Eden for online bargain hunters, but watch out for the snakes! ThredUP’s promise of designer labels for less is an alluring one, which brings over a million users to the ThredUP.com website annually. However, the online consignment and thrift store does have its dark sides, with numerous users complaining that ThredUP is not honest with sellers, customer service is terrible, and products are of poor quality, among others. It would help if you were careful when using this service.
ThredUP is where you can buy and sell high-quality secondhand clothes. For many shoppers, ThredUP offers a convenient way to find brand names for lesser prices. Sellers love ThredUP because it gives them a chance to sell unwanted clothing for a profit and to declutter without stress. Many fans of the site also celebrate ThredUP’s commitment to helping the environment.
However, sellers may feel taken advantage of by ThredUP’s policies and lack of transparency. Some users report receiving the wrong item or being unable to arrange returns. As with all online transactions, it pays to do your research and make sure you understand the policies and practices before placing an order. While some people don’t care for the company, others report finding great bargains at ThredUP. Keep reading to find out more about ThredUP.
Table of Contents
- ThredUP company information
- What is ThredUP?
- Is ThredUP legal and safe or a scam?
- Is ThredUP reliable and trustworthy?
- The pros and cons of ThredUP
- Best ThredUP Alternatives
- ThredUP FAQs
ThredUP Company Information
| Website: | https://www.thredup.com/ |
| Headquarters: | Oakland, California, United States |
| Founded: | 2009 |
| Founder: | James Reinhart, Chris Homer, Oliver Lubin |
| Industry: | Consignment, Fashion |
| Contact: | 415-402-5202, support@thredup.com, https://www.thredup.com/contact |
| Trust Score: | Lower Medium |
| Social Media: | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest |
What is ThredUP?
ThredUP is a virtual consignment boutique where shoppers can buy and sell used clothing. Visitors can browse through collections and purchase individual pieces or full outfits. The company distributes clothing from a variety of retailers and brands, including designer labels like Hermès, Chanel, and Versace. All types of clothing are represented, from swimwear and casual athletic to designer dresses and shoes.
ThredUP also sells accessories, particularly handbags. The company markets itself as being a sustainable alternative to fast fashion. By encouraging people to sell gently worn clothing rather than throwing it away, ThredUP aims to reduce the amount of waste in landfills. ThredUP’s mission also extends to promoting the use of recycled or upcycled fabrics. ThredUP’s affordable pricing draws in millions of customers, resulting in more than a million orders being placed each month.
While ThredUP is free to use, there are a few unique things to note. Sellers have the last 7 days of an item’s listing window to reclaim said item, plus pay $5.99 for it to get shipped back. And if you went 50% above ThredUP’s suggested listing price, there will be an additional $5.99 reclaim fee (if it’s not purchased, of course). If you don’t reclaim unsold items, they become the property of ThredUP.
Is ThredUP legal and safe or a scam?
- Is the site generally legal? In all countries? Yes, ThredUP is a legal business in good standing based in Oakland, California. However, the business only serves customers in the United States and Canada, with no current plans to expand to additional countries at this time. It is important to know that Canada is limited to purchases from their Mechanicsburg, PA location only. If you’re trying to browse ThredUP from another country, you, unfortunately, won’t be able to access their site and will have restricted website access.
- How high is the chance of being scammed? Based on reviews, ThredUP seems to have an average reputation. It is very unlikely buyers will be scammed, as in asked to pay for merchandise they don’t receive. However, sellers should do their homework before using ThredUP, as there are many steps along the way where sellers could run into problems.
Since the company also has complete control over how the clothing is valued, priced, and marketed, many sellers have complained their items were sold for far less than they were worth as they have no say over how much the company sells their items for. There is also some concern that ThredUP deliberately marks up items so they won’t sell on time, then sells them for a reasonable price once the seller no longer qualifies for any commission.
- Does the site contain viruses or malware? No, ThredUP’s website doesn’t contain viruses or malware. However, for your own protection, always use trustworthy antivirus software when shopping online.
- Does the site steal sensitive data? To participate, users must provide their legal names, shipping addresses, and credit card or payment information. The company does use cookies to track users. However, there have not been any reports of stolen or sold data.
- Are there similar fake sites to be aware of? No, there are currently no sites pretending to be ThredUP.
Is ThredUP reliable and trustworthy?
- How good are the company’s overall web ratings? The ratings for ThredUP average around 2.5/5 stars. While most positive reviews are from buyers, most sellers are disappointed by their experiences and leave low marks on review sites.
Although ThredUP is a BBB-accredited business with an A- BBB rating, the company has poor ratings across many review sites. ThredUP has a miserly 2.0/5 stars rating from 2,585 reviews on TrustPilot and an even lower 1.0/5 stars rating from 3,467 reviews on Reseller Ratings. The company manages to receive an average 3.2/5 stars rating on Sitejabber from 5,784 reviews. These poor ratings clearly don’t speak well for ThredUP.
- Does the site have a refund policy? ThredUP’s return policy is considered very poor by the majority of users. Both buyers and sellers complain that the company charges exorbitant “restocking,” return shipping, and refunding fees of over $10 per garment. Items purchased in boxed sets or as “rescues” cannot be refunded. Refunds are typically unavailable after 7 days. Many users complain the company delays responding to them until a window of time has passed when refunds are no longer eligible.
- How many scam reports are there compared to positive reports? The company currently has over 549 complaints filed against them on the BBB. 33% of the brand’s reviews on Influenster list scams against sellers, citing gross underpayment for items or, in some instances, not receiving any payments at all. Most sellers claimed they were ripped off by ThredUP and regretted selling on the platform. Similarly, ThredUP’s reviewers on Trustpilot complained about mislabeled items, lack of refunds, inaccurate descriptions, and other disreputable behavior, hence, tagging the company as a scam.
- How reliable is customer support? The company has many complaints about poor customer service. Calls and emails are rarely answered. Many reviewers were sent to the company’s Twitter page to handle customer support issues but received no assistance. Many users say they reached out to customer support but did not hear back from them for weeks or months and that it was usually too late to get assistance, cancel orders, or arrange refunds.
The pros and cons of ThredUP
- Pro – Selling or donating clothes reduces the amount of clothing in landfills.
- Pro – Buyers can find high-quality merchandise and designer goods for less.
- Pro – Donors may be able to reduce a tax deduction for the amount of their donation.
- Pro – ThredUP donates some of its unsold items to those in need.
- Pro – Damaged items are offered at a steep discount to individuals who can repair them and use or resell them.
- Pro – People can easily minimize their wardrobes and get rid of unwanted items without having to drive them to a drop-off location.
- Con – Buyers cannot try on clothes before buying, and the company policy makes returns difficult and expensive.
- Con – Sellers have no control over how their articles are priced or marketed. Most sellers feel mistreated by the company and believe they were scammed.
- Con – ThredUP lacks transparency or accountability.
- Con – Company policies allow ThredUP to keep unsold merchandise and sell it for a profit later. Sellers may see their items deliberately mislabeled or hidden so ThredUP can keep the full sales amount.
- Con – Many reviewers complain of poor customer service.
- Con – The company operates as a for-profit business and has higher prices than many consignments or resale shops.
How does ThredUP make money?
ThredUP earns money by selling used clothing and accessories. Some people donate their used clothing to the company, allowing ThredUP to keep 100% of the resale price. Others attempt to sell their clothing on ThredUP. However, the company often rejects items, claiming they are not good enough to sell. These items are usually not returned to sellers. Instead, they are kept by the company and are often resold months later, when ThredUP can keep 100% of the profit. ThredUP also takes a percentage of all legitimate sales. This amount ranges from 20-95% of the sales price.
Best ThredUP Alternatives
Thinking about selling your gently-used clothes, or ready to update your wardrobe? We recommend the following solutions as alternatives to ThredUP:
ThredUP FAQs
Q. Are ThredUP clothes washed before resale?
A. No, the company does not launder clothing before selling it. They do instruct sellers to wash all items but cannot guarantee the cleanliness of items. Plan to wash or dry clean your new ThredUP clothes before wearing them.
Q. What is a Goody Box? Does ThredUP still offer them?
A. In late 2021, ThredUP discontinued its Goody Boxes. Buyers took a quiz to determine their style and received a box of ten handpicked items designed to suit their looks. The Goody Boxes had the advantage of delivering free shipping and a bundle of clothes to kickstart a capsule or seasonal wardrobe. ThredUP doesn’t offer these boxes anymore.
However, shoppers can use Bundled Shipping to save on shipping costs. With Bundled Shipping, you have a whole week to browse clothes, and all your choices will be packaged together. If you spend more than $79, the company will pay for your shipping. This is a new method of bringing buyers a lot of clothing quickly while cutting prices.
Q. How do I know designer clothes on ThredUP are genuine?
A. The company employs experts to authenticate designer labels and verify that items are genuine. Some sellers also include their initial receipts or purchasing information. If you purchase an item and believe it is fake, contact ThredUP customer service.
Q. What happened to the LUXE line?
A. In 2021, ThredUP temporarily discontinued the LUXE program. Previously, this had been a special program to allow sellers to submit bags with free return assurance (meaning unsold bags would be returned to sellers). The company still offers designer handbags and purses but no longer offers return assurance free. The cost is now $10.99 and must be paid upfront.
Q. How much do items cost on ThredUP?
A. The company sells a large variety of clothing, and the prices vary a lot. The cheapest kid’s item is listed for $1.99, while the cheapest women’s clothes are marked at $3.99. Mid-range items such as Nike or Gap brand merchandise sell for $6-50. Designer clothing and accessories can be many hundreds of dollars. At the time of this writing, a Hermès scarf sells for as low as $204 and a Chanel dress can be gotten for as little as $632.
Q. What is the commission structure for sellers?
A. ThredUP offers different commissions based on the sales price of the garment. ThredUP sets the sales price, which may be higher or lower than anticipated. The pricing of your listed items is based on various factors, including brand, style, condition, size, and overall saleability. ThredUP’s Commission structure is as follows:
| Items Value | Commission Percentage |
| $5-19.99 | 3-15% |
| $20-49.99 | 15-30% |
| $50-99.99 | 30-60% |
| $100-199.99 | 60-80% |
| $200+ | 80% |
Q. What designer brands could I find on ThredUP?
A. The website features many popular brands and designers. A few we found from a brief search were Miu Miu, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana.
Q. Does the company offer free shipping?
A. Free shipping is available on orders over $79. Otherwise, shipping costs $5.99 per item. For large quantities, buyers should consider the Bundled Shopping option.
Q. If my clothes sell for less than I think they are worth, can I cancel the sale?
A. No. ThredUP determines the sales value and does not accept input from sellers. Sellers cannot decide who purchases the item or for how much.
Q. Why would someone shop at ThredUP?
A. Many buyers enjoy ThredUP because they can find good-quality clothing for significantly less than they would pay in-store. Many items on ThredUP are brand new or very gently used, offering the same quality for 25-75% off the store price. Other clothing resales also use ThredUP. Their bulk boxes of damaged clothing can be purchased for very low prices and either repaired or dismantled for fabric. Some people buy them and resell items they’ve fixed up or improved.