Is Shein a Scam?

Our verdict

Health Canada recalled a Shein children's jacket in 2021 after testing found lead levels 20 times higher than the legal limit. CBC Marketplace confirmed similar findings in 2023. EU consumer tests found 73% of Shein products failed safety standards — and all 27 kids' toys tested also failed. Shein is not a scam — it is a $60 billion fast-fashion empire that ships real products — but "real" does not mean "safe."

The company adds between 2,000 and 10,000 new items per day. That speed has a cost. Channel 4 News and the CBC have both documented supply chain conditions that contradict Shein's public commitments to ethical manufacturing. Workers in some facilities were found earning as little as 3 cents per garment. Shein has disputed specific claims but has not opened its full supply chain to independent audits.

Making fake copies of other companies' original designs and creative work (counterfeiting and intellectual property theft) is a pattern at Shein, not an accident. The company has faced dozens of lawsuits from independent designers and major brands — including a $100 million suit from Levi Strauss in 2023 and fresh 2025 lawsuits from Coach and Oakley over trademark-infringing fakes. France hit Shein with a €150 million fine for cookie data misuse. Several cases have been settled, but new ones keep coming. For shoppers, this does not affect order safety, but it reveals how the company operates.

On the consumer experience side, orders do arrive and refunds are processed through the in-app dispute system. Complaints about wrong sizes, flimsy materials, and items that look nothing like the photos are common on the BBB and across Reddit. Customer service is widely described as slow and unhelpful.

Shein's app requests extensive access to your phone's features (device permissions) — similar to Temu's data collection concerns. The CAFC recommends using the mobile browser instead of installing shopping apps that request unnecessary access to contacts, location, and clipboard data.

If you shop Shein, avoid anything that touches children's skin, pay with a virtual card, and skip the app entirely. The platform delivers what you order — the question is whether what you order is worth the hidden costs.

Editorial note: This article reflects the state of publicly available information at the time of writing. Business practices, ownership, and safety records change over time. TrustChekr is not affiliated with any company reviewed here and does not receive payment for editorial coverage. Verdicts are based on documented evidence and are subject to revision.