I spent £18k rebranding my family-owned clothes store as a result of its title was too much like Shein and I used to be being inundated with their returns… however now I’ve hit one other conflict and it is WORSE
A small British clothing brand is grappling with a growing crisis after a Chinese company launched a near-identical version of its brand, leaving the original owner to deal with frustrated customers, bad reviews, and a mounting pile of returns.
Mehak Vig, the owner of Timeless London, has been inundated with complaints since last November from angry customers who purchased poor-quality clothes from an almost identical brand called Timeless Fashion London, a Chinese-based cheap store.
However, unbelievably the family-run business has only just finished going through a costly £18,000 rebrand after their original shop name Sheen, saw them running into similar problems with the fast-fashion giant Shein.
Mehak’s father launched the clothing line four years ago under the name Sheen, selling wholesale products across Europe and the US. The shop focuses on sustainably made dresses in the style of 1940s and 1950s.
‘I am getting 20 calls a day from angry customers, as well as emails and return packages to our warehouse, which are all now piling up, as people are saying they don’t want them back.’
Mehak Vig, the owner of Timeless London, has been inundated with complaints since last November from angry customers who purchased poor-quality clothes from an almost identical brand called Timeless Fashion London
The family-run business has only just finished going through a costly £18,000 rebrand after their original shop name Sheen
Mehak’s father launched the clothing line four years ago under the name Sheen, selling wholesale products across Europe and the US
Many customers, particularly older shoppers who purchased items via Instagram or Facebook ads, have received completely different products than what they saw online.
Timeless Fashion London makes their clothes out of 100 percent polyester and Mehak claims ‘look nothing like the images on the website’.
She added: ‘They’re frustrated, and we’re stuck dealing with returns and complaints. Some customers even said we should give the items to charity because they don’t want them back.
‘These foreign stores don’t have to pay VAT like we do, so they can undercut us with their pricing. But the quality is awful. Even though the price is tempting, it’s not worth it.’
Despite spending over £18,000 to rebrand and avoid confusion with Shein, Mehak’s company has found itself caught in a cycle of mixed-up orders, with at least one return package arriving every day meant to be for Timeless Fashion London.
‘It’s a disaster. We can’t afford another rebrand – it would cost us around £500,000 this time. We’ve invested so much into our brand and our direct-to-consumer business in the past two years,’ she says.
To make matters worse, Timeless London’s reputation has been tarnished on review platforms like Trustpilot.
Many customers, particularly older shoppers who purchased items via Instagram or Facebook ads, have received completely different products than what they saw online
Timeless Fashion London makes their clothes out of 100% polyester and Mehak claims ‘look nothing like the images on the website’
The situation has left Mehak deeply concerned for her business’s future: ‘We’re paying VAT, we’re investing in quality, and yet we’re struggling to survive against these rip-off shops’
What once was a strong 4.5-star rating has now dropped to 4.0, with some periods dipping as low as 3.9, as angry customers mistakenly left negative reviews for the wrong company.
‘We’ve tried contacting Timeless Fashion London, but we only get automated responses. The frustration from our customers is palpable.
‘They’re asking why this is allowed to happen, and honestly, we don’t have an answer,’ Mehak says.
The knock-off business offers bargain prices, ranging from £20 to £40. Yet, when customers receive the items, the difference in quality is stark, leading to significant customer dissatisfaction.
‘I don’t know how we’re supposed to compete with them,’ Mehak laments. ‘They have no overheads like we do, and their prices are so much lower. But when customers get their products, they’re completely different from what they expected.’
The situation has left Mehak deeply concerned for her business’s future: ‘We’re paying VAT, we’re investing in quality, and yet we’re struggling to survive against these rip-off shops.
‘Without legal protection or stronger regulations, it’s almost impossible to stay afloat.’
She continued: ‘This is the worst-case scenario for any small business owner. We just need support because it feels like no one is protecting us.’
‘British retail is dying, and if we can’t compete with these rip-off stores. I don’t know how we’re going to survive.’
