Several online clothing retailers are under severe scrutiny for conning online customers into buying clothing of poor quality by using false advertisements and images found on social media.

A variety of reports and social media posts have detailed how a lot of online shoppers have been scammed into buying what they think will be a trendy dress or top on sale but are later shocked to receive a product that looks nothing like it did in the photos.

These online retailers include sites like Rosewe, Rosegal, ModLily, Sammy Dress, DressLily, Zaful, RomWe and Choies, among others.

In a new report, one of the photos used by ModLily was proven to have been taken from designer Pascale Rowe's Instagram account and passed off to look like one of their own products.

Many of the product photos used in the ModLily website, as well as all the other sites, look like photos that could have been taken from fashion-oriented Instagram or Pinterest accounts. Rowe was notified by followers and media outlets about the site using her photos to false advertise products.

“I don’t mind if a company says ‘Get the look like Ms. Bling,’ steal her look, but don’t say you’re selling Ms. Bling’s dress,” Rowe said. “Don’t tell people that I got it from you, and don’t act like I’m wearing your piece, because it could be totally different. It’s false advertising.”


There have been claims that all of the different online retailers may be connected. So who is behind it all? According to BuzzFeed, the culprit is a company in China called ShenZhen Global Egrow E-Commerce Co.

All the sites are tied together through an email found on all of their pages. A search of certain images will also reveal how the same misleading images are used throughout several sites.

In 2014, Global Egrow was purchased by clothing company Shanxi Baiyuan Trousers which is run by Yang Jianxin.

Jianxin was named one of the richest men in China last year and, with all these websites offering deals on "fashionable" clothing and no consequences in sight despite complaints, things may just stay that way.