By Subhasree Nag
A brand founded in 2006 made it big on the international fashion circuit for its unique business strategies and product innovation. Well, there are a few other reasons. We will get to those as we proceed further.
You’ll find many enthusiasts asking- is Fashion Nova legit? A few recurrent flaws and scams led to a dent in their reputation for sure. But the brand got a headstart during their starting days. CEO Richard Saghian had the experience of working at the family boutique. Eventually, Fashion Nova started.
Their first store opened in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, they were selling cheap club wear at that time only. Market differentiation was on their mind. Others would have followed the stream if they could get the party people hooked.
Now, let’s check out what happened to the brand down 20 years.
Is Fashion Nova Legit? Key Factors to Consider
Now many people question- Is Fashion Nova Legit? But the scenes were not like that before. Most importantly, very few brands enjoy success in their sprouting days like Fashion Nova did.
The brand faced its first genuine setback when the US Labor dept ordered an inquiry against them for unfair labor practices. Some of their workers did not earn even $2.77 per hour. And more such issues were in the pipeline as well. So, let’s check out the factors that cause people to question the brand’s ethics and genuineness.
Product Quality
Do you know there are many ways an internet brand may scam you? Fraud on product quality is probably the most basic of all. On that note, our brand couldn’t surpass this elementary flaw.
Recent customer reviews say there are many IG rants between Fashion Nova customers and their representatives over product quality. I was closely observing them when an interesting fact hit me.
Fashion Nova posts high-quality images and similar flaring videos of their products online. In fact, you will find some really good frugal male fashion here. Only in images, though. The product in real life differs from the pictures, like rain and shine.
Recently, many fashion influencers over IG called out Fashion Nova for their poor product quality. A popular IG page named “astoldbymika” says the experience is good when you shop for the first time.
However, it goes anyway when you keep shopping repeatedly. The product quality of all things is bound to deteriorate. A lot of customers, including Mika, have faced the issue.
While scrolling other customer reviews I found the situation is grave. Maria Macias says she has been shopping at Fashion Nova for a long time. However, they exploited her brand trust like nothing else.
While shopping for $200, she received products that were not Fashion Nova originals. You can imagine the level of scam that’s going on at Fashion Nova.
Pricing and Value for Money
Fashion Nova is one e-commerce brand that stays in the limelight for many reasons. Not to mention, all of those are positive reasons. However, the brand’s motto is to offer affordable fashion at the correct prices. Their products range from moderate to low cost.
Fashion Nova marks their products at a lower price than existing brands. Many of their products cost less than $50. Even y2k fashion at the same rate. However, I like their all-time sales and promotions. You will find multiple sales and promotional discounts on different products throughout the year.
Hence, we can conclude that Fashion Nova uses the cost leadership strategy. The profit margins are not essential for them too. Instead, they make a profit on the numbers.
Pricing scams of Fashion Nova
In many cases, customers did not get the benefits of their coupon codes on Fashion Nova. A reviewer named Danielle Hoover made a critical claim against them.
He used PayPal for payment. When the payment gateway appeared, he entered the coupon code. It seemed the code worked. However, the final checkout price didn’t reduce at all.
After that, he mailed Fashion Nova and informed them about the nuisance. But to no effect. Instead, the reply to that email would shock you:
“No refunds after order placed. We don’t allow canceling discounted orders. However, you will LOVE the items you ordered.”
Shipping, Delivery, and Customer Service
There are two types of delivery methods: standard and express. Standard delivery is free. However, a product takes 13 to 16 days to be delivered. So, you have an alternative in the form of express delivery.
When you choose express delivery, your package will reach you within 7 to 9 days. But it is not free. You have to pay a static fee of USD 34.99.
At the Fashion Nova help center, you can request order tracking and delivery details anytime. The same helpline is also open for return and refund requests.
You can ring their customer service on 238-0022 for customer services. The extension is 818. You can also visit their Burbank, CA · (323) 628-7368 store. However, customers often claim that Fashion Nova’s customer service is not up to the mark.
Some customers did not get any order confirmation email or tracking ID. However, it was mentioned in the order email that the order for the product concerned was received.
Influencer Marketing and Celebrity Endorsements
Fashion Nova used a robust influencer marketing strategy to stay at the top of rivals in the market. However, social media is the prime marketing hub for Fashion Nova in the US market.
Fashion Nova’s 80% brand reputation is built upon influencer marketing through social media. On that note, they partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry. Some years ago, they spent $40 million on promotions and discount marketing.
We all saw the collaboration of Fashion Nova and reality TV. Meanwhile, table toppers are the most lucrative marketing faces that Fashion Nova hired. I hardly knew what is acubi fashion until I checked out the celeb collections at Fashion Nova.
Some of the top rappers endorsed the brand. In essence, Cardi B is the biggest celebrity influencer who promoted the brand through active collaboration. Fashion Nova, however, expects around $50,000 in returns from influencer marketing.
In the same plight, the organization recruits micro and macro influencers simultaneously. In addition, there are mega influencers like Cardi B.
The engagement rate of Fashion Nova got a hike of 7.2% through mega influencer marketing. Such celeb endorsements and partnerships took the brand far. They could increase their market reach and sales.
The celeb collabs at Fashion Nova introduced many fall fashion trends in 2024.
In conclusion, Fashion Nova earned $111.9 million in the form of media value earned from the 2800+ influencers who promote the brand.
Sustainability and Ethical Concerns
These are the two most critical areas Fashion Nova needs to address. Firstly, there are serious sustainability issues with the products. The company follows several unholy means to manage production costs and low product prices.
Firstly, there is no standardization in product quality. Secondly, the company practices forced labor, too.
Thirdly, there are miscellaneous illegitimate practices that customers often complain of. For example, Fashion Nova allegedly keeps the out-of-stock items listed on their app and website.
Hence, you will be fooled into purchasing and putting your money into them. Once you complete the order, the order will indeed be canceled. But you will get back the money you paid as store credit. This is one cheap trick to rope in more sales.
In the last few years, there have been several serious unethical stances from their end. Firstly, Fashion Nova was alleged to be a case of forced labor. Their workers did not receive minimum wages. Moreover, there was no overtime policy as well.
Fashion Nova falsely claimed faster deliveries a year later and made customers book express delivery. In the same connection, they also announced compensations worth $9.3 million to settle the allegations. Moreover, when it was time to refund customers, they paid in gift cards instead of source credit.
Pros and Cons of Shopping at Fashion Nova
There are mixed reactions to Fashion Nova. Let’s check out the details:
Pros
1. Their products are pretty affordable
2. You get your products delivered quick and crisp
Cons
1. Fast fashion has profound implications for the environment.
2. Frequent scams and scandals reduce the acceptability of the brand
Fashion Nova’s infamous return policy
The brand is perhaps in the headlines for its infamous return policy. This scandalous policy often makes people question- Is Fashion Nova legit?
Let us discuss some of the policy’s insensitive terms and conditions. Firstly, the company can apply a 50% restocking fee for the stale or final sale items. Moreover, you won’t get any refunds naturally. They will be credited in the form of store credits only. Or through your Fashion Nova e-credit card.
Moreover, there are no pre-paid return labels. Hence, you will be solely responsible for covering the return costs. Lastly, you must lodge complaints for the damaged, defective, and incorrect items within two days.
Often, it is challenging to abide by all the norms. In that case, your payment would go to waste.
The Bottom Line
Is Fashion Nova legit? It sure is. However, the frequent scandals make the brand borderline scammer. Hence, many customers have publicly renounced shopping from Fashion Nova. More would follow. However, there is a catch.
New customers love to try their exciting offers and thrilling product prices. Customers will have better experiences when the brand improves its policies.
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