Is Shein Legit? The Truth About This Popular Online Retailer

During these challenging and trying times, all necessities and non-essentials are getting far from affordable. However, there is this one online retail shop that still manages to sell very cheap products—and that is Shein.

Do you remember when everyone was holed up inside their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, yet Shein was flooding our social media feeds and the internet with countless ads? Shein is known as a hub for fashionable women’s clothing and became globally recognized only in 2022. Thanks to their rebranding and aggressive marketing!

But Shein’s low prices and seemingly good quality items have made everyone ask: Is Shein legit? Let’s find out!

What Is Shein? A Quick Overview

Before we answer the question, “Is Shein legit?” we’ll briefly share what Shein is all about. Shein is a Chinese-Singaporean fast-fashion retailer that has been around since 2008. But as mentioned earlier, they only became popular worldwide in 2022. And this isn’t just a hearsay. Statistics show that the Shein app reigned as the most downloaded app in 2022 and even beat Amazon as the most installed e-commerce app in the United States.

Because of Shein’s incredible growth, it managed to branch out and sell other products besides women’s clothes. Today, you can purchase men’s wear, kid’s clothing, home and kitchenware, pet supplies, and so much more from Shein. They are now an everything e-commerce store like Amazon, eBay, Shopee, and Lazada.

Although Shein is a rising e-commerce website and app, many are still skeptical about using the platform, leading to the question—Is Shein legit?

Is Shein Legit? Proofs Showing Shein Is a Legit Online Retailer

Unlike before, it’s easier to check whether an e-commerce store is legit. A simple research and googling can help erase your doubts about Shein. And here are some proofs showing Shein is a legit online retailer:

1. Shein has dedicated country websites and an app.

Shein is a legitimate online store selling fashion items and other goods. It has a dedicated website for select countries and regions, such as the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the European Union, the Middle East, and Asia. For greater convenience, Shein also made an app version for smartphone users. 

Although there are shady online stores that also invest money in creating their websites or apps to make them appear legitimate, most of their websites and apps are full of bugs, are slow, and look unprofessional. Unlike Shein, you can quickly tell that their websites and app are professional and trustworthy.

2. Shein has physical offices and real employees.

Chris Xu founded Shein (formerly ZZKKO) in Nanjing, China, in 2008. But the company is now headquartered in Singapore. It also has key offices in Guangzhou, Los Angeles, London, Sao Paulo, Dublin, Paris, Washington DC, and more. This enables Shein to expedite shipping times and better serve its customers in 150+ countries. Meanwhile, Shein’s main clothing production and manufacturers are based in China. This helps them lower their production and labor costs, allowing them to offer affordable items. Currently, Shein employs nearly 10,000 employees worldwide! So, if you’re wondering if Shein is truly an existing business, it is.

3. Shein has active social media accounts.

Most shady e-commerce stores have inactive social media accounts. Why would they waste their time consistently posting on their channels if they just want to scam people?

On the other hand, Shein has active social media accounts and is on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other major platforms. Judging Shein’s interaction on their social media accounts, you can tell that their social media team professionally deals with their users’ complaints and queries. 

If Shein is a scam, they won’t provide answers and solutions to their users. Although there are some hiccups in Shein’s customer service, they still strive to address the concerns of their users worldwide.

4. Shein allows you to read both positive and negative reviews.

Real online stores don’t remove the feedback of their customers—be it good or bad. Scammy e-commerce shops purposely leave positive reviews and delete the bad ones to let most people think that their products are insanely good. But Shein is not like that.

Shein allows its users to freely rate and leave a review on every product they buy. Whether you’ve written a 5-star or 1-star rating, Shein won’t interfere and delete your review. And the below screenshot is an example of that:

5. Shein provides convenient and secure payment options.

Wire transfers and cryptocurrencies are definitely legit ways of transferring money. However, shady online stores prefer to use these payment methods. Due to the lack of existing regulations for cryptocurrencies, scammers can easily get away.

But like other legit e-commerce stores, Shein also provides their users with a variety of convenient and secure payment options. If you’re located in the US, you can pay for your purchased items through the following payment methods:

Shein Payment Options in the United States
Visa	Venmo
Mastercard	AfterPay
Maestro	Cash App Pay
American Express	Klarna
Discover Network	Affirm
Diners Club	Zip
PayPal	Others

Shein also allows its users to use coupon codes and bonus points so they can enjoy more savings on their checkouts. In some countries, Shein offers Cash-on-Delivery (COD) payment, such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, and Asian countries like the Philippines.

6. Shein has a return and refund policy in place.

If an e-commerce website’s purpose is to scam, it won’t bother creating a detailed return and refund policy. However, legit online retailers like Shein will always have these types of policies, which can be found somewhere on their website’s footer section. Specifically, Shein’s return and refund policies can be read under their “Help & Support” footer menu. 

Shein also goes the extra mile to indicate what products can’t be returned or refunded in every product description. So it’s up to you whether to proceed with your purchase or not.

7. Shein offers customer support through multiple channels.

Untrustworthy e-commerce websites only have a web form available, and their actual email address is nowhere to be found. Plus, they don’t have any alternative communication channels to contact them for customer support. The lack of contact information typically reeks of a scam.

But Shein knows the importance of being available on multiple channels. Aside from having a web form, they can also be contacted via email, social media, live chat, and hotline. However, you need to have an incredible amount of patience and wait for them to reply.

Why Some People Think Shein Is a Scam?

If this is your first time checking out Shein, you might ask yourself, “Is Shein legit?” Here are the reasons why Shein raises doubt among other people:

1. Shein became popular during the “scamdemic.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused several physical stores to close temporarily or even permanently. To thrive during the pandemic, most businesses adopted online shopping. And with the rise of online shopping, there is also a rise in online scams. Some even called the pandemic the “scamdemic” due to the increasing number of online frauds.

To prevent bankruptcy and mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic, businesses, big and small, reduced production and laid off workers. However, instead of saving money, Shein did the opposite and spent millions of dollars on advertising from 2021 to 2022. With their aggressive marketing and compelling ads, Shein seemed to lure broke and jobless people to buy their products at the peak of the pandemic. This has raised suspicions about whether Shein is legit or another shady online store trying to squeeze the money of several people during those difficult times.

2. Shein originated from China.

Unfortunately, there has been a stigma that when a product comes from China, it is perceived as a scam. With the influence of politicking, some believe that any electronics, website, or app that originates from China is a spy malware that secretly collects user data. And Shein hadn’t escaped from this stigma as well. 

Shein’s app isn’t perfect. It also suffered from data breaches like any other e-commerce platform. But what’s good about Shein is that they take data breach cases seriously and rectify them immediately, making the app more secure.

3. Shein sells incredibly cheap items.

Shein’s relentless marketing targeted the millennials and Gen Zs of Western countries—and they were successful. To date, Brazil (located in South America) and the US are their biggest users and top revenue sources. For those living in these countries, Shein’s products are incredibly cheap. 

For example, the typical cost of a basic t-shirt in the US is between $30-$100, depending on the brand. But even if you have less than $10, you can already find a nice and good quality shirt in the Shein app. With Shein’s cheap products, it has become hard to believe that this online retail store is for real.

4. Shein has quality issues.

Shein invests in models and awesome graphics to showcase their products, so even a cheap item looks high-quality. However, there have been several complaints that some of Shein’s products are not that good-looking or durable, have the wrong size, and the promised quality doesn’t match the photos and product descriptions.

To address quality issues, Shein removes the products in question from their catalog. Following their fast-fashion or on-demand business model, they evaluate customer feedback in real-time and stop manufacturing products that don’t sell or have poor quality. 

5. Shein faces copyright lawsuits.

Is Shein legit? Indeed, Shein is a real e-commerce business. However, Shein is facing copyright lawsuits. Some of the clothes in their catalog look the same as the designs made by small independent artists. From a legal standpoint, any business involved with the unauthorized distribution of other people’s work is a scam. Currently, the outcome of the copyright lawsuits is still pending.

6. Shein fails to consistently provide satisfactory customer support.

Although Shein makes sure that they can be reached on any communication platform available, its customer service team sometimes fails to provide satisfactory solutions to its users. If you’ve been browsing the internet, there are several people who shared their bad experiences with Shein, especially when they want to return or refund their purchased items. 

Being unable to resolve a customer’s concerns in a timely manner isn’t exactly a scam. Every e-commerce store has incidences of poor customer support. But if a brand doesn’t improve its customer service, it can affect its trustworthiness and credibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is Shein a legitimate online retailer?

Yes, Shein is a legit online retailer of fast-fashion items, home and kitchenware, electronics, appliances, pet supplies, and other products. Shein is headquartered in Singapore, but it also has pop-up locations globally. 

2. Why is Shein so cheap?

Shein is able to sell cheap items because their raw materials and main manufacturing force are from China. China is the world’s largest exporter of textiles and garments, so it’s no wonder Shein can offer affordable clothing.

However, the perception of Shein being cheap changes depending on your location. If you’re from a Western country, you’ll probably find Shein items incredibly cheap. But if you’re from the Eastern region, Shein products are actually expensive. 

In our previous t-shirt example, Western consumers feel they hit the jackpot when they’re able to buy a $10 shirt in Shein. However, Eastern consumers will find this pricey since a plain adult t-shirt only costs $2-$3, especially in Asia.

3. Are Shein products good quality?

Most of Shein’s products are of good quality. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Don’t expect a cheap product to last for several years. If you want premium quality and extremely durable products, buy Shein products with a higher price tag. As a wise consumer, always read the product reviews first so you can have an idea about the quality of the product.

4. Is it safe to shop at Shein?

Shopping at Shein is definitely safe! Shein only allows you to input the necessary details of your credit/debit card, bank account, etc. If you’re still wary of this platform, you can choose the COD payment option if it is available in your country. A reminder though—some apps and websites pretend to be Shein. So make sure to only visit their official app and websites.

5. Does Shein allow dropshipping?

Shein doesn’t have a dedicated dropshipping policy like Amazon and eBay, but dropshipping is possible with Shein. As long as you use the right dropshipping tools, you can easily integrate Shein’s products into your selling platforms, like Shopify, WooCommerce, eBay, and more. 

To be on the safe side, buy your product samples from Shein so you can take your own photos. Otherwise, you might be charged with copyright lawsuits if you just grab Shein’s images without permission.

Summary

Shein is a legit e-commerce platform with key office locations from all over the world. Despite several issues surrounding Shein, it remains one of the top fast-fashion online retailers globally.

With Shein’s cheap items, several people are encouraged to resell their products. Although Shein’s products are affordable, you can have better deals if you team up with Sup Dropshipping.

Sup Dropshipping works with a vast network of reliable manufacturers and suppliers in China that can provide better deals. Moreover, we have an automated dropshipping tool that you can integrate with various e-commerce platforms, allowing you to experience a seamless and hassle-free dropshipping operation. Want to learn more about dropshipping? Send us a message!