Buying “pre-owned” designer goods online sight-unseen can be risky. One P2P marketplace has figured out a new way to put buyers’ minds at ease – Poshmark has launched a free authentication service that works on all orders over $500.
When a customer places an order for an item over $500, the seller receives a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label to send the item to Poshmark. Once Poshmark receives the item, it verifies and authenticates the item within 24-48 hours. When the item is approved, Poshmark packages the item and ships it to the buyer.
EcommerceBytes wrote about the fashion marketplace two years ago, and you can find more information on Poshmark’s page of FAQs.
The site is targeted at fashionistas who enjoy sharing and engaging on the site. “Shop from hundreds of thousands of women’s closets for new and gently used fashion at prices up to 70 percent off retail – all from your smartphone or on the web,” the company writes on its website.
Poshmark has 500,000 sellers with over 6 million items for sale and says its commission is half that of traditional luxury consignment shops. Sellers control their prices and manage inventory, and buyers can directly engage with sellers to negotiate prices, discuss product details, and ask questions. “These social interactions feel much like shopping in a physical store and put buyers at ease when purchasing big ticket items from sellers they’ve never met before.”
A Poshmark spokesperson explained the new authentication service is automatic on orders over $500, but Concierge is also optional for orders under $500.
See the Poshmark website for more information about buying, selling and fees.
