25 January 2023 , 10:10
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Shopping online can be hit and miss, with customers desperately hoping clothing will fit them and suit them when it arrives. When things don't fit we sadly have to send them back and get clicking again to find another winning look.
Sometimes, things go even further astray with customers finding makeup marks or other evidence of clothes being warn on their new garments.
One woman has posted a TikTok of her truly bizarre Shein haul which included ominous notes that are shown to fall out of her brand new dress when she lifts it out of the packaging - viewers were "freaked out" while others called it a "sick prank".
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Each note had the same ominous message which worried user Amanda (michigansmiles84/Tiktok)
Amanda was so unnerved by the package that she called her local police (michigansmiles84/Tiktok)The video, posted by Amanda who is known as @michigansmiles84 on TikTok, shows her lifting out her newly purchased dress from the Shein packaging. As the frock unfurls several pieces of paper fall to the floor, all of which read: "You are going to die in this suit."
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Amanda's video was captioned: "Please explain the attached video. I ordered on Jan 15th, this dress and others. Upon opening the inner Shein package, six pieces of folded over papers fell out.
"I am scared and worried and called local police. This is not a joke. I will not be wearing or trying on this dress, even if it is a joke. #worried and not my first time ordering from Shein."
Eagle eyed viewers spotted that Amanda was wearing gloves to handle the package, clearly concerned about the contents. The comments were split about the clip, with some saying it must have been a prank or a mistranslation.
One comment said: "Maybe they meant your [sic] going to look drop dead gorgeous in the dress," while another added: "Maybe they meant to say "you're going to slay in this dress" but it got lost in translation."
"Maybe someone returned it like that and did it as a weird prank?" a third helpfully suggested.
Many were in disbelief at the find, saying: "Wow. So far I've never experienced anything bad from Shein, except things that were way too small."
"I'm not gonna lie.. I'd wash it and wear it still," joked someone else while another Shein supporter said: "I got so much from shein and never got notes I feel left out."
However, many pointed to real concerns for not only the customer but the workers themselves, with one saying: "Just to remind you, Shein may have some nice clothes but you need to know what happens behind the scenes. Labour is bad maybe they are asking for help."
This was seconded by another commenter who said: "People know how bad the working conditions are for these companies and are still surprised they get stuff like this in their packages?"
Amanda posted a follow up video explaining that she had contacted Shein but heard nothing back (tiktok.com/@michigansmiles84)
Another dress she had ordered arrived without any notes but she didn't try on or keep the original dress (tiktok.com/@michigansmiles84)Another TikTok user referenced messages stitched into labels with words like "Help me" and "I have dental pain" appearing on the garments. In June 2022, the brand addressed these accusations and told The Independent: "Recently, several videos were posted on Tik Tok that contain misleading and false information about Shein.
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"We want to make it very clear that we take supply chain matters seriously. Our strict Code of Conduct prohibits suppliers from using child or forced labor and we do not tolerate non-compliance."
The company did however admit to their workforce having to put in illegal hours after a Channel 4 documentary exposed the conditions in late 2022.
Channel 4's documentary alleged that employees at the Shein factories were working up to 18 hours a day, including at weekends, and being paid as little as 3p an item, with only one day off a month.
Shein refuted this but found that at one factory, the days were around 13 and a half hours with only two or three breaks per month. Another factory had 12 hour days with no structure for regular days off.
A spokesperson said at the time: "While these are significantly less than claimed in the documentary, they are still higher than local regulations permit." Demands on those factories were cut by three quarters and they were given until the end of the year to rectify the conditions.
The brand pledged £12million to help meet this goal but has offered no update on their factory conditions since the deadline passed.
The Mirror has reached out to Shein for comment.