The internet is a great platform to quickly and easily get new 'good quality' stuff. I also use this way of shopping almost monthly, but lately I have big questions about it. As adults, we often think that we have already experienced everything and have a monopoly on wisdom, but reality often proves the opposite afterwards. Since Chinese providers have entered the World Wide Web en masse, the rules of the game have changed a little too unilaterally, in my opinion.

Returning a product to a Chinese webshop: an impossible task?

Well, ordering is one thing, but returning if something doesn't fit or is simply disappointing... That's another story. Some parties charge almost 25% of the new value of the ordered product for this 'service', even if the package remains within the Dutch borders. If you look at the terms and conditions of these rogue sites, you will often see that they pretend to be a Chinese site, or have simply copied the terms and conditions (via cut-and-paste) of such a site. They also regularly misuse the name of well-known brands — as in the case of hiking boots from Meindl. As soon as your order and payment have been sent out, you will receive a counterfeit product after a very long wait ("we are so busy").

Deception on well-known e-commerce platforms and shopping apps

I recently visited Shop, which in my eyes is a renowned e-commerce platform. I had bought beautiful and good products there several times, but this time it went completely wrong. I thought I would order beautiful corduroy pants, as they were recommended by De Modeoutlet (also check out outlet stores on Shop).

They use a nice slogan on their page: "Sells from 🇳🇱 ." Sounds reliable, I thought. Wouldn't you think so too? But then the misery began. Of course, payment had to be made immediately. I was under the impression that I had bought nice pants from a reliable seller on a professional platform.

How does dropshipping work: long delivery times and low quality from China

It already went wrong with the delivery time. It took a very long time for the order to arrive. When my patience was almost exhausted, I suddenly received a 'friendly' and neatly drafted e-mail: it was extremely busy and the delivery would take "a little" longer. In hindsight, my alarm bells should have gone off by then and I should have canceled the order immediately. But yes, sometimes you want to be patient, don't you?

I should have realized that this webshop probably also runs on dropshipping: quickly order cheap junk in China (for example for € 15 each), have the customer's delivery address entered immediately, and then take at least 50% margin on delivery. Cleverly inserted, though.

Chinese Terms & Conditions & Worthless Imitation Products

It's a pity that a platform like Shop allows these kinds of parties to earn money. I decided to check the terms and conditions of sale of De Modeoutlet. After reading and copying them, I knew enough: Chinese conditions, sky-high return costs, but claiming that you sell "from the Netherlands"?

Last night I finally received the ordered items. Just look at the collage I made for you together with AI. On the 'high quality corduroy pants' was a brand text stitched with Jeans and fashion jeans. Moreover, the buttonholes were closed so that you couldn't even close the pants, and the stitching hung together on all sides with fraying. Not "high quality", but outright non-performance.

Poor customer service and lousy compensation schemes

I immediately sent an e-mail to De Modeoutlet. After the first response, I suspected that it was an automated AI answer, but it turned out that there was a human of flesh and blood behind it. After some emailing back and forth — where they first thought it was a shirt and I could choose a new one — they finally began to understand that it was about three pairs of pants. Again a tight example of disinterest.

In the end, I was able to get a 10% discount on the junk delivered, plus a free replacement product. Wonderful revenue model: selling junk three times for a nice amount, refunding 10% and sending another questionable product to fend off the customer. Not to mention the return policy to China. Thank you, Outletstore and Shop!

Why You Should Avoid Rogue Dropshippers

Fortunately, I can put this into perspective and somehow I still find it amusing to 'play' with these presumed amateur entrepreneurs. They must have had a seasoned marketing teacher who helps these kinds of revenue models into the world. They have probably never worked in real practice themselves, but they look with pride at the turnover they make.

However, it is sad when you think of the damage and suffering that these rogue webshops cause to, for example, the elderly or less fortunate. My advice: don't start.