Shoppers in stitches over Christmas decoration order fails: 'Oh dear'

Ordering online has improved over the years, but it's still a lottery at times. One shopper recently revealed the result of her unlucky yet hilarious Christmas shop where what she'd received was a far cry from what she'd purchased.

Sharing a "buyer beware" post on a popular Christmas Facebook page, the woman said she was left disappointed after receiving her not-so-festive Christmas wreath. "Beware mums! What I got compared to what I ordered," she wrote alongside two very different images of the wreath she ordered on eBay, adding "I have been refunded".

What she did receive was a significantly smaller, much less detailed version of the one pictured online. The decorations used throughout the wreath were also half the size of those shown when she placed her order.

Christmas wreaths
What she ordered vs what she got. The lollipop and candy cane Christmas wreath purchased on eBay looked very different when it arrived. Photo: Facebook

She wasn't the only one who received a disappointing package either. Dozens of others said they'd also been duped into purchasing the decoration. "Haha me too... I opened it and thought, wow sooo not like the pictures. I've added to mine to make it bigger, it's too small," one person shared. "Hahaha I ordered the same and received the same rubbish! The reviews are all lies. I'll have to add a wreath behind it," commented another.

SHOP

Salvage mission

Another shopper took matters into her own hands by pulling apart the disappointing decoration to create a Christmas-themed house. "I ended up getting 95% of the money back and got to keep it!! It's now pulled apart and I made this out of the little I could salvage!! So disappointed," she commented alongside a picture of her creation.

Christmas decoration made from wreath
One shopper managed to use pieces from her tiny wreath into a makeshift Christmas tree. Photo: Facebook

More Christmas order fails

The wreath isn't the only dodgy decoration doing the rounds this year. Other group members shared their own Christmas decoration fails too. "Mine was another eBay disaster. Just a wooden board with a picture of the wreath on it," another shopper wrote alongside two images - one of a gorgeously decorated gingerbread wreath and another of a wooden board with a picture on it.

Christmas wreath next to a wooden board printed to look like the same wreath
Instead of receiving a gingerbread man wreath, one shopper received a picture of the promised wreath printed on a timber board. Photo: Facebook

Another woman said she paid $115 for Christmas lights that looked nothing like what she received. "Glad I paid by PayPal. Going through the channels to get my money back. It was $115 AUD. Not happy Jan," she wrote alongside two very different pictures.

Christmas light display next to DIY rolls of lights
The promised Christmas lights are very different to the small DIY version that arrived in the mail. Photo: Facebook

So how do you make sure you don't fall for an online shopping swindle? The best advice from other shoppers is to read what other customers have said and steer clear of Facebook advertisements. "Always check reviews! Past buyers have put up pics of the actual product as I've seen this too. Seen review and thought nope lol," one shopper advised.

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