Is DHgate A Scam? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The Viral Retailer

Fast fashion and Chinese retailers continue to dominate TikTok – and DHgate is no different.

DHgate, founded in 2004, has gone viral on TikTok after influencers showed off their name brand dupes on the platform. The girlies are obsessing over their Chinese-made Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags; you can't even tell they're fake.

Christmas is coming up. I expect websites like Shein, AliExpress, Wish, Temu, and DHgate to see an increase in sales as people search for affordable gifts. The question is, is DHgate safe to use? Is it a scam?

This year, Temu – an online marketplace with goods shipped directly from Chinese factories and warehouses – was accused of being a scam after one woman claimed that the retailer sold her bank information to the black market. Let's see if DHgate is any better.

A Look into DHgate Reviews

Thank goodness for Trustpilot, am I right? The review website shows that DHgate has an average of 1.7 stars from 30,872 reviews. Not good. A lot of the comments from disgruntled shoppers say they have been waiting for weeks to receive their shipment. Others state that the quality of the products from DHgate was horrible.

"Switch and bait, pure scam. They lure buyers with low prices, but you know how it goes: you get what you pay for, that if you’re lucky enough to get it! Unless you enjoy playing Russian roulette with your money, I strongly recommend to stay away from it. The funny thing is that their reviews are horrible, but yet the overall recommendation is that it’s supposed to be good… I don’t know how they manage to manipulate the ratings!" wrote a man named Daniel.

"The products are made from cheap fabrics, and the fitting is very bad. Colors aren't as in the advertisement, and if you want to create a dispute you get a page with 404 errors where the send (after filling the complaint) button doesn't work but the cancel button does. It looks more like a scam to me. I wouldn't advise to buy there..." another comment said.

I also saw that many people claimed they couldn't return items. Their customer service is also not great at communicating. "I emailed and heard nothing," shared Annette on Trustpilot.

However, the TikTok videos on DHgate tell a different story. In fact, a lot of content creators loved their DHgate dupes. Given the amount of negative reviews and positive videos on the retailer, it seems like a gamble. So you might get stunning Louis Vuitton knock-offs, but you also may not receive your order at all. If the latter happens, it's likely you won't get your money back.

Besides the fact that it's risky to buy off DHgate, it's important to remember that giant retailers don't always have the most ethical business practices. Their items may also contain harmful amounts of toxic chemicals. Alibaba and fast fashion giants face criticism due to many reasons we can't just brush off. Journalists have found that employees for companies like Shein endure poor working conditions for minimal wages. There are also environmental concerns due to the rapid production, causing significant clothing waste and pollution. Lastly, as we've stated with Temu, there are issues regarding data privacy.

I know it's tempting to buy items from places like DHgate, but remember to keep these facts in mind before you click "buy."

Evie deserves to be heard. Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.