A student from the University of Bristol made a startling discovery while unboxing her latest Shein delivery. Sofia Alonso-Mossinger had ordered a pair of boots from the online retailer, but was shocked to find something unexpected inside the translucent zip-locked package. Initially mistaking the object for a toy, she quickly realised it was moving.
“I thought it was a toy—and then it moved”, said Sofia, describing the moment she saw the live scorpion.
With the help of her flatmates, the venomous scorpion was safely contained in a tub before being collected by an expert. Sofia shared her disbelief in an interview with the BBC, saying, “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.”
One of her flatmates, Phoebe Hunt, admitted that the group initially considered killing the scorpion, but ultimately decided “that wasn’t the most humane thing”. Fortunately, their housemate Oliver James, who studies zoology, was able to carefully transfer the scorpion into a plastic container using kitchen tongs.
A shocking video captured the insect scurrying around the container, its claws and tail poised to strike.
The students contacted the RSPCA for assistance but were directed to the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW). Within a couple of hours, the scorpion was collected by a representative from the charity. Chris Newman of NCRW told media outlets that these kinds of incidents are becoming increasingly common.
“This is the second one we have had in under a month that has come in this way”, Newman revealed. He explained that while all scorpions are venomous, the species found—Olivierus martensii, or the Chinese Scorpion—has a “medically significant… potentially life-threatening” sting. However, he reassured that most adults would recover from an encounter without serious harm.
A Shein representative stated: “SHEIN is committed to providing our customers with quality products and services. We have a set of strict product quality inspection standards and procedures. Our suppliers are required to comply with these standards and SHEIN aims to ensure that our products and packaging meet high standards of cleanliness and sanitisation. We work closely with reputable last-mile delivery partners so that our customers are able to receive their purchases in good condition.”
“After receiving the feedback, we 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. We are currently in contact with the affected customer to resolve this issue.”
Reflecting on the incident, Sofia now considers it a “funny story”, but admits, “It was pretty scary at the time”.
Debolina Gayen | Contributor