AIBU to feel misled? Listed as wool blend, label says 100% cashmere, clearly isn’t

[StepsNotMiles]

Hi all,

I’m hoping for some advice on wording rather than judgement.

I bought a secondhand dress on eBay described as a soft wool blend. When it arrived, it came in a shein bag. The label actually says 100% cashmere, but it doesn’t feel like wool or cashmere at all. I own genuine wool clothes and can tell the difference.

I later found the exact item on Shein, selling new for less than I paid secondhand. The seller didn’t mention Shein anywhere.

Another concern is that after handling the dress (I haven’t worn it) my skin became very itchy and I developed hives. This has never happened to me with genuine wool or cashmere before. I appreciate I can’t prove causation, but it’s made me very uncomfortable about keeping or wearing it.

The seller doesn’t accept returns and eBay only allow returns if something is significantly not as described, so I’m worried they’ll say it’s close enough and side with the seller.

For those who’ve successfully returned items in similar situations, how would you word this to eBay?
Is there a particular angle they’re more likely to accept, or is it not worth trying?

Any advice appreciated.

I don't think it's worth trying.
The label says it's 100% cashmere
There's only your opinion that's it's not - I'm not saying you're wrong, but there are also grades of cashmere, so I would expect it to be the lowest possible grade.
If you didn't ask for clarification on the brand, the seller has no reason to give you more details that the listing
The fact that the seller has listed it as higher than you the price on a website is just a fact of buying on ebay- some stuffs cheaper, some stuff isn't.

Sorry, I would chalk this one down to experience, and make sure you ask a couple of questions if you're not sure about brand next time, or reverse image search the item to see if it comes up anywhere.

It maybe a lower grade wool/cashmere, bear in mind that Shein often make copies of other brands there maybe a photo of the same item on their website. Surely if they were trying to dupe you they wouldn't be daft enough to send it in a Shien bag.

I guess it depends on how much you paid whether it is worth making a fuss. It would be hard to prove.

I would contact the seller if you are unhappy and see wat they say

I think if the label says cashmere then you don't stand much chance of a refund, other than actually testing it how can you prove its not?
The Seller can argue that they were going on what the label says

It has a really strong plastic feel I’m convinced that it is not real well and I don’t think it’s possible to sell genuine wool clothes for that cheap
I paid a lot secondhand thinking it was genuine. I feel like I’ve been scammed.

You could challenge it as sold as wool blend but item labelled as cashmere?
you’d have nothing to lose at this point?

You can tell if it’s wool or synthetic if you take a match to a thread of it.
Cheap cashmere can feel scratchy, it’s also possible that it has been washed in something that caused your hives, it’s unlikely to be a synthetic fibre causing hives as polyester is inert. It could be the dye, or a coating put on the garment though. I have had reactions to new clothes, I always wash things now before wearing, as they can be sprayed with things like insecticide, or have dye residue.

That’s because you HAVE been scammed. I’m sorry. You said you found the exact dress on SHEIN. What does the website say it’s made of? If it’s not wool blend, then you should be able to provide a screenshot of the website as proof that the eBay product and description don’t match. As someone else mentioned, there is a match test you can do with a thread to determine if something is synthetic, but the way stuff from SHEIN is made, I’d be terrified to light a thread on fire 😂 Probably go up like a bonfire! But yes, I really do think IF the website doesn’t say wool blend, then you have plenty of strength to your argument. Also, could you maybe share a photo of the 100% cashmere label? Someone might be able to tell if it’s been added after purchase by checking the visual appearance and sewing of their own SHEIN labels.

And please be careful in the future, @StepsNotMiles . If someone just says “wool blend” and especially on Vinted or eBay, I would run a mile. It’s a nice way of covering up the fact that it’s probably 98% polyester of some sort and 2% wool. If you’re really interested in a product, ask what percentage of wool. They should be able to tell you from the clothes label or online product description from the website of The manufacturer. And for good prices on actual wool and cashmere, I always recommend Uniqlo - got a lovely teal 100% wool jumper from them for £29 (think it was on offer, but their wool is still a good price for the quality).

I bought a secondhand dress on eBay described as a soft wool blend

I'm not quite sure what your challenge to the seller would be.

That it isn't 100% cashmere as the label suggests? The seller didn't claim it was.

That it contains manmade fibres? The seller described it as a 'blend' so that would be expected - and didn't give a wool content.

If the 100% cashmere label was visible in the listing, the time to challenge was before buying as the description contradicted that.

I had the same issue with vinted. Bought a 100% wool jumper, said wool on label but on closer inspection it was polyester. Plus had weird white thread on seams on a pink jumper, not what you expect from cos!

Sadly I'd already accepted it when I noticed.

Like pps said it's one for experience.

I’d always see buying on eBay as a risk (I do do it). I’d just leave a negative review.