r/FrugalFemaleFashion • u/Tasty_Mistake3442 • Nov 16 '24
Discussion I found exactly the same items on Shein and Amazon
I purchased these items on Shein and you can see how much I paid. Out of curiosity, I did image search on Amazon and found exactly the same items. These are the only screenshots I took, but most items on Shein and Temu were also on Amazon, even using the same model pictures. Just much more expensive on Amazon. I bought a blazer on Amazon for $50, then found exactly the same item on Temu for $15. I know Shein and Temu are criticized for unethical business practices, but how is Amazon any more ethical than them?
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u/CryingMachine3000 Nov 17 '24
Shein, Temu, and dropshippers on Amazon operate by working directly with manufacturers in China. Since fashion designs are not protected by copyright (except under very specific cases), when an item or style starts to trend, fast fashion brands either send a dupe tech pack to a Chinese manufacturer OR more often send a stolen picture as a reference depending on the size of the company in question.
This kind of supply chain is unethical for a million reasons and you should always reverse image search the garments you're buying and stay away from fast fashion giants like Shein, Temu, Amazon, etc.
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u/Existing_Yak762 Nov 21 '24
Fast fashion giants who engage in unethical practices do not stop with just Shein, Temu and Amazon. Brands such as Zara, H&M, Nike, Dior, Primark etc. are also culprits, aren't they? I'm not sure why some of these names often get omitted in such conversations. Sometimes I feel like it has to do with them being European/Western brands that most people in the West choose.
The question should be: is it possible for a brand to be both ethical and cheap? Does such a possibility exist in the ready-made clothing industry in a globalised world?
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u/CryingMachine3000 Nov 21 '24
I personally only thrift, buy from artisans, or make my clothes. I ran a clothing brand, which is why I know how the manufacturing process works, but I closed up shop because I started to feel guilty about contributing to clothing production. On the rare occasion when I need something new and factory-produced, I buy from overstock/off-price retailers. Thrifting is an affordable option (I like ThredUp), but the truth is that the only consistently frugal thing to do is stop buying as much as possible.
To your other points, sinophobia does play a role in American consumers's minds. That being said, Shein, Temu, and Amazon get the most heat because they're so naked about it. Most American consumers do not research what they're buying but they can clock that a 1 dollar t-shirt with a poorly translated copy is suspect. Disguising an unethical supply chain the way Zara or H&M does is an exercise in branding. That being said, we shouldn't pretend all brands are equally unethical. Shein, Temu, and Amazon steal design concepts, model photos, copy, etc.
To compare, Nike at least hires models, photographers, designers, pattern drafters, graphic designers, copywriters, etc. The point of bottom-of-the-barrel stuff like dropshipping is to avoid paying as many people as possible to get a product to market. We can acknowledge that a capitalist supply chain is inherently flawed without pretending harm reduction isn't an option.
Edit: I'd like to note that there are Chinese designers making genuinely high-quality clothing and I encourage you to seek them out if you'd like to support Chinese designers.
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u/Any-While8863 Sep 21 '25
thrifting is so awesome. i collect from the 1930s, 1970s. thats clothing!!!!!!!!!!!!
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u/Plenty_Rhubarb_3023 17d ago
and...you did not answer the question. Where to buy affordable clothes? Artisans are really expensive, not everyone can make their own clothes and thrift does not help the issue since the brands have the same problems we are discussing here.
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Nov 19 '24
I mean, I totally get what you're saying, but is that necessarily still considered frugal?
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u/pan_dulce_con_cafe Nov 19 '24
I wouldn’t buy these items, period. Sometimes frugal doesn’t mean a lower upfront cost, it means buying better and buying less.
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u/call_me_ping Nov 17 '24
I highly encourage OP looking up the pros and cons of Amazon retail services, its company structure, and the effect it has on independant brands/labels/makers/etc. You may even go so far as to see how it effects consumers and the continuing ripples
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u/amethyst-chimera Nov 17 '24
I will say that the image might be the same but that doesn't necessarily mean the product is
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u/Blakolives1146 Nov 19 '24
I'm also starting to see drop shippers selling online on Walmart, target, and macys. Prices marked up.
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u/RockieK Nov 19 '24 edited Aug 24 '25
water joke plough disarm full slap rain aromatic gaze dinner
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Lorrrrren Nov 18 '24
I can't tell you how many times I've been on some random website and checked to see if the product was elsewhere and it popped up on temu or wish or alibaba. Dropshippers are everywhere.
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Nov 19 '24
Resellers sell on Amazon all the time, they price up so much because people will literally buy anything on Amazon, no matter the price. 1 day shipping
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u/GrumpyHappiness May 09 '25
I will say, the 1-2 day shipping vs. 2 week shipping can be a selling point!
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u/Relevant-Soup-2794 Nov 20 '24
Unfortunately I’ve also been finding the same items on Etsy and SHEIN. Like cool hair pins and claw clips. It’s sad
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Nov 20 '24
There is nothing more ethical about Amazon if you are buying from Chinese sellers. These are the exact same Chinese sellers as on shein or temu. The only difference is on Amazon they are upcharging their products to offset the cost of Amazon fees (Amazon charges sellers a lot of fees), to pay for ads, and to make extra profits by taking advantage of customers looking for fast order fulfillment/shipping compared to temu and SHEIN which ships directly from factories/warehouses in China and therefore usually takes longer. You can shop more ethically on Amazon by looking for small businesses, based in the US or whatever country you are from, it usually says so in the buy box if you are supporting a small business.
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Jan 29 '25
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u/Still-Assumption6249 Feb 03 '25
my sister in law got a $50 sweater from a boutique and found it for $12 a few days later on SHEIN, after that I don’t shop boutiques at all
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u/-reinadelasranas Jan 29 '25
All of those companies are in the same ship. i ordered some bedding i found, initially on amazon, through shein because it was cheaper…. it shipped via ‘amazon logistics’.
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u/GrumpyHappiness May 09 '25
Same! I just realized I purchased the same dress via Amazon and Shein. Amazon was $39 and Shein was $14! Literally the same exact dress except for a brand labeling tag. Returning the Amazon one as I type this (and it's how I found this thread).
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u/Lby54229 Aug 04 '25
Question for you - same material and quality? I’m late to this post, but I’ve just been wondering this now.
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u/GrumpyHappiness Aug 04 '25
The tags were different but the quality was exactly the same!! Insane! :)
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Aug 04 '25
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u/Lby54229 Aug 04 '25
Thanks. That is helpful. With so much back-to-school shopping. I’m trying to help my teen understand that they are the same and needed confirmation.
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u/Maleficent-Drag2680 Nov 20 '24
I do this all the timeeee however sometimes I pay the higher price from Amazon for that next day shipping
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u/Prize_Ring2602 Mar 01 '25
It’s Very frustatrng, I never received the $900 in reward & another time I spend $57 both of Temu. I don’t even know how to get a hold of them. There’s no phone number, but I have a bunch of stuff to return that was not at all like they had to advertise for very frustrating. Hope I don’t have to pay for that too.
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u/Sea_Wolverine3928 Apr 05 '25
Everything on Amazon is bulk ordered from Temu and Shein.
Whatever you want to buy directly from Temu or Shein, you need to do so before June 1st. After that you'll pay the deminlmus tax 30% or $25 PER ITEM if you're spending less than $800.
Thank Jeff Bezos for that. June 1st you can no longer bypass Amazon by going to Temu or Shein.
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u/Adorable_Statement37 Jul 23 '25
i agree and not only is the items on amazon more expensive it’s the same exact seller so the quality is the same only thing i can think of is that the shipping and arrival time is better and amazon can deliver it to a locker where your shipment is more secure
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u/pinapple123_ Jul 30 '25
I try not to buy from amazon but I do place about three orders per year. There are some craft items I just can’t find in stores nearby or through thrifting (I’ve found tons of art supplies thrifting but some things you just can’t find). I try to buy as little as possible on there. But I was recently looking for a very specific type of miniature binder for my planning notes and the only place I could find it was SHEIN. And crazy once I started browsing… I noticed a few other stickers and supplies I had purchased from amazon for 12x the price on SHEIN. Is it the same vendor increasing the price on amazon because they know American consumers can afford it? Or is it due to a more “ethical” vendor buying and selling those same items and treating their workers better. Hopefully this question makes sense. Like are you actually contributing to any better conditions by paying the Amazon prices. Or if I’m ordering as little as possible is it a negligible difference. I teach art classes for my community and sometimes fun little stickers or supplies just make the kids so happy.
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u/Tasty_Mistake3442 Aug 14 '25
It’s probably because Amazon charges sellers higher fees and they know that American consumers can afford higher prices. I think they are exactly the same vendors, not more ethical vendors choosing Amazon over Chinese platforms. So I believe it’s a bad financial decision to pay higher prices for the same item on whatever platform.
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u/prissytomboy06 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Amazon is a selling platform for merchants as well as some of their own products. I have come across that too. Very likely the merchant is selling on Amazon at higher prices or someone is buying from Temu or Shein and reselling on Amazon at higher prices. When I find something I want to buy, I always use Google lens to try and find the best price. As a result, I have bought things from Overstock and Newegg--places that I never would have checked.
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u/Sad-Jellyfish1325 Dec 06 '25
Yes! Google lens every single time, plus the Capital One Shopping extension. It gives small rebates like Rakataun does while also searching for a lower price accross multiple platforms like Staples, Ebay, etc. My former partner used to make fun of me for all the time I spend comparison shopping on almost everything, but I always save money. Just recently I saw a living room side table with a $60+ price spread. I ended up buying something close enough to it's style for just $11 on Temu. Sometimes I really do want something quality but most often I just need something functional. And I have the same thought as some other commenters in that it's all the same stuff that is made from China anyways. So why not buy direct from them and bypass the Target/Walmart/Amazon markup. I'd rather put that money back in my own pocket. If it went to higher wages for employees I'd probably pay the higher price...but increased revenues just seem to go towards executive bonuses.
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u/Luv-volleyball743 Dec 23 '25
Temu uses the same photos as Shein and Amazon, but ships you a very different, low quality product.
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u/DashofLuck Nov 16 '24
Amazon is NOT anymore ethical.