Do you ever get the urge to invite people over to shop your closet or wish you could shop a fashionable friend’s closet? Welcome to Poshmark…
Poshmark is a social marketplace where women’s clothing, shoes and accessories are sold and bought by individual sellers. It’s like the love child of a clothing swap meet and Instagram. There is a website for Poshmark but most of the real action, including listing new items and loading photos is done via mobile device. Currently Poshmark only has an app for ios (apple) but promises an android version is in development. I downloaded the app when it was brand spanking new and wasn’t that excited about it initially. I revisited Poshmark recently in my effort to sell my heels and was amazed at how it’s grown. I loaded my first listing ~ 9 days ago but read a ton of forum threads and blogs to familiarize myself with community etiquette and things to watch out for. I’m ready to share my initial take on the good, the bad and the fugly of Poshing.
Good
The Poshmark app is supa easy to use. I used to sell items on ebay and found I can list an item on Poshmark ten times faster. Pics are snapped and loaded with your phone or ipad. You write a title and description. You then select the brand, category and size. There’s a field for retail value, price and whether or not your item is new with tags (a great selling point as the buyers don’t need to worry about the condition).
Each item has a ‘cover shot’. This is the pic that will show in your follower’s feeds or in posh parties (more on that later). It can include additional items if you’d like to help potential buyers visualize how your piece will look in an outfit. You can apply filters on your cover shot to make it more appealing as poshers scroll through their feeds. I love that Poshmark has this feature, which distinguishes this app from other marketplaces. It makes browsing much more fun and encourages interaction amongst the members. A good cover shot can also increase the possibility others will share or like your listing improving your chances for a sale. Posh also allows three other photos that are unfiltered and should be focused on providing your buyers with enough detail to see the color, condition, brand labels and any other relavant information. As a buyer, read the description carefully because some of the items in the cover shot are for styling purposes only and aren’t for sale.
When your item sells, Poshmark emails a prepaid priority mail shipping label. Having a completed prepaid shipping label ready to print eases the selling process even more. The buyer pays the initial shipping charge up to two pounds ($4.99 for orders >$25, $6.99 on all other orders). The seller pays any additional shipping charges. You can request a higher pound label via the app.
Poshmark has a huge community and certain labels are available in abundance including Michael Kors, Coach, Seven For All Mankind, Kate Spade and Juicy Couture.
It is easy to modify or delete a listing. There is no time minimum or maximum a listing remains up and changing the price or deleting a listing takes seconds.
Many sellers will bundle for a discount. If you see two or more items you’d like to purchase from a seller, just inquire in the item’s comment section. Once the negotiation is done, the seller will add the additional items to one listing, edit the agreed upon price and bam, you can purchase in one transaction.
You don’t need a paypal account to purchase or sell. You input your credit card info in the app to buy. Sellers can redeem sales in purchases, via direct deposit or check draft. Poshmark doesn’t release the buyer’s funds to the seller until the item has been received. If the buyer doesn’t mark the item received with no issues by three days (each shipment is tracked by Poshmark using the USPS routing number), then the funds will automatically be released to the seller.
Negotiation on price is expected, quick and easy. Most items are listed to negotiate although sellers may indicate in the description if a price is firm on a specific item. Once an agreed upon price is reached in the comments, the seller will edit the price in the listing and the buyer can proceed with the purchase. Many sellers are actively checking their newsfeed and do respond fairly quickly (within a day).
Bad
Although it’s fast to list an item, it can take some effort to get that item to sell. The idea is you want as much people as possible to see your listing. Unlike ebay where you list and forget about it until an inquiry or a sold notice shows up in your inbox, poshing is social. You follow others’ closets and they follow yours. Sharing is caring…you share an item you like in someone’s closet and they’ll likely return the favor. Sharing is important because it exposes your listing to other poshers that may not be following you or searching for your particular item. Each day there are also several themed posh parties. There is a time limit in which you can share your closet items in the party but again by making this effort, it increases your likelihood to get a sale, encourages others to browse your closet, to share your item with their followers or to follow you. I included this in the bad section for those who just want a platform they can list and forget but I see the opportunity to work harder to get an item to sell as a plus also.
There are a ton of cheapskate low-ballers on Posh who have no shame. For every new with tags Marc Jacobs bag at 50% off of retail, there will be a low-baller out there who will comment, $20? No joke. There are also sellers who expect to “make back their money + the 20% commission for Poshmark”. As there are no returns allowed unless a listing was inaccurate, there is a bit of a buyer risk that an item won’t fit or won’t like it as much in person as they thought they would. To counteract that risk, the price needs to be a deal. Also, the minute you buy something at retail, it depreciates in terms of market value, even if it just sat in your closet. The one exception would be a luxury item that is hard to find and currently sought after. The idea someone could buy a piece during sale or on a flash site at 30% off a year ago and then expect a buyer to pay the same price they did, sight unseen, blows my mind. Most people won’t even pay 70% of retail in a consignment store where they can examine the item fully before buying. Consignment prices usually start at 50% of retail and go down from there depending on condition and brand. That said, don’t let a high listing price discourage you as many sellers will put some cushion in their prices for negotiation or may reduce if the item doesn’t sell after a few months. However, don’t be surprised or embarrassed when you encounter a seller who thinks you should pay over 50% for a used item or the full retail price (because that’s what they paid for it). Give a fair offer and if your offer is rejected, move on with your head held high. I would advise to not offer a price that’s much lower than what the seller is asking for however. Only negotiate if your desired price is within a reasonable range of their listed price. The seller may be willing to keep that listing up until the right person comes along who just has to have it and will pay a higher price so they will not appreciate a 50% offer. As some sellers may have unrealistic expectations of what the market value is for their item, do your homework. Google the item and see what it’s selling for now. Be aware or ask the dimensions of the item (some brands like Kate Spade will offer the same style in different sizes at different prices). Search for the same style online at the brand’s site or via a reputable retailer. Many of the Michael Kors styles can be found brand new but marked down during end of season in different colors for the same price, less or slightly more than a posher’s hopeful inflated price. You may discover something on Posh but decide you’d rather pay a retailer $10 more for a brand new one or for the option to return if you don’t like it. Search on poshmark to see if any other sellers are listing the same item for less.
People negotiate before they are ready to buy. Don’t get me wrong, I love interaction but no seller wants to engage in a negotiation only to eventually hear “can you hold it for me until Friday, I’m waiting to get paid”. Or worse, you accept a lower offer or counteroffer and the other posher doesn’t even return. Posh does not allow you to delete the comments for your item so if you negotiate with someone and it doesn’t end in a buy, you’ve now automatically marked down your item for any potential buyers as well. Want to quickly know how low a seller is willing to go? Make sure to read the comments on each item you’re interested in before leaving an offer as it can already give you insight into what the seller’s tipping point is. Speaking of holds, a seller can choose to reserve an item for a buyer by editing the price to a crazy high amount and then editing it again when the buyer is ready. I personally don’t accept holds unless I’ve done business with the buyer in the past. I’ve seen many people request a hold and then disappear.
While certain brands are plentiful, other brands are nowhere to be seen. Brands sold by Macy’s, fast fashion and certain luxury brands are plentiful, while other boutique or less distributed brands are almost MIA. For example, I was searching for Superga sneakers and there were almost no listings. Brands that are interesting to me and those into fashion are harder to find on Posh if not common or widely distributed.
FUGLY
I wouldn’t buy a high end bag on Posh because it’s filled with counterfeits and replicas. I am of the humble opinion Poshmark needs to expand and improve its efforts on delisting questionable closets and items. I suspect they have grown at such a quick rate and are possibly catching up on certain backoffice functions. Their policy disallows counterfeits and replicas yet many listings will include in the description the term “inspired” or “replica” or straight out list it dishonestly as authentic. It is my hope Posh will have the resources someday soon to search via programming for questionable listings and have qualified staff to examine these listings and take them down. I’m conservative though about this type of issue given my past experience with Prada. I prefer to buy certain items from authorized retailers or directly from the brand. At the very least, I’d rather see it in person at a consignment store if it’s a brand I’m familiar with enough to spot a fake. I also never purchase replicas or fakes knowingly. I’d rather have a lesser known emerging brand of bag from a style standpoint and also because counterfeiting supports some heinous activities and participates in labor exploitation. Poshmark does provide a way for members to report questionable items and closets, at the very top right there is a box with arrow icon. You can also block a user by using that same icon when viewing their closet.
Speaking of policy enforcement, Poshmark clearly states they do not allow a seller to negotiate with a buyer on Poshmark then transact off the app (i.e. via paypal). Yet there are buyers and sellers openly discussing moving a transaction to paypal in the item comments. Sellers are even listing in their closet header they will do paypal. Why would a seller want to do this? They want to avoid the 20% commission Poshmark charges. I personally feel if you don’t want to pay the 20%, list your item elsewhere. It is the cost of doing business. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a very compliant person. I don’t believe in cheating. All this frequent and flagrant violation of the community rules drives me freakin crazy. As a buyer, be aware you may be able to negotiate a better price for yourself by asking the seller to transact off the app but will also lose the protection Poshmark offers as well as risk pissing off Poshmark if someone reports you or they flag it down. In this area of enforcement, I also suspect Poshmark is experiencing growing pains.
Many members will also ask sellers if they’d like to trade. I love the concept of trading and clothing swaps but again you lose the protection of Poshmark as the app doesn’t currently transact trades so you have little recourse if you send your item and never receive the item that was promised to you. Poshmark also discourages and prohibits trades as it is an offline transaction that offers no protection for its users.
There are other frauds like buyers receiving the item they purchased, wearing it right away to an event and then claiming your item wasn’t new as described for a return. Other variations of this dishonest switch is receiving the item, experiencing I spent my rent money remorse and damaging the item, followed up by a claim to Poshmark it was received with damage not listed in the description. On the seller side, I saw a listing where a blogger sold a dress as brand new and then the buyer allegedly received the dress with food stains and lint all over it. The seller insisted back and forth in a shocked tone that she in no way wore that dress until another member provided a link to her blog showing her wearing the dress ( and not in a look what I just bought modeling way but in the midst of a party or other event).
If you are currently in the throes of a shopping addiction or can’t resist something on sale or marked down, step away from your phone. Poshmark will be dangerous territory for you.
Wrapping it up
So, that’s it, my take on Poshmark. I hope I didn’t scare you away! Because I’d really like you to visit my closet (especially if you like heels and are a size 5.5/6)! Here’s a few other tips for new poshers:
Like an item if you’re thinking of buying. If you’re not interested in buying or it’s not your size but you think it’s cute, share it instead. If you like every item you think is cute, you’ll be bombarded with sellers commenting to you “interested?” or “make me an offer”. Sharing gives a shout-out to the seller and gives your followers some eye candy while liking tells the seller I like it enough to mull it over for awhile.
In your ‘feed’ area, you can click on the top to view your likes, view listings of closets you are following or search. The search function isn’t robust so if you’re looking for an army jacket you should do several searches (army, military and cargo). The function isn’t as smart as google and cannot relate a search for military to similar search terms.
In your profile, setup your size information, this will filter your search results.
In your ‘news’ area, there is an all feed or comments feed. Once you begin to be active, you’ll gain new followers quickly and it’s easy to miss a comment in all the ‘now following you’ activity if you don’t filter to the comments screen periodically.
Share your items as much as you can on your app (although I wouldn’t recommend flooding your twitter and facebook with poshmark shares). I’ve listed items for just a little over a week and already sold a pair of wedges, a sunnies and a wallet. I shared each of these items to as many posh parties where my items were a good fit for the theme.
This app sucks up battery power. So you may want to turn off your notifications and not check it too much during the day if you don’t have any way to charge your battery. If an item does sell, you’ll receive an email. However, if someone mentions you in a comment or leaves a comment on our item, you’ll need to check in to the app or site if your phone notifications are off. If you’re actively trying to sell, you want to respond to all inquiries timely. If a buyer is ready to buy after an acceptable price reduction, you may want to strike while they are still on the app.
For a potential buyer to see a comment you’ve left for them on a listing, you need to type @ followed by their handle. If you are leaving a comment on a seller’s listing, your comment will show up in their news regardless, it’s not necessary to type out their handle.
I hope to see you on Posh (I’m Mauishopgirl, natch) and if you have any questions or need any help with the app, feel free to ask below.
{ 150 comments… read them below or add one }
Whew! What a very thorough review, Tania! Now I finally know what the fuss is about ;). Though I’m like you and weary of buying items sight unseen, especially with all the bad sellers out there. I hope you have met great buyers for your items!!
I have to say I’ve bought more things than I’ve sold but I’ve gotten some good deals on a few boyfriend jeans, an iPhone wallet that fits my phone plus money/cards (perfect my trip for a small bag I’ll use when traveling) and jewelry.
Kind of shocked everything has fit and worked out but I’m very research oriented anyway and all that past shopping experience comes in handy of being able to spot what will likely work! But yeah I don’t think I’d ever spend $1K+ on say a handbag from a seller I wasn’t familiar with. I have sold five things so far which is pretty amazing. I never got close to selling that much on ebay ever.
Great review. I don’t have an i-anything so can’t sell anything but I buy a lot. What I find it amazing for are items that might be another season that you missed – i.e. discovered the Gap loafers too late, and now own every pair at a fraction of the price. What amazes me are people asking if a 10 LV bag is “real” they obviously don’t know what “inspired” means! I’ve raised that with PM and I think they expanded too quickly and there aren’t enough watch-dogs to monitor all the fake items. Again, great piece.
I’m a late bloomer with the Gap loafers too, lol. They are really great, my camo pair is one of my favorites. I love that PM doesn’t have strict restrictions on approved brands and the age of the item. Even though it results in a lot of really cheaply made stuff being listed, it also opens the door for some fantastic finds! Some of my favorite poshfinds have been vintage pieces, samples and lesser known brands that wouldn’t meet the requirements on other sites. I’ve also discovered lines and items like your loafers that I’ve missed when they were current and are totally “me” and my style.
The inspired items drive me crazy. Most of them aren’t merely inspired but straight out counterfeits. PM did get a ton of investor funding so I’m curious to see what types of changes we’ll see in enforcement going forward. There is so much ways they could automate searching the data to pull out questionable items.
Wow, Tania, that was very detailed. I didn’t think I would be interested in this app at all, but I can see it has its usefulness. You make it sound very worthwhile.
I have sold on Ebay now and then, but rarely clothing, although I have sold a few JamsWorld items and vintage Aloha shirts, and I do find it tedious to do the listing, and uploading. So this may be a real gem if I can do it quick and easy.
Super long post! I usually try to keep posts under a certain maximum. I’ve sold more than I’ve ever sold in one month on Ebay. Only thing is it’s supposed to be women’s clothes and accessories only. I’m sure the concept may pop up for other items eventually too.
In the marketplace, do you think this is the fastest growing closet site? I know that it’s not as beautiful as Vaunte or other sites BUT I really find what I”m looking for on PM. As I said earlier I’m always behind the trends. Now I’m obsessed with bailey button short real uggs, mainly due to I have a dog now. I don’t care that they are a bit used because I hate new looking things that scream they are new. You really can compare and bargain which I love. I find it a bit of an addiction, the thrill of the hunt. And being pissed off, how did I miss a 30 dollar priced STubbs and Wooten shoes?!
I have no idea but I’d love to see numbers. There are so many of these apps now, it would be interesting to see which ones will last. PM did get a bunch of investment money so I’m imagining their stats must be good. I often find what I’m looking for on PM too, even items from seasons ago. One of the things I love is that there is no season or brand restriction. This leaves the door open for vintage, handmade and indie brands. I’ve even bought jackets I coveted five years ago and kicked myself for not getting and poof, there it is on posh, almost new as it just sat in someone’s closet. My Juicy bubble hoodie is my favorite but its a super small size and it’s getting old. I really wanted a replacement but it’s not in style anymore. Just kept searching for Mike and Chris/Juicy bubble hoodies and finally found a M&C, in like new condition for $50 in a L.
I’m always behind the trends too lol but I put my own spin on things anyway plus I’m on Maui, not exactly the fashion capitol.
Great review! Here’s my take after a few months. I’ve sold many things over the years on ebay and through consignment. So far, in spite of cultivating followers and regularly posting a number of listings on Posh parties, liking others items, sharing, etc. I m not impressed with the sales. For me, it’s been a lot of work with dismal results compared to what I do with ebay or local consignment (profiting more at times than what I’m asking on posh). The concept is great, however it seems that most are more interested in liking and sharing items to promote their own closet than they are buying. I’m going to give it a few more months, but at this point I am unimpressed with the actual results.
I’ve had better results in my one month on Posh than I’ve had elsewhere in the past but it’s taken so much of my time! If I had put that much time into my ebay I may have had the same results but it would’ve been up front instead of ongoing. Posh is easy to load a listing but you definitely have to keep re-sharing in the hopes the right buyer will see it. I love that you can just print the label out, that’s so much easier for me than what I used to go through with ebay but it does suck to pay for an extra pound when it’s just a little over. I’ve also bought more than I intended. I’m never swayed by bags that seem to be popular now (Coach/Kors, etc) but show me a vintage made in the USA clutch or old piece of fabulous costume jewelry and I’m salivating. So I like Posh so far but it’s putting me in the buy/sell and looking at stuff mode everyday and that is so far away from where I’m trying to steer my life too. I’m supposed to be letting go and spending more time writing and taking care of myself. So, we’ll see. At some point I may pack up some things and take it for consignment in Paia. I may make a little less but I’d surely spend less too and the the things would be out of my home immediately freeing up space, which was kind of the point.
So, what consignment stores do you like on Maui? I used to go to Bohemia before they closed (I got burned but not too badly by both the original and the last owner as I had some items there). I really like Biasa Rose (although I tend to look at her new boutique more than the Rose’s consignment in the back).
Thanks for reading!
I think poshmark is a bad app. I was sold a LV for 1600 when I received the bag it wasn’t even a good knock off is what my SA told me at LV! After taking 3 long weeks of wondering if I was going to get my money back It was finally returned! Iv also purchased clothing with holes, with cigarette burns and all sorts of other “stains” my opinion would be go to a flea marker or goodwill. No one polices the items on poshmark and it’s disgusting to see ppl being taken advantage of.
I’m so so sincerely bummed for you. Glad you got your money back but yes, three weeks is much too long. I sense Posh is overwhelmed but they did receive some substantial investor funding and I hope they’re using it to take care of some of these issues. I am of the mindset that one should never buy a resale luxury bag or other expensive item online, ever, from any source. There are too many counterfeits and shady sellers. Some could even be using pictures that are not the actual item they will send so I don’t even believe in authenticating by looking at the images. There are also sellers who don’t realize that bag they bought from someone else is not authentic, they just don’t know better and will try to resell as authentic. I also have seen counterfeits at department store outlet stores and discount warehouses so I’d be wary there too unless you’re so familiar with the brand and feel comfortable you can authenticate yourself. I believe department stores are sourcing from other places other than their own brick and mortar for outlet sales and that’s how the counterfeits end up there as well. I used to work at Prada and although the nylon make look like the real thing, the hardware, strap and stitching gave it away and I saw these in an outlet for a huge nationwide retailer that sells authentic goods in their own stores. I generally only buy my good bags from the brand itself or from Neiman/Nordstrom/Saks (not the outlet but the regular store) or from real life friends who I know do the same.I’m not sure how ebay is now but I did buy a counterfeit dress when I first started buying online and they did nothing for me. Ebay/Paypal only cared about fulfillment (item was delivered) and could give a rat’s ass that the piece was counterfeit and wasn’t the item pictured. I eventually got back my money by sending the seller a threatening email and a draft of a complaint I was going to file with Customs (seller listed in NY but item came from Hong Kong).
I think Posh needs to be stricter than just taking down a listing. If a seller is obviously completely disregarding their terms or pulling crap like that, their account should be removed. The thing about Posh too is there are no restrictions on age or condition. In some ways I like that because I like vintage items and I have no problem buying an old style that I’ve always liked if the buyer didn’t wear it more than once or twice but at the same time it opens the door to stuff in crappy condition and not everyone is honest in their disclosures about that condition. I did buy a jacket for cheap that ran so small (listed as a ten but fit like a four) and felt so used to me, I just ended up getting rid of it. I’d say buyer beware on any online resale buying, not just Posh, which is why I don’t understand why some poshers think they can charge what they paid retail for. There is a risk to the buyer and that affects the price one is willing to pay I think.
So, did you complain on the damaged clothing too? I’d be curious how Posh handled that for you. I try to ask if an item is smoke free and if there’s any damage so I can file a claim if it arrives otherwise but I haven’t had to do that yet so I’m not sure if the assertions in the comment section will hold up. I’ve had pretty good luck so far on my purchases. The one I’d also caution about is the “boutique” types that are buying wholesale and offer a variety of sizes. If their source is sourcing from Hong Kong, the cut will be very small. Even a large can be hard to fit if you have any curves. They’ll say it fits like a junior but I’d say it’s not comparable as I used to travel to Hong Kong quite a bit and couldn’t fit in many Hong Kong/Japan brands even when I was in good shape (5’1″ petite, size 2 at that time!). I’ve got a butt and a chest and it just wouldn’t work. For the ones sourcing from the US I’d say I can find similar items locally from boutiques or pop-up sellers on island for less and I can be sure it fits. I see many pieces on Posh that I see from local sellers too.
For selling, I don’t sell anything that would really hurt if it got damaged or if the buyer did something to it because they wanted to return it. I’d fight it for sure if that happened but don’t want to lose any sleep over it.
Thank you so much for the info, I have about 30 items and was getting ready to start selling on eBay and the heard about Poshmark and now doing as much research as possible! Any other suggestions or hints to help would be a blessing. You have great integrity and your honesty is refreshing. I agree with everything you said!! I will definitely check your closet out!!!
Aloha Belinda! There is a great Tumblr called poshmarktips that you may also find really helpful. Also, Poshmark’s Tumblr is chock full of good info. I’ll be writing more posts in the future as well.
I think for buying authentic bags it’s not a good choice. Just feel awful when I hear stories like yours. If you want to spend money on real items I’d go to The Real Real or 1st Dibs . In fact they are a good reference if you ever see an item and wonder what the value is. The fact that PM is just so badly policed makes it like the Wild West, and you have no protection if you buy through Pay Pal and not PM>
I’d also highly recommend http://www.malleries.com/ and http://www.portero.com/ to buy totally authentic items.
Thanks!
Although I didn’t read your entire post, I’m glad you put it out there for people to read. Most of my experiences has been negative with Poshmark as a seller and a buyer. My most recent experience was so negative I’ve completely shut my site down. There are so many dishonest people on poshmark, I must have ran into every single one of them!
I’m so sorry to hear that Darian. I’m always a little nervous before I buy from someone that doesn’t have any sales history yet. I usually spend a ton of time reading the comments in their sales items before I proceed and also read their interactions on unsold items. I got taken once on ebay years ago and since then I do a ton of research before I make any online purchase, even amazon shops. Yes, Amazon has great policies if you did get screwed by why even have to go through that aggravation. I think there is dishonesty amongst all individual selling platforms, online and IRL, it’s not unique to Posh. I do wonder though if people comment when they’ve had a bad experience or if many just tend to stay silent? So, if there are no comments on sold items and I get a funny feeling I also walk away. I could also think someone was ok but if no one commented on a negative experience on their item, I wouldn’t know for sure. The biggest thing missing from Posh is an ability to give feedback on both buyers and sellers. Of course the system should also provide an opportunity to respond to the feedback. As I said in the comment to Christina I think the enforcement is also lacking but I can’t say whether it’s growing pains or a lack of concern.
You are so correct!
How do you email someone on Poshmark? I am new and trying to learn, I am selling on eBay but their fees are killing me. I paid $5.00 fee the other day and didn’t sell a thing. It was a listing fee. I am thinking of switching over to poshmark. I tried it once but it seems to be a a young crowd. But, I am thinking of trying it again. I used poshmark about a year ago and only for a week.
Hi Pat! You can only communicate with other poshers by writing a comment on one of their listings. Comments are public and cannot be removed unless the listing is deleted. Listings that have sold cannot be deleted.
It’s 20% on Posh but you don’t get charged until you sell the item. I found ebay to be a lot of work and not as much fun. Posh is kind of like social media too. I think there’s older folks. I’m 45 and have met a lot of poshers in their 40s too. There are quite a few spring chickens for sure. I find when I search for certain items, brands and sizes, that’s when I run across a lot of people that have more in common with me.
I find Etsy a wonderful community also and have remained “friends” with people I’ve sold things or bought things from.
I love communicating directly with the artist or artisan I’m buying from. That is one of my favorite things about etsy.
Ok I have an issue I have been trying to resolve. My Roommates opened accounts after I told them about it and Poshmark thinks its me! So I’m being suspended. I make money on this site to help my husband and I feed and clothe our son! How can I get them to “Talk” to me bc I get the same auto response each time. Getting worried bc school is getting closer! I can Sell, but not Relit new items and I cannot buy. Please help me with this. I have never had a problem with anyone and have a wonderful feedback page. Any other ideas? Besides the emailing back and forth with auto response answer as no.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that happened. I did hear about the same thing happening to other poshers (eventually got cleared up) and have heard the customer service response is rather slow. Could you email them and include some sort of documentation to show you are all different people. Nothing with confidential info of course but maybe a copy of a bill or other mail from each of you? They can see the different names at the same address that way. I’m not really sure how they verify the different identities but perhaps already including some documentation could save some time.
I understand they’re doing it to prevent fraud and all of that but living together is not a rare thing. Mothers, daughters, sisters, roomies, tenants or hey, even lovers! They should have something in their setup procedures to inquire whether there is another posher on the same IP address.
I hope it gets resolved soon.
I asked them to close them down, and they have. I have one open under me bc I needed to buy something from a fellow Posher. And Need Yes! Bc I hold true to my word! But that now too is closed. I have emailed well over 5 times with the same response and its a No. Not sure what to do considering I purchased a number of things to sell and helping the Church sell a few nicer items like the “Wilardy” Lucite bags! Is there a phone number I can call them? Or do I need to get a New I Phone and ISP address, along with different CC & Bank Account?
I’m so sorry but I really don’t know. Fortunately I haven’t had to deal with customer service yet. I can’t remember who the other posher was this happened too but her sister lived with her. She eventually got it resolved but it took awhile.
Thank you anyways, hopefully that gal who encountered a similar issue will read this and give me some advice. ThreadFlip is and has been great so far to buy and sell on! Also VERY strict on Any Fakes being listed! Very Classy Site that’s free❤
Im a first timer on poshmark, I bought a backpack my daughter wanted and was really excited about. I got it last night and it wasn’t really as we thought, and she doesn’t really like it as much in person (looks wise). So I was thinking about reselling it on poshmark so we don’t waist our money but, I cant figure out how to add the backpack in my closet on my page.
Do you have an iPhone or iPad? It’s the only way you can add a listing currently. If you merely signed up online, there is no way to sell without an IOS (apple) device). They are working on a android app but it’s not out yet as far as I’m aware. If you are on an iPhone or iPad and in the app, you click on “sell” (camera icon) and it’s pretty easy to follow along from there but if you need more assistance, just let me know. Here’s a great blog post from Poshmark with screen shots on how to list: http://poshmarkapp.tumblr.com/post/50373783303/creating-your-first-listing-is-as-easy-as-1-2-3
Also, poshmark’s tumblr blog has a great post on how to sell from the marketing standpoint:
http://poshmarkapp.tumblr.com/post/37870937044/learn-to-sell-on-poshmark
Thoroughly enjoyed your blog. So…informative. I am a newby to Posh and cant figure out how to have a Posh Party or how many items I should put in it. Your comments would be appreciated. Many thanks.
Aloha, the posh parties are held by poshmark. Some of the hosts are poshmark employees while other hosts have been invited to co-host by posh and are regular poshers just like you and I. There are three parties a day and only the evening party (or 4 PM in Hawaii) has non-employee hosts. The evening party is 2 hours long and is heavily attended. To be selected by posh as a host, you need to be complying with posh’s rules and catch their attention also. When a party is going on, you go into your closet (or another posher’s closet) and click on share, the next screen will give you the option to share to the current party. Whatever you share to the party will automatically share in your followers’ feeds as well so there is no need to share it twice if you select share to party. It is important to only share items that meet the theme of the party. You can read about the them by clicking on “details” when you join the party. Any “shares” by a host show in the host pick feed of the party which gets a lot of traffic. I hope that helps, please let me know if you need more help!
This is a very well written article, it always surprised me how many girls from Hawaii know about Poshmark. I too have noticed people that not only ask for the full retail price of items but even ask beyond the retail price of an item…very lame. Other than that I have found some gems on poshmark that I would never have found here on Kauai
Hello! Yup, I’ve seen the beyond retail price listings too but I’m too old for trends or what’s in (not too old for fashion but I’m not as trend driven as when I was younger). Even if something is sold out or the “it” whatever, just like the song says, I don’t care… I noticed the overpricing runs rampant with certain brands too like Brandy Melville or any Target collaborations that have sold out so I’m thinking someone must be interested in paying premium but that person is not me. So nice to meet a fellow Hawaii posher (a neighbor island one at that) and plus we have a major thing in common, our name!
People who sell for a living sometimes buy new things and sell them for a little more than the investment to break even on Posh. Please remember that Posh takes 20 percent. I sell on Ebay and for what it’s worth- it’s less haggling on that site as opposed to Posh. High end items cost and should be priced accordingly.
I know all about the 20%, I sell too
I do think a professional seller needs to make a margin and I never lowball anyone. In fact, if someone is priced fairly, I often don’t negotiate just for the sake of trying to get a better deal. But these are non-professionals sellers that I’m referring too that will list an item above retail that’s not a currently sought after piece + 20% come very close to retail. My point was, as a buyer, if a seller is priced too close to retail or over it and I can get the same thing (or a comparable item) online from lastcall, nordis, etc with the privilege of being able to return the item if it doesn’t work for me, I won’t buy from that person on posh. If I can remove the risk of being stuck with an item that doesn’t fit or it being not as described and pay a little more, I won’t take the risk with a resale no return buy. I don’t think the professional sellers are doing that, it’s more the poshers who have shopped too much and are having a hard time letting go of the item or hate taking a loss on after excessive shopping.
There are a ton of shopoholics on posh and the app is completely built around exploiting an excessive shopper’s behavior (in my humble opinion). All the sharing, interacting, etc that is necessary to sell also plays right into a shopaholic’s urge to buy, even if they’re trying not to (takes one to know one, I speak from personal experience). It puts you into a constant “browsing” or “shopping” state, that can be extremely difficult to avoid temptation. Every article on stopping shopping tells you not to spend your free time browsing and here’s an app that indirectly forces you to browse in order to sell your past purchases you maybe shouldn’t have bought in the first place. You mentioned serious buyers in one of your other comments and I think many buys on posh are impulse, not intentional and happen from casual browsing, just looking versus searching for a specific bag/item. So, as a casual seller trying to clean up their closet, having a too good to pass up price will drive those impulse sales.
Now, if you’re a professional seller and you buy deadstock, or find great pieces on extreme discount (NY sellers always have great stuff!) or source deals otherwise and mark up but are still priced at an attractive level (or selling a sought after hot item or collectible no longer or easily available) buyers will be interested and this is what professional sellers do. Nothing wrong with that. Also, if you buy wholesale boutique like items and then mark it up to a price similar to what boutiques would sell for (so at full retail), that’s totally cool too. I can recognize you’re a boutique seller and wouldn’t expect you to be at 50% of what my locally owned boutique at the mall would be pricing at.
But for those like me trying to rid themselves of excessive or inappropriate purchases, marking too far up is not a good way to rid yourself of that item. They can price a NWT DVF dress at full retail or slightly below and I may think oh how pretty but I am not going to buy it. I’d rather buy a new DVF from a brick and mortar’s online site and have the ability to return. Or if you wore a Miu Miu shoes to death and then only mark it down 30%, it’s a big no for me too. A premium denim boyfriend jeans at $200? No thanks, I’ll just wait until another great jean pops up on gilt, hautelook or nordis/nm sale for $120 and buy that. Unless it’s an item I’ve been dying to have, that specific exact item (very rare for me personally but could be apply to the trendier types).
As soon as I set up my Poshmark, I listed an auth chanel mini and someone asked for the serial code. When I posted more pics, a bit blurry but readable, the ad got taken down because they thought I was selling a counterfeit!! It was total BS… I don’t trust them at all now but it’s becoming harder to find sites that list for free with no fees.
Oh no, that’s too bad! Did they eventually let it back after some investigation? I don’t mind paying fees to the marketplace I’m selling on if they are using it to maintain and improve their platform, if it’s worth it in other words.
Nope. But it’s all good because I eventually sold the bag, so oh well, their loss
I just won’t use their site to sell.
Hey!
Do you know how to edit a listing from your closet once it has sold?
I sold an item which is now being returned so I want to make it available again.
You have to create a whole new listing unfortunately.
checking in on your blog! this was a really well written review. the same things frustrate/annoy me about pricing – both high and low. I have ended up being a buyer more than originally intended but havent had any bad experiences buying or selling yet (luckily). i think there is also a difference between the people who do this for recreation and those who function as business – especially the ones who resell the bulk from asian shops like aliexpress. i feel like i could do a whole anthropology thesis about poshmark!!
Thanks for stopping by Lindy! I’m so grateful and excited you read it. I have bad experiences buying, nothing selling yet (although I don’t get as ticked off by “comments” on app as some might. I’ve received numerous stale ciggy smelling items and a bag which was torn in two places yet it was described as like new. But my interactions with all sellers have been quite pleasant regardless.
I completely agree about the thesis. I feel like I could write an entire blog about how Posh is like being part of a tribe with it’s own culture including social etiquette, faux pas and language. Plus the psychology of the discount and how people’s behaviors are motivated even by a small amount of money.
There is a difference between closet cleaning sellers and boutique sellers. I do think less problems arise when a seller is obviously a business. The bad and icky feelings come up when someone thinks they’re buying from a casual seller and then discover that seller made a profit off of them by buying low and charging high. Perception is everything.
also when people are a business, they tend to follow business etiquette and rules – whereas its like the wild west with some sellers. anyways, i saw on the tumblr that youre hosting this week. yay! you should write another post about hosting and how it goes. Hosting and host picks etc would be a very voluminous chapter in the thesis about PM.
Perception is everything, but there are some really out of this world buyers on this site. There is clearly nothing professional about the site. I actually encountered the craziest seller ever on this site and that is saying a lot! People don’t read listings in entirety; try to trade junk and are downright time wasters. For true sellers who do this as a living or in my case fund other purchases should read your post. If I had read this first, I would have never listed a thing on this site.
Yes! There is a lot of unprofessional behavior. I would definitely agree. I’m glad you think my post is helpful. I’m actually a bit fascinated by the sociology of the posh community and how greed and consumerism translates in certain behavior. There are some professional sellers on the site that sell handmade jewelry, are buying wholesale boutique clothes/apparel/accessories to resell and thrifters/estate sales resale but I would have no idea what kind of numbers they’re doing.
I just recently bough item and it arrived as stain, damage not like on photos .My first shopping with pm and I bet it should be the last one also. Never again!
That’s happened to me girl, I hear ya! I hope you filed a claim with PM. I filed a claim recently and was very pleased with how they handled it. At first they offered me a partial credit but I refused as it wasn’t worth repairing so they then investigated and I received a full refund after returning the item. I also ask sellers if something is damaged and stained. It does go without saying that they should say that in the listing description to begin with (or not even sell it) but many times they will admit to something that they failed to put in the description. Of course, not always, you will encounter liars on any virtual marketplace, not just PM.
I just started out on poshmark. I did purchase two items awhile back and was happy with them. Your article is full of good info! I have a question. I noticed some posher’s have “notes” like a listing. I tried it but can’t figure out how to do that. Any help appreicated. Thanks,patriciaf31
Hi Patricia! Thanks for visiting. To write a note on Posh, I use my “notes” on my iPhone. I type up a note and then I take a screen shot of it by holding down that main button under the screen and the power button simultaneously. I then load it like a photo into my listing. When typing the note, keep in mind a note is a rectangle shape whereas the photo load into PM is a square so don’t fill it all the way up as part of it will get cut off when you load.
I’ve purchased a couple items on Poshmark now, & although I’m relatively new to the site, I’m not new to internet buying. I’ve been a buyer & seller on ebay & etsy for 15+ yrs. Over the past 5 years I’ve come to buy about 95% of my clothes, shoes, jewelry, housewares, furniture, musical instruments, heck just about everything! over the internet. I’m a woman who knows what she wants & doesn’t care to waste time & gas driving around to stores & malls anymore. That said I have to say I don’t appreciate the inflexibility in shipping Posh imposes. Seems to me that they are skimming/scamming quite a profit off of shipping ON TOP of their 20% commission. I understand that they want to encourage people to buy more in order to save on shipping, but the fact that I have to pay 6.99 for an item that weighs less than 3oz and actually costs them $1.32 to ship me, means their overcharging me over 500% of what the shipping charges actually are & pocketing the rest. Only if you are buying items that are excessively heavy or large would the charges be correct. And maybe that’s applicable to items like heavy shoes or boots.. but lets be real & take a look around Poshmark.. Almost everything being sold are small clothing or jewelry items weighing under 13 oz. Why not just calculate the shipping by weight like everyone else in the world does business? Oh yeah, cause you’d not pocket all that extra $$$ your buyers are unwittingly paying. No thanks Poshmuck.
Isn’t the internet great?! I don’t think I could’ve moved back to Maui without it
I used to be active on eBay about four years ago but haven’t sold or bought anything since. I did have some bad experiences early on there where they pretty much ignored my claim when I received an inauthentic item. Both eBay and Paypal didn’t care really, as long as the tracking showed the package was delivered my claim was denied without even any investigation on their part through images or examining the item. The automated response I kept getting back pretty much boiled down to you received the item and that’s it. I did get smarter after that but was always wary. I imagine they’ve gotten better though after all the hoopla about the counterfeit issues that were plaguing them. I’d love to hear from you on your experiences now since I haven’t been back for awhile. I adore Etsy, it’s one of my favorite sites! I love handmade and vintage glassware/bags so it’s like a candy shop. I also love their blog on creativity and small business topics, it’s really great.
The shipping doesn’t bother me as much but I think it’s because it’s rare I’m buying anything under $25. My buys have been vintage bags, shoes and bundles. If I like a seller’s closet and I am buying a larger or more expensive piece, that’s usually when I’ll choose to grab a smaller item I’ve been eyeing. Most will often give a discount if you bundle so I’d shop that way anyway even without the higher shipping fee. Living in Hawaii, I also appreciate the flat charge as the priority mail rate can be affected depending on the to/from locations so $5 to $7 doesn’t sound too bad for shipping in the eyes of a Hawaii internet shopper as we often can’t even purchase from some sites because the shipping charges will be crazy (like $50 crazy!). I’d say most of my packages for my sales have been at least 1.5 lbs to 4 lbs (I sold a lot of shoes, outerwear and bundles). I hear what you’re saying though. While I think a specific weight listing would be difficult to implement and I wouldn’t want to have to input the weight in each and every time I created a new listing, perhaps having a 1 lb option that you could select when you list a new item could work? I’m thinking keep the flat 2 lb but give sellers a “small” item option with a lower flat rate if they will only need a 1 lb label and keep the flat rate closer to actual for that small item option. When I list items under the $25, I’m pretty aware of the shipping rate and I consider it when I’m comparing the listing price to the full retail. So, say if I’m listing a NWT top that cost $24, I usually list it at $7 so their final price including shipping isn’t too much over 50% of the retail price, which I think is fair and attractive on a new condition resale piece. I usually consider my under $10 items to be add ons-anyway, to add to a bundle or even offer as a free gift to some buyers. It could be they don’t want to encourage a lot of low dollar listings too although they don’t have any brand restrictions like some of the other resale sites/apps as they do allow fast fashion brands to be listed.
They have had shipping promotions too and sales are always great during that time. September had $0 ship for $50 and up and right now there is a $3 for $30 and up until the end of the month. Thanks for stopping by and giving your input!
Correct! A killing is being made via shipping fees….
I hate it when they take 20% of your earnings. Its a serious 20% cut off. Nobody will buy your item if you put it full price. So we have no choice but to lower it and then, the poshmark will get 20% of it. It’s like you sold an originally priced $200 and you sold it for $100, you will only earn $80. So, sad. Why can’t they just get listing fee and some member ship fee. It is much more better to sell on craigslist or ebay than this.
I don’t list my items at full price anyway because I think most resale buyers are interested in prices similar to a good consignment store. High end and contemporary consignment usually sells items at 50% of full retail at the highest. I’m also trying to free myself of all the excess stuff so I price to move, so rather low, relatively speaking. I used to sell on eBay and I found the process on poshmark to list so much easier but I haven’t sold on eBay in years so don’t know what it’s like now. I’ve also had an easier time marketing my closet and items on PM. I don’t have a lot of items people would purposely search for so the “share” methodology has worked well for me. I also feel my listings for Craigslist gets lost and it’s not targeting the right buyers. I’ve also had to deal with some crazies on a listing so it’s not favorite venue. I have found wonderful house stuff as a buyer though. 20% is pretty consistent with other similar social media/shopping apps (Tradesy/Threadflip) and 80% is much more than I’d get selling it to a local resale boutique but it’ll be interesting to see what happens as more competition comes into the market. Right now, it’s fine with me as I don’t really see it the same as CL or eBay for the reasons above, it’s a whole other animal. What I think is sad is I have that $200 item that I used very little or that no longer fits me in the first place. The only way I will recoup money from shopping is to decrease my shopping and have less items to sell in the first place.
I do think PM could consider having not just one commission fee but a range of percentages depending on the sale total. So, for higher sales, the % would be less. That would be more than fair to them.
In your article you mention that you can mark something as ‘New With Tags’, I swear I saw the option when I did my first listing but I haven’t been able to find it since. It’s not on the page under the price when I create new listings; I must not be the only one confused because many people list their items as ‘nwt’ or ‘new with tags’ without having the NWT flag next to the title. Am I missing something straightforward?
Hi Dana! It’s one of the pulldown options when you list a new item. If you still can’t find it, write to me on Posh and I’ll put up a screen shot for ya. (I’m mauishopgirl there too)
Very informative! This article was super detailed, helpful AND well-written! (a rarity to find on the internet these days) I’ve never sold anything online, and I was debating between Ebay and PM. I’m mostly cleaning out my closet (and hopefully not buying more, hehe) which consists of unworn shoes that retail normally around 100 bucks. I’m pretty nervous but I really want to get some money back and clear out my closet fast. Any tips?
I personally love postmark more than ebay because it’s also social and I like the ease of them sending the postage label for shipping. It does take time to promote your closet but it’s very easy to post a listing. It is also very difficult not to purchase. I haven’t been as disciplined as I hoped with buying although I’m trying to rein it now. Good luck and if you have any questions, just ask!
Thank you so much for this review. It helped me figure out if using Poshmark along with my fashion blog would make sense!
You are very welcome Dasha!Thank you for reading.
Very informative article! I just joined Posh and haven’t had any good experiences. I was searching for some sold out combat boots on Google and found them on Posh but the seller listed them 3 months ago and there are a few unanswered questions on the page but she has not came back. Several items I have found have the same issue with the disappearing sellers and I don’t understand why they don’t just end the listings.
I don’t understand the abandoned closets either! It’s so easy to delete listings, why not just come back and do it? I’ve had a few items I really loved including an uncommon vintage bag but the listings were abandoned too. It is so frustrating!
I just started using Poshmark last month and I’ve already ran into a few abandoned closets, a couple who didn’t have the item they listed and canceled the order, and then a strange case occurred a couple days ago. I had purchased some pants, the order was canceled with “damaged” as the reason, so I went to leave a comment asking if the seller would still send them if I could repair the pants. I had come to find out the seller blocked me. I didn’t have any previous contact with her; I purchased the pants and that was it. Talk about lousy customer service! So far, it appears to be a gamble to shop on Poshmark. I feel your frustration, Tania.
The damaged pants is so bizarre! Why block you? Maybe something shady going on there. I think most of us that love Posh have found poshers we find reliable. Although I have some one-offs, most of my purchases have been repeats from certain closets. I also find if I buy from a seller repeatedly, they also get more familiar with what might work for me and what won’t.
The only reason I can think of as to why she blocked me would be so that I cannot leave any comments about not receiving the pants and/or warning other buyers. The paranoia is so strange! I don’t understand why she didn’t just remove the listing or just kindly let me know the pants are not available. Even worse, this person owns an online make-up business and she treats her poshmark customers like this, so I can’t imagine she would be much different elsewhere (her contact/business info was posted in her PM store). This is another reason why there should be buyer/seller feedback similar to that of ebay.
Listings are abandoned on Posh because it’s a social site first and a selling exchange second. Notice the countless comments and no purchase??? Notice the fakes galore – that alone would run off a serious buyer…
Yup I would never buy (or sell) an expensive luxury bag on posh as the current control structure is. Purseforum has great threads on reselling if you haven’t checked it out yet. I also refer to purseforum anytime I need to research a handbag. I’ve heard Threadflip is a bit better for that. I also think another reason is I’ve noticed many people that engage on poshmark do not have a strong social media or selling (or even buying) presence elsewhere. Even some of the biggest sellers are not as well versed in using twitter and other sm platforms as I would’ve expected. I’ve noticed for quite a few, it’s their first online selling experience so I don’t think they have thought about that they need to shut it down if they’re no longer participating as well.
Has anyone heard about hautetrader.com. It is like poshmark but with more or only highend stuff. They supposedly have a system set up just for safe trading. I think it’s trade only but not sure. Sounds interesting enough. If u all find out anything more please post.
I haven’t heard of that, will look it up. There are a ton of similar concepts now. I wonder how it’s affecting ebay.
I just joined a couple days ago. At first I was excited, now it’s meh. It’s too social– as far as followers, shares and likes. It doesn’t feel like a place to shop but rather a place to look through people’s closets. As others, have said I had better sales experience on eBay. I do like the social part of poshmark–the like shares and followers. It feels good but I need the sales to match that. That’s probably why eBay works so well because the commitment to buy once you place a bid. I will give a few more months. I know a couple of days isn’t long enough to make a decision
The concept of poshmark is to be social :-). I tell people it’s another social media platform. It’s like instagram but you buy things from each other. I’ve had much more success selling on posh than I ever did on ebay as I’m merely selling my little used wardrobe items. I don’t have things that would necessarily show up well in searches on ebay, people may not necessarily know they want what I have until they see it. But I had to promote and be social so it did take time. If you don’t take that time, you won’t sell.
I had the same impression as you when I first started, which was back when the app first came out. I thought it was a fashion blogger outfit of the day type of thing and since I don’t do outfit selfies, I never thought I would actually sell anything. Sales have been slow the past few months but I think that’s pretty normal for even retail at this time of year.
I am getting a bit tired of the social part too, made some friends but I’d really like to spend my time doing other things. I’m starting to move past the being obsessed with clothes part of my life. That’s my whole reason for selling and I don’t feel like it’s healthy to be so embroiled in buying and selling clothes on a daily basis. I may opt for a quicker but less lucrative way to purge my closet soon. When I do need to buy something new, I now prefer to buy less often and just spend a little more from a retailer with a return option. If I don’t buy as much, the discounts poshers offer are less enticing. I’d rather get something I only keep if it’s perfect. Also most poshers want way too much for their items.
Thanks. I found your site after googling poshmark problems because I wanted to do my research about the pros and cons of the site. You summed it up beautifully. I’m trying to rid myself of excess but I would like to earn money in return. There are a few pieces I would like to buy but since I have mounting debt I thought this venue would be perfect to make some money off some impulse buys and stuff I’ve worn once or twice which is just sitting in my closet. Alas, part of the idea of posh.
It is a perfect place to sell but I should warn you it is very hard not to buy (if that’s an issue for you as it is for me). You do have to spend time on the app to sell by networking, sharing and attending parties to gain followers and sales. During that time you will see hundreds of items and it’s very hard not to be tempted. I bought way more than I intended and had to dig really deep internally to stop. I’m still not perfect either but I’m definitely improved. I will be relieved when I have nothing left to sell and can stop spending so much time there. It’s fun and I’ve made friends but it’s not how I want to spend all my free time.
Liketwice buys stuff upfront (they send you a prepaid label, you box it up and mail it). You wouldn’t make nearly as much but it gets it out right away without spending so much time in a frenzied shopping community. They take many national brands (like Ann Taylor, Banana, etc.)
Spot on- too social and a bit catty…. And I shave been a member a couple of months, a newbie. But there is one constant. Take a look at all the comments and no buying … It’s great if you crave validation that you are selling a great item. It’s not so good if you are primarily a seller.
I do think it depends on what your goal is. If you are mainly a professional seller and do well on ebay as a shop, it may be too social and not worth all time spent (& possibly aggravation) on the interaction. As a casual seller trying to free myself of excess wardrobe items, I’ve had over $3K in sales in 5 months and that is much better than I would’ve done selling those same items at consignment. So for my particular mission, it’s worked well. Particularly being that I live in an area that my clothes bought for a more urban lifestyle would possibly not even be accepted for consignment locally. I’m also a social media person and and in a nutshell PM is social media with shopping. But I had to spend quite a bit of time on it and be very social to get exposure to make those sales. Also since I’m not making a profit margin, I can price my things below consignment to move (but still get more than I’d make selling to a consignment seller brick and mortar). I haven’t tried Tradesy or Threadflip yet but there are so many options now for people to look into. I am sending a box to liketwice soon for national brand basics that it’s not worth spending time on posh for but that site wouldn’t be worth it to a professional seller, it’s a cash upfront resale so I’ll probably just receive a minimal amount per piece.
I agree, little to no selling takes place on PM. It is basically a place for younger kids (or less fortunate adults) to come to and daydream about what they “could” have once they get paid this friday, or once they make a sale, or better yet, what garbage of theirs they could possibly trade with you for your nicer things. A million questions from people with no intentions on buying because of the reasons I stated above. And GOD FORBID you deny a swap or price. You will be considered Lucifer in the flesh!
Hi! Someone bought my Uggs and is saying they did not come as I described. I would love to just get them back (in one piece!) and give them their money back. Is there any way to do this? Her last email to me, AFTER she purchased, was “no rips or stains?” so I am afraid she is going to rip them or something. Any help is appreciated!
If a buyer has a claim, she has to submit it through the app. The claim screen includes the ability to upload images. First Posh may offer her a credit off the price and then if she rejects that credit they will investigate and determine whether she would be allowed to do a return. If she does a return, she has to mail it to you with the label they provide and receives her refund when you accept the delivery.
If she doesn’t file a claim within the three days or is complaining after she already accepted the item (i.e. status delivered), it’s too late and she won’t be able to file. I haven’t gone through a claim as a seller so I’m not sure what they ask you to provide and your recourse. I’ve only had claims as a buyer.
Hopefully the flaw is a little one that you didn’t notice and you either get them back as is or just take a small hit on the price. I don’t think I would try to resolve the issue with her via email, it should go through the claim process involving posh.
Great write up on Posh. I will probably be moving my stuff to threadflip. I know they have prompt customer service unlike posh. I just had a listing that was a host pick and some girl with a nasty dirty closet came in and left a rude comment trying to tell me what my item was worth. I tagged a friend with a finger pointing up and accidently hit a gun emoji before I sent it. Well this psycho reported me and they restricted MY closet. I don’t offer paypal and I don’t trade. I follow all their rules and they restricted me even though I was the one being harassed. Poshmark is such a joke. Their BBB rating used to be a D but I think it went up. They must have payed someone off. They have horrible reviews all over the internet. You would think if they were going to rip us off with their ridiculous shipping fees and their %20 of each of our sales they could actually spend a little $$ and get some phones to take customer support calls. Such a joke. It’s an insult that they treat their users this way as Poshmark would be nothing WITHOUT us users. And the responses you get when you email them are pathetic robotic responses. Such a poorly run company I dont know how their investors aren’t embarrassed.
Wow! I can’t believe that happened yet so many closets are doing paypal transactions openly. I’ve seen some that have gotten into cat fights so you know they must have been reported yet they’re still there offering paypal.
I have had good experience the few times I’ve had to write to customer service thank goodness but it’s always been as a buyer, not a seller.
I’m actually a bit tired of it in a way but not because of anything that happened. I’m just so over spending so much time on clothes. I’m ready to let it all go and just be very minimal but I need to get rid of stuff I have and most of my things are barely used so I’d like to earn some funds but I hate spending every day having to try to get them to sell. I may try some of the other services where you just bag it up and they give you cash up front. My time is worth the monetary difference and I’m trying to move my life away from shopping. Spending less time on a shopping platform will probably save me money in the long run as I won’t be as tempted to buy I also have quite a few purchases that aren’t quite right and if I’m going to be minimal I’d rather only have things that work really well and have the ability to return. If I can find a closet like mine where they are truly trying to free themselves of excess at a great price, it’s fine but I feel like so many get caught up with the opportunity to make money because they want to buy more, greed or the delusion that they should “make their money back”. I don’t want to pay someone what they paid at say Neiman or Gilt yet I don’t have the option to return or will have to reposh the item for months to get rid of it.
Some of the mean chick activity is brutal as well. Although I’ve made some friends, there is also a lot of negativity that is so unnecessary. I’ve also had people make rude comments about my prices that way below retail and what I personally paid for them because they aren’t familiar with or appreciative of the brand/quality.
Let me know how threadflip goes, I was considering listing items there as well but I’m still mulling it over.
Hi Tania,
I recently sold an item on poshmark but now the buyer says she wants me to ship it to another address. She changed her address after the label was made. What should I do as I don’t see a place to change her address? I have contacted pm but have not heard back.
So, I know you got my email but I’m going to repeat myself here for other readers who may have the same question.
The buyer needs to change her address on the app. After she does that, you can request a new label be sent in your “sales” section on the posh app. If her old address still shows up, she should contact posh. Or you could cancel that sale and re-list, have her buy again, now that her new address is in the system.
Under no circumstances should any seller not use the label sent by posh for the following reasons (1) The seller will have to pay shipping (2) The buyer can cancel the sale on poshmark as “never received” and walk away with the seller’s item for FREE. If the seller keeps insisting to not use the posh label, I’d also contact posh and let them know. It could be a fraudulent buyer. Someone who really did move shouldn’t mind going through the appropriate channels to correct the situation.
Now there is an android app for it.
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.poshmark.app
Thanks Gaurav, I’ll update my post to reflect that.
Quick question! I have sold countless things on posh and recently had to purchase an additional weight label from them at 3.98. The deducted the cost of an 8 lbs. label from my commissions. Is this typical or is it likely a system issue?
I haven’t had any issues yet with additional weight deductions (and I’ve had quite a few since I sell heavier items like coats, denim and shoes). I did discover that the shipping is deducted immediately if you have a balance or as soon as your next sale proceeds is added to your balance (if your balance was zero when you requested the additional shipping). So, the shipping isn’t necessarily deducted against the exact order it relates too, it’s deducted as soon as there is available balance from any sale to deduct from. If you have any concern, go ahead and write to them, I’ve found them very helpful.
What a great and through review!
I appreciate you taking the time to explain the pros and cons!
Very helpful!
I had my first bad experience with PM today. Several weeks ago I left a comment on a sweatshirt priced at $90 that claimed the original price was $160. I’ve bought sweatshirts from the brand before, so I pointed out that brand new they are way less and asked politely if she was negotiable (I didn’t make an offer). She brought down the price on her own. After all this time, she told me off in 3 comments calling me egotistical, saying my shop sucked, etc.
I wasn’t sure what to do (so I googled and found this post haha). I ended up blocking her and reporting the listing. Was that appropriate action for me to take? I know she’s being unreasonable but I still feel kind of bad.
I learned a lot from your review! I just signed up for Poshmark and read your piece for more info. I deleted my facebook, and don’t keep up with social sites anymore, though this one I could see myself having fun with. I do want to become a buyer and seller. Do you think this site would be good for me, even though I do not have a facebook, twitter, etc.?
You can absolutely be active and successful on Poshmark without presence in other social media platforms! Many poshers with a big following don’t have a large presence in other platforms.
Good to know, thank you Tania!
I’m on a roll tonight responding, well it’s better than shopping compulsively on PM! Threadflip is great because postage is included and you can negotiate price. BUT I think the selection is not that great.
Hi! Sorry to pester you, but you are pretty amazing. You should work for them. I followed a link to someone else’s closet where it said they had x amount of stuff. But the stuff wasn’t listed so there is no way to look at it. Do you have to be personally invited to view it? It seemed odd with the whole PM community.
That is weird. I had something happen like that today on my computer but I could see the closet on my phone app. Were you using chrome as your internet browser? When I switched to Safari, then the problem went away (unless it was a coincidence and it just cleared up on its own at that time).
The other possibility could be the posher is being investigated. They’ll sometimes suspend a closet for violating posh’s rules and you won’t be able to see any of the listings at that time.
Thanks for the compliment too!
What is your shop on PM? How can all your devoted fans help you since you have been so helpful to us???
I’m MauiShopGirl there too. I’m still quite a newbie even though I had the app when it first came out. I bounced off initially because everyone seemed so fashion blogger, outfit of the day posing and I’m so not that. But I love learning and writing about this kind of stuff. I find the whole shopping and tech, consumerism culture fascinating, partly because I’ve shopped too much my whole adult life.
How does someone get 250,000 followers? I’m floored.
Hi! I just downloaded Poshmark a month ago. I’ve sold 4 things. I recently sold some shoes & the buyer filed a “not as described” case. (which is dumb because I listed they were pre-worn) So, the buyer was refunded her 80$ & the shoes were supposedly “shipped back to me” but it’s been 15 days and they have yet to arrive.. I wasn’t issued a tracking number or anything. This is ridiculous. What do I do? Poshmark isn’t returning any of my emails..
Hi Sierra, the buyer shouldn’t receive her money until you’ve accepted the return package. I’ve been on the other side of filing a claim and I didn’t receive a refund until the returned item was delivered to the seller’s address. I did get a routing email when I sent it so I’m assuming she did too. How long have you been waiting for PM to return your email? They don’t respond right away but usually within three days. Has it been longer than that? I would think at a certain point if she doesn’t return the shoes the way she’s supposed to they would release the funds to you. I’ve had three or four situations where I’ve needed to write to them and they did respond within the same week. Could they be researching and following up?
I’m not sure of your particular situation but when I do sell preloved I’m careful to disclose any spots, where the wear is, show a pic of the bottom, that kind of thing so if a buyer misunderstood the condition or had remorse, they wouldn’t have recourse if it was disclosed in the listing.
Well I’m not sure what is going on, I listed all of the wear spots… It’s been 4 days since I’ve emailed them.. I’ve never received a return shipping tracking number. Could it be USPS’s fault? I’m quite upset.. I feel like I was scammed because she had them for 3 days and reported them as damaged at the last minute…
I did have a claim where it was damaged in transit. I received a refund but the seller also still got her proceeds too. If it’s USPS’s fault, there is insurance on each package so I don’t think PM would make you take the loss.
I’ll cross my fingers for you, maybe they are just a bit slower in responding due to the holiday weekend, especially if they had to research first in order to respond to you.
Tania I admire your writing, and think you did a wonderful job at providing a comprehensive unbiased review of Poshmark. I recently started and wrote my first blog post on blissful rambles.com and recommended this post to my readers.
I’ve been selling on Poshmark for a year now and from my personal experience, your review provides a thorough explination of the things I’ve experienced and seen as well.
Thanks so much Gloria! That means a lot. I think you’re a fantastic seller.
hi tania, wow this article is quite the buzz.
thank you again for giving us a good “look” at poshmark! i learned so much, good analysis!
Thank you Cat!
Hey there,
I just came across your amazing post and I am a bit worried. I purchased an item two days ago and for some reason it was cancelled and I’m not sure as to why. I contacted the seller as well as poshmark support (who takes about 48 hours to get back to customers -_-). I need to know whether or not my credit card will be charged. It was a purchase of over $100.
You shouldn’t be charged if it was cancelled. The seller doesn’t ever see your credit card info and doesn’t receive payment until you’ve received the item so postmark would just refund your money if the transaction was cancelled. The seller could’ve cancelled because they couldn’t locate the item, it was no longer available (& they forgot to take down the listing) or it was on hold for someone else. I would imagine there are times PM cancels a transaction for some sort of security reason but I haven’t heard of that happening too much. PM support is pretty good about getting back but sometimes can take a few days. Don’t email them more than once with the same question or your inquiry keeps getting pushed to the bottom as it goes by the most recent communication date (they recently advised me on that as I had a pending inquiry that I got a bit impatient on and kept trying to follow up).
I was recently a persistent “Posher.” I managed to buy 8-9 things on posh, while only selling 1 thing in 2.5 months! After a while I became tired and frustrated with the constant demand for “more pictures, measurements please, ‘will this size 2 shirt fir me, I’m a 6?’ Model Please!, I’ll buy friday, Trade?, I saw this somewhere for cheaper, hold tip next week etc.
I eventually stopped being polite and started telling my buyers I will ignore/block you if you come to my closet asking these ridiculous questions when you have no true intentions on buying! (Lets be honest, you can spot a “not so serious buyer” by the 1st 16 questions they ask you about the listing!) I also noted that all prices are firm.
Well a few nasty words were spread by users due to me setting RULES in my closet! Tons of users made nasty, profane comments under my listings, and one user even took it upon herself to create a listing with my pictures calling me a RUDE, LYING, SCAMMER!! I reported it to posh for 4 days straight with no response. Days later my account was restricted! Wtf!? This is not fair to me. So I left the app, and will never look back.
I definitely don’t approve of the “ganging up” I see happen at times. If someone has an issue with another posher, there is a more appropriate way to resolve it. I don’t partake in that type of activity in real life and I don’t do it online either. I am sorry to hear that happened to you. I’ve seen this type of behavior on weight watchers forums back in the day I was active there.
Regarding writing to posh, I was informed by them to not write numerous times, to let the first inquiry make its way through the que. (I realize you are no longer on PM but do mention it for anyone else who may be reading the comments). Your place in the que gets pushed down based on the date of the most recent email sent. I do feel they need a larger customer service staff to handle all the inquiries as it does take at the very least a few days for them to respond. The one time they took longer than 3 days to get back to me, it was because I kept sending follow up emails. The times I sent one and then sat on it, it was about three days.
If you joined in the last few months, sales have been very slow for everyone in December and January. It’s only been in the past week I’ve noticed it start picking up again. I think it may have been due to holiday shopping/sales at retailers and everyone being busy at that time of the year. I’ve been pretty happy with my sales overall, have made over $3 grand since starting in June. If something doesn’t sell after awhile, I gift it, donate it or try selling to liketwice (less money but it gets out of my house right away since I’m trying to move toward a more minimal wardrobe). So, posh for me is just one way to purge, it’s not the only way for sure.
For the interactions with other poshers, I get annoyed sometimes too but it helps me to treat it like a job and not take it to personally. I see it as my own thrift store and if I worked in a store, I’d try to accommodate my customers requests when reasonable. I understand they are not obligated to buy if they ask me questions about my item and even if I suspect they aren’t serious, I hope that having that response in the comments will help another potential buyer make their decision in the future so it’s not for nothing. I also have my own store policies and stay firm on that. I have stopped negotiating on price and I rarely hold items (the holds you see in my closet are usually for bundles or repeat buyers so someone else doesn’t accidentally buy it before the buyer has a chance to complete the purchase). I sometimes will model if they ask but if I think it won’t be helpful, I just say no and direct them to the measurements I’ve provided. If someone offers me a low low price even though my rules are clear and my prices are already low, I don’t get pissed off or take it personally, I just say no thank you, prices are firm. If someone is rude, that’s their problem, their karma, not mine. It’s not worth it to me to spend too much time getting worked up about it. If someone is really being rude and an ass, I ignore them. I cannot control how everyone else behaves but I can control how I react to it. It also helps that I have a posh buddy. She and I vent to each other privately via email or direct message on facebook. We’re each others support when we do need to say “did you see what she said?!!!”.
There are a whole bunch of ways to sell now if you are still looking. Threadflip, Tradesy, of course ebay. I do like liketwice also (I’ll be writing about that site real soon). If you do find another app or site you like, please drop me a line and let me know!
Hi I’ve seen people post with ebay info… Is that ok ?
PM discourages taking a sale off the app so I wouldn’t put up a listing and then try to direct people to buy the item on ebay instead.
I’m not sure how PM feels about a link in your profile to your ebay store. I see closets that are quite successful that have the link to their online retail space but I do notice they don’t push their space in the listings. They still transact what they’ve listed on PM in PM, they don’t redirect people to their retail site even though they have one.
Great post! I just saw someone pinned a pair of Bottega veneta sandals ( from 2012) that I am looking for and it was from Poshmark. Soo I decided to read about it ( found your post:) ) and then tried to register but it’s still only available in the USA and I’m in Amsterdam… Do you know if they will introduce a European version of it or expand it to Europe. I like the idea of such a platform since a lot of brands don’t have retailers in the Netherlands plus it seems like a good way to clean up your warderobe (I’ve been trying on ebay USA since ebay NL is not at all popular here). Or do you have ideas where else I can post/buy in a similar fashion?
Thanks!
I’m not aware of expansion but I haven’t been keeping up on my resale reading. Been too busy socializing. You could try to write to poshmark directly. There are also a ton of resale app competitors now (Threadflip, Tradesy and a ton more) but I haven’t heard of any European ones. I like online for the same reason as you. Selection is very limited on Maui.
Hi Tania,
Thanks for your in-depth and comprehensive article on Poshmark; it was quite informative!
I’m trying to declutter my closet. I have items that I keep saying I’ll have taken in because they’re a size or two (or three!) too big. Sadly, I’ve had them a few years, and I’ve yet to get them taken in, so I’m looking to sell them. I recently came across Poshmark as a buyer, and have had pretty good experiences thus far. I’m hoping my foray into selling will hold great experiences as well. I don’t think I have enough time to engage in the social aspects of Poshmark, but we shall see. I just started following you on Poshmark! I really like your closet! =)
If I may, I’d like to ask a question related to shopping on ebay…I recently purchased a FCUK ivory lace dress that was described as NWOT. I paid a certain amount based on that understanding, and received the item about 2 days ago. I subsequently left the seller a positive feedback. Upon closer inspection (a few hours later), I noticed there was dirt under the neckline and on the right shoulder. (Depending on the lighting, it’s not easy to tell, which was why I missed it at first.) I contacted the seller and informed her of what I’d discovered, and I pointed out that she hadn’t disclosed any of that in her listing. She stated that “the ‘dirt’ was likely as a result of it being tried on at the store,” and asked what I’d like her to do now.
On the one hand, I feel like asking her to refund a portion of the money to cover the drycleaning, while on the other hand, I feel like “lesson learned! It might actually be new. Ask about stains next time even if the item is new.” I also kind of feel like she intentionally omitted that information, and I feel taken in.
From your experience, what would you suggest to be the best recourse at this juncture?
Look forward to your response. =)
I haven’t bought anything on ebay in a long time (years) but do recall they weren’t very helpful about complains. If your order was fulfilled, the complaints were rejected. But I believe they may have improved. I would file a claim with ebay on the matter. Wouldn’t hurt. She probably did omit it intentionally. One thing I’ve liked about posh is they have resolved each and every of my claims to my full satisfaction. Have to be patient a few days but they always came through (I could tell you some stories about cigarette smoke, damage on items described as new!). I’d say on all reselling platforms it is a good idea to ask questions. Definitely on poshmark, many people are doing the omission thing but if you outright ask they’ll often admit something isn’t authentic, etc. But some will still lie too!
Very well written article, I agree with everything you’ve written here. I’m just surprised(and jealous!) that you already had people buy items within a week of you joining… I am surprised that I already have 400+ followers a little over a week of joining. However, no one has commented on my listings. I’ve gotten tons of shares but no inquiries or anyone interested in my items. Makes me think my clothes or items just suck! I’ve shared things in some parties too. Do you have any other tips for making a sale?
Thanks
btw, my closet is @adelgaudio!
I was shocked I sold a few things so quickly. Just dumb luck, I think I just happened to have some items that people were specifically looking for. I’m going to write more posts about posh (I think, I’m not as active as I once used to be) but in an nutshell, I’d say good pictures, detailed descriptions and reasonable pricing. Parties are a great time to share. Although many people share party host picks, I like to also share from closets that may notice and appreciate my shares more. When you get a host pick, the number of likes and shares is overwhelming, it’s very hard from them to return the favor, the same with popular closets. So I search for closets with my shoe size, items that are also my taste and I’d share their listings. Following the rules is also key! When you become a “suggested user”, the follower numbers climb since your closet will show up on the suggested user list from time time. So, no trades, no taking a sale to poshmark, no counterfeits/inspired and listing items with an honest/complete description.
Great review! Thanks for the overview. I’m brand new to Poshmark myself and have not yet figured out how to delete “likes” that I have. I’m sure it is probably easy to do, just can’t seem to figure it out. The list is getting long so I’d like to streamline it by deleting those items that I’m no longer interested in or have bought. Any help would be appreciated – thanks!
Go into your “my likes” (click on the bottom right icon that looks like a business card and you should see My Likes as an option). Touch the cover shot of one of your liked items. Scroll down to the end of the images and you’ll see the heart in red and “liked”, just tap that heart and it will change to just an outline and “like”.
What if there is an item that I want to buy and have left 3 messages on there feed for that item showing my interest and they have not answered. Its been 4 days now. I dont really want to buy the item unless I know they are actively selling in order to receive my order
I usually back off if they’re not responsive but I can see they have been on the app since I posted the inquiries as it’s not a good sign. You can tell they’ve been on the app if you see recent shares, etc. since you posted your inquiry. If they are ignoring you but on the app, you already know their level of customer service is poor and it could indicate a lack of attention to detail. However, I have taken a chance on a listing that the posher wasn’t on the app very much. She shipped right away and it was a great buy. The seller receives and email if there is a sale so they will definitely be notified. If they don’t send the item within a reasonable time, you can file for a refund/cancellation with poshmark (you do it in the item under your purchases section). I would thread carefully though. I’ve walked away from most but was satisfied the one time I took a chance (super cheap Lucky BF jeans).
Poshmark does not have à human person to contact!!!!!!
The phone on their website is FAKE dont trust them !
I’ve never tried to call them but I have had quite a few situations where I’ve had to file a claim or another complaint against another posher and they’ve resolved each and every one to my satisfaction. I usually wrote to the customer service email or in the app you can file a claim on the purchase listing. I’ve also been in email contact with a specific person at PM in the days leading up to when I was a party host. I’ve received all my money and I had a lot of activity last year with no issues with poshmark, the company. They also have parties and a conference where the founders and employees mingle with poshers. They are definitely a real legitimate company.
Hi! It was really nice to come across your blog about Poshmark.
also thanks for the liketwice info; may check that out too as an alternative to gifting or donating.
I created an account last Fall on both PM and Threadflip and quite frankly have had so much better luck selling on TF. Their app is much “cleaner” looking, customer service is great and a seller can upload up to 10 pics vs only 4 on PM. I get a sense that overall the buyers & sellers on TF are more serious and experienced… Idk, maybe it’s just timing on my part or the fact that I used to own a retail brick & mortar store and am always on “auto-sell” lol but now I only do this to make a few bucks on the side. Recently TF has added a cool option which allows the buyer to make an offer to the seller in private so nobody else sees any comments/exchanges for the whole darn world to see, lol!. On Poshmark I’ve tried very recently to buy a couple of items and both sellers were sooo slow to respond and to even ship out the items I bought!!! Fortunately we have the option to cancel orders. I wish sellers would simply check into the PM app at least once a day or if their closet is “dead” then say so! And, don’t let the prospective buyer”hanging” and wondering if she’ll get her purchases or not. I’m in no way bashing PM because I think most of the people I’ve interacted with via sharing, etc. have been very nice and polite and you’ve obviously done very well! Thanks again for your honest insight about Poshmark
Thanks for the feedback about TF, I’ve been meaning to try it out. I don’t feel luxury bags do particularly well on PM and I have a few I may want to sell. I’ve experienced unresponsive sellers too. I think if someone hasn’t logged in for a certain number of months, PM should consider marking their closet inactive unless they re-activate it. I don’t go in every day now like I used to but I do set up notifications on comments so I get an email and I do check at least a few times a week, just in case. I had a crazy situation where I was going to buy a Marc Jacobs bag for $250 (a small one for going out at night). I just wanted the measurements first. She said it was in storage so she would get back. For days I followed up and could see she had logged in (new listings, etc) but no answer. So bizarre, she could’ve said I haven’t had time, changed my mind about selling it but nothing. Radio silence. But the listing was still up! It’s like geez don’t you want my money?
OMG, the whole “There are other frauds like buyers receiving the item they purchased, wearing it right away to an event and then claiming your item wasn’t new as described for a return. Other variations of this dishonest switch is receiving the item, experiencing I spent my rent money remorse and damaging the item, followed up by a claim to Poshmark it was received with damage not listed in the description. ”
TOTALLY JUST HAPPENED TO ME. I have this girl trying to tell me my bag handle was ripped, and that my handbag I sold to her is “fake” umm, no. You kept bugging about it wanting to wear it to an event and all of a sudden you don’t like it? People are so ruthless.
Oh man, there is nothing I dislike more than a liar. The whole ruthless behavior to me about shopping of all things blows my mind. I could write an entire book on what poshmark behavior says about our consumerist society. I hope you were able to work it out satisfactorily with poshmark.
Well written article. I’ve been on poshmark for 3 months and have sold over 100+ packages (who knows how many items) I absolutely love poshmark. It allows me to buy designer and wear it till I’m over that look then sell to buy more!!!!! I wouldn’t change anything but the whole 20% commission. Sometimes I look at my balance and think wow poshmark made alot off me… oh well..
Thanks and yeah me too (in regards to the commission)! I wish they’d put a ceiling maximum on their commission. 20% on a luxury bag is a bit hard to swallow.
You said it right! Two times i have listed bags one was a burberry and the other was a 600 cpach . Both items were liated of any fales and in the comments to the buyer i had went over and over about the flaws. The next thing i know these damn posh employees turn around and rewatd them their money back. Cheapskates buy Irena they cannot afford and use them for the weekend and sport my style then rerun for a full refund.when i emqiled posh they had sent me the pictures the buyer subkitted to themm….THEY WERE THE PICTURES FROM THE LISTING!! I told posh i wanted to close my acciunt and i woukd be reporting to bbb because i am not the only one this has happened to..leah simply replied ‘hate to lose you as a poshmark customet, please see the instrucyioy below to close account’ …instead of rectifying the matter..she simply brushed me off. The girl sporting my burberry bag on her facebook photos gets no punishment and i am stuck with a bagwith more wear on it than originally when sold!!!! Vinted is much better and they take less commission i believe. By the way..if you try to call Poshmark headquarters….THEY NEVER ANSWER! Nuts i tell yah
Wow, really? You had proof that she used it and everything?! I’d be pissed too. I never try to call them, pretty much know it’s an email situation as many mobile businesses are. Paypal is the same way and it’s frustrating to not be able to call sometimes for sure.
Tania, I continue to appreciate your article/blog post, and even send it to those who are just starting out in online women’s apparel resale so that they can use it as a bit of a general tutorial, just like I did when I was starting out last year. Thank you for such a refreshing, honest take on this topic. Yours is one-of-a-kind. I wish that more seasoned sellers would blog about their experiences. Unbiased info in this area is sorely lacking.
I sell on Threadflip, Tradesy, SnobSwap and now, occasionally eBay. I had never intended to sell on eBay, but my experience over the past yr is that things have changed so chaotically and drastically on some of these women’s apparel sites that I’ve no choice. Since this entire area is relatively new (and a virtual gold mine for these companies), many of them seem to be learning as they go along, testing this and that, making policies as the proceed, etc. I’ve learned one very important lesson, thus far: NEVER think that it cannot all be taken away from you, even if you know what you are doing, have it all worked out, are bringing in a steady flow of clients and sales, etc. All that needs to happen is for the company to make an unannounced change for a seller to watch her sales be vanished. POOF!
For instance, Tradesy (9% commission rate, btw) remains a bit of a mystery (unlike Poshmark and TF, they do not use a social media platform), and they are very tight-lipped about what they are trying to accomplish with Tradesy. I watched my sales go from about 20 a month for months to zero a month, since about Feb 2014 (something seems to have happened there this year, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what, and no one is talking). While I have added more and more high-end items (this seems to be the direction they are going), I just cannot seem to make a sale on there any longer, and the staff there cannot tell me why this has happened, though I’ve asked repeatedly. It’s a bit of an alternative universe over there, a bit surreal, and transparency is NOT of the essence, shall we say . . .
Fast-forward to Threadflip: I tried to reason with myself that it would be okay that my Tradesy sales tanked because I was still selling like hotcakes on Threadflip (typically at least one sale a day per month). Then along came Full Service, which Threadflip rolled out in April 2014. With Full Service, which TF encourages, you send in your items to be marketed/sold for you, and they take a 40% commission instead of the 20% commission that is taken when you use the do-it-yourself method of listing/running a closet. Across the boards, I watched in shock and awe (and horror, honestly) as so many women’s TF closet sales plummeted (and still have not recovered — no end in sight?).
You see, TF is now mainly promoting the Full Service program listings, and if you did not opt into it, then your listings are no longer given the visibility that the Full Service items are given. This has been a disaster for many, many established closets on Threadflip. It is tough to watch as sales plummet in closets that women have dedicated so much time to, for years, working on gaining thousands of followers and making continual improvements. Along came Full Service and POOF! There go the sales . . .
It is also very apparent to me that most of these companies have one VERY unbecoming quality that they cherish above all else (and they may not even be able to recognize it): Greed. It’s an “ends justifies the means” attitude that indicates to me that they really do not get that they are dealing with HUMANS who are relying on sales. I think that they think that they are just pushing product, and so whatever they decide, so be it — that no one gets hurt in the process (which is so far from the truth).
Perhaps one day there will be a new company that comes along, founded by seasoned veterans of these women’s apparel sites, and they will do it right, and with humanity and dignity, after experiencing all of other ways things have been done (Greed model). That would be highly refreshing (and is much needed), just like your blog post, Tania! XOXO
Thank you so much for writing! This was so informative for me. I’ve been meaning to try TF and Tradesy but I may not based on what you said (as a seller anyway). I have some high end bags and I may just go straight to eBay. I haven’t sold on eBay for years and I’ve heard it’s much easier to load listings now and they’ve improved in compliance too. I have sold and bought on LikeTwice. It’s a good place to unload a high volume of mass market speciality lines like BR, AT, JCrew. Those take so long to sell and it’s not worth the effort for the amount of sales that it would bring in. Maui consignment doesn’t have a good market for business clothes so I’ve gotten rid of my business attire on LikeTwice and used the proceeds to buy myself a few new pairs of jeans. You don’t get as much but it’s a good fast closet clean with either a little credit or cash.
I agree that the burgeoning resale market brings out the greed and I do think some of the founders aren’t that interested in resale or the retail industry but are more tech startup minded. It is definitely an area of growth and I find it fascinating and would like to write about it more. There are also interesting sociology observations about how people behave on a selling app. PM has its own etiquette just like a mini society and also can be sobering example of greed and the effects of our consumer society. I do think eventually someone will do it in a way that it’ll knock the short term gain competitors out. I feel like PM suffers from multiple personality disorder and that contributes to the problem. They push the individual and social aspect but then they also try to push the “start your own business” aspect and I think it’s a confusing message. It is both but if you are encouraging your members to use it as a small business platform, there needs to be more support in certain areas.
You are dead on about not relying on a single platform for your income. Etsy sellers have also been shut down for alleged violations and that was there only source of income. I was quoted in a WSJ article (as a frequent buyer of Etsy) where they discussed some of the sellers complaints. If I was an artisan or wanted to run a true online retail boutique, I would have my own domain/home even if I listed on other platforms too. Thank you so much for reading and writing such an extensive comment! I truly appreciate the info and candor.
I purchased some nike’s on there. After 21 hours, I looked at my purchase and noticed they were fake. I had no idea. The seller never told me they were replicas I bought them thinking they were original. I contacted support and they told me I have to wait until I get the item and I have to open an investigation case. But i told them I wanted a refund before the seller wastes their time shipping the item to me because I already know it’s not original and it’s pretty evident from the pictures. later, support stopped replying to me. I WILL NEVER SHOP AT POSHMARK AGAIN, i feel like they will do anything to just make money. They only say “dont sell replicas” because they are legally required to. But i think they dont really care and they just want to make money.
I’ve had PM send me a warning message on a few of my items. Likely because I listed a few things very low and the system flagged it as a low price could indicate a replica. So I think they’ve been instituting more technology controls. But I agree they can do more and it’s unfortunate you couldn’t cancel the sale if it hadn’t shipped yet. I could see if it was already in transit but not if it hadn’t been shipped. That makes sense to me too. Before I buy on PM from someone I haven’t bought from before, I scroll their closet, read the comments and look at the assortment of things they’re selling. I also ask a ton of questions (I won’t buy if a seller bought something on ebay or from Ross). If something seems to good to be true, I don’t buy. Also I google the item, if it’s showing up everywhere (on ebay, etc), I also don’t proceed especially with items counterfeited easily and frequently (like JCrew jewelry, googled a ring set and it showed up on Asian sites, ebay, you name it so I felt like it was being wholesaled from a counterfeiter). I try to buy from people like me, emptying their own closet and usually have bought the item from an authorized retailer. If I see or feel any red flags, I don’t buy. For most of us, I think we tend to buy from regular closets after awhile. Once in awhile I’ll buy something from a random closet but I do tend to return to certain closets as a repeat buyer. Sorry to hear that!
Nice review. How long did it take you to sell? Were you able to make a successful trade?
I sold a few things in my first week! That was really lucky, I think I just happened to list some items that the buyers were specifically looking for. I did a trade in the earlier days but I don’t anymore. The wording in PM’s policy seems like they just discourage it but in actuality it’s a black mark and prohibited. Trading can prevent you from becoming a suggested user or getting items selected for host picks. When you’re a party host, they advise to only pick compliant closets and that includes no trading. PM can’t protect us on a trade so it makes sense they would disallow it to protect poshers.
I create new jewelry, have Etsy & a boutique in Escondido & I’m opening a new boutique in Baja’s Wine Country. I have just joined Posh and I mostly enjoy it. I am so glad you wrote this article as I’m experiencing some of the down sides. I have never had a return in 8 years. I have never shipped anything “too late” without communicating. I have never mis-represented anything. And within a few months of Posh, I’ve had to deal with “case approvals”, returns, “honest mistakes” when I’VE MADE NONE. How do I have a 5 star rating everywhere but on here? Considering a move. Not only does it take battery life, it takes up real life ™ too! Thanks again for blog.
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve had a few buyer (or window shopper) complaints too that surprised me. I do think it’s a side effect of having a social media aspect to it. I also think there may be buyers on there who are either quite young or not experienced with buying resale. There is also a bit of greediness and shopaholic driving bad behavior too (not everyone of course). Because it’s also social, it gets more personal. I don’t spend as much time on the app as I originally did as it was taking away time from other goals, it is definitely a battery suck as well! There are competitor platforms that I’d like to review too but haven’t gotten around to trying the other ones yet. I’m on etsy too, mauishopgirl (but I don’t sell anything). Send me a message so I can visit your shop, I’d love to check it out.
Excellent, detailed review of PM. I’m so glad that you included various viewpoints!
Thanks Michelle! I want to write about more resale platforms but I need to get around to it. I think it’s a topic many are interested in.
Hi Tania! I found your blog on google review of PM. Well written article with a lot of detailings. How do i follow you or find you on poshmark? i just create account last night and read your blog until i fall asleep at 2am and now morning again and am still reading lol. I just found out the poshmark from my teenage daughter. She has many clothes that she never worn still with tags on and some she just only worn once and completely forgot about it. Surprisingly she just sold a couple items in less than a week. I just drove her to post office drop them off few days ago. After reading many comments in here, there are excitments and worries. We never sell anything before normally I would donate our clothes to goodwills or other people. i don’t mind paying 20% commission when I always donate for free. My daughter wants me to sale one of my LV bags that I hardly use anymore but I’m afraid to sale online afraid of some scammers. I wish there’s a website guarantee with honest buyers/sellers lol. Love your writing!
Hi Georgina! Thank you so much for reading, you have no idea how awesome it is for me to hear that. Here is the link to my closet, if you log in online, you can follow me here: https://poshmark.com/closet/mauishopgirl. Or in the app, if you click on your closet name at the bottom right (there is an icon that looks like a little business card), then click on “Find People” (if your closet is showing, just hit the back arrow until you get to a menu). Then you can search for mauishopgirl.Unfortunately, it is always buyer and seller beware for online individual resale. Platforms can setup controls but you will still have scammers. I haven’t tried Tradesy yet which is another app but will load some things there soon as I’d like to write a review for that site also. As a buyer, I felt less protected on eBay as it was hard to get a claim resolved but it’s been years since I’ve bought or sold anything there. I was thinking of possibly listing higher end bags on eBay as I am a bit hesitant to list on PM considering the 20% fee on a higher dollar item. As a buyer, I have felt very protected on PM, they have resolved every one of my buyer claims to my satisfaction (I’ve received damaged listed as new or in excellent condition, was able to return and get a full refund, shipping covered by PM). Comment on one my listings so I know and best of luck on PM. By the way, I used to blog much more frequently and plan to step it up again, I had some personal matters in the past year that have been since resolved so I’m getting back into the swing of things, just subscribe and you’ll know when new posts go live.
Thanks! i just found you, checking out your closet now.
I’ve heard wonderful things about ThreadFlip and if I ever decide to sell any of my more expensive handbags, I may try there.
When you become a suggested user, your closet shows up on the suggested user list periodically (it’s on the screen where you search for a specific person’s closet). I can always tell what days my closet is showing on the list to other poshers because I’ll gain followers very quickly, sometimes 500 too 1,000 a week. To become a suggested user you do have to have a selling/buying history and be compliant with poshmark’s rules. I thought I would gain a lot of followers when I get a host pick but it’s really not that much. Hosting a party will also bring a ton of followers and again you need to be compliant with posh rules. So, all this wild west activity I see where people are engaging in prohibited activities is so short sighted in my opinion. In the long run, being compliant can really help your closet.
That said, in the earlier days of poshmark, they used to have all users automatically follow suggested users (unlike now where the poshers must choose to follow you). Or so I’ve heard, I wasn’t active at that time. So, I suspect some of the closets with large followings were suggested users during that time period.
This must still apply because when I joined, I was automatically following like 50-100 people. I just joined last month. Also I have noticed the more people I follow. The more followers I get. One day I just added people all day and I gained tons of followers. Then I stopped and the followers stopped. No to minimum hits on the item in my closet. I put the same stuff on eBay and after about 17-25 hits/views I got bids on my stuff. I still haven’t sold anything on poshmark.
PM probably has new posters following a handful to begin with so you can see stuff in your newsfeed. You gained more followers on the days you followed people as they followed you back. The more you engage on postmark, the more followers and shares you get, generally.
I had the opposite experience than you. I sold things much easier on postmark than on ebay. I do think it depends on what type of things you’re selling. I did put quite a bit of time though on posh into sharing, following and engaging. I also participated in parties quite a bit. My prices are also low. I haven’t done ebay in a while though, perhaps I should give it another try. I’d say summer was better for poshing. After back to school shopping ended and now, during holiday shopping, it’s been little slow.
{ 3 trackbacks }