The thrill of an epic bargain clouded my judgement, and while I knew these were all red flags, I clicked through to purchase anyway. Curiosity obviously got the better of me.
After I checked out, I received a receipt from an email address unassociated with the website I just purchased from. I sent a few emails requesting a refund immediately but of course never heard back, so waited to see what/if anything would turn up. A few weeks later, I received a pair of quite obviously counterfeit designer shoes. They didn’t even match the size I ordered. There was a sticker saying size 40 (my size), but they were so obviously a size 36. They weren’t even the brand I’d shopped, and resembled nothing like the style I’d purchased. I had a real belly laugh when I pulled them out of the post satchel. Probably the most expensive laugh I’ve ever paid for.
The ultimate rule when online shopping that you always need to remember, is if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Instead, shop from reputable sites like Net-a-Porter, Matches Fashion, or The UNDONE.
Oh and, if you were curious, I went back and bought the original shoes, and paid the actual retail price, and felt a whole lot better about it.
*Update: Due to popular demand, I have included an image of the shoes I thought I was buying (and in the end, did), and the counterfeit shoes that actually arrived.
