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Woman Orders a Dress Online, Gets a Crop Top Instead

Women are falling victim to fashion catfishing. (Photo: Getty)
Women are falling victim to fashion catfishing. (Photo: Getty)

Most people know that shopping online is a risk, especially when you’re shopping for clothing. It’s hard for the color to translate through a computer screen or for a shopper to gauge the exact texture of the material, for example. But usually, you more or less get what you bargained for.

Sadly, this was not the case for a woman who ordered a sheer, figure-hugging dress from the online retailer PrettyLittleThing recently. The woman, who goes by the handle @BRIABACKWOODS, tweeted side-by-side photos on Tuesday of the ad for a dress she ordered from the site and the product she received, which was not only a far cry from what she ordered but wasn’t a dress at all. It was a top.

Photo: Courtesy of Twitter/BRIABACKWOODS
Photo: Courtesy of Twitter/BRIABACKWOODS

The tweeter went on a tirade about the botched buy, in which she wrote things like “the company @OfficialPLT is an absolute JOKE. their customer service is s***. they don’t have a phone number. don’t purchase from them,” and “if you live in the USA, do NOT give @OfficialPLT your business.”

This is not the first time this has happened. During prom season this year, many young women were taking to social media to reveal that they’d gotten caught up in what is now being dubbed “fashion catfishing” — referring to the phenomenon of duping someone into thinking they’re having an online romance with someone who actually does not exist or is someone else entirely.

Teens were posting spliced images of the prom dresses they ordered and the prom dresses they received, which were not only different but were cheaply made or outright junk. Many of the teens laughed about their fashion ordeals, writing things like, “Note to self — never buy a prom dress online” and “Don’t order a prom dress online or it’ll look like it’s from Dollar General.”

And it’s true — some of the products these girls received resembled cheap tablecloths and were examples of outright false advertising. Their experiences serve as cautionary tales for people who are too trusting of web-only retailers.

Bottom line: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You’re better off sticking with a brand you know; otherwise, you might end up unwrapping something that resembles a prepackaged Halloween costume — and not have any way of reaching customer service to request a return. Buyer beware.

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