Fake Fashion Stores Target NZ Shoppers and Genuine Shops

Online advertisements for fake boutique clothing stores using New Zealand-themed names are surging, with hundreds of complaints to Consumer NZ, as reported by RNZ. The scams are tricking shoppers into buying poorly made garments from overseas sellers while also hurting genuine local businesses.

Often appearing in social media feeds, the ads link to websites claiming to be independent local clothing stores. Many feature emotional messages about a family-run boutique being forced to close down, alongside steep “clearance” prices. One example is “David Wellington,” which tells shoppers: “We built our boutique to be more than just a store… But as the cost of living has continued to rise, keeping our boutique open has become impossible.”

RNZ First Up staff member Jeremy Parkinson was among those caught out, reported RNZ
“We read the story, looked at the pictures and made a couple of purchases,” he said. “When the garments arrived, they were flimsy, clearly not wool, terribly made, and just looked cheap. It was a cable knit pattern printed on who knows what.”

Parkinson had spent $240 but managed to get a refund through PayPal when the seller failed to respond. Others have not been so lucky. An Auckland woman lost $80 buying from the same website using her credit card and could not get her money back.

Consumer NZ’s Sahar Lane told RNZ that paying with a credit or debit card allows customers to request a chargeback from their bank. She also advised contacting the bank immediately if a purchase seems suspicious to protect personal details.

Lane said enforcing New Zealand’s consumer laws against overseas scammers was extremely difficult. “Under the Fair Trading Act, it is illegal for traders to mislead customers, but it can be challenging to enforce rights against an overseas entity.”

The scams are also creating confusion for real boutiques. The Matakana Village Farmers Market reported visitors turning up in search of items from matakanaboutique.com, a fake site not connected to any store in the village. “Several shoppers told us their parcels arrived from China, nothing like the photos, and they felt scammed,” the group said.

Lane’s advice to shoppers: “If it seems too good to be true — for example, locally made for cheap — it usually is. Check the New Zealand Companies Register to confirm if the business exists before buying.”

Consumer NZ has launched a 'Stamp Out Scams ' petition, calling for a national scam framework to hold businesses accountable.

For Parkinson, the experience was a costly lesson. “The lesson is not to make purchases in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep. Make sure if you think you’re buying locally, you are buying locally.”