The good, the bad, and the ugly from my ThredUp order
In a recent Five Frugal Things post, I mentioned placing a ThredUp order, and some of you asked for a post about my experience.
So, with thanks to Zoe, who graciously agreed to be my staff photographer, here's how the last order went.
Actually, let's start with Zoe, shall we?
Last year, Zoe had an Abercrombie navy dress that she loved to pieces. Sadly, she outgrew it, so when I saw this Abercrombie dress ($15.99), I thought she might like it.
And she does.
Comfy, and good for twirling.
Plus, if she doesn't outgrow it by the fall, a cardigan could make it work in cooler temps too.
Ok! On to me.
This Banana Republic shirt ($9.99) fit me pretty well, but I have no idea why I ordered something with colors like this. I usually look better in softer, warmer colors.
Also, I feel like this has kind of a mom look about it, maybe because it's a little on the short side.
So, it's going back.
I picked this next shirt ($9.99) because limey greens can sometimes work on me...but this one ended up being more of a yellowy green, and yellow is just not very good on me.
I did really like the way it felt and fit. Oh well.
I've been wanting a chambray shirt for a while, so I typed that into ThredUp's search bar and found this new with tags shirt ($18.99, tag was $54.50).
It looks kind of white, but it's really just a light blue. And I'm keeping this one!
It's a nice light weight, and the back tail has a little extra length, which is lovely. I think I'll pair this with my white jeans.
So, the ugly from the title?
That's this Gap dress ($16.99). It doesn't look TOO bad here...
but it's a super awkward cut, at least on me. It bags out in all the wrong places and the waist is too high for my long-torsoed shape.
It's also extremely unflattering from the rear, but I didn't feel like we needed photographic evidence of that. 😉
Maybe if the fabric was lighter, the whole thing would hang better. But the thick, stiffer fabric of this dress just doesn't work.
So, it's most definitely going back. Hopefully it'll look great on someone else!
Return Options
I chose the return shipping label that's free, which is great except that you get store credit instead of a refund.
(To get a refund, you have to pay for an $8.99 shipping label.)
But I'm sure that we'll be able to find something else at ThredUp, so I'm not too worried about having store credit.
So, what do I think?
ThredUp is definitely more expensive than thrift stores. But it is convenient to be able to easily browse through a huge inventory from the comfort of your own home.
And generally speaking (I've placed a few orders thus far), the things ThredUp sells are in super good shape and are from good brands, which is not always the case at Goodwill.
I'd say you end up paying Target prices for name brand clothes at ThredUp. So, if you're a Target shopper, ThredUp won't necessarily save you money, but it could get you better brands, and the satisfaction of buying used vs. new.
Get $10 when you try ThredUp for the first time!
I don't work with ThredUp on an official basis, but they do give every customer a $10 off referral link to share.
So, if you want to give this a try, click here to get $10 off at ThredUp.
P.S. I've heard that selling your clothes to ThredUp is an unrewarding experience, so I wouldn't really recommend that, unless you have really low expectations for how much you'll get paid. But my experience as a purchasing customer has always been good.
This post is a classic example of why I read what you write and trust what you say. This is the very first post about ThredUP (and I've seen a LOOOOOT of them) that isn't 100% rah-rah. Not that it's all negative, either, but you addressed some of the things I was thinking about it--namely, it's not as cheap as a thrift store, and I have a hard time spending even $20 on one shirt--and were honest about the fact that most of what you bought is being returned. Online shopping is hard for me--it's so hard to get a good idea of style, fit, and color on a computer screen--though heaven knows, living miles from stores like I do, it's also something of a necessity.
Thank you for your honesty (and willingness to show photos of unflattering clothing online. :).
Haha, well, I always love reading fashion posts that show the good and the bad, so I figured you all probably would too!
I also usually struggle with shopping online. When I do on Thredup I stick to the brands I have experience with and whose cuts usually fit me well.
My experiences with thredup have been mixed. Some things I've bought were great, but many of them also ended up being returned. One shirt I got had a rip in it! I wouldn't have even bought it at a thrift store. I feel like thredup is definitely a gamble. And now that every item seems to have a 1.99 restocking fee, it seems to be even more of a gamble.
Some items have a restocking fee, but I don't think all of them do. If they do, it's listed in the item details. I've never personally run into a restocking fee, but maybe it's just because I haven't bought anything very high end?
I'm so glad shopping is a good experience. I've also had a negative selling experience. They took very little for almost no money and it took a few calls to have my things sent back that they wanted to donate. (I know they have a donate option, but I'd like my donations to help local people.)
I second this. I probably sent in $500 worth of clothes and got $12. This included 2 pairs of shoes (chacos, even!), 4 or 5 pairs of pants, a dress, some skirts and a couple of shirts. I won't sell back to them again. Shopping has been good, but I wonder how long that'll last when selling is such a bad deal.
Also almost 3 months for them to get to my bag.
I felt the same way. I waited a very long time to get a $2 credit for a huge bag of clothes.
I'd much rather shop Goodwill or Target for clothes. However, I have gotten some expensive, name brand shoes in great condition for $15-$20.
Thanks for your honest post!
As a buyer, how do you feel about the fact that they give so little to the people selling the clothes to them? I would feel conflicted about that. I am not saying YOU should feel conflicted. 😉 Just that I was curious. Obviously most of the money that is spent for the clothes purchased is going toward shipping and ThredUp, not the person from whom they bought the clothes. But it kind of gives me pause to start shopping through them.
I've sold but never bought anything from them. However, I would have no issue buying. I understood when I sold to them that they are a buisness, and I was not going to make top dollar on my clothes. I was ok with that as a seller. It was mostly clothes I would gave donated anyway, so making any money was icing on the cake. When I take into account shipping, time to photograph/list items, the fact that they regularly run discount codes - it's not like I think they are making a ton of money at my expense. Anyone who is surprised by their payout did not do even a minimum amount of research and/or was not honest with themselves about the condition and seasonality of their clothes.
Agreed, seeking was easy, at least and I only sent thing I was giving away in any case. I don't love it local Goodwill so I don't mind that the remittance was donated elsewhere.
I agree with the posts here. I really like the honesty in this post and replies. I have had similar experience with ThredUp also. I got pennies on the dollar for a bag I sent in. I made a purchase and kept one of the three items I ordered. I sold to them expecting to get very little. Basically, nice stuff I will try to sell online myself first and what doesn't sell I figure I would donate anyway and so anything is better than nothing. If I end up with something cool with my credit I consider it an even trade. As a seller, ThredUp is my last resort and so I justify buying from them knowing it is a business and they are a middle man so I figure most sellers either have come to a similar conclusion. I still feel better not paying retail.
Well, I think that people who do repeated selling on there must be people who have a, "Well, I was just going to donate this stuff anyway!" sort of attitude, so they're just happy that they got anything. People who are serious about getting the most money out of their used clothes are going to try it once and then say never again.
So, I feel like if there are enough people out there who just want to declutter and view Thredup as a handy way to do that, then that's ok with me. And there must be enough people like that because I'd be surprised if Thredup's inventory is only provided by people who are first-time sellers with them.
I could be wrong! But that's where I'm at with it right now.
I have sold a lot of my clothes on ThreadUp and I was very happy with the experience. If anyone has ever tried to sell used clothing- at a yard sale or at a local consignment shop- it is extremely difficult. ThreadUp allows me to at least get something rather than nothing. I often get store credit for a better deal.
In terms of selling to ThredUp, they are VERY honest about their payouts and percentages. I've gotten some amazing payouts on high end items (and some very low payouts on lower end items). They have a chart where you can see what your payout percentage will be based on their selling price and they also have a payout estimator where you can type in what you're looking to sell and what people have been given recently as a payout. People really need to look at that if they're wanting money for their items, and then determine if they should still sell to them. If you don't do your research, you can get burned....but isn't that the same with a lot of things?
Thanks for sharing your review...but I disagree with you. I think that the yellow shirt looks fantastic on you!!!
I agree completely; was thinking the exact same thing!
I love your comment that the shorter shirt looked like a "mom" shirt. I've never thought that way about shirts, because I always think younger women can wear shorter shirts because they don't have the mom belly (that I do). I wear longer shirts to cover up my mom belly.
I have to also say that I was disappointed with the amount of store credit that I received when I sold clothing to them. I think I will just "yard sale" or sell on Facebook moving forward.
The only outfit that I think didn't "look good" on you was the pink dress. I see why you are returning it.
Well, if it was an inch or two shorter, then it would look like the hip cropped shirts that all the young women are wearing. And if it was longer, I'd think it looked like something a stylish mom or young person would wear. But that in between length just seems awkward to me!
Thanks for this post! I've ordered three times from ThredUp and have just had my first return, which was a pair of slacks that didn't fit at all. I hesitated to order slacks, because slacks can be so different in fit, even though they say they are the same size, and I should have followed my intuition. What I've ordered successfully are dresses, a skirt, and a couple of tops that fit just fine and I'm very happy with them. I'll have to alter a couple of them, as the sleeves are too long on one top and the waist too loose on one dress, but that's it. I returned the slacks for store credit, and will see how that goes. On this last order, I got a gorgeous Talbot's silk shirt on clearance for $6.99 so some real bargains are out there if you're lucky in your timing.
It's definitely not as cheap as thrift stores, but I can find more items in brands I like on ThredUp, and our Goodwill doesn't take returns, either, so the return option at ThredUp is appealing. I think my best plan is to shop both in person at thrift stores and online at places like ThredUp, with a little "new but on the clearance rack" on rare occasions.
I haven't tried to sell anything to ThredUp, and probably won't. I wear my clothes so long these days, I doubt they would accept them. I've tried to sell nicer clothes at consignment stores before, both kids and adult, and never once got a penny out of them, so I just yard sale or donate them. Rhetorical question: if ThredUp isn't paying enough to sellers, for how much longer will they keep getting clothes to sell? It seems like they would have to start paying enough to get repeat sellers, or finally run dry.
I was just going to say the same thing. I have heard same as FG states: ThredUp is great for buyers, bad for sellers. So it seems to me their days would be limited as people learn and decide not to consign to them.
Thank you for your honest review! I don't have the patience to sort through so many clothes for few successes - now I'm convinced that ThredUp isn't worth a try. I'm going to skip the service. However -- I'm at a point in life where my kids stay by themselves and can drive themselves - thus I have a lot more time to go to a brick and mortar store.
I find that TJ Maxx works best for me - Target prices (or a bit above) but extremely high quality clothing, unlike Target.
I often find great deals with good quality at Old Navy. They also extend into plus/curvy sizes which is awesome!
Thanks for the review. Definitely not for me. I can regularly find new designer clothes for way cheaper prices at Gabes. Great regional chain.
We love Gabe's here in PA!!
A different option is swap.com. Not always the fancy name brand clothes but if you watch you can find a few good items for a fair price too.
You look fabulous, Kristen! You don't look like you have teenagers
You rock those outfits!
Aww, thank you!
I think the shirts all look really good! But whatever you feel comfortable in. 🙂 And I agree on the dress; although I'm sure it's comfy to wear. 🙂 I personally prefer the thrift store, although you're right that it requires a lot more work to find stuff there. But it's $1 instead of $10!
I'm excited that they have maternity clothes! I'm going to check it out. I definitely don't need more regular clothes (I have a uniform/certain colors I can wear to work so I only wear my regular clothes on weekends) but I could use a few maternity tops soon!
Oh, wait, what?? I missed that you are pregnant. Congrats!!
Haha thank you! Almost halfway so getting to the point where I'll need some new clothes but can't justify buying brand new fir only a few months. This works well!
I order a TON of stuff from ThredUP...for me and my kids. I find their prices and quality of clothing is always pretty good. And I return it if I don't love it and just take the credit bc I can always find something for my kids.
I used to sell to them a lot too. Mostly my kids stuff that they outgrow bc they have grandparents that love to buy them high end, name brand clothing. But their payout has gotten really low and I made a lot more $$ selling my stuff locally (I got $107 for one large bin of clothes!). And they now take $9.99 off the top of your payout which basically leaves you with nothing. I still send them stuff on occasion that my local store won't take and that I plan on donating anyway. Saves me a trip to Goodwill :).
Interesting, and thanks for your review. I don't think that online clothing purchases are for me--I like to touch the material, see the colors in person, and try on to ensure I like the fit. Having to pay postage (plus the hassle of packing up and returning items)? No thank you. Then again, I live very close to our local retail area, including second-hand stores. Kristen, you can pull off a variety of styles, and that might add to the success of your shopping experience. I'm guessing that those who are harder to fit might be more frustrated. But I'm glad it works for you!
I was just extolling the virtues of ThreadUp to 2 colleagues this morning (and ironically, I'm wearing that Banana "mom" shirt in black and white today...and I'm not a mom!). I also have only bought and not sold, so I'm glad to hear others' input. It's been a great experience and returns are so easy.
I'm really glad you did a ThredUP review! I had lurked on their site for a while, but not purchased anything because, as you mentioned, their prices are quite a bit higher than brick and mortar thrift stores. However, I have a few specific items that I simply wanted to replace: as in, buy an exact copy of, and I've found that ThredUP has the best interface and search options for that (quite a bit better than eBAY, actually). TL:DR - I agree: if you shop at Target, you may not save money with ThredUP, but if you're looking for designer jeans, expensive work pants, or a very specific shirt that a certain brand no longer makes, ThredUP is a good option!
Oh gosh, I love you and have done so for a very long time, but I'm going to say something negative (I hate doing that 🙁 ).
Abercrombie & Fitch are terrible people, the CEO said that the company deliberately doesn't make their clothes in larger sizes because they don't want 'fat' people being seen in them. He was quoted as saying that he only wanted 'hot' and 'cool' people wearing his clothing.
For this reason you find a lot of A & F clothing in thrift stores, because people deliberately boycotted the brand.
I just thought you should know. I don't know how you feel about this, but knowing that a lot of A & F clothing has their logo on it somewhere, I think it's important to understand the brand you are representing.
I hope that you take this message in the spirit that it was sent, no criticism of you or your children, just wanting you to know about this particular company ♥
No worries! I only buy A&F stuff secondhand (no money goes to the company) and I only choose items that aren't emblazoned with the logo so that I'm not advertising for them. Zoe's favorite A&F dress from last year didn't even have the moose on it anywhere, which was great. Same with the dress from this year, unless it's hiding somewhere and I missed it. It seems like when you buy their more formal clothing, it tends not to have a logo (obv. not the same story with their t-shirts).
Last year I placed an order for 6 items. One was a pair of capris that turned out to be petite size and not marked. One pair of black dress pants turned out to be sweat pants thou not listed as such. A third item was something completely different than ordered or listed. I am not paying to return mistakes. Recently I was gifted 12 bags of name brand clothing, expensive shoes and 3 Coach purses. After reading reviews and seeing that I had to pay to send them in, I went in a different direction. I will stick to Goodwill and online clearance. So much cheaper than Thread Up and no one taken advantage of.
That was my problem with a recent TU order... 3 items and all were not as described - 2 skirts and both were 3-4" shorter than it said in the description, and a jacket that was sold as a women's size medium... received it and it was a MEN'S size medium. It was HUGE and so obviously a men's size (it was clear as soon as I took it out of the box) I'm shocked someone thought it was ok to list it as women's clothing. sheesh!
Hi this happened to me as well. I ordered and xs small shirt, but it was xs petite and it was not listed as that. Did they pay for the return shipping and give you all your money back? I left a message since they are closed on the weekend asking about returning when the error was theirs.
Actually, a lot of people are taken advantage of at Goodwill. They are a horrible organization, and very dishonest. Their CEO and high level people make Top $, while they use loopholes to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage (google it, there are many articles). They also fired an employee who gave a discount to someone who was truly homeless and could not afford anything there, and they refused to help victims of Sandy when they lost everything in their homes (I'm sure after other natural disasters as well, I just know of Sandy bc it was in my neighborhood). They get their inventory for free and do VERY little to benefit the people who they say they are helping, actually...take advantage of them. ThredUp isn't the BEST company ever, but at least they're up front about being a business/their payouts and they don't try to disguise themselves as helping people. The clothing industry is also one of the biggest contributors to global warming, so I haven't purchased clothing new from retailers in 2 years. Just not worth it for me, even if it's clearance when there's so much secondhand available. Anyway, not trying to be rude, but a lot of people wrongly think Goodwill is a great organization so just wanted to shine some light on that.
Happy Birthday Kristen!
Thank you! I'm so impressed you remembered.
Not sure this is for me but thought I would take a quick look to see if they have a specific type of shoe that Is wear (Dansko clogs). I used the link in your post, but seems like you must provide an email address even to take a quick look. I don't like giving email unless really necessary so they have lost a potential customer! Poor web-marketing!
I had a totally different experience with Thred Up.
I was dying for a Coach bag but didn't want to pay the full price. I had saved my money and found just the perfect one I liked on the website. I ordered it and even got the $10 off for first order.
Then all went bad...After less than a week of use, all of the 'leather" on the entire bag started bubbling and peeling. As in, it was a fake. It looked horrible and I was heartbroken. They have a zero return policy on handbags.
I contacted them immediately, with lots of photos and in my sweetest Southern belle voice, asked if there was a way to save our relationship (even with a no return policy on handbags).
They asked me to return the bag and in a weeks time, I had a complete refund in my checking account!
I guess it really was a fake, that slipped by them.
I haven't ordered another thing from them (especially a $100 bag). We have lots of outlet malls so I just hit up the Coach outlet. It was the only way I felt safe getting a 'real' designer bag...
I guess it is easy to say that I will not use them again, even though they had excellent Customer Support.
ThredUp is TERRIBLE for sellers. Strongly advise against using. I sent in a large bag of 10 items which I had selected to give to our extremely picky local consignment shop here in affluent Darien, CT (no stains, not vintage, all in extremely good condition). Decided to try ThredUp b/c I'd seen online ad. I got $5.50 back which I had to spend to get back the one dress they didn't want to sell (which I know I'll be able to consign for 5-6 times that amount). NEVER AGAIN!
Inspired by your many ThreadUp mentions, I checked out the site, searched up a price range, found a sweater that tickled my fancy, ordered it and it arrived yesterday! The site is so well organized, the sweater smells good, kind of like peppermint, the box and packaging were so cute and now I have an Ann Taylor turquoise sweater for work for a FRACTION of what it would have cost in stores, AND I'm re-using, AND I'm supporting a company that has recycling in mind. I WILL be using this site again for back to school shopping. THANKS Frugal Girl! Yes, I'm yelling.
You sound like an advertising.
This comment is painfully obvious that this is coming from Thredup's team. "Sweater smells good, kind of like peppermint." I have made countless orders and NOT ONE piece of clothing ever smelled like Peppermint. I also did not stick to my "Home Warehouse" so you can't blame that on a specific warehouse. I am bothered that the seller makes absolutely no money while Thredup is making a KILLING. I have stopped ordering from there. Unless they treat their employees like gold, upper management is the only one benefiting.
I have been using ThredUP for several months now and am excited that I have been able to get such great bargains. I have sent some back for credit. I have also sent a couple of bags for resale. I did not make any $ on a large bag of very nice clothing because of the fees charged. The next bag I sent was just for consignment but I have yet to see anything online with my items and it has been over a month. I like the bargains but I will not send anymore to sell unless I get something in return that makes it worth the effort. The sellers need to profit a little or you will lose your market. I also would like to see better information on shoes, such as a width and material. There are some shoes that I know have inside labels that show width and material in good brands. I need to know if it is a N and leather upper. I have to stick to brands that I know if this information is not listed.
I have ordered three times my only complaints. First I made a mistake and ask for store credit the person sent me a brief email, that was very ruse. There shipping times are so long, and yes they are a gamble. I bought a medium skirt and it was marked medium but it was stretched to a large. I have probably returned 50 percent of what I bought So yes a gamble. I agree to community policy
I'm excited to read a review on ThredUp! I've recently spent a lot of money on their clothes (I'm a little addicted to the app 🙂 ) and am super happy with about 30% of the clothes they've sent. The rest I have returned. I like that they do returns-for-store-credit, but the one drawback is that the returns take FOREVER to get to whichever warehouse they were sold from! Each return (FedEx!) has taken a week to even LEAVE my hometown (Los Angeles). I mailed one on 10/22 and noticed through tracking it's still nearly a week away from it's destination...in the meantime, ThredUp is making $$ on my money! Otherwise, I love the idea of recycling clothes in good shape, and rarely if ever buy new clothes. All in all, I would recommend ThredUp shopping. 🙂
Also - I would highly recommend the "Goody Box" option - you pay $10 up front and they send you 10 items (or more depending on the package you pick) to try on and return if you don't want them. Free return postage. You only pay for what you keep. There's a lot less risk, and they determine what to send you based on your Favorites. So far, I've had good luck with Goody Box, and love getting 10 items that I can afford all at once!
I just received a total of .53 cents for selling a pair of new brand-name pants that I paid $100.00 for. They still had original price tag on them & were never worn. What a rip-off!!! I should have just donated them to Goodwill.
My first experience with the Goody Box was 33% great. I'm having to return two-thirds of the clothes, including a few I cannot imagine looking good on anyone because they are so incredibly out of fashion (maybe never were in fashion). I think they should allow you to view what is in your Goody Box before it's shipped so that you can say definitely no to some items. Also, it seems like if you send a detailed list of instructions on what you want, they will only look at the first few items and then be careless about the rest of the list. This is based on one experience--undecided about whether I will do this again, will probably try other options.
I just bought a pair of ugg like boots that were advertised as almost new, and they arrived with the sole off the bottom. I have written three emails and they all come back!
I’d love to be able to reach them!