Shein under scrutiny as scorpion found in UK shoe order
A student from the United Kingdom ordered shoes from the online store Shein. However, inside, she found a live scorpion. The Chinese giant issued a statement regarding this incident.
"I thought it was a toy - and then it moved," admitted Sofia Alonso-Mossinger, quoted by the BBC.
Found a scorpion in the package. Shein comments
The 18-year-old immediately closed the package with the shoes and the scorpion and then took it out of the room. Her roommate came to help, trapping the arachnid in a plastic container.
"I thought I was dreaming. I feel like I am all right with spiders and things but it was scary being in my room with a random scorpion," she argued, adding that she didn't know if the arachnid was dangerous.
The customer informed Shein about the unusual discovery in the package. The e-commerce giant stated that upon receiving the information, it immediately conducted an "internal investigation."
"Our teams on the ground have checked the shipment packing process and carried out an inspection of the goods in our warehouse and have confirmed that all standard operating processes have been adhered to," reads the statement from Shein, as quoted by the BBC.
Chris Newman from the National Centre for Reptile Welfare stated that the arachnid in the package was Olivierus martensitic, a species of scorpion native to northeast China and Manchuria.
He explained that in the event of a sting, the average adult should not have serious health problems, but such an incident could be dangerous for children and the elderly. "It is quite worrying this is the second one we have had in under a month that has come in this way," he noted in an interview with the BBC.
Shein recalls toxic clothes
Recently, many concerns have been raised about Shein due to the composition of some clothing. Results of a test by the German organisation Öko-Test, published at the beginning of August 2024, indicate that eight out of 21 Shein garments contain residues of toxic chemicals.
The tested clothes received a "satisfactory" rating at best. However, most ratings are "poor" or "inadequate."
Among them were items such as children's and infant clothing. For example, a girl's dress contains antimony, which can be absorbed through the skin with sweat and is very toxic if it enters the bloodstream. The company decided to withdraw questionable products from sale.
Shein is a Chinese online store that attracts customers with low prices on clothing and gadgets. The company faces serious allegations regarding the use of toxic substances and, among other things, violating workers' rights or copying competitors' designs.
