Our List of Fraudulent or Scam Wig Companies

Unfortunately, not all online stores are reputable. Over time, the UK wig market has become challenging for both legitimate wig websites and consumers, with fraudulent wig companies putting up their best fight to fool wig-wearers.

In this blog, we’ll discuss why it’s become trickier to identify scam wig companies online, how you can tell if a site is fraudulent, and some wig sites to avoid at all costs.

Why Has it Become Difficult to Identify Scam Wig Sites?

Similar prices: Many cheaper, poorer-quality wig companies have started to raise their prices to a point where they fall in the same price range as wig sellers like Simply Wigs. Ultimately, this price shift has created some confusion for customers, as suspiciously low price points used to be a key indicator of inferior products. Now, consumers can’t always judge the quality of a wig on its price alone. Furthermore, with prices being so similar, consumers often confuse higher-priced established wig companies for scammers.

Similar visuals: It has become harder to differentiate sites, especially as fraudulent ones have started mimicking the web design and images used on the best legitimate wig websites. Appearance has further blurred the lines between good and bad wig sites and increased consumers’ wariness to shop online.

Scam wig companies are deceitful groups or individuals who use the front of being a reputable wig company. Some of them look almost indistinguishable from legitimate companies.

They scam customers in a variety of ways:

Keep reading to the end to see a list of scam wig companies reported to us to make sure you don’t buy from a known fraud!

How to Tell Legit Wig Sites from the Fake

So, how do you know if you’re shopping online at a legitimate wig company?

The problem with fraudulent websites is that they can look so convincing when they pose as top-rated wig companies. However, there are tell-tale signs to look out for. These include:

The first thing you should do is search for the company’s name, with the word ‘reviews’ – for example, ‘ewigs reviews’. Some guidance to check that reviews are real includes:

– Don’t look at reviews on the website itself. If you have any doubts about a company, make sure you check the reviews on an independent site like REVIEWS.io and Trustpilot. The company can put anything they like on their own website! For example, Ewigs has over 4,000 reviews on their website and every single one is four or five stars, but if you look at review sites, the majority are only one or two stars.

– Pay attention to negative reviews. While most sites will have some negative reviews, seeing what people are complaining about can give you a better idea of what you’re dealing with. Look for trends among negative reviews – if lots of reviewers found they never received a product, or received a different product than they expected, it’s not an isolated incident.

– Pictures and videos. We love seeing our beautiful customers wearing their creations and we encourage people to take pictures in their wigs to send to us or attach to reviews. Scam companies aren’t usually likely to take the time to find homemade footage or pictures, and many scam sites use poorly rendered images (so they might be blurry or look stretched).

Can you find any contact information about the page? Often, scam wig companies will just have a contact form, and maybe a phone number or email address. Reputable wig sellers should have a full address available (which companies pretending to be based in the UK won’t have), and often, you’ll be able to contact them via social media as well.

A good rule of thumb when shopping online is ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ – if you’ve found a wig that retails at £200 being sold for £20, there’s likely there’s something else at play!

We’re not suggesting that you run every website through a grammar checker before you buy, but if the content on the site is stilted, unclear or poorly written, that should wave a red flag.

When you click on a new website, your browser will tell you if the site is secure or not with a little padlock symbol. If the site is not secure, you should avoid spending any money with the company, as your information will not be safe!

If you’re  unsure if a company is legitimate, you can always check with Companies House. All limited companies in the UK must be registered with Companies House and it will provide you with the director’s name(s) and the company’s history. If they’re not registered, that means that they don’t have a physical shop or office in the UK.

If you have bought a wig and you are unsure about its quality, be aware of a chemical smell. This smell appears when the natural hair colour has been stripped out of the wig in order for it to be chemically dyed to a different range of colours. The stripping of the colour also strips away the hair quality, leaving you with a substandard wig.

Back in 2014, Emma appeared on Radio 4’s consumer affairs programme, You & Yours, to discuss the trend of disreputable wig companies trading online to UK customers. Listen as Emma shares a customer story and some caring and helpful advice, explaining how non-UK wig companies are cloning trustworthy wig websites and using .co.uk addresses to fool customers into thinking they are reliable websites.

Listen to the interview now » (STARTING POINT 26mins 32secs)

What to Look for in Reliable Wig Companies

So what are the green flags? What can you look for in a company that is worth your custom?

Scam Wig Companies to Avoid

 IMPORTANT:  These companies have been reported to us as being scams. Please let us know if you have encountered these companies or any others so we can continue supporting other wig-wearers.

Customers have pointed out these companies to be aware of:

You should also be cautious when buying from non-wig-specific marketplaces, like eBay, Shein or Temu – you might find some great deals, but just remember that you’ll get what you pay for! If you’re looking for a reliable, high-quality wig, you’re not likely to find it on these sites.

1. Check the URL

We have also been made aware that there are several companies using the Simply Wigs name in their advertising. Always make sure you’re shopping on our official site to avoid being caught out! Make sure the URL is correct before entering any information.

Check out the listings below; the first is from our official site, but the second is a different site using our name. We’ve highlighted the URLs in red so you know what to look for!

2. Do your research

When you’re browsing cheap ‘UK-based’ wig sites, be cautious and do your research before you buy any new products. Every week, we talk to heartbroken people who these companies have scammed, and we are angry and saddened that they are still allowed to trade.

3. Spread the word!

As many scam wig companies are not based in the UK, we are unable to prosecute them. However, if Trading Standards cannot protect people who may be shopping at a very vulnerable time in their lives, then it’s time we spread the word ourselves!

Our team knows that buying a wig can be an emotional and highly personal process. The UK has many highly-rated, quality, legitimate wig companies that will endeavour to make the process as easy and painless as possible.

When it comes down to it, if you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a company, you’ll be safer not spending your money with them. If you have any questions about this topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. The Simply Wigs team are always here to help.

Do you know of more scam wig companies?

Please leave your comments below . . . 

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