Shein/Temu tat-tax

[SheinIsShite]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c078j4kylz3o

Missed this in the budget yesterday with all the coverage of the changes to child caps and electric cars. But AIBU to think this is about time too? In fact, I'd argue it doesn't go far enough.

France is imposing a levy of 10 euros (capped at 50% of retail value) on these "fast fashion" items along with incentives to encourage buying second hand and repairing clothing. They are also banning advertising of these companies, and banning influencers from promoting their "Shein hauls" and similar.

https://esgnews.com/france-targets-ultra-fast-fashion-with-eco-tax-ad-ban-and-transparency-rules/

So it's a start.

Totally agree about the design of the sites, they are very clever. Flash sales, money off, coupons, recommend a friend - all encouraged to get you to buy more of their tat.

Never bought anything from shein or temu (yet). But I do buy some stuff from AliExpress. Not clothing/footwear, but mostly general household stuff and such.

Oh, so British retailers bristle, because people buy their 'tat' straight from China, cutting out the middle man? As opposed to letting said 'British retailers' to import the same 'tat' themselves and sell it for 3-5 times the price?

Bought a tablet cover from aliexpress just a week ago. For 5 quid. Came in a week, no issues, it's good looking, well made, fits the tablet. The exact same is on amazon for 15. So fuck that.

From now on I'll go out of my way to not shop with said british retailers, whatever tax they impose. Their wellbeing is not my concern, let them sink. They're shit anyway.

These sites are causing issues with charity shops that are having to close down. One charity said that it's closing all it's shops.

Why are they able to produce stuff that cheap? Because they use enslaved labour. If you buy from these cheap Chinese sites you are literally funding human slavery.

UK firms may use Chinese suppliers but they have to abide by UK trading laws and standards.

Anyone knowingly funding human misery to get a cheap throwaway garment should be ashamed.

sorry but you are naive. chinese suppliers do not have to abide by UK trading laws and standards, they just have to pretend to. and UK firms just have to turn a blind eye. they're making billions in profit from human misery. and there are slaves in this country too.

No, that's not what I'm referring to at all. If a dopamine hit was the reason, then I'd be all for clamping down.

I agree with you about influencers though - I don't think they are a positive thing, in the vast majority of cases. I was a school governor for several years and so many of our young leavers had aspirations to be an "influencer" because they're sucked in by false appearances.

What do you think justifies it, then?

Their electrical products are often either a con or contain unsafe components as well. Dh follows a YouTube channel by an engineer who takes these things to bits and it's often shocking what he discovers.

Name and shame then. Let’s add those shitheads to the list of modern day slave traders.

Yeah electrical products from those sellers are a house fire waiting to happen. Hardly worth saving a few quid to risk losing everything.

I know someone whose house burned down that way.

But it's cheap! And for many people that is all they care about.

I've visited Serbia. Got into some interesting conversations. Loveliest most welcoming people I've ever met. And then you remember a bunch of other stuff in recent living memory and see the (actual proper) fascism openly on display and do of a bit of a double take in terms of cognitive dissonance.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.