Beware of online scams going around from fashion brands approaching bloggers and smaller influencers to buy clothes to get followers and commission on sales.
If it’s too good to be true..it often is
If there weren’t enough ways to scam the public out there already, I have had another one this morning in my inbox and when I investigated it, I found it was dangerous so I thought I would share it with readers in the hopes of protecting people. I haven’t replied or engaged with them myself as if something looks too good to be true, it often is.
How they make money
Once you reply, they say you have 24 hours to buy something to get a 75 percent membership off for life. Then when ambassadors purchase something, they usually never receive clothes or refunds.
Email from Chic NYC
I immediately went online and the top search engine listings for CHIC NYC are stating it’s a fraud, that their Instagram posts are from other shows such as Burberry, and they take money from bloggers and small influencers with the hope of making money from commission sales and getting more followers from buying their clothes, which buyers are saying are cheap, poor quality items.
Some online reviews
“I was emailed a message stating I was offered a position as an ambassador. When researching their Instagram, and checking out their followers and who they follow, I noticed they are all single moms. Is this possible? Targeting hard working women in need of additional income. Morally disgusting. Thanks for everyone reviewing, it helped me in two seconds figure out what this was all about.
Also…..think about it…If there are no posts/pics of myself on Instagram, how would they know I would be a great influencer, what if I were extremely ugly and over 90 yrs old. I believe these reviews. Scam.”
“One word..Scam! They prey on smaller influencers who are not expecting fraudulent activity. Luckily we did our research before getting into business with them. Don’t fall for their promises of followers and New York trips. Run! Run fast!”
“I became a brand ambassador for this company. I placed an order on Oct. 17, but never received a tracking number. I asked customer service twice for the tracking number, but all I got were “Oh, it’s coming, don’t worry” and “Congrats, your item is shipped.” I even had to open a claim due to the item not coming in and the company acting shady. Surprisingly, it came in Dec. 4, but the quality was as bad as the organization of the company itself.
The item I purchased was originally $98 but I got it for $46.06. The outfit is very thin and obvious they used cheap fabric. The stitching near the sleeves are pretty terrible and mismatched. The overall look is not bad, but it certainly did not live up to my expectations.
In conclusion, waiting for the item to arrive and dealing with their “customer service” were not ideal. The product is cheaply made but costs so expensive. They try to sell you this brand ambassador deal in order to get cheaper prices on items and some compensation when others use your discount code but honestly, it’s full of bull. It’s really just a way to promote their items. It’s also more of a “Instagram model trying to get more followers” thing. Not my cup of tea.
I would never buy from this company again. In fact, I would never promote their clothes and have removed any trace of their tags off my IG handle. Don’t trust any online boutique brand with the word “NYC” in it, period.”
Some brands are genuine
On the other hand, some emails I receive DO turn out to be genuine brands offering free clothes to work with them. My rule of thumb is to not enter a credit card, and then you can’t lose anything. If nothing shows up, then no loss – however, once they have your credit card, you’re in dangerous territory.
If in doubt, ALWAYS do your research first, both online by Googling the company, and on Instagram, and by word of mouth asking others who have worked with them for their honest experiences.
20 March 2020