As sneakerheads know, when it comes to buying new shoes, it’s important. As consumers, your hard-earned money shouldn’t be going to pay for sneakers from a site that’s filled with sketchy sellers looking for a quick sale. After all, the sneaker collection is just too valuable to let that happen.
Kixify is a legitimate e-commerce store that is also the world’s largest sneaker marketplace with over 300,000 items for sale. It claims to bring together the global sneaker community filled with entrepreneurs, store owners, shoe fanatics, and Kixify employees who are all looking to gain value out of this marketplace.
Practically anyone can set up a free Kixify account to sell sneakers, and there’s also the draw of no listing, setup, or monthly fees for sellers. In this case, third-party sellers can perhaps take advantage of the platform and sell counterfeit goods. With that said, is Kixify a legit site or just a scam? After investigating and scouring the internet in search of reviews of the site, company details, customer experiences, and more, here’s a breakdown of what popped up.
Kixify Company Information
| Official Website: | https://www.kixify.com |
| Headquarters Location: | New York, New York, United States. |
| Founded: | 2013 |
| Industry: | Fashion & Apparel, E-Commerce |
| Ownership: | Furquan Khan |
| Contact: | support@kixify.com |
| Partnerships: | www.kicksonfire.com |
| Social Media: | Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter |
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Is Kixify legal and safe or a scam?
In their terms of use, Kixify claims that they do not verify the authenticity of the sellers in their marketplace. They don’t “pre-screen users or the content or information provided by users” but instead act as a venue and Software as a Service (SaaS). Therefore, there may be some Kixify users who are taking advantage of buyers on the site with fake listings or listings that otherwise are claiming to offer a product other than that of which is being sold.
However, Kixify seems to crack down on sellers attempting illegal activities such as counterfeiting on the site. According to their website, Kixify claims to have a “Zero Tolerance Fraud Policy.” Through this policy, sellers who are attempting to sell fakes or engaging in other suspicious, deceitful activities on the site are immediately banned from the marketplace.
When a user browses through the site, Kixify logs your IP address. However, users need to have an account with Kixify for personal information such as name, address, phone, email addresses, etc., to be associated with your particular IP address. While not necessarily “stealing” your data, Kixify might disclose your personal information for legal purposes.
There have been instances of users getting scammed on the website. Kixify user Janell Garguilo writes: “Was scammed on the site and the so called PayPal protection did nothing for me.” However, one action that Kixify takes to combat scammers is by introducing “Kixify Select,” which verifies that users are buying real sneakers by pulling from their own inventory.
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Is Kixify reliable and trustworthy?
According to sitejabber.com, Kixify ranks 375th among marketplace sites. Generally, Kixify customers are dissatisfied with their purchases, as the site received a rating of 1.9 stars from a total of 27 reviews. On Kixify’s actual website, customer reviews seem to be more positive. But there’s a catch. While there are mainly 4 & 5-star reviews, many of those reviews are attached to comments that send a different message. For instance, author Xsposed-101 titles their comment “Scams” and proceeds to tell other users, “Don’t buy from them,” while still being labeled as a 5-star review.
Kixify marketplace does have a refund policy where users are instructed to log in to their associated PayPal account and proceed with the refund in order to get their payment back in full. The order will then be canceled by Kixify and removed from the user’s dashboard and invoice. One Kixify user Shaun G. writes that Kixify’s returns “are a nightmare” and that “you have to [do] all the work thru PayPal to get your money back.”
Kixify’s customer service doesn’t seem to be very reliable, as users like Shea Thibodeaux writes “terrible customer service.” Another user, Pete T., says that Kixify’s customer service is the “Worst customer service that I have ever encountered.” Furthermore, Kixify is not a BBB Accredited business, therefore stripping it further of its reliability in handling consumer complaints.
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The pros and cons of Kixify
Pros:
- Large inventory
- Free to set up a Kixify store
- No charge fees for listings
- Purchases eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection + Money Back Guarantee
- Complete control over your Kixify store
Cons:
- Oversaturation of sellers
- Users aren’t pre-screened
- 10% commission fee for every item sold
- Below average customer service
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How does Kixify make money?
As an online marketplace, Kixify makes its money through each sneaker sale on its platform. Since Kixify doesn’t make any money on new sellers with any listing and setup fees, they charge a 10% transaction fee on each sale. The business model is relatively simple, and PayPal acts as the intermediary between the Kixify buyer and seller. The money is deposited to the seller’s PayPal account once the transaction is complete. Kixify will alert sellers of the amount that needs to be paid in commission fees each month through an invoice.
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Best Kixify Alternatives
Sneaker marketplaces like Kixify come with their challenges, but overall they’re a decent way to get your sneaker fix. If you’re not all that convinced about Kixify after reading this article, here are some other sneaker marketplace apps that offer quality sneakers from your favorite brands:
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FAQ
Is Kixify safe to buy from?
When you’re buying from an online marketplace like Kixify, you want your money to be protected if a transaction happens to go awry. Safety and legitimacy are two separate entities, so, understandably, potential users like you have questions about the protections that are in place for Kixify buyers. Luckily, through Kixify’s partnership with PayPal, your transaction is protected using PayPal’s existing protection features. This way, your financial information is never disclosed to Kixify sellers. Still, be sure to do your research before shopping on Kixify to determine if it’s the right sneaker marketplace for you.
Is Kixify like StockX?
Yes, Kixify and StockX are similar because they’re both online marketplaces and reselling platforms. However, StockX is different from Kixify in the sense that on StockX, you can purchase streetwear, collectibles, handbags, watches, and more in addition to sneakers. And unlike Kixify, with StockX, you can rest assured knowing that you’re buying the real deal as every purchase is 100% Verified Authentic.
What is Kixify Select?
Kixify Select is a feature on the Kixify marketplace that gives you better peace of mind when you shop. Kixify Select guarantees the authenticity of the sneakers that you’re buying. To do this, Kixify employees verify the authenticity of the product themselves. It is important to note that this feature may not extend throughout the entire app/site.