You think you know what you’re buying on those mega-fast fashion sites. A cute top? A questionable throw pillow? Nah. One Spanish shopper’s late-night click just blew the lid off a dark corner of online retail, and now everyone is asking: WTF is SHEIN selling?
The Gist: Girl Orders Bat Figurine, Gets A Corpse In A Box
It all started, as many questionable life decisions do, with an impulse buy. Claudia (who posts on social media as @pinkiepollas) wanted some “dark” desk décor. Scrolling through the endless abyss of SHEIN’s third-party marketplace, she snagged what she thought was a “realistic replica” bat figurine, listed as a simple “decorative anatomical model.”
Plot twist? When the package arrived, the “replica” wasn’t plastic, plaster, or anything remotely fake. It was a genuine, actual, dead bat, fully preserved via taxidermy, and encased in resin.
“I ordered a bat thinking it was going to be a realistic model or something and it’s a f***ing real bat! What is this?” she wrote in a viral post that has the internet collectively gagging.
It Gets Weirder (And Way Creepier)
Turns out, the bat wasn’t a one-off error. Claudia had also ordered a yellow butterfly and a ladybug, which also turned out to be real insects, flawlessly preserved in clear resin—like a miniature, morbid museum display.
The description was the only thing standing between an innocent purchase and a possible animal cruelty scandal. These items were sold without a single clear warning that they were actual deceased animals, sparking a massive red flag for animal rights and legal experts.
The Real Scare: This Is A Thing
While Claudia’s experience is total nightmare fuel, she’s not alone. Other users have shared screenshots showing the platform listing preserved seahorses, tarantulas, and other insects. Yes, you can accidentally buy a dead tarantula as easily as a pair of bike shorts.
This isn’t just gross—it’s potentially illegal. In many places (like Spain and Mexico), the sale of taxidermy is highly regulated, especially if the animals are protected species. You need permits, paperwork, and verifiable proof of ethical sourcing. Slapping it on an international e-commerce platform and calling it a “model” is a massive legal and ethical gray area.
The taxidermy technique itself has been around forever, used in museums and science. But the fact that a real, dead animal can land on your doorstep via a few clicks and a fast-shipping system? That’s the truly disturbing part.
This twisted shopping experience isn’t just a funny anecdote; it’s proof that global platforms are expanding their inventory without a thought for ethics or the law. You can buy PJs, home goods, and… well, a real, dead bat. Is the cheap price worth the moral headache? You decide.
This story was originally published by Nayely Aguilera in Cultura Colectiva.
