An Australian fashion label has reignited public backlash less than two weeks after apologizing for extensive delivery delays and communication failures with customers.
Peppermayo, a Sydney-based online retailer known for shipping globally, recently found itself under fire again despite issuing a public apology for delayed orders and poor customer service. Frustrated customers have criticized the brand over the past few weeks, claiming their orders have been delayed for weeks or even months. Others say they have received neither refunds nor any response from the company.
The situation escalated when the brand shared videos of a brand-sponsored influencer trip to the Coachella music festival, sparking backlash from consumers. In late April, Peppermayo issued a public apology acknowledging the delays and promising improvements. However, the brand has once again come under scrutiny after sending influencers on another lavish trip—this time to Texas—just days after their apology.
One of the influencers on the trip, 21-year-old Sophia Begg, revealed her last-minute travel to Austin in a TikTok video. “Not me saying I wasn’t travelling and settling down for a bit and now I’m flying to Texas and I found out like 30 hours ago,” she shared. Begg appeared to have flown first class and later met with other influencers, including British reality star Lucinda Strafford.
This move has infuriated many customers who suspect that Peppermayo covered the costs of the trip for Begg and Strafford. The trip comes on the heels of another brand-sponsored event to the Miami Grand Prix, which followed the Coachella campaign.
Customers, already disillusioned with the company’s performance, have flooded Peppermayo’s social media channels with comments using the hashtag “#whereismyorderpeppermayo.” One frustrated user wrote, “Paying influencers to travel over prioritising refunds/orders for loyal customers.” Another added, “When they thought sending two influencers away on a brand trip, using their resources was a good idea, instead of hiring more people to fix the thousands of the complaints they r getting about orders.”
Some commenters called out influencers for continuing to work with the brand despite the wave of complaints. “It’s a shame seeing influencers associate themselves with this brand. If they look at every post the comments are filled with customer complaints,” one user wrote. Another shared a personal struggle: “Just keep ignoring people and sending influencers places!! Literally a college student with no money to spare and cannot get ahold of anyone to help.”
Others pleaded with the brand for updates on their long-standing orders. One customer asked, “Can you guys respond to my email about the order I placed in February?” Another wrote, “Can you please ship the second half of my order I’ve been waiting 3 months.”
Another user highlighted an issue from as far back as November during the Black Friday sales. She wrote, “Can you please explain to me why your customer care is telling me that they are out of stock and is waiting to be restocked but on your website it is readily available to purchase?”
Due to the lack of resolution, some customers have taken their grievances to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
In response to complaints on social media, Peppermayo has replied to some customers with a suggestion to “send us a DM and our team will look into your order,” often followed by emojis such as a heart or kiss face—responses that many have criticized as flippant and unprofessional.
In April, co-founders Georgia Wright and Huayi Huang posted an apology on Instagram. “We understand that seeing our recent Coachella event may have been upsetting during this period. Please know these campaigns were planned months in advance,” the post read.
The company acknowledged the delays and a lack of transparency, attributing the issues to unnamed “external macroeconomic factors” and “major technological and integration challenges.” They assured customers that the backlog was being addressed and that their supply chain issues had been stabilized.
The founders also admitted there was a shortage of customer service staff, though they claimed to have since hired more personnel. “As a small way of making it right,” the statement continued, “we are offering free express shipping for a month from May 5 to the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.”
Despite the apology and promises of improvement, many customers remain frustrated and skeptical. The brand has not released any further detailed plans for addressing the complaints, nor has it provided clear timelines for order fulfillment.
Founded in Adelaide, Peppermayo markets itself as a “Sydney based fashion biz with a diverse, trendy, female customer base.” The company boasts a large social media presence, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram and over 327,000 followers on TikTok.
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