Who doesn’t love a great deal on clothes right? Is the deal too good to be true and is it fake? Also, how do you spot a scam on Poshmark as well as other online websites?
- If the seller only accepts payment through Cashapp then it’s probably not legit.
- If someone wants you to email them then it’s probably a scam.
- If a seller lists clothing under a different brand then it’s probably not legit.
Keeping reading and I’ll share the #1 way to see if a seller is legit, I’ll share 5 ways to spot a counterfeit product and 5 tips on buying clothes from Poshmark.
Prevent Being Scammed on Poshmark?
Poshmark is a website that is for buying and selling fashion, jewelry, shoes, home decor, and other stuff. It was started in 2011 and is available in the U.S. Canada and Australia.
The first thing to look for when buying a product is the seller profile. All you have to do is click on the user name of a listing.
Here you can get more info about the seller. You can also click on the about link and see reviews of the seller. If the seller has a good reputation and has sold a variety of products then the seller is probably legit.
A brand new seller is going to be riskier.
According to Looksgoodfromtheback.com many closets on Poshmark or dead and the seller isn’t active. One way to know if a seller is legit is to send them a message.
If you get a message back then you know it’s legit. If you purchase an item without messaging a seller you could be waiting for a long time for an item that isn’t coming and that sucks!
The website does have something called Poshprotect. This means you will get a full refund if your item never ships or doesn’t match the description, but your time is money, right? Everything else means all sales are final.
The buyer also has 3 days to get a refund from Poshmark.
What is covered is if there is damage, an incorrect item or if it’s not authentic. What is NOT covered if you do any business outside the platform. This is why contacting someone through email or Cash App isn’t a good idea.
Also, what is NOT covered if the buyer changes their mind or if the item doesn’t fit.
You can find some great deals on the website and you have “some” protection, but there are still scams. Most of the scams are with high-end fashion clothes.
One scam that was circulating on the platform is when a seller lists an item under a different brand. When you click on the seller you can see the history of other items that they are listing.
If you see the same exact product is listed under a different brand then this is a big red flag. Sure, Poshmark can close an account if someone is selling fake fashion, but it’s very easy to get a new email address and create a new account.
Next, if you do purchase an item on the platform you have 3 days to look it over. Poshmark holds the money in escrow until you accept the item and leave the seller a review.
When you get the item you just want to ensure you’re happy with it within that 3-day window.
How to Spot a Fake?
Nobody wants to be tricked into buying a fake brand. One of the best ways to spot a fake is the stitching.
When a product is authentic, the stitching will appear much cleaner and better than a cheap counterfeit product. It’s also a good idea to check the stitching anyways to ensure you’re happy with what you’re buying.
Next is the logo, which might be the easiest way to spot a fake item. The logo should be “perfect” with no detail missing. If something is off with the logo then there is a good chance the item is not genuine.
If the item you’re buying has buttons then genuine brands should have the company name printed on the buttons. A fake product could use cheap-looking buttons that don’t have a label.
It’s also a good idea to Google the product you’re buying and see if it exactly matches what you’re getting. Maybe the logo is in a different area or something is missing and that can be a red flag that the product isn’t legit, but a counterfeit.
Lastly, you could look at the overall quality, and if something looks or feels cheap then that could be a red flag that it’s a counterfeit.
In the end, I do think your “instinctive feeling” is important and does help (at least I try to listen to mine).
Tips on Finding Deals on Poshmark!
One idea to find a great deal is you can search for only new items with tags. You can either type this into the search bar or there is a menu on the left where if you scroll down you can find the option.
Purchasing a brand new item with tags is better than buying the same exact thing from an expensive retail store. You can also use the search bar in a variety of ways.
You can be insanely specific or broad. You can search for a brand or just describe the item your looking for.
If you are shopping for an expensive item Poshmark does offer authentication if the price is over $500. How the Poshmark authentication works is if the item is over $500 the item gets shipped to the HQ of the company where other people authenticity by checking logos, tags, quality, and more.
Once they think it’s authentic they ship it to you and if they can’t confirm it’s the real thing they will refund your money. All the shipping is free for the authentication process, but you still have to pay the shipping to get to you.
Next, it’s ok to like items, so you can find them later and you can make offers. If you do make an offer on an item the worst that could happen is the person rejects your offer (big deal) or they could counter offer.
The best case is that person accepts your offer and you get a “great deal.” If your offer is accepted then that item is yours for the price, so don’t go “too crazy” with offers because you may be buying too much stuff.
Of course, making an offer on $1 for a $100 product isn’t cool right? Your offer should be somewhat serious!
Also, if you find a seller you like it can be a good idea to follow that person so you can find them again.
The last tip I have is the platform has a referral program. If someone uses your code they get $10 off and you gain $10 when that person makes their first purchase.
Your referral code is just your username mine is kevinguy1 and if you go to Poshmark HERE and enter my username you get $10 off your first order.
Conclusion
Poshmark has an estimated user base of 60 million people. Thanks to stupid Covid 19 and more people stuck at home, the platform has only grown in popularity.
It’s a great place to experiment with getting rid of some of your clothes for “cash” and perhaps buying clothes you are into.
Also, Poshmark has a flat fee for shipping that is $7.45 at the time of this blog post and the buyer pays this fee.
I hope this blog post on how to tell if a Poshmark seller is legit was helpful to you, bye for now.