This was based on an experience in late 2018. It was written then.
ThredUp.com is a scam. They buy and sell used clothing through the internet.
I am out $130 for 8 pairs of jeans because they've made it too difficult to return them. This seems like it may be intentional. ThredUp seems amazing at first: They have the best selection of fashionable used plus-sized jeans in good condition for good prices. They ship to Hawaii. My order did arrive promptly, sent by USPS Priority Mail, my prefered way.
ThredUP was good about letting me know when and where the clothes were being sent from. (4 different locations). The eight pairs of jeans I ordered were mostly close to new as promised. One had the beginning of some fraying; another was a children's item sent by mistake. The jeans arrived clean and unwrinkled, packaged in tissue paper & hard-sided packaging like the old days (prevents wrinkles).
So, what's the problem? I typically try on 10 to 20 pairs of jeans to find the ones I want. These just don't seem to be the particular ones for me. It turns out there isn't really a practical way to return them, and I'll be stuck eating $130 for jeans I will not wear. They do not give return labels in the packages like some companies do. ThredUP says you can print out return labels but my printer isn't working. I asked ThredUP to send me the labels. They said no and airily told me I could go to Fedex and rent a computer to print out labels.
Online, I found accounts from some people who tried to print out return labels unsuccessfully and others whose returns did not get properly credited. Then there's the numbers: The jeans were about $16 each. ThredUP charges a "restocking" fee of $1.99 an item and a $8.99 "handling fee." It's unclear if the handling fee is per returned item or per return package. It's not even clear if the "handling fee" is in lieu of return postage, or in addition. It looks like I MIGHT get about $5 back per jean. If I value my time, that would be a wash.
From online accounts it seems like trying to get postage and fees waived on the mistaken items could be a waste of time. ThredUP's return system would make me go to the Post Office or Fedex when other companies allow me to avoid that unnecessary errand. The confusion doesn't end there: I now have no idea which jeans came from which location. The packing slips don't say. If you search ThredUP's website they say they don't have pre-printed labels for Alaska and Hawaii. I certainly didn't get them. But is that referring to labels enclosed with the clothes or ones you print yourself? Would I have gone to Fedex just to fail to print the label due to this? That section of their website instructs Hawaii and Alaska customers to send returns to Pennsylvannia. That's as far as possible and would likely cost more. Is that intended to defeat returns? ThredUP's 14 day return policy makes cheaper parcel post unusable for many returns.
Many online reviews by ThredUP sellers depict it as scamming them out of their money. Find these reviews at the Better Business Bureau, P*ssed Consumers, Rip Off Report and more. In spite of the delicious clothing and other good qualities, if I had it to over again, I would not do business with ThredUP. Reason 1: unbelievable return boondoggle. Reason 2: Reviews by many burned sellers depict a fundamentally dishonest company.
ThredUP does not give most measurements for garments (just waist size?), uses a generic size chart, and does not link to manufacturers' size charts. If they wanted to prevent returns, wouldn't they do these things? They made me sign up before I could shop, send spam and are generally too aggressive with the marketing. My email requesting return labels was answered promptly, although the answer was no. read more