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The Chic Daily

5 Depop Buyer Do’s

Updated: Nov 15, 2023

By Angela Anderson and Grace Copperhite

By the app’s trendy and ethical appeal to fashion and good bargains; there are many spoken and unspoken rules both sellers and buyers should follow. 

Refer to this loose list of buyer dont’s as a rough guide to being a responsible and kind member of the Depop community!

1) Check Seller’s Reviews –

By checking a seller’s reviews, you are able to make sure the seller is credible. If sellers have many “sold” items on their page but little to no reviews, this is a red flag that the seller could be scamming you or that the seller was rude and hard to work with. Avoid buying from sellers with only a few reviews and try to find sellers with a multitude; sellers with a ton of reviews are usually kind, ship fast and are willing to negotiate!

Do a reverse image search on items. Sometimes sellers will steal pictures from online or other sellers, using photos from the website the clothes were bought from. This can also be a huge red flag because a seller could be pretending they have an item when in reality, they’re just trying to scam you. Doing a reverse image search also prevents you from buying from a seller who uses drop shipping. Drop shipping is when sellers “sell” items from fast fashion companies or other online retailers. The seller will go on the company’s website, buy the item, and use your address to ship your item to you. Drop shipping is bad for the environment; it contributes to the cycle of overproduction and workers are often treated poorly, which totally goes against the ethical nature of Depop.

2) Report Drop Shippers or Scammers – 

Being an active and responsible Depop community member means that if you encounter a seller who appears to be drop shipping, or witness any other type of sketchy conduct you should notify Depop. Reporting violations is easy and requires little effort, as depop takes care of the rest and looks into each report they receive. As described in the previous section, drop shippers are easy to identify, as they have unoriginal photos, long shipping times, varying sizes and colors of items, and lots of sales with little reviews.

However, other dangerous behaviors are varied; never purchase from buyers who try to get you to buy outside of the app, ask for personal information, or push you to buy something for very cheap, as they are likely scammers. Never respond to bots who ask you to send them an email or text a phone number and alert depop when you see accounts listing drugs and other illegal substances. By reporting sellers that go against Depop’s terms of service, you are helping to keep our selling and buying environment safe, ethical and better for everyone.

3) Correct Info is the Best Info – 

Always double check your address before making a purchase! Sellers often disclose in their bios that they are not responsible for lost items after shipping, so in order to get your items, make sure you have entered the correct address into your Depop account. Sometimes, sellers are willing to buy new postage and change your address, but you should be courteous and save them the hassle.

Make sure your bank account is linked to your Depop account so you can keep buying items without having to fix information or leave your buyer without payment. Avoid this mess by linking your PayPal account!

If you’re shipping items out, make sure that you have received payment from your buyer so you don’t potentially end up getting scammed.

4) Leave Feedback – 



Leaving accurate and constructive feedback helps future buyers trust the seller. A nice message about fast shipping, willingness to negotiate and the seller’s overall kindness will go a long way!

Reviewing sellers also gives them a better look. As we mentioned before a lack of feedback often indicates a rude or difficult seller, so leaving feedback (even if it’s just a star rating) will show potential buyers that this is a seller they can trust.

5) Shop Small – 

A huge part of Depop’s community is young entrepreneurs who have used the app’s merchandising platform to sell their own products, whether they’re handmade jewelry pieces or made to order custom clothing. As a way to support sustainable, small businesses opt in support of the lesser known shops and check out some of the many small businesses that Depop features on the discovery page.

 

What do you think of Depop? Let us know on Instagram and Twitter or leave a comment!

Reach Grace on Instagram and Twitter

Reach Angela on Instagram

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