IN the real world, what you see is usually what you get.

But that's not always the case with online shopping.

Online clothing retailer Shoplah.com made more than $300,000 this year with the help of a strategy called viral online marketing.

Those who display the retailer's advertising banner on their websites and link to Shoplah.com get their delivery charges waived.

More than 200 people have taken up this offer.

But now some buyers are saying that what they received is not quite what was shown on the Shoplah site.

The retailer, a Singaporean company set up last year, says its online terms and conditions make it clear that the clothes will only be similar to what is shown on its website.

COMPLAINTS

A blog search turned up more than 20 personal blogs containing posts - complete with pictures - complaining about Shoplah.

Disgruntled customers have also started discussions on online forums like Flowerpod, VR-Zone and Sengkang.com complaining about the company.

One customer, Miss Felicia Chua, 22, told The New Paper she received a top which was entirely different from what she had ordered online.

Miss Chua, a campaign coordinator, said she was excited that Shoplah carried clothing by Aidma, a popular Korean clothing brand.

She picked a grey 'Aidma' top with floral motifs which cost $26.

Instead, she received a top with a label which read 'Shanghai Xinzhixiou Fashion'.

She said: 'I paid for a pretty off-shoulder top, not something my late grandmother would wear.'

She wrote a complaint e-mail to Shoplah.com telling them she had not received what she paid for.

She was told that if she wanted to exchange her top for something else, she would have to pay an additional $4. 'And I have to pay for postage to send it back - it's ridiculous,' she said.

Others with similar experiences went online with their complaints.

Blogger Cassandra Cheok devoted an entire post to flaming Shoplah. She took photos of the items she received and compared them to the pictures on Shoplah's website.

She wrote that one item she bought was a blouse by Aidma.

'Mine comes with a different label called Korean Erxiu Fashion Industries.'

She paid about $24, which is what an Aidma top would cost.

When contacted, a spokesman for Shoplah said the company imports all its products from various parts of China, including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

He said the site receives less than 10 customer complaints every month.

On the discrepancy between the online pictures and actual merchandise, the spokesman said there would always be customers who are unhappy because 'different customers have different expectations'.

'The pictures on our website are very nicely taken and there are bound to be slight differences on the actual items - for example, the item colour may look brighter in the picture than in real life due to strong lighting.'

But asked why the items' designs and brandnames did not tally, the spokesman would only say: 'As stated in our terms and conditions... all items will be 80 to 90 per cent similar to the pictures.'

Other online sales platforms like eBay and Yahoo Auctions rely heavily on their user communities.

Each user has a feedback profile, which includes basic information about the member and comments their trading partners have left for them.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

The sites also rely on users to report items which infringe usage policies, such as counterfeit goods.

Such reviews can be influential.

One blogger, Evolna, decided against buying from Shoplah after she read reviews by shoppers who had negative experiences.

She wrote: 'I almost bought clothes from them, until I saw a girl writing about Shoplah in her blog.'

But Shoplah remains upbeat.

Said its spokesman: 'If our products do not meet some customers' expectations, we are sorry.

'There are still many other customers who are happy with our products, who return several times each month.'