Socialite Lucy Wambui of ‘Phoina Beauty’ Fails to Pay for Bikinis Ordered From Small Business Owner and Returns Them Dirty
A local business owner has reported a disheartening experience with influencer Phoina Wambui.
She accuses her of demeaning a small business by breach of agreement and non-payment for goods delivered.
The business owner, who wished to remain anonymous, provided receipts and screenshots documenting the transactions and communications with the influencer.
The dispute began when the business owner engaged Phoina for a marketing collaboration worth Ksh 10,000.
Payment was made in full and Phoina created some videos but failed to make a collaborative post, as she usually does.
This led to only a few inquiries about the business.
The situation escalated when Phoina proceeded to order several bikinis and gave the business owner hope for a bulk order.
To make matters worse, Phoina delayed returning the items for weeks despite the business’s 24-hour return policy.
When she finally responded, she had worn three bikinis and intended to return the others.
The business owner, forced to communicate through Phoina’s nanny, was left with a bill totaling Ksh 19,100.
Despite numerous reminders, the owner received only Ksh 9,500.
The remaining items were returned three weeks later and some were clearly worn and altered by a tailor.
The business owner continued to plead for payment and after three weeks, Phoina’s nanny contacted her to pick up the items which she described as a deeply humiliating experience.
“Hello Nyakundi. I want to shame Lucy Wambui, most known as Phoina in media circles, for demeaning our business and refusing to pay for goods delivered.
I have all the receipts and screenshots from when she contacted us until now.
Marketing is essential for any business, including mine, and collaborating with influencers is a popular strategy. I engaged with Phoina Wambui for this purpose, choosing a 10k package and promptly paying the full amount. While she created some videos, she didn’t make a collaborative post as she usually does, resulting in only a few inquiries. Later, she ordered a large number of bikinis, making me hopeful for a bulk order. However, despite our 24-hour return policy and my repeated reminders, she delayed returning the items.
When she finally responded, she had worn three bikinis and planned to return the others, which she hadn’t used. This situation was distressing as I had to communicate through her nanny, with her bill totaling 19,100. Despite my continuous efforts to get a response, I only received 9,500. This experience was extremely degrading and disappointing, as I had put significant effort into building my brand. My business has policies to maintain, and it was disheartening to be treated this way.
Three weeks later, I was still pleading for payment. Her nanny called and told me to pick up the items, which felt deeply humiliating. This situation forced me to make a tough decision that went against my business policy, but I wanted to move past this exhausting ordeal. I believe in karma, but I needed to express my frustration and disappointment. We work hard to make our parents proud, and facing such disrespect is hurtful. She returned the rest of the bikinis after 3 weeks and some are clearly worn and adjusted by a tailor.”
