Online Fashion Houses Under Fire: Trust Crisis Threatens Digital Retail Strategy
Amsterdam, maandag, 9 juni 2025.
Recent consumer reviews reveal a disturbing trend in online fashion retail, with platforms like Deqalli and Modehuis Kroon facing serious credibility challenges. Customers report systematic issues, ranging from misleading product descriptions to complicated return procedures and poor quality control. The most concerning aspect is the suspected dropshipping practice from China, where websites masquerade as Dutch retailers but are essentially international transit points. This breach of trust could have far-reaching consequences for the entire digital retail sector, fundamentally undermining consumer confidence through lack of transparency and quality guarantees.
Trust Issues in Online Fashion Retail
Recent Trustpilot reviews show that online fashion houses like Deqalli and Modehuis Kroon are struggling with serious credibility problems. The average ratings are alarmingly low, with Deqalli at just 1.2/5 stars [1] and Modehuis Kroon at 2.9/5 stars [2]. Customers report systematic issues, including misleading product descriptions and complicated return procedures.
Dropshipping and Quality Problems
Multiple consumers describe these online platforms as seemingly Dutch shops that are actually Chinese web stores [1][2]. One customer put it strikingly: ‘First-class fraud. Looks completely like a normal Dutch website and turns out to be another Chinese website’ [1]. The problems range from poor product quality to extremely high return costs, with customers sometimes having to pay 60 = 60 euros to return items.
Customer Experiences and Warnings
Customers are massively warning other consumers against buying from these online fashion houses. At Van Halen Mode, for example, customers face extreme situations, such as wrong sizes and impossible return procedures [3]. One customer stated: ‘Wanted to return, but would probably have to pay 30 to 50 euros. They wanted to refund me 10% and then use the trousers as a cleaning cloth’ [3].