Coat Thinner than a Robe
Add to the Cart Challenge
I often tell my mother that I feel like someone is either listening to my phone calls or there is something that is implanted in my computer and cellphone to read my thoughts. How many times have you mentioned the need for something and log onto one or more Social Media sites and see an ad for that product? Well, this is what happened to me on the day I made my first purchase that was influenced by Social Media.
Ten years ago, I vowed never to buy anything advertised on Social Media ever again after a horrific shopping experience. While surfing Facebook I came across this advertisement for a site that had amazing looking clothing priced at a decent price. Initially I scrolled past the ad, but curiosity killed the cat, so I had to investigate.
I was in a new relationship, so I wanted to jazz up my wardrobe and accessories. Normally I am a homebody, but this new man meant new experiences which led to a new wardrobe. I mentioned to a co-worker that I was looking for a new coat after work. I wanted something sexy, sleek and sophisticated. I told her I wanted something that would be appropriate to wear to work or after hours.
Shortly after, I logged on to Facebook and saw an ad for coats, lingerie, clothing and accessories, but decided to ignore it. I closed the browser and went to grab lunch. I came back to the computer to continue surfing Facebook while eating lunch, and the ad appeared again. The same ad that I ignored moments before popped up again…and I did what most people do when they want to justify a purchase. I convinced myself that this was a sign from God that I needed to invest in something on this website.
My budget was initially $150, but this sexy, sleek and sophisticated coat was on sale for $29.99 and the sale ended in a few hours. Should I click buy or click the little X located in the top right-hand corner of my browser to close the page? My original plan was to go home after working a 9 hour day, let the dogs out to potty, and go back to the mall to find this magical coat I wanted.
Reality set in and I realized that if I got the coat online that it would save me a couple of hours of shopping, money, gas and drive time. Again, I convinced myself that as a woman of God, this was God’s way of rewarding me for some good deed I already did or was about to do. I reluctantly clicked BUY and purchased the coat.
My friends and family call me Inspector Gadget, but for some reason I didn’t do any investigation before making this purchase. I blindly gave my credit card information to a company that I never heard of that was located somewhere in China. My willingness to save gas, money and time overruled the use of common sense. After I clicked the buy button, I decided I would not fret over it and would patiently await the arrival of my coat and hope for the best.
I was so excited after my purchase that I called my co-worker over to my computer to see the coat. She was in love with it, just as I was. Once I told her it was coming from China, she was a little skeptical; but I wanted to stay positive, so I ignored her skepticism.
A couple of months later the box with my coat finally arrived. I was so excited but could not open my package immediately because I had to leave for work. I put the box in my car and decided I would open it up at lunch rather than wait until I came home from work later that day.
My co-worker and I walked into work at the same time and she immediately noticed the box. She asked if my coat had finally arrived. I shook my head yes and told her I would open it at lunch and show her. At lunch time she came into my room with her lunch in hand excited to see the coat. As I grabbed the box, I noticed that it seemed pretty light for a coat, but that didn’t stop my excitement. I got a pair of scissors and carefully cut the box open. The coat was wrapped in tissue paper and neatly folded into a clear plastic bag. It still felt extremely light, but I figured it was just a very lightweight sexy, sleek, and sophisticated fabric.
My boyfriend and I had a date after work, so the arrival of the coat was perfect. While opening the box, I visualized going over to his house with just the coat and a pair of 3-inch bright pink heels on. My co-worker snapped me back into reality as she rushed me to open the box before the students returned from lunch. I obliged her and finished opening the box. I held up the “coat” and we both just stared at it for what seemed like minutes and no one said a word. This was like a game…who would be the first to utter a word. She gave me the, “I told you so look!”
My Co-worker walked up and grabbed the coat in disgust and said, “This coat is thinner than a robe!” I looked at my co-worker and said, “I have robes much thicker than this!” I emailed the company to express my dissatisfaction with the Robe Coat and was told it would cost more for me to send it back to China than what I paid for the coat since it was “on sale”. After choppy English and much frustration, I decided not to send the item back and disputed the charge with my bank. Needless to say, my first Social Media Influenced buy was a Flop, but thank God for bank disputes.
Eight years later, I finally had enough guts to try another product that I had seen on Social Media advertised by several influencers. I promised myself I would NOT fall into the trap again. However, this purchase was talked about all over Social Media and I was intrigued. Unlike last time, I did a little more research on the product. I looked at reviews and watched unboxing videos on YouTube; I did my homework this time.
When I first saw this product, I was doing research on BBLs. I am the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of the No Butt Club, so I was intrigued about BBLs until I saw the healing process. I was no longer interested in learning more about this process after seeing multiple women’s drains hanging from their bodies and the mess the drains left. A day or so later I saw an ad and several testimonials on Social Media about a pair of leggings that make you truly look like you are a “Big Booty Judy”. The product immediately caught my attention because it was a lot safer and cheaper than the BBL option I was researching days before.
I read all of the testimonials and watched women model their new Booty Lifting leggings. People were so excited about these leggings and so was I. After spending a few hours researching, I reluctantly pushed purchase again, yet this time I purchased one in every color they had in stock in my size. Sixty dollars later I was the proud new owner of a pair of black, pink, and grey Booty Lifting Leggings.
Of course, I thought this experience would be a lot better than the previous one, because I did my homework. However, after I paid via PayPal, I noticed that the company/person I paid was located in China. I immediately thought, “Here we go again!” No where in the ad did it mention that the company was located in China. I decided that I was going to think positively while I waited on my leggings to arrive.
3 months later when my leggings arrived in the mail, the excitement had died down, but I was still somewhat anxious to see them and try them on. I tried on the first pair and was not impressed. They were somewhat comfortable, but my butt didn’t look like the girls in the videos. It looked like leggings that had been cinched at the butt to make the appearance of a real butt. I had waited 3 months, and they seemed somewhat comfortable, so I decided not to return the items. I didn’t want to endure the drama with making a return to China again.
The first pair of leggings that I wore were the light grey ones. They ripped and were thrown away the first day I wore them. Thank God it happened as I was leaving home, so I was able to change clothes quickly. Next, I try the hot pink pair. The leggings appeared to fit perfectly like the first pair, but while bending down playing with my nephew, I heard a loud rip again. Another pair Bites the Dust I thought, and I was left assed out, literally. One year later the black pair ripped in the same place, but at least I had the opportunity to wear and wash them a few times.
After this purchase, I learned the game on how a lot of the ads for Facebook shops work and how some companies are located in other countries. Fake companies take products, pictures and descriptions from reputable companies and create low grade copycats and send them to you. The products and reviews you see are from an actual company, just not the company you purchased from. A lot of these companies are located overseas and make the return process a headache or charge an astronomical amount to return the product, so a lot of people don’t hassle with it. This has been a common scenario with companies like RoseWe and RoseGal and other overseas companies for years.
While both of my experiences adding items to my shopping cart via Social Media have been horrific; I will not give up. I will continue to do research and ask more questions. I would suggest starting a dialogue with any company/person that you are looking to make a purchase from on Social Media. Ask what country or state the item is shipping from. Ask how long shipping takes and what is their return policy. Reach out to people that have posted testimonials and verify that they purchased the product from the same company that you are considering purchasing from.
Adding items to your cart that are influenced by Social Media or Social Media Influencers doesn’t have to be a bad experience. It just takes more work than shopping at a retailer that you are already familiar with. I would be very leery of items that are priced significantly lower than competitors; remember cheaper is not always better. You don’t want to end up with a Coat that is thinner than a robe.
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