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With so many people shopping online these days, the expectation vs reality meme doesn’t surprise anyone anymore. Most popular ecommerce sites, like Aliexpress and Etsy, are notorious for selling goods that look a far cry from the airbrushed pictures they advertise them with. In fact, online shopping fails have gained popularity in their own right, with many social media accounts and content creators sharing their own no-good orders for everyone’s entertainment.

A TikTok account that goes by the handle @funny.shein.reviewss is one such page that has been sharing video compilations of pics of very questionable items people bought on Shein. Founded in 2008 by Chris Xu in Nanjing, China, the company is known for its “affordably priced apparel,” but I guess you pay the other kind of price after unpacking that order.

Below we selected some of the most hilarious examples shared on this TikTok account, so don’t forget to hit upvote as you scroll through!

The Chinese fast fashion retailer Shein has been notorious for making the headlines, not always for good reasons. Many artists and designers have been speaking openly about Shein blatantly stealing their designs. On top of that, it became widely infamous for murky ethics and anti-sustainability. Shein’s inhumanly fast turnaround and presumed slave labor should be enough to repel shoppers, but that’s not the case.

Founded as wedding dress retailer "Sheinside" in 2008 by Chris Xu, SHEIN became a global phenomenon for its data-driven reach and hyper fast production cycle. And when we say hyper we really mean it. The online-only retailer releases between 500 and 2,000 products on average every single day, while its fellow competitors like Fashion Nova and Missguided, in comparison, manage only 1,000 a week.

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MarmotArchivist
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's funny looking cat you got there. And it isn't even white like advertised.

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Despite its obviously problematic aspects and tons of controversies, Shein has still managed to virtually conquer the world with a whopping $100 billion valuation, announced in early April. But when it comes to consumers who shop at the hyper fast fashion retailers like Shein, not everyone is impressed with the item they receive. Expectation vs reality has clearly become a meme in the recent years with shoppers sharing their order fails that, in reality, look little if anything like the pictures on the website.

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To find out more about this widely spread phenomenon, the questionable tactics of hyper fast fashion retailers and the key role the internet plays in this instant consumerism, we spoke with Lina Survila. Lina is a founder and editor in chief of the online cultural magazine “Abstract Stylist,” and a former L’Officiel fashion editor with a decade-long experience in fashion.

“We are all visual people,” Lina told Bored Panda and added that “with the booming e-commerce marketplaces selling fast fashion, people usually get very disappointed with what they order and what they actually get.”

Moreover, photo editing is nothing new for brands on platforms like AliExpress or Etsy. “Sometimes, the seller lists the original photo from a fashion house but actually sells a copy. It might be that one of the biggest marketplaces online, Shein, will reach a valuation of $100 billion this year. Although, it seems that not all Shein shoppers feel that the brand is selling what it promised them,” Lina said.

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“Internet culture shaped a different style, a social media-appropriate style dictated by the world’s biggest influencers. To be the first to copy the style of a trending outfit, you have to work very fast. And with fast comes the price of quality.” On the other hand, Lina argues, shoppers shouldn't expect a lot for such small prices. Shein’s prices are very low, with the retailer’s official website listing T-shirts, trousers and dresses for $3, $7 and $13 respectively, which is often 50% or lower than the cost of similar products from other prominent fast fashion brands such as Inditex-owned Zara.

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was scrolling specifically looking for one of your comments :D

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Sanni Salo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We bought one of these for my grandmother because she couldn't hold her hands up long enough to use hairdryer in the normal way.

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Joyce Tan
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1 year ago

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I’m using my moms acc cuz my actual account named Greatlolxx just got suspended on chatting,Am I’m age 11 so idk why I’m suspended for this,I still have school and just came back while I was in top 5% rank and yeah….I got suspended temporary heavily and I was sad so what do I do?

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Russell Ellwardt
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All Germans will immediately think of Loriot's Saugbläser Heinzelmann. (Sorry, untranslatable insider joke).

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Sharon A. Kaufmann
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom had one of those that you attached to your VACUUM CLEANER OUT TAKE VENT! 😖🤮

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Andrea Menzel
Community Member
1 year ago

She's got her hairdryer attached.

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Egregious Filmin
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why are people mad that some of these look exactly like the advertisement?

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Chilly Chili
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like some odor filtering device you'd use in a set up for growing weed.

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Eliza May
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Filter Queen vacuum cleaners had those in the 70s, in brown.

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Overbearing Menopausal Queen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But does it work? I don't care how weird or ugly looking it is - does it work? 😁

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Ash Ash
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wanna be friends with the person who took the picture.

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PumpernickelsBum
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had one. It works. I did have to cut the end a bit more at the end so it would fit over my blow-dryer, though.

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Helen Solli
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the 70`s I had a portable hair dryer with the hose & cap just like that. I would use just the hose to blow dry my hair. Clearly I was ahead of my time.

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Annemarie Tews
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At first I thought it was a transition duct hat it is technically that but for a hairdryer? Lol

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Dara Cathy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's for hair treatments. A lot of treatments work by putting a shower cap over your hair then sitting under a dryer at a salon to keep it warm for 10-ish minutes. Unless you have a salon dryer at home, this is what you gotta do.

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Amy Doyle
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would not trust this. It looks like it could blow up 😂

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Lily
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh there it is, the 1960s hair dryer hood. It was much better than having to sleep on hair rollers.

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ᴀʟᴇxᴏᴛʟ_ᴛʜᴇɢʀᴇᴀᴛ
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

run along now,💅𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖💅. me and my partner have business to attend to, only for people worthy, like us. and don’t refer to me as ‘it’. would you call van gogh ‘it’ 💅𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖💅 ?? just refer to me as ‘he’, ‘she’ , or ‘godly being’

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Lina explained that marketing plays a big role in promoting the dream or something that is way better in the picture than in real life. “To catch people’s attention is hard work, so a few Photoshop touches might help to do that and make people buy, but not necessarily come back,” she said and added to not “believe everything you see on the internet, and if the dress looks perfect for an unbelievably small price, I am sure it’s too good to be true.”

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DUN DUN (she/her)
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want to wear this on a zoom call and blow peoples' minds when I take them off physically. Yes you got it, it's not a filter bish!

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“Before buying, I suggest Googling the brand, reading other people’s comments on it, and, if possible, checking on Instagram if anyone tagged a photo of themselves wearing the brand,” Lina said and concluded by reminding shoppers to never trust a price that is too cheap.

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Nancy Nenstiel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those are actually called finger cots...widely used by restaurant employees to keep a individual finger that may have a cut or burn clean and dry

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Rijkærd
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whts the problem here? Seems like a cool pair of glasses...imma look for some

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Rabbit Carrot
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean it looks like how it’s supposed to. If people are choosing to wear things incorrectly (like the one with the girl with doll head earrings in her nose rather than her ears) then that’s on them. 🤷‍♀️

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Nathaniel
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's the problem? Am I missing something? Edit. Just seen it. The guy parking his breakfast on the toilet.

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Note: this post originally had 33 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.