I Bought The Same Dress For $4, $30, $60, and $200

Safiya Nygaard2 minutes read

Safiya investigates TikTok ads by buying the same dress at various prices, uncovering multiple websites selling it at vastly different prices and discovering potential theft of images and misrepresentation by these companies. Despite challenges, efforts to assess the quality of the purchased dresses against the original House of CB dress continue, revealing that dupes are common but companies engaging in false advertising and scamming practices should be avoided.

Insights

  • Multiple websites sell the same dress at vastly different prices, indicating potential deception and questionable practices within the online retail industry.
  • Companies utilize stolen images, lack verified product images, and engage in false advertising, highlighting ethical concerns and the need for consumer awareness when purchasing items promoted on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

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Recent questions

  • What prompted Safiya's investigation into TikTok ads?

    Curiosity

  • How did Safiya conduct her investigation into TikTok ads?

    By purchasing the same dress from multiple companies

  • What concerns arose regarding the websites selling products featured in TikTok ads?

    Potential deception for customers

  • What challenges did Safiya face during her investigation into TikTok ads?

    Missing orders and disappearing websites

  • What was the outcome of Safiya's comparison between the original House of CB dress and the dupes purchased?

    Disappointment

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Summary

00:00

Investigating TikTok Ads: Dress Price Discrepancies

  • Safiya investigates TikTok ads by buying the same dress at various prices: $4, $30, $60, and $200.
  • TikTok ads range from designer brands to unknown drop shipping sites, prompting Safiya's curiosity.
  • Safiya plans a video trying outfits from TikTok ads, leading her to discover a popular floral midriff shaper corset sundress.
  • Purchasing the dress reveals multiple websites selling what appears to be the same dress at vastly different prices.
  • Safiya embarks on an investigation, buying the dress from numerous companies to determine the truth behind the varying prices.
  • She encounters ads from 32 different websites, all seemingly selling the same dress with identical images and descriptions.
  • Safiya purchases the dress from LarRobe, Infec, and Viola & Lewis, each at different prices, to compare their quality and authenticity.
  • Evidence suggests the websites may be questionable, with typos, dubious claims, and suspicious website structures.
  • TikTok accounts posting the ads are likely shell accounts, with fake influencers promoting the same products.
  • Tracking down individuals featured in the ads reveals that many are wearing a $225 dress from House of CB, indicating potential theft of images and misrepresentation by the websites.

11:45

Deceptive websites reuse images, raise ethical concerns.

  • Numerous websites do not display accurate images of the products they sell, leading to potential deception for customers.
  • Over 100 reviews with images were analyzed, revealing that 51 images were reused across multiple websites under different names.
  • A person named Christine Tran Ferguson had her image featured on 11 websites under various names like Agatha, Sam, Teresa, and Sandra.
  • Many images resembling traditional customer reviews were actually stolen from Amazon dupe listings, not from the companies selling the products.
  • Concern arises from the fact that these websites use stolen material and lack verified images of their actual products.
  • TikTok and Instagram are platforms where these companies post sponsored content without the consent of the creators, leading to ethical issues.
  • Efforts to report these unauthorized uses of content have been largely ineffective on social media platforms.
  • A plan is devised to compare the original House of CB dress with three dupes purchased, aiming to assess their quality.
  • Suspicions arise that these companies may be selling low-quality versions of the dress, possibly sourced from wholesale platforms like Alibaba.
  • Despite facing challenges with missing orders and disappearing websites, efforts continue to evaluate the quality of the purchased dresses against the original House of CB dress.

23:09

AliExpress Dress Disappointment: False Advertising Exposed

  • The dress purchased was not the same as advertised, leading to disappointment.
  • The AliExpress dress appeared to be of better quality initially, but the fabric was still thin.
  • The AliExpress dress did not have corset ties as expected, but the fabric and cut were similar to the other dresses.
  • The AliExpress listing used photoshopped images from House of CB, but was considered the most honest among the dupes tested.
  • The existence of dupes is common, but companies engaging in false advertising and scamming practices should be avoided.
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