75 online purchases that didn’t quite live up to their expectations

Ordering online from somewhere new can—and should—always be cause for worry. Because once you have made a payment, you have no guarantee you will get what you paid for.

The fact is, anyone can set up a website and add a payment processor to it. And they can fill it with lots of lovely pictures of the things they say they sell.

And it goes farther than that. We have been conditioned to read reviews. If there are a lot of good reviews, we think we are safe. But there is a whole underground industry of buying reviews. So unscrupulous sellers buy themselves a lot of glowing fake reviews.

Learn to be a savvy shopper, or you too could find yourself the new owner of some of the abominations below.

1. I’m dying!

Well, I do have to say this, that adhesive must be incredibly strong. And, please. Someone get her a full support bra right now!

2. Simply incredible

So she ordered that wedding dress. You would think she’d get something remotely resembling a dress, but she got that pencil case. So she tried it on and was thrilled with the fit.

3. We’ll have to guess

We don’t know exactly how this dress was supposed to look. But I’m pretty sure the resemblance is minimal.

@aligregsmy dress for the ball came in and ##foryou

♬ Mr PostMan – ahmex

4. Killer mask

Literally. A few minutes wearing that would suck the life out of him. Forget the fact it was nothing like what he ordered.

5. Horrifying, yes.

However, this costume is supposed to be Pennywise the clown. At least that’s what this boy ordered. Scary and terrifying for all the wrong reasons, but definitely not Pennywise.

6. Improve your smile!

Or not. If you’re looking for the perfect smile, you’re going to have to pay the price. Don’t order them online. Here’s a few examples why it’s a bad idea.

7. Ooh, yes!

That looks exactly the same. I can’t help but wonder how much money people lose on these scams. And since they are custom made, can you get your money back?

8. Not a fan.

I’m not a big fan of the original. But it is about a thousand times better than the horrible knock-off.

9. Shapeless!

You do send your measurements in to these places, right? Because not only does that fabric look terrible, that dress is hanging right off her.

10. This is an abomination.

I believe the saying is true that you get what you pay for. I’m going to guess this cake was not created by a true professional.

11. Perhaps it just needs a crinoline.

Okay, I jest. But at least the colors are correct, and while I can’t really tell for sure, I do think that is a Christmas scene at the bottom of the dress. And I do think the $110 price marked down to $13, should be a clue.

12. It was confusing to start with

So according to the description, this transparent dress can be worn it to an elegant event, the beach, the club, or as a sundress. And I thought it was a nightgown.

13. It could be worse.

This definitely isn’t the worst that we’ve seen, but it’s nowhere near as elegant as the original. Which really shouldn’t be expected.

14. Why would anybody do this?

If you had an important event you needed something special to where to, would you take a chance like this? It clearly didn’t work out for her.

15. That will get him a few dates.

Actually, that will have people running screaming away from him. This is yet another example of things that should never be ordered online.

16. I have no words.

What was supposed to be knocked off? Because I’m really confused here. Actually, I just horrified.

17. What a display.

I wonder if her intention was to put her girls on display like that. It’s like she’s serving them up on a platter.

18. No fair!

We really don’t get to see how bad this dress turned out. But I guess it’s not good, since even the dog doesn’t look to happy about it.

19. Wait, what?

Am I missing something? Are the rules of aerodynamics no longer in play? Or is this just a good way to get rid of a bunch of kids who could fly away on a windy day.

20. Full-size onesie.

If not for the fact that this is pink, I would think it was a prison jumpsuit. And those arms! Hahaha!

21. That’s not a real person.

The only explanation is that the model you see is actually a Barbie doll. That would make the mat she received to scale.

22. What on earth!

Unfortunately, we don’t get to see what the original was advertised to look like. But this buyer purchased a wig from wish.com, and this is what she got. Maybe she’s just supposed to wrap that around her head.

23. Are people really that naïve?

Here’s what I don’t get it. Do you expect you can order a knockoff dress and get something that not only resembles the original in terms of style, but that also uses the same fabric? Because that’s crazy.

24. I have two words.

Due diligence. Why would anybody order dresses for their wedding from any website without doing some research on them first? I just don’t get that.

25. OMG

We don’t have a before and after here. What we have is so much worse! Please watch where you order your makeup from when online shopping!

26. Probably a packaging error.

At least one would hope so. Because there’s really no comparison other than the fact that they’re both black, and they both have a high heel.

27. Looks about right.

The original would have made a beautiful prom dress. I hope prom wasn’t ruined.

28. Help me out here.

What is this? Is it part of a Halloween costume? I’m also wondering if it’s a cosmetic facial mask. Whatever it is, it clearly isn’t for a human sized face.

29. We just don’t know.

Perhaps she didn’t want the pants to be as snug as the originals were. Perhaps she wanted them to be baggy like sweatpants or pajama pants. And I don’t know, that snack tray around her waist might come in handy.

30. That’s such a pretty dress.

The original, of course. Which does not have cap sleeves, but cap sleeves somehow made it onto the new dress. And that’s only the beginning of the problems.

31. Wow.

Is the knockoff made out of gauze? It’s completely see-through. And I don’t see pockets.

32. Well, at least they attempted.

I mean it is black and white, and the fabric is somewhat similar in terms of design. However, the customer states that the fabric is like burlap, and you can also see that there is a seam right down the front of this dress.

33. Maybe it’s the way she’s standing.

Is it just me, or is this dress croquette everywhere? It appears that one half of the bodice is higher than the other, and the waistline doesn’t look that straight either. And look how long it is at the front!

34. Hey, give it back!

I think someone stole one of granny’s tablecloths. And used it to make this not so oversized beach cover-up.

35. It’s blue.

It has b bead work on it. And the similarities and about their. And she was told she couldn’t send it back because the only difference was the color, and that was due to the lighting between the original picture and what she got.

36. Oh, dear.

So you order a beautiful, fitted, gown. In a lovely gradient color. And you get a shapeless, boxy dress all the same color.

37. No refunds.

She can’t get her money back. Why? Because the dress was custom made to fit her.

38. Everyone has different

There is nothing that could entice me to wear this fabric. Personally, I find it hideous. Secondly, I think to be able to pull off this pattern, you have to be extremely tall and slender like the original model.

39. Exactly the same.

So you order a three piece bedding set with happy face emojis on it. And you receive a single pink pillowcase.

40. It sparkles.

Not only did they not get what they ordered, it took five months for them to get what they didn’t order. It doesn’t even appear to be the same color.

41. Incognito?

Based on the slope of the shoulders I believe we are looking at a front view, which means that quite is over her face. Awesome, if she doesn’t want to be recognized by facial recognition software.

42. But it had good reviews.

When are people going to realize that most reviews online are fake? There’s a whole industry of buying fake reviews. Do not trust reviews, unless they are the one star reviews.

43. Come on!

Who is sewing these things? Are they blind? The knockoffs are nothing like the originals and workmanship is terrible!

44. Oh, okay.

Perhaps the person making this had never seen a bear before. And they had no Internet so they could not take a look at what a bear like.

45. So much for New Year’s Eve.

This is purchased online from a UK seller, and is supposed to be in the style of a 50s era dress. He conceived the big bow and the skirt in the original. Most of the skirt is missing in the knockoff.

46. No one is green.

With envy, I mean. I wouldn’t be caught dead in the first one, it’s too Gone with the Wind for me. But it is better than the knockoff.

47. No belt?

Because the addition of the belt would have brought this a little bit closer to what she ordered. Only a little bit, but it would have helped.

48. Well, that model is incredibly skinny.

But my understanding is you sending your measurements when you place one of these orders. I’m guessing she didn’t give her thigh measurements instead of her waist measurements.

49. Maybe salvageable.

The cost to more money, but at least she has the material to work with. Now you find a real seamstress, give her that fabric, and asked her to make those pants for you.

50. Oh my.

So this gorgeous dress was ordered in a US size XL. The person who is modeling it after receipt is not an adult. It’s a seven-year-old girl who wears a US size 6.

51. Such a cute little dress.

Of course I’m talking about the original. The knockoff looks like it’s been created out of some cheap satiny material, and in no way resembles the original.

52. I wish that image wasclearer.

Clearly, the dress is nothing like the original. But I’m trying to figure out why the knockoff is so much higher on one side of the bodice. Not that it really matters.

53. Were nuns sewing this?

It is vaguely similar, but at the same time nothing alike. It’s the more modest version, thus the question about the nuns.

54. One out of two isn’t bad.

Accept… while the top does look much the same, she said it’s much larger than what she ordered. And the minidress is more mini than most of us would want.

55. $200 later.

Customer ordered a peach colored dress. We’ll send her purple. And will throw in some shoulder straps for nothing—because we know the dress is too big to stay on her.

56. Déjà vu!

I thought I had seen this before! If you go back to number 32, you will see the same original. But this is a different rendition.

57. Not the worst we’ve seen.

Here are a few knockoffs ordered by a reporter in the UK, She ordered from a few places, and this is her results. At least she got things she could actually wear!

58. Maybe it’s an optical illusion.

Or maybe the toddlers playing on the original mat are very, very tiny people. Or maybe the foot that’s on the replica is a very, very big foot.

59. Nice top.

Hopefully she got this from one of the super cheap places. Assuming she can’t return it, at least she has a new top.

60. This is hysterical

When the people sewing your clothes have limited English, and most certainly don’t understand English sayings. Bite men? LOL!

61. A crooked mess.

So the bodice of the original is what looks like an elasticized lace. The knockoff has sequins and looks nothing the same.

62. I can see where this would be a problem.

I’m wondering if it’s pinned the back of the cat. Or if that’s the actual size. Did somebody think they were making a tea cozy?

63. I do have an observation.

Many of these dresses, modeled by very tiny women, will never look good on a larger woman. So she probably wouldn’t have been happy even if she did get what she ordered. Having said that, this is still a tragedy for her.

64. She’s going to need flesh color panties.

And I’ve become convinced of something. All of these sheer dresses, I think what they do is just cut up flesh colored bras and use them inside these dresses.

65. Nothing is safe.

You might think that ordering something like a stuffed toy would be fine. Because it’s not like it has to be made to fit a specific body. But apparently the knockoff nightmare includes toys.

66. Heinz 57.

I’m reminded of one of those red plastic squeeze bottles you put ketchup in. Because that dress looks like it’s made out of some cheap plastic fabric.

67. Be still my heart.

When your heart shaped dresses all wrong. Actually, when your heart shaped dress has no shape at all.

68. Those necessary fittings

Actually, this isn’t a bad copy. Sure, it’s not exact, but that isn’t the problem. The problem is it just doesn’t fit.

69. That’s a fail.

But certainly not the worst we’ve seen. At least it seems to fit—somewhat. But when you pay $190 for a designer dress that would cost thousands of dollars, you can’t expect the same final results, can you?

70. Well, that’s hideous.

I’m guessing if she wanted a neckline like that, she would have ordered a dress with a neckline like that. And that fabric looks like it’s vinyl.

71. I’m sorry, what?

What are we looking at here? Why have these black beads been added? And sprinkled down the front of the gown? They look like bugs.

72. Custom fit!

What the hell. There is only one thing working on this dress. And that’s the fact that the brought insert matches the color of the fabric.

73. Unbelievable.

How can anybody who calls themselves a professional seamstress mess this up? It’s basically a shawl was armholes.

74. Oh my, yes!

First, what’s with that cheap lace? I don’t see any lace at all on the original. And the way the seams bunch between the waistband and skirt. Very poor work.

75. There are a few problems here.

And one of them is that she’s wearing this hideous creation wrong. She has her head through the keyhole cut out that should be under her bust line. But perhaps it’s so big, it would fully expose her bust line.

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