An Israeli woman who ordered from Alo Yoga received plastic, torn cardboard and hateful messages. The customer, who bought items from the Los Angeles-based international website aloyoga.com, opened the package and said she found trash and a blunt anti-Israel message instead of the items she had paid for.
The message to the customer was handwritten on the printed order summary: “Free Palestine,” “Hamas will win” in large block letters, alongside the inverted red triangle symbol used to mark IDF soldiers as targets, followed by the hateful chant: “Death, death to the IDF.”
'The package felt too airy'
“I bought headbands from aloyoga.com for 213 shekels, including shipping to Israel," the customer told ynet. "Two weeks later, I received a notice that the package had arrived. I picked it up and it felt too airy, but I thought it was a lightweight order anyway. I opened it, and there was nothing I had ordered. Instead, there was only garbage inside — torn cardboard and clear bags used to wrap clothes. I looked more carefully, thinking maybe it was hidden at the bottom, since these were thin headbands — but there was nothing. Then I reached the sheet lying at the bottom of the package and saw the hateful messages. I was in shock. This is really something against our country — a familiar situation, but when it reaches you like this, it is very difficult. They simply saw an address in Israel and that was enough for them.”
Could someone in international mail have opened the package en route, stolen the products and written the hateful message?
“I thought about that too. But the bag was sealed — the shipment arrived intact, and I opened the folds myself, so it would appear that this had to have happened at the company itself. All the junk inside — the cardboard, the bags — was also all from Alo Yoga.”
After she contacted customer service through the chat and uploaded a photo of the package, the chat blocked her. “I don’t know whether it was because the photo was not recognized by the AI or for another reason. I contacted them by email and still haven’t received a response — this happened in the morning, and for them it was the middle of the night.”
Alo Yoga is an international fashion brand specializing in yoga apparel and activewear. Founded in California, it is highly popular worldwide and in Israel in particular. Israeli shoppers also order from its overseas site because of price differences. The site is currently offering a 30% discount. Alo’s Israeli franchisee is Story, owned by Uri Reiss, Gidi Federman and Green Lantern Fund, and it has no connection to the incident.
The Israeli franchisee said in response: “We are very sorry about the incident. The matter has been referred for review by the global headquarters, which manages the brand’s international website in Los Angeles. Due to the time difference, no response has yet been received.”