One of the most common posts on social media is sad tales of tailors sending a pale imitation of what was ordered. This happens a lot in Africa but is also a common problem in Southeast Asia and the US. In most instances, a client sends a picture of an outfit they like. The tailor or designer then accepts the commission without disclosing that they don’t have the skills for the job. Many fall for this scam, even when they have online literacy.
How to spot tailoring scams
1. Reverse image search
When you see a popular or trending design on a celebrity, a designer likely made it. From this many stores then offer faux versions of these designs at a cheap price. Dupes are an affordable way to get these designs. Sometimes, giant retailers can also release unique designs. In these instances, tailors then advertise them on their social media pages or websites.
Scam tailors will take images from other catalogue models and pose them as their creations. To confirm their legitimacy, you can reverse image search any images from the profiles of tailors you aren’t certain of. They can also be driven to the top of your feed from Google Ads and on For You pages on TikTok or Instagram. If you see a design that looks similar to any fashion images you’ve been searching for, it’s important to perform due diligence before paying for a scam tailor. These tailors will also post on e-commerce sites using pictures of the original, claiming that they make the same item at a much cheaper rate.
2. Check the price
The more intricate a design, the more expensive a dress is likely to be. Because scam tailors want to make the volume of their sales from bulk orders, they try to make the dress as affordable as possible. A marked-down price can be a sign of a con. Once you’ve paid the deposit, the tailor then ghosts you or ends up sending a subpar product to demand full payment.
3. Check the stock available
High-end items are unlikely to be stocked in bulk. Scams are more likely to have multiple stocks. When a dress has a very difficult design, a tailor will make it to order. Scam tailors who are trying to swindle as many people as possible will try to make it appear as though they can handle many orders as cheaply as possible. You can check the website to see if any inventory is listed. When no orders are going out of stock for a popular design, investigate the tailor further.
4. Limited contact
A legit storefront will have a physical address, phone number, email, and someone to communicate with clients as needed. A scam tailor will prevent you from trying to contact them at all. They will have a WhatsApp number that barely gets any answers or a social media account without any DMs open.
5. Multiple complaints
If a scam tailor has made a habit of swindling clients, they’re more likely to have plenty of complaints online. While the scammers may delete any negative comments on their social media accounts, people are also more likely to make independent posts without tagging the scammer. But they may namedrop the name of the fake tailor. In addition, they are also likely to be mentioned in Buyer Beware forums. If you do end up scammed, be sure to leave a low rating on any platforms they’re on that determine rating. You should also post the scammed items to prevent other people from getting conned.
This article was inspired by this thread
I’ll burn that place to the ground
What she asked for…what she got 😂 pic.twitter.com/5FZ8gdTBYA— ✨NOBODIES MOMMY ✨ (@lil_meeks_) December 2, 2023
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