Thredup Review 2023: Make Money? Online Clothing Store Scam or Legit? Read this first!
If you are reading this Thredup review, likely you have bought, sold or tried to sell clothes on this consignment store website. Or maybe you want to make a few bucks by cleaning out your closet. On any note, if you are curious about using Thredup online consignment store, then you are wondering is Thredup legitimate or just a scam? If this is the case, then keep reading to see what I discovered..
Table of Contents
What to Expect In This Thredup Review 2023
In this Thredup review today I will tell you about our personal experience with Thredup, what we really think about them and some things that you can do to get your money back from them.
Who Is Thredup Anyway?
To keep this short, Thredup Inc at www.thredup.com is basically one the largest online resale platforms for women’s and kids apparel, shoes, and accessories. You can think of them as an online consignment or thrift store that allows people to buy or sell used clothes.
Based in San Francisco, California, CEO & Co-founder James Reinhart in 2008 opened his closet and couldn’t find anything to wear. While in Cambridge, MA the idea came to him that gave birth to Thredup. Apparently he started piloting this idea in 2009 by initially sharing men’s shirts. The idea caught on and later became what some view as the largest online marketplace to buy and sell secondhand clothes.
They seem to have built a large community following online with social media Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram .
How We Heard About The Thredup Online Consignment & Thrift Store
Recently, my wife ordered 3 dresses online that totaled about $85, but with a coupon code would have been around $25! It sounded at first like an amazing deal and savings. This is not the first time that she has bought clothes and things online, rather the first time that resulted in headaches using this company Thredup.
When the dresses arrived, she didn’t like it and wanted to request a Thredup refund. The problem? Thredup does NOT have a direct customer service phone number available on their website:(
Was that your case also? If so, I want to hear your experience in the comments below. We have searched all over their website for contact us links and the only way to reach anyone is via email. Crazy!
What kind of company offers customer service via email only? Very impersonal. My wife emailed them and got no answer. She emailed again and still didn’t get any response for when she would get her refund. Still waiting after 2 weeks of returning the items.
Should You Use Thredup to Sell or Buy Your Clothes?
The purpose of this Thredup review 2023 is not to tell you what to decide. Simply we just want to warn you of our personal experience and that of others who had no success communicating with the company per our research.
People have complained about a number of things such as the listed cost of items posted on their website versus what they were paid for selling them to Thredup. Also, many complain about no live customer support, being charged to receive clothes back in the mail that could not be purchased, etc.
One thing that I did is conduct a search for “Thredup phone numbers” online. Of course, if you are reading this Thredup review you already know that their website www.thredup.com doesn’t have any contact numbers visible on any of page links.
Thredup Reviews BBB
I found this number 415-402-5202 on their Better Business Bureau file online. [Link will open another tab]
As you will see on their BBB file there are 545 negative complaints that have already been filed against this company. I wish only we would have known this prior to using Thredup.
I also found this number 617-575-9676 on ComplaintsBoard. There, the most common Thredup complaints are:
- They are stealing clothing & money from consumers
- They are missing items in shipment
- There is no customer service and
- Avoid this place at all costs
Also, when you take a look places like Trustpilot.com you will see a lot of negative Thredup reviews there from past users.
They have only 1.7 stars using a 5-star rating scale:
- 37% say they are an excellent company
- 9% say great
- 4% say average
- 8% poor
- 42% say that they are a bad company
On the Trustpilot site you will notice lots of Thredup complaints. People say that:
- They are a scam and steal from you
- Money launderers
- They are horrible for selling and just don’t recommend them at all
- Some even expressed that the website is a complete waste of time.
Why do I shared all of this feedback with you in our Thredup reviews 2023?
Being that we live in the era of BEWARE, and after having this experience with a lack of customer service and no Thredup refund to date, we would NOT recommend using the Thredup website at all.
It seemed like a good idea in the beginning, however turned out to be a headache and we lost our money. This is why I decided to share our Thredup review with you today. This way you can hear the good and bad. More bad than good in my opinion.
What has been your personal experience with them? What brought you here today to read this review? Let me know in the comments below. I would appreciate your feedback.
Do People Make Money With ThredUp?
Although the buying process from ThredUp seems okay, I don’t recommend selling your clothes on ThredUp to make money. This ThredUp review on Youtube explains why. Watch it and then feel free to leave your comments below.
Are Thredup Clothes Washed?
According to what I found, the answer is NO. They simply require that clothes are clean when sent to them. This idea really bothers me as to others. Why? You just never know what you are getting.
Are you buying clothes online that have bed bugs? Will they have stains? What if a person gets sick from the clothes being they were not cleaned or washed? Some questions that need answers that I have not found yet…
What do you think about this? Would you buy clothes that are not cleaned? I know that local thrift stores and consignment shops typically do clean clothes and I have never had any issues with this.
What To Do? Any Good Thredup Alternatives
There are many legit consignment and clothing stores online that are reputable and don’t have bad reviews online. So many people have had bad experiences that now are looking for some good Thredup alternatives to buy or sell clothes.
If you really want to find great deals on quality clothes and things online, I recommend just sticking with reputable sites like Etsy, eBay [Close5 marketplace] and Amazon. You can not only buy clothes, but also sell your them on these websites. Some other great places to try online are:
- Letgo
- Poshmark
- Kixify
- Wallapop [free mobile virtual flea market]
- VarageSale
- StockX
- Mercari
- 5miles
- Wishlocal
- Wayfair
- and more!
These are several Thredup alternatives that I have found online that will let you sell or buy clothes from the comfort of your home. Give some of them a try and let us know what you think in our comments area below.
Another thing that you can do is support your local economy and sell or buy from consignment stores near your area. This way you can with someone in person locally and get refunds if needed. It will surely be less of a hassle if you go this route in my opinion. But at the end of the day you just want to get what you need and have a smile 🙂
Thredup Reviews Reddit
When you check online for any Thredup reviews reddit, you will see that some talk a lot about the Thredup smell on clothes. Many users say that it seemed like something was sprayed on the clothes similar to a very strong perfume. They have tried things like vinegar to remove the smell, but have not been successful.
Another experience from a woman who claims Thredup took her 22 items from her and sold them, yet she didn’t get paid. As a result, she doesn’t recommend selling or buying on Thredup.
Another woman shared her selling experience on Thredup where she sent them 9 items which were accepted and sold. Again, she was not paid the $22 promised. She said they didn’t offer direct deposit to bank accounts and that if you use Paypal, then there is a fee. They gave an option of receiving a gift card which was never received.
After reading these experiences, I don’t recommend selling or buying items there either as part of this Thredup review.
Thredup Review Conclusion
Is Thredup legitimate or just a scam? It a legit company, but the way that they conduct business doesn’t sit well with many of their past users. Due to our personal experience and that of other past users, we do not recommend using their online clothing store at all.
If you really want to make money some extra money by cleaning out your closet, then I think it would be better to list your items yourself versus using companies like Thredup!
If you want to make some real money online from the comfort of your home, I recommend taking a FREE tour right now of my #1 recommended opportunity for beginners! Over 400,000 people have joined in 6 months and love it and you will too! You can do this either part time or full time. You decide. Check it out below!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Thredup A Good Idea?
Based on our experience and many others that I read online, I can’t recommend them in this Thredup review. Of course you can go to your local thrift store and probably find some better deals on clothes. Thredup mostly sells clothes for women and kids, but doesn’t sell any clothes or items for men. So if you are man looking to save money on clothing, then they are NOT for you.
Some think that Thredup is a total scam and don’t like their practices. Some users recommend that you always inspect clothes in front of a light first that way you can return it. Apparently some women have seen holes in their clothes and couldn’t believe that the company would actually send them like that 🙁
Does ThredUp Have Bed Bugs?
Thredup says that they accept clean clothes, but it’s not required to wash clothes before mailing them to their distribution center to sell. Thredup doesn’t wash clothes so this means that there is always a possibility of getting clothes with bed bugs.
It’s recommended to apply lots of heat to get rid of bed bugs while thrifting. Typically, one cycle in the dryer will kill adult bugs and eggs so it should be okay. However, if you go to a local thrift store, most do clean the clothes before selling them.
Is Thredup Legit To Buy?
Thredup has been around for a very long time selling primarily clothing for women and kids on their website. They are even traded on the stock market so they are legit to buy from online. However, based on our personal experience and that of others, I would say that they are not the best place to spend your money or do business with online.
Is Thredup New or Used Clothing?
Per their policy, they accept clothes that gently used. What does this really mean? I guess it means that they accept clothes that are not new and obviously are used. But again, if you go to any local thrift store or consignment shop, most of the clothes are used. However, depending on the stores that you go to, it’s also possible to find brand new items.
Does Thredup Only Accept Designer Clothes?
Thredup appears to accept all types of clothes including designer clothes, purses and accessories. They say that they don’t accept any fake designer clothes. If you want to sell your designer clothes and purses, I recommend that you use another service.
You could get more money for your items by selling them by yourself on eBay, Amazon or locally at pawn shops. Thredup does pay, but not as much money as its competitors.
Can you return things on Thredup?
Supposedly per Thredup return policy, you can send the items back and get your money back. According to them, the item must be returned in the original condition within 14 days and postmarked from the date of delivery. They must be returned to their 580 Horizon Dr, Suite 200 Suwanee, Georgia 30024 location to process.
However, you should know that there is $1.99 restocking fee and you are not refunded for shipping charges. Thereafter, their policy says that if your purchase was done with store credit, then you get credited within 5-7 days. But if you used a credit card, then it take 3-5 more days to process Thredup returns.
I think that the system for processing Thredup returns is way too long for clients. In our case as mentioned above, we didn’t get our money back at all. So it turns out that you can return things on Thredup, but if you are expecting a refund, then that is completely up in the air. We didn’t get a refund as promised by customer support and as a result we will no longer use their website.
Sent in a bag of good hardly used, too good to throw away, name brand clothes in hopes of making a little money. Yes, I went to trouble of packaging them in my own bag/box because unlike what they advertise (will mail you a bag to put your items in) they do not even provide you with a bag/box to put your stuff in. I packaged and took the trouble of taking the box to the post office to mail it out. It took forever to get any acknowledgement they received the items-after I sent an e-mail inquiring about them, after months of waiting. Then another forever went buy an e-mail came through stating they are in the “process” of processing the items. It’s been over 6 months plus since the box was mailed out. The bottom line is you will not get any money for your good clothes, granted you didn’t want them anymore, but know you will not get a dime from this company. What you will get is a bombardment of sales pitch e-mail nearly every day in your mailbox! Yes they have your e-mail because that’s how they were going to communicate with you! My advise is if you want to make money, don’t use thredup but use some other reputable site or just have a yard sale. If you just want to give your things away, then donate to non-profit organization not to a company like this that makes money off of you but do not pay anything for them. Totally bad experience, overall!
Thanks Ms. Kim for your comment. Yeah we don’t recommend Thredup at all. It’s a complete waste of time. And I agree with you that yard sales are better.
Do not shop at tu, and do not sell to tp. This company is unethical, lying, scamming, and stealing from buyers and sellers. Why anybody would ship their clothing to a company with such a bad reputation is beyond me. They falsely advertise, “items are new with tags” however many times the item arrives with a major damage, defected, old, smells, or has stains, and I have seen complaints about various bugs as well…! Disaster waiting to happen…It wouldn’t surprised if someone ends up getting sick…
False advertising is a clear violations according to the FTC.
It’s beyond me how some women keep buying from them even though they received items not as described or damaged that had to be returned. The hassle, the aggravation and the time spent for these returns are not worth buying and I fail to see where the bargain is. How desperate can you be! There are so many great places to purchase truthfully described women’s clothing online at great prices! And I love how some of these women that sell at tu claim how easy it is to just “bag your stuff and send them to tu” instead of taking them to their local thrift store or local charity if donating, but say nothing about the trouble, aggravation to return, and the the trip to the post office…and if for some reason they fail to return them within 14 days they are stuck with them, or the ones that claim to be so environmentally sensitive and feel justified to sell to tu (a scamming company owned by stockholders, and having items travel from warehouse-to warehouse across the country for weeks before they receive them, instead of supporting their local small thrift shops and their local market place and or local small charities. Sad.
Thanks Lucy for sharing your experience. I don’t recommend using ThredUp either.
Great concept. For two years, one of my favorite ways to thrift. Most recent 2 orders were complete messes. Not even sure I received the advertised items- this happened twice. Sizes were off. I was charged high price for shipping – and I paid it to get my item faster. My item was shipped after the date for lower cost shipping and I waited longer. Customer service is email only and not responsive or helpful.Disappointed they are ruining a good thing, but at least thrifting opportunities exist outside of ThredUP
I am one of those people who uses and loves ThredUP. From the selling side I have no experience – only have made purchases from the site. What I have ordered is exactly what was received. On one occasion a package was lost – I sent an email stating it never arrived and was credited for the amount within 24hours. As things happen, the package arrived a few days later. When I e-mailed stating the box had arrived I got a call back (yes, a call with a real person) saying just to keep the refund and the dress. It was too complicated to reserve the process. This is a practice very similar to Amazon.
Returns are so easy – tell them what you are sending back – put it in the box with the printed return sheet – print the label – drop off at USPS – and as soon as it leave the USPS office – there is a credit on your account.
Full disclosure – most of my purchases have been “New with Tag” or “Like New”
I have used thredup for over 3 years now, both donating and selling my clothes. I would rate it ‘fair’; however, I have noticed that the things I have sent in that they don’t accept for my sales are actually being sold by them for pure profit. How do I know? I had a custom-made shirt that they did not accept as part of my collection of sales. During a search, I found the item being sold directly by them. I’m not using thredup to make a profit; however, it irks me that they appear to be doing this.
I’m waiting for my last sale collection to be processed and hopefully sold. After that I will use that money to purchase the last from them.
On a positive note, I have found that when returning items, they do take a small return fee; however, once the free return label has been processed by USPS , it automatically notifies thredup that the return is in the mail and they credit me instantly, sometimes the next day.
All in all I’d give thredup a B.
Thanks Teri for sharing your feedback and experience with Thredup.
I can’t stop the effing thread up pop up ads!! I have tried everything I know to do but they keep appearing with annoying frequency!! Any one able to help me deal with this issue?