CBS Investigation: Social Media Boutiques Not Worth The Money
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - You see the ads all over Facebook — fashionable clothes and coats for a fraction of what you'd pay in retail.
But, Cristin Severance of CBS Dallas-Fort Worth, did a little shopping on these "social media boutiques" to find out if the deals are real or a ripoff.
When shopper Abby Misegades finds a good deal, she has to share.
"The price is right. And the clothes looked really cute," Misegades said.
Scrolling through Facebook, an ad for Rose Gal caught her eye. She ordered a cream and black Aztec sweater for just $23.
"When I opened it, just this really rank smell came out of the bag," Misegades recalled.
The open shrug was sewn together in front. Misegades said she had to get, "teeny tiny scissors and cut the whole thing apart," even to open the sweater. The fit was also tighter than she wanted.
"I won't be ordering again," she said.
Thousands of similar complaints were found on SiteJabber about Rose Gal and other heavy Facebook advertisers. The overseas companies are accused of using fake pictures, misleading customers about shipping times and not giving refunds unless reviewers remove negative posts.
CBS DFW did some shopping of its own and explored four sites that advertise all over Facebook — Rose Gal, SheIn, Nastydress and Tbdress.
"It all looks great on the models," Severance said.
Severance ordered a black shirt for $13, a leather jacket for $16, a yellow dress for $23 and a red coat for $25.
Severance found that the faux leather jacket appeared much more "faux" in real life than in the photo. A red wool coat proved to be equally disappointing.
"I'm worried I'm going to bust through this like the Hulk…. It's called a wool coat; it looks more like a felt," she said.
Customers like Misegades weren't surprised to hear about the results. She said she's sticking with stores where she can see, and smell, the clothes before she buys them.
"Not really any of the cheapy Facebook ads, won't be going down that road again," she said.
One of the items ordered by CBS DFW didn't show up at all. None of the clothing companies returned a request for comment.
In a statement, a spokesman for Facebook said the company prohibits ads that are "deceptive, false, or misleading." The spokesman added that Facebook will take appropriate action if violations are discovered.
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