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An Australian fashion brand has been called out for holding a lavish influencer trip to Coachella as customers have allegedly been left in limbo with their orders.
Peppermayo, a Sydney-based e-tailer, recently hosted a VIP experience for a group of social media stars.
But videos from the annual American music festival Palm Spring, a city in California, have been flooded with complaints from shoppers who claim to have encountered issues with their purchases.
Disgruntled customers have bombarded the affordable fashion brand with requests for answers to an array of complaints, with many alleging that their efforts to contact customer service have failed.
News.com.au has contacted Peppermayo for comment.
Linda Bergmann, a 24-year-old from the Gold Coast, claims she is yet to receive the $129.95 lace mini-dress she ordered on March 20.
“When I went to buy it online, it said ‘buy now’, but after my order went through it changed to ‘pre-order’ with a shipping date set for the first week of April,” she told news.com.au.
“I waited for the dress to be shipped, but heard nothing, so I emailed and the email I got back said my email was successfully sent to customer service.
“Another week rolled by, and I still had no idea where my dress was, so I emailed again and was told my email will go to the back of the queue if I contact customer services multiple times.”
Bergmann became increasingly frustrated, noting that she had seen multiple influencers wearing the in-demand item, and started messaging the brand’s social media site.
“Since posting about the inadequate customer service on TikTok, I have had so many other girls message me, even international customers, saying the same thing is happening to them,” she added.
“I ordered the dress for my best friend’s hens [bachelorette party] and unfortunately had to place an order with another company.
“It’s so weird because I have bought from Peppermayo in the past and never had these problems.”
News.com.au has confirmed the “Consie Long Sleeve Mini Dress” currently still available to buy on the Peppermayo site as a pre-sale item with a shipping date listed as “the start of May”.
The comments section on Peppermayo’s TikTok and Instagram posts are filled with customers sharing similar claims to Bergmann.
Most are seeking answers to a range of complaints, including alleged shipping concerns, undelivered parcels and unresolved returns.
“Why won’t you send our orders? I’ve sent 3 emails,” one wrote alongside three crying emojis.
“Can I please have some order info from two dresses I ordered a month ago for graduation?” another asked.
As one stressed shopper wrote: “Spends money on influencers to go to Coachella but I can’t get a refund for a dress that I ordered 1.5 months ago and never received.”
While one bride appears to be commenting on every post, alerting Peppermayo to the fact she ordered “17-20 items” in February for an upcoming destination wedding but it is yet to be dispatched.
Peppermayo has responded to many of the comments, asking the customer to either DM the company directly, or to inform them that it has sent a response privately.
Maddi Robertshaw, a 26-year-old from Sydney, echoed the complaints online, claiming her emails regarding a recent order have still not resulted in her receiving any shipping information.
“Initially I didn’t even receive an email confirmation until I contacted Peppermayo to confirm it had been received,” she told news.com.au.
“They finally confirmed my order a few days after I’d placed it, but there were no shipping details.
“I’ve emailed on three separate occasions since to find out where it is, but there has been no update to the status. It’s so frustrating.”
Some customers are so fed-up, they have resorted to posting videos detailing the alleged failings on social media.
One loyal consumer of the Australian brand, which was created in 2012, said she has been buying from the online retailer for years and never had an issue until recently.
“Is anyone having issues with Peppermayo right now?” the young Sydney woman asked in a clip.
“I’ve shopped there so many times … half my wardrobe is Peppermayo, but I ordered a dress more than 20 days ago, so it’s been almost a month, and I’ve got no updates whatsoever.”
While a US-based customer said in a “Peppermayo rant” that while she was waiting an “extremely long time” for her order, she didn’t receive any updates.
“When I sent them an email asking them to let me know what was going on, they just never replied,” she alleged.
“It’s just crazy to me. It took so long, I asked for a refund … but I am still yet to receive the code for my credit note.”
The Coachella trip included a number of UK-based influencers, including Love Island UK stars Lucinda Strafford and Sophie Piper.
None are accused of any wrongdoing and customer anger is not directed towards them.
It is common for brands to cover pay for influencer trips, often covering expenses and providing compensation for participation, with influencers sharing their experiences and content online.
Videos posted by Peppermayo show them all frolicking in a mansion which comes complete with a pool as well as being driven in a branded SUV and enjoying a fully stocked bar and fridge.
Last year, the Australian label issued a warning after a student was allegedly scammed by a “counterfeit website” posing as the brand.
The US customer purchased a dress for her end of year formal from what she thought was Peppermayo but in reality, the site was called “Pepperrmayo”.
The brand later warned customers to watch out for fake emails being sent from Gmail accounts.
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