fan however… but to be on the safe side, unless it’s Zara or H&M, beware of inexpensive clothes!!! Thanks, Brenda
I’m SO glad you posted this. I still have this same dress in their cart. I never go around to ordering it. I can’t believe the difference in color and quality! Thanks for saving me. @sheilamerle1
Sheila, We have the same great taste in dresses! Doesn’t that dress look amazing? Wish we knew who originally made it. I’d be interested to know how much their dress cost. xoxox, Brenda
Yes, I was intrigued by thoe ads. But I read reviews and was forwarned. Anything that good must have a problem. I went to your other article about ShopStyle. I did not know about them. Great info. I order a ton online. Last summer I was looking for sandals to wear in Israel. I went to 4 stores, tried on gazillions of sandals. They were all uncomfortable. I then in frustration went to Zappos. Ordered 10 pairs of shoes. 2 were extremely comfortable. Returned the rest and was a happy camper. I will try shop style. Looks like a good idea.Thanks for all the great info.
Sandy, I was forewarned as well but for $29 I wanted to see what they made and I thought I would just send it back if I didn’t like it. That’s the part that gets me more than the poor quality. They know we’re not going to spend over $100 to send it back to China PLUS be billed for customs fees. So dishonest. Grrrr…. ShopStyle is a great place to find what you’re looking for. xoxox, Brenda
I’ve ordered online only from the shopping channels and Amazon. A friend ordered from these guys that you dealt with and she was happy with the outfit (a Christmas themed tunic). I try to shop at stores as much as I can, because if we all shop online and the stores are empty they will close the stores and what will take their place?. Plus, it’s one place we can go and see people who aren’t in our “bubble” and going to the mall is free!
Cat, You made a great point about seeing people outside of our “bubble” and the mall is a great place to do that. I’ve been reading about numerous big box brands that are opening “look, try on, buy online” stores. It will be interesting to see how these do. One may have been Nordstrom’s in NYC with a separate store for men, women and home products. Thanks for the awesome comment! xoxox, Brenda
Brenda – I too was taken by this company. The photos looked fabulous and the prices were incredibly low. Knowing the Chinese sizing is always small I ordered a size up. When the dress (very cute striped cotton) arrived I was pleasantly surprised with the good fabric. The size was wrong of course – it was huge and it was a medium. I never expected that. I am not sure if it can be altered correctly because the bust darts are wacky and the armholes are so deep the entire sides of my bra shows. What a waste. I know better than this…
Cindy, It was huge? What a surprise! The darts on the dress I ordered were weird as well and the shoulders and around the back was so small I had to be careful taking it off that I didn’t tear the fabric. Yes… What a waste! At least we didn’t spend a lot. Thanks for your input and for reading my blog. xoxox, Brenda
Thanks for the heads up, Brenda! One of the replies above mentioned that the company now has her Visa card number. We always use a “one time use” card when shopping online. Many credit card companies offer this service that covers their butts to avoid fraudulent charges.
Terry! This is brilliant!! Obviously I’m behind the times because I haven’t heard of this, and I see by looking it up online that it’s been around a long time! Oh, I need to blog about this one!! Thank you, smart lady!! xoxox, Brenda
I ordered from two different companies and I like what has been said think they are all the same company. I ordered a dress that according to their sizing I needed a 3xxx and when it got here not only was it terrible fabric but I doubt a person that was a 0 could fit in it. Plus both companies took 2+ months to get my products to me. I always pay with Paypal and filed a claim through them to cancel the orders but the company assured me I would get my items, which I did. I wish I could remember the names of the companies so I could warn others.
Hi Victoria, I’m sorry you experienced this ripoff like I did. Yes, I believe this company operates under lots of names, but all of their clothes are awful. They are scam artists! Tell your friends that to be on the safe side, if they see any great looking clothes that are inexpensive… unless they come from Zara or H&M, pass on by! xoxox, Brenda
I have several items! I have ordered that quite frankly make me laugh!!! Two with no place to return and I would have to take a Chinese class to even know what it says!!! One good thing……the bathing suit can fit my teacup schnauzer, Stormy
Debbie, Well thank goodness Stormy has something to wear to the beach!! Does she have a hat? xoxox, Brenda
Thanks so much for this post. I’ve been tempted so many times to order from these companies. Saying that, it just seemed too good to be true!
A GREAT company you can order from for LINEN items, is VIVID LINEN. They’re quality is as good or better than Eileen Fisher and half the price.
Most of my summer wardrobe is now from them. I live in Houston, so you know how hot it is here!!
Always enjoy your blog.. Please post more stories from your adventurous life!
Hi Sally, Thanks for the sweet email. I’m working on a memoir about my unusual life but it’s taking me a long time and I don’t want to stop blogging, so… Something may have to give or I’ll be ancient before it’s finished. Vivid Linen! What a great source! Thank you. I’ll check them out. I’m in San Antonio so I know about heat and humidity, and all of this rain hasn’t helped. I have giant mushrooms growing in my topiary pot. Always enjoy seeing you here! xoxox, Brenda
Oh My! I had a similar bad experience with LiliGal – ordered three dresses. All were cheap fabrication and a terrible fit – aka, you get what you pay for. Took forever to find a way to return and get a return authorization number on their website (eventually got two RMAs so I put both on the package). When I finally sent to the New Jersey address, at my own expense, and did a follow-up, I was informed that it was past their return policy. Now, that response came within minutes of my inquiring email. Door shut. They never returned the product I paid for and I am out $100+. Not the end of the world and I guess the price I paid for a good lesson: If it looks too good to be true, IT IS. Stay as far away from these pop-ups as possible.
Hi Holly, These brands are sleazy! I can’t imagine working for one of them… in any capacity. They know the quality is bad and they’ll never refund your money. That’s wrong. Just so wrong! We just have to keep warning one another. At this point I don’t see any other option. And yes, let’s remember IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE… It is!! Thank you for sharing! xoxox, Brenda
bummer….I’m so sorry, what a racket. Thanks for the warning my friend. xo
Hi Katherine, I hate to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater, but most of the ads with cute, fashionable clothes and unusual name brands are from China. Grrr… xoxox, Brenda
I also saw these ads on my computer and was thrilled. Fortunately, first I typed in their name and then ‘reviews’. There was an abundance of negative reviews saying just what you did. I now look for online reviews before ordering from an unknown brand.
Smart woman, Dawn!! You just gave me an ah-ha moment! I review items when I’m looking at them on the site, but I haven’t gone looking for reviews about the brand. Very smart!! Thanks! xoxox, Brenda
Thanks for sharing your experience, Brenda. Unfortunately, nearly everything is made in China now, including many of the designer brands that we pay big money for. I love Pinterest but I am very leery of the brands that constantly pop up there. I always try to pay attention to reviews. If there are no reviews we probably are going to get what we pay for.
Cindy, I’m with the President when it comes to making things in the US and employing people here in the US as opposed to making the Chinese rich in return for giving us such poor quality. I realize not all things made in China are poor quality, but then the designer brands have a quality image to maintain, so they’re on top of the situation, but clothes that are too good to be true? No can do. Thanks! xoxox, Brenda
Thanks for the heads up. I think with social media we’ll see more shams and have to share experiences to help people avoid being taken advantage of.
I too recently had a horrible experience with ‘Rebelle’ trying to resell a pair of expensive Repetto heels that I never Wore. I normally buy/sell gently worn items on Vestiaire Collective but tried Rebelle. Within days my shoes ‘sold’ but i was unable to ship them within 10 days because they were boxed during a move and I told Rebelle. Rebelle sent me a ‘penalty invoice’ of 50€ And within a week a late fee and another late Fee with threats to report me to a credit collector!! So out of fear from threats I paid 50€ for a pair of shoes I still have!! Silly me-apparently it’s all in their 21 page policy. To me it seems like a sham. Buyer beware of hidden fees. Stay away from Rebelle! Nightmare.
Yikes, Michelle! That’s awful. Yes, we need to always read the fine print about buying, returning or selling items. There are so many ways websites with questionable ethics can get us. They’re just laying in wait for us to fall into one of their traps. I’m not familiar with either of the resale sites you mentioned. Have you tried the RealReal.com? Thanks for the warning! Brenda
Also got scammed by this brand, lesson learned. Dishonest thieves.