Poshmark Review: Complete Guide to Buying and Selling for Profit ($$$)

With the current Marie Kondo decluttering movement, it seems as though everyone is purging their closets to maximize their happiness.

In doing so, most people would prefer to instead make some quick cash off of their second-hand clothes or outgrown items, then donate them or throw them away. While we would all like to be philanthropists, it’s hard to say no to a little revenue from selling your clothes.

While there are quite a few methods to sell your items, such as hosting a yard sale, frequenting thrift stores and consignment shops, or using Facebook’s online marketplace, a longstanding online option is Poshmark. But how reliable is the site? Can you actually make extra money?

Maybe you don’t even know what Poshmark is or what to sell on Poshmark. If that’s the case, we’re going to give you the A-Z tutorial on how to become a Poshmark fashionista.

This will help you evaluate if it’s the right choice for your gently used item sales or future consignment shopping needs when you’re looking for ways to avoid paying retail prices.

What is Poshmark?

Poshmark originated in 2011 as the smartphone Poshmark app and an online platform to sell gently used clothing online. For the most part, sellers and buyers capitalize on the site for apparel and accessories, such as designer purses.

However, Poshmark can also support sales of other items outside of designer clothing, too. But, it doesn’t seem the platform has quite reached the breadth of selling diversity of eBay.

To buy or sell on Poshmark, users must create accounts that require a breadth of information. If you’re establishing a user profile, you’ll need to provide everything from necessary information, to more intimate details such as shipping address info and payment methods. These details are important to include because, if you ever intend to buy or sell on the site, they will need information on how to offer you a full refund or create a shipping label.

While anyone can post any label name for resale on the site, it’s most popular or use is for high-end luxury brand items. Some of the more popular items include Tory Burch shoes and accessories, Prada and Michael Kohrs handbags, and Burton snowboarding gear. All of these designer labels and more are available.

Poshmark can also assist if you are seeking a unicorn item that you found once, and haven’t been able to locate since. The platform may be able to assist you in gaining access to the brand that you found and loved but has since disappeared, or a current trend item that you would like to wear but not pay full price for.

Is Poshmark Legit?

Poshmark is a “legit” marketplace. There are rules, regulations, and specific processes buyers and sellers must adhere to, to utilize the site. However, much like anything else in life, there are ways that people take advantage of the systems in place.

This doesn’t decrease the legitimacy of a site, but it does compromise the reputation when a buyer or a seller has a bad experience due to someone neglecting to follow the rules.

How Does Poshmark Work?

Selling on Poshmark is an involved process and one that you’ll want to attack from a desktop or laptop computer, as opposed to your phone’s app. This is because when you post your items for reselling, you’ll need to take pictures, write descriptions, and file the item.

While you can accomplish all of this from your smartphone, the convenience of having the ability to type with two hands is useful with everything you’ll need to do to make your extra cash.

When selling on Poshmark, you’ll meet some heavy competition.

Although you may have some fantastic brand name types of clothing items that are new or used, so do a lot of other users. From a buyer’s perspective, this makes Poshmark purchasing a gem.

Lots of choices in every size, color, and price point provide plenty of options. However, from a seller’s perspective, you’ll need to keep your eye on how other sellers are pricing their items without compromising their profit after Poshmark’s transaction fee.

Take note of their techniques, as they will give you insight as to how they are successful with their sales and making money. This will require some footwork on your end.

So, be aware that Poshmark isn’t precisely a “post it and forget it” method of sales to get free money.

Here are a few other details that are worthwhile to consider when selling on Poshmark.

Guide to Selling on Poshmark

When posting an item to sell on Poshmark, it’s a good idea to take multiple photos of the item. You will also want to provide an accurate description and provide detailed information on the available sizes.

A lot of sellers are scant on these details. Whether it’s a desire to be deceitful or laziness is up in the air. However, if you want to maximize your selling potential and create more closet space, taking the extra time to post in detail is necessary.

Make sure you’re attentive to important details about your item.

For instance, does it come from a smoke-free home? Do you have pets, and should your buyers be aware of any allergens that may arise with your item? Are there any stains or areas of visible wear and tear that you should point out? Is the item brand new and never worn? Have you laundered the item?

These are all questions your buyers want to know answers to, and in this case, what the buyer wants, the buyer should receive.

Another facet to consider is providing accurate sizing information. One thing that many fashion bloggers can agree upon is that sizing varies from store to store, brand to brand.

So, while including the numeric size of an item is helpful, going the extra mile to provide exact measurements in centimeters or inches on every item might also entice your buyers even more. Some sellers also go as far as including the brand’s sizing chart in their pictures, so that buyers have easy reference to the sizing associated.

Poshmark does not require any seller to include these details, and as we said, many don’t. However, from a buyer and sales perspective, this is the best way to approach posting and selling online.

How to Sell Fast on Poshmark?

The best way to sell your items quickly on Poshmark and make a quick buck is to be attentive to your shop.

This includes taking plenty of good quality pictures of the items you’re selling, providing detailed descriptions including sizes and measurements, and sharing your items daily.

Like any job in sales, the more you promote your product, the better chance you’ll have of regular transactions, resulting in more ways to make money.

How Do You Bundle on Poshmark?

Bundling on Poshmark is quick and easy. But first, let’s define what bundling is.

If you want to purchase more than one item from a seller, you can request to bundle the items and receive a discount for buying a larger quantity. To do this, you simply have to place the items in your cart and request a “bundle” when you receive the payment prompt.

Often shops will have a bundle discount selling option offer in place. If the shop you’re buying from does not, you can send a proposal of the amount you would like to pay for your bundle of clothes.

For frugal shoppers, this is an ideal opportunity, especially on items that are not worn quite as much, such as kids’ clothes.

How to Host a Party on Poshmark?

Hosting a party on Poshmark, commonly known as “Posh Parties,” require that you are a member of the community in good standing, with a solid following, you regularly purchase and sell clothing online, and that you complete the application process.

So, unfortunately, if you’ve yet to make your first purchase or are just now listing your items from a closet cleanout, you are not eligible for the program. If Poshmark accepts your application after review, then you are eligible to begin hosting Poshmark parties.

The benefits of hosting a party are visibility to buyers. When you host a party in Poshmark, your item viewers increase dramatically.

Make sure that you’re aware of the seller fees that Poshmark imposes on your items and that you calculate flat rate shipping costs into your sales price.

How to Sell Wholesale on Poshmark?

The Poshmark Wholesale portal is a new feature that Poshmark created to enable individuals to buy small amounts of inventory to re-sell within their shops.

To qualify and use the wholesale portal, individuals must complete certification. Once the certification is complete, they can begin purchasing off of the wholesale portal, from a list of brands sold. If you are a seller whose popularity thrives off of your vast selection of a particular brand, the portal may be an ideal option to increase your inventory.

Just be sure to uphold Poshmark’s customer service requirements, and continue to promote your items across social media. This will be the best way to ensure you’re generating enough income from others who are shopping online.

How to Get More Followers on Poshmark?

Much like the information from increasing your sales and rapidly selling your items, you will want to provide excellent customer service to your shoppers.

You’ll also want to share other items that are for sale in shops you follow and have a positive reputation within the Poshmark community. Associating yourself with other quality sellers may help you gain an increase in followers at a rapid pace.

How to Increase Sales on Poshmark?

To increase sales on Poshmark, you’ll want to assure you’re reaching your target audience and gaining regular shoppers who endorse your items. This means that you’ll need to keep Poshmark’s customers happy by selling quality items that are never knock-off brand names.

Ask your buyers to leave reviews for you when you’ve made a sale and check-in with them to ensure they’re happy with their purchase. Also, be sure to honor the return policy if your buyer is unhappy.

There’s nothing more frustrating than asking a question and being either ignored or failing to receive an answer promptly. That’s why if you’re selling on Poshmark, you should communicate openly and regularly with your buyers.

There is little privacy involved with buyer and seller communications on Poshmark. If a buyer has a question, they post it as a comment on the item, and the seller answers at their convenience. Sometimes this is a good thing, because the subject may be a common inquiry, and others will want the information, too. However, if there is any dispute associated with an item, it becomes public knowledge.

The one exception to public communication is that individuals can request to bundle items (i.e., purchase more than one item from the same person at a discounted price), and in this circumstance, a private chat can begin.

How Much Does Poshmark Take?

As you may assume, Poshmark does take a cut of the sales of the items listed on their site. While the platform will not charge users to post items, as some other platforms do, it does take a percentage of the profit earned from a sale.

If you sell an item that is under USD 15.00, Poshmark claims a standard $2.95 for an item at this price point. This is important to know because it would be almost pointless to post any items under $10 because of this cut.

After your item sells, we [Posmark] deduct a small fee from the final order price. For sales under $15, the fee is a flat rate of $2.95. For sales above $15, the fee is 20% and you keep 80%.

If an item is over USD 15.00, Poshmark takes a commission of 20% of the sales. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially if your item is a high ticket item, new, with tags, and you’re trying to recuperate your initial investment.

However, with an estimated 50 million users on Poshmark, it seems like access to a buying community of this magnitude justifies such a high commission cut.

Now that we’ve tackled the information from a seller’s perspective, let’s dive into a buyer’s view of the platform.

To reiterate the information we provided above, if you want to communicate with a buyer, you must comment on the item that you have a question about and wait for a reply. It can be a gamble whether the seller replies to your inquiry, so you may not receive the information you requested.

If you want to communicate with Poshmark directly, this seems to be another area that can be a bit “gray.” There is no direct phone number to speak with Poshmark customer service representatives. As you might imagine, this can cause frustration and confusion. Consider this issue as we gracefully transition to our next topic of refunds.

Whenever you purchase anything, it’s essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the return policies associated. With Poshmark, this is a topic that receives a ton of mixed reviews. As mentioned above, there’s no way to contact Poshmark customer service via a phone call.

Therefore, if you have a complaint about an item that you bought, you must go through their multiple step process. This begins with accessing your account and navigating to the area within your profile identified as “Problems/Order Inquiries.” From there, all communications are online, and you may or not receive the resolution you desire.

In some cases, we’ve noticed that the most effective method of submitting a refund request is by contacting the Better Business Bureau. When you do this, you’ll want to provide information on your issue and offer a review of your Poshmark experience.

From there, many users have had success allowing the BBB to work their magic to initiate Poshmark addressing valid concerns.

Keep in mind that a lot of the time, the items available for purchase on Poshmark are gently used. So, a seller’s description of an object can be open to interpretation. Make sure, before you purchase, you can access all the information you need to make an informed decision about the item you desire.

If you can’t find the information you want, or you are not receiving adequate communication from the seller, then it’s best to pass on the item to avoid future complications.

Poshmark may be one of the toughest reviews we’ve had to give yet. It’s very 50/50, and a lot of people have complaints about the platform. However, there are plenty of delighted users on both the buyer and seller side of things.

From our own buying experience, Poshmark has been a huge win. We’ve always received our items in excellent condition, accurate to the description.

An acquaintance recently sold some pieces and deemed the platform a rip-off, when a buyer requested a refund stating she never received the sent items (even when the shipping company confirmed the delivery). Poshmark honored the refund, and our friend was out of the pants and her money.

The bottom line is that you need to weigh your options and determine if the platform is worth your time and energy. If you’re not someone who minds taking time to buy or sell with comprehensive due diligence, Poshmark may be a perfect avenue for you to purge your old items or find hidden gems.

However, if you’re looking for quick and easy, you may be out of luck with this particular platform.

Keep in mind, that if you’re selling items of little value, Poshmark’s cut of your revenue may be more than the effort you’re willing to exert to purge your pieces. Therefore, in our opinion, Poshmark is best for those who have high value, brand name items that are gently used and can generate a significant payout for the seller.

Originally published at https://yourmoneygeek.com on February 14, 2020.