Would you buy from this brand? I did. And I really wish I hadn’t.
How it all began
On 6th January, I ordered four sale items from a Facebook advert for a “London boutique” called Mabel & Mae. I didn’t know the brand, so I treated it as a test order — £140 spent, free delivery (fairly normal when you spend over £75). The items finally arrived on 23rd January. That delay should have been my first red flag, given they were supposedly shipping from London.
What a Disappointment
Opening the package was a let down. The fabric and stitching were poor quality, and although three items technically “fit”, the sizing was clearly based on a foreign system (L, XL, 2XL etc.). That alone isn’t unusual — Italian and some UK brands use similar sizing — so I didn’t question it at the time.
I decided immediately to return everything. That’s when the real fun began.
The Return Process: A Masterclass in Obstruction
I had previously thought I had 14 days to return the goods. Returning something to London should have been simple. But when I checked the return process (yes, after ordering — schoolgirl error), I discovered I had to email them first.
Their reply was polite but… odd. Before they would even tell me where to send the items, they demanded:
• Order number
• Delivery date
• Reason for return
• Clear photos of each item (full view and close up)
• A photo of the items next to a handwritten note with my order number
• A photo of the original packaging
• Confirmation the items were unused, unwashed, and in original packaging.
I’ve never been asked for anything like this before, but I complied.
Their next email was even stranger. They claimed:
“For environmental reasons, we ship directly from our supplier and process returns through a nearby department store… This eco friendly approach allows us to offer free shipping and competitive prices.”
They then explained that returns were not free, that customs rules must be followed precisely, and that the return address was on the attached form.
My “local department store”? China.
They also offered an “alternative solution”: keep the items and receive a 15% refund. A classic tactic — make the return process so difficult that customers give up.
The Post Office Reality Check
I took three of the four items to the Post Office (to reduce weight and cost). The lovely woman behind the counter weighed the parcel and told me it would cost £29.05 to send — and warned me not to bother.
She said she sees this all the time: customers arrive with poor quality goods from supposed London boutiques, only to discover the return address is in China and the postage is more than the items are worth. She also warned that parcels often sit in customs for weeks, conveniently missing the refund window.
Still, I decided to go ahead — partly out of stubbornness and partly so I could write this blog from experience.
The Red Flags I Missed
• A “London boutique” with no actual London address
• Prices that seemed too good to be true
• Beautiful Facebook and website pictures and testimonials ... that turned out not to match reality.
Looking at the Mabel & Mae website now, there is no London address anywhere. I didn’t do my due diligence — and I’m clearly not alone — but I should have known better.
Where Things Stand Now
It’s been over 30 days since I received the goods. My tracking information shows the parcel is still in customs. It’s looking increasingly unlikely I’ll see a refund, and the £29.05 postage is probably gone too.
Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Have to Learn Them the Hard Way)
1. Check the brand before you buy. Is there a real address? A phone number? Clear return instructions?
2. If the offer looks amazing, pause. Genuine brands rarely discount everything to that degree.
3. Report suspicious sellers. I’m now reporting this one to the platform where I found them.
How much money are these companies making by misleading customers? Most business owners I know — myself included — would never dream of operating this way. But sadly, not everyone plays fair.
