Thread: I bought a costume in poor condition, seller wouldn't refund me any money.

Be careful if you are buying costumes from Wingaki, aka Stephanie (I won't post the rest of her name for privacy purposed) from Hong Kong. I bought the lilac bella she posted, and she didn't tell me the skirt was not in original condition (being currently see-through), that the original under layer, front half of the skirt was jaggedly cut off. There are three very visible and probably not reparable holes in the net like sheer fabric on the front of the skirt near the bottom. She said she wasn't aware of these holes, and told me to contact the previous seller (who sold to her!) if I had any issues. I think that when you get a costume it's your duty to inspect it, and then, if you choose to sell it, make any potential buyers aware of the condition, if it is not like new or if there are flaws. I told her this, and requested three times a partial refund. The costume is not in great condition and is more like a "fixer uppper" because of the condition of the skirt. I know she wasn't the original owner of the costume, but, as a buyer, you need to look at what you receive and not pass your risk if it comes out poorly on to the next unsuspecting person. She refused to give me a partial refund of the costume after I asked multiple times, and finally said "I will not respond to you further on this." So, ladies, there is an irresponsible costume owner/buyer/seller out there, beware buying costumes from her. Make sure she inspects the costumes fully before you pay, and paypal for goods, not as a gift. I offered to paypal as a gift to save the paypal fees, but she still charged me the same full price. My mistake, and I'm kicking myself for it.

Maybe you can post pictures so that everyone can see the damage. Also, I would post original thread and price you paid. I am sorry about your experience.

I'm shocked that someone would say that even they sold it to you, they're not responsible for the condition- even KNOWING the condition, and that you should contact the person who sold it to them!!! That person isn't responsible! If you sell a costume, then you're responsible for what you're selling. Wingaki took your money, didn't she? She's responsible for what she sold.

See the jagged cutting of the purple fabric? I'd bet any of my costumes that a bella seamstress did not do this.

That looks awful!

Omg!! How could she not see this?? The holes are huge!!!

Wingaki's listing is here:
http://www.bhuz.com/bellydance-swap-...a-back-up.html

Listing by original seller (miraj in istanbul) with photos is here:
http://www.bhuz.com/canada-swap-meet...llas-sale.html

It does actually say in a somewhat unclear way that the front part of the skirt is see through and that you'd probably want to wear an underskirt.
from the original thread where wingaki bought it:

"I usually wore a lilac underskirt with this that I made for it but it was worn alot with another costume and I threw it out. You will want to wear it with an underskirt as well, it’s pretty daring otherwise. Unless you have really fantastic legs that you dont mind showing off!"

You can even see the holes in the skirt but only if you know they are there and even then it's hard to locate them. the jagged edge is also visible at the top of the skirt. It doesn't change the fact that sellers absolutely should include any fault on the costume. sorry for your bad experience

Thanks for posting the threads, Suzana.

It does, in a way, say that it is sheer, but it does not say that it is not how the skirt was originally made. Misleading on the part of both sellers.
I can't really see in that photo the jagged cutting. Its really more kind of straight across, staring underneath at the top of where the diagonal design is by the opening.
I do see a hole in the photo now, to me it only looks like one.

The person selling needs to state how they altered it. and that there are hole. if you now of stanes or snags or holes up from then you can make a choise on it you want to buy it in that condition. so sorry to hear she would not desclose that info and not work with you.

Looking at the photos, I can't see any jagged cutting at all. Now that I know it's there, I can see 1 hole (not 3), but there are often bright spots on pictures- I would have assumed that it was a piece of dust on the camera lens or a trick of the light or something. Never in my worst Bhuz costume nightmares would I ever assume that there would be jagged cutting and holes in a costume, without the seller disclosing such horrible damage!

The other thing that jumped out at me from the listing is that the price was $600- for a costume with HOLES in it!!! Maybe $200 if the holes were disclosed in the description, with close-up pictures added, but $600 with that much damage? If I were shimmytwin, I would be...well, I probably shouldn't use those words. Suffice it to say, I would be more than livid and feel completely cheated and taken advantage of. It didn't happen to me, and this makes me scared to use the Swap Meet anymore (and I've bought a LOT here!)

Originally Posted by shimmytwin

Thanks for posting the threads, Suzana.

It does, in a way, say that it is sheer, but it does not say that it is not how the skirt was originally made. Misleading on the part of both sellers.
I can't really see in that photo the jagged cutting. Its really more kind of straight across, staring underneath at the top of where the diagonal design is by the opening.
I do see a hole in the photo now, to me it only looks like one.

My mistake, I saw the edge in another image. I assume it is in the one that starts just at the bottom of the fringe on the left side?
Still though, I wouldn't understand what I was seeing unless I knew it was there.

Terrible. That costume is in terrible condition and I would be furious if I were you. Neither seller accurately described the damages and the descriptions give no indication that the costume has been butchered.
She should offer you a full or partial refund (if you're willing to keep the costume).
If she doesn't budge, maybe one of the bhuz costumers can help you out and fix it up.

I have bought from wingaki before (Eman Resurrection: May 3rd-June 1st, 2009 | Facebook )

It was a severely damaged costume but she was up-front about that fact and I had a chance to see it in person. I am surprised that she was not forthcoming on this costume, which is not worth the price paid by either one of you due to the condition it is in. 500-600$ shouldn't mean you have to get under-skirts, fix things up, and make it work...that's a price for a costume that can be worn as is.

it looks like the previous seller sold for $500, and wingtaki was asking $600. I always eat shipping costs (especially from overseas) and would never expect a buyer to pay for them.

I can't believe the price went up $100.

She said she paid 600.....and when I mentioned the fact that I paypaled as a gift rather than to have paypal fees extra to pay, she said "That was your choice"

I just don't know what to do. What else can I do? I asked 3 times, nicely, ("Please," and "I'm requesting") for a partial refund.

Originally Posted by shimmytwin

She said she paid 600.....and when I mentioned the fact that I paypaled as a gift rather than to have paypal fees extra to pay, she said "That was your choice"

I just don't know what to do. What else can I do? I asked 3 times, nicely, ("Please," and "I'm requesting") for a partial refund.

This really stinks. It looks like Wingaki was cheated, and rather than take it up with the person she bought it from, she tried to pass it on to you. Since it was received not as described, you can ask her if she would refund you in full and you can return the costume- who know, someone may love the costume enough to pay her asking price even with the flaws, but it shouldn't be *your* responsibility to try to recoup the cost of damage.

Originally Posted by Lara L

This really stinks. It looks like Wingaki was cheated, and rather than take it up with the person she bought it from, she tried to pass it on to you. Since it was received not as described, you can ask her if she would refund you in full and you can return the costume- who know, someone may love the costume enough to pay her asking price even with the flaws, but it shouldn't be *your* responsibility to try to recoup the cost of damage.

I'd also say that Wingaki may need to learn to take more care when she makes her purchases by looking closely at photos, asking questions, asking the the photos are up-to-date and what changes has been made or happened in the life of the costume...and to speak up if she buys something with "surprises" when she gets it or when she sells it if she ends up keeping it.

This isn't the first costume she has bought with issues.

I doubt that anything will come of this, I haven't heard anything from her through bhuz or email since I posted this; I haven't emailed her again since she said she will not respond. I feel very cautious about paypalling as a gift ever in the future, though I've only ever had luck before Wingaki. Once makes you learn, though. and I've never bought a costume so severely misrepresented/poorly taken care of.......with no "responsibility" from the seller. What a jerk.

once a seller's reputation is toast on this board, it is hard to recoup…she may be shunned by those "in the know." Doesn't help you with your cossie problem though. She should refund your money and take back the costume period.

To be honest I never asked for a full refund or for her to take back the costume. She said it didn't fit her so I didn't think she'd even consider that.

1. you were never 'nice' in your email. you accused me of being dishonest and lied to you without asking what happened. yes, in your other messages you did use 'please', it doesn't necessarily mean that you were 'nice'. that is why i've been impatient in my replies. yes, it was childish of me. but i just want to say that please don't mislead other people and pretend to be 'nice'.

2. i geniunely did not notice the cut edge nor the holes. in the pictures of the original post you can see the front part of the skirt is see-through. it reminds me of the see-through bra costumes by bella. when i decided to buy it i thought it was just another outrageous design. i love my bikini sahar very much so i thought why not give it a try. when i recieved it, i opened it in front of my friend, tried it on, didn't fit. thought about making it fit. too much work. put it away before fall too deeply in love with it. it did look in very good condition. the seller said it was in very good condition because it was too small for her as well and she didn't wear it much.

3. is it an original design that the bra is like regular street bra instead of criss-cross or halter? is it orginal that it doesn't come with any accessories? is it original that it doesn't have any fringes hanging from the bra? is it original that the cutouts don't have any nude or lilac covering for modesty? i don't know whether the skirt was designed this way. yes now i look at your photo i think it's strange to have that cut lycra edge. the seller did say that she was in a hurry when she went to the shop and so there wasn't any accessories. and that the other bella (3rd one in the original thread) that my friend bought also need an underskirt for the same reason. who know (apart from original seller) what happened? did the seller not like the lycra part and asked for it to be removed and was dones hasty-ly because she was in a hurry? i am waiting for her reply to tell me but in the meantime i will not accuse her of being dishonest. the photo from the first thread show the skirt is see-through! so you thought it was ok but when you received it, it looked like there should be a lycra piece and and you changed your mind about it?

4. about the paypal fee. i had repeatedly explain to you that i was asking for 600USD inclusive of everything because i am not bothered to do calculations or go to the post office to check fees and i also don't know exactly how much paypal charges so i posted one price regardless where you live. i was ready to pay for the paypal fee myself. i thought i had made it clear. it baffled me why you still wanted to use the gift option. i use paypal and think it's fair that i pay the fee. there was a thread about paypal fee before and i agree with those who think it fair to pay the fee. you chose to use the 'gift' option, it was your choice. and i had explained to you that i could have used the cheapest mail service and let you wait for a month to get the costume. instead, i used the fastest mail option and the costume arrived in only a few days. and that was my choice.

5. about how much i charged. the original seller's price was in canadian dollars. so as the shipping fee. my friend and i paid half the paypal fee (our choice). i converted the amount in hong kong dollars that appear in credit card statment into US dollar and asked for that price. i saw many times other sellers do the same "asking what i paid". "asking what i paid plus paypal fee", some ask for same price after wearing the costume once or twice. the thing is, if the costumes are priced lower they sell faster. so why is it that i 'asked what i paid' is an issue here? if it didn't sell i would have lowered the price eventually, like my other costumes.

6. thanks for the advice here. yes, i need to more careful when i buy costumes. but what i figure is that we all have different standards. i just received a costume that was supposed to look 'brand new' but it showed signs of wear in the lining. for me it's not brand new but for other people it might be. i also had bought 2 costumes in absolutely bargain price that i even considered sending more money. but i didn't. i just figure that sometimes you gain sometimes you lose.

7. i've been trying to contact the original seller since your first email. she hadn't replied me yet and she seems to me the kind of people who don't go near a computer much. she said she would post more costume soon so sooner or later she will have to reply.

8. i have put 100USD into your paypal account. that is for the holes but not whether the skirt is original or not. when the original seller, miraq in istanbul,reply to me, i'll ask her for what you ask (150USD). she will check emails and appear on bhuz sooner or later since she said she would post more costumes. please be patient. and i really do hope that you could receive more money soon.

9. i was actually just waiting for the original seller to reply before i decide what to do. the reason i did not want to reply to you anymore is that you do not read nor to think about what i wrote at all. the paypal fee issue was a good example.

10. i finally post here is not because of your angry accusation nor about whether i could sell costumes or not. if i can't sell, so be it. if no one want to sell to me, that's fine too. not end of the world. i was just thinking how my friend would react if she received a costume with holes. again, i was being childish to have reacted on your rudeness. especially when i was thinking of sending you the combs that you want as a surprise gift.

That would have been very nice of you. Thank you very much for refunding me some money.

I would have been upset too if I had paid that much money for a costume that came with that kind of defect (it's mostly the holes that would really bother me). But I can see how one could sell it without even realizing the problem if it was already purchased like that and never worn because it didn't fit properly. I guess it just teaches us to really inspect all costumes we sell here, regardless of our reason for selling and whether or not we wore them.

It seems to me like it was just a careless mistake on the part of wingaki, as I recently purchased a costume from wingaki and had a great experience. The price was fair and the costume was in great condition. She was communicative and I received it much quicker than expected, given her location. It doesn't seem to me like she would willingly rip people off in this way.

So I'm glad you guys are trying to work out a solution. Hopefully the original seller will accept your request to refund some of the money, as this was clearly already a defect then.

Originally Posted by shimmytwin

She said she paid 600.....and when I mentioned the fact that I paypaled as a gift rather than to have paypal fees extra to pay, she said "That was your choice"

I just don't know what to do. What else can I do? I asked 3 times, nicely, ("Please," and "I'm requesting") for a partial refund.

That is why I will never ever again do paypal as a gift. Nope. Eat the costs. It's worth it!!