'Not-So-Fast' Fashion Company Agrees To Payout For Slow Deliveries To Sonoma County Customers: DA

Fast Fashion company Shein has agreed to pay more than half a million dollars to settle a civil lawsuit accusing it of engaging in unlawful business practices related to slow delivery in the Golden State.

Los Angeles, Napa, San Francisco and Sonoma counties sued the global fast fashion retailer for taking more than a month to ship online orders and "failing to provide adequate delay notices to consumers or offer refunds for late orders," as is required by California law, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

In California, online orders are required to ship within 30 days of payment collection, or the company must notify a customer of the delay and how long the delay will take. If the company can't provide the item the customer wants, it must send an equivalent or superior replacement or offer a refund, according to authorities.

“In this case, fast fashion shipping was not-so-fast and in clear violation of California law,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement Thursday. “No company, no matter how large, is above the law, and we will continue to fight for consumers in Los Angeles County."

As part of the judgment, Shein will have to pay $600,000 in civil penalties, which will be divided among the four counties. It will also have to pay an extra $100,000 in investigation costs, according to authorities.

Shein is a global fast fashion retailer founded in China and currently headquartered in Singapore. Its business model, according to authorities, moves clothing rapidly from fashion shows into mass production, which it then sells online.