If you’re considering selling fashion items quickly on a platform that empowers women, you’ve likely encountered Tradesy. However, you shouldn’t dive into this peer-to-peer marketplace without reliable information.
You might also wonder if this side hustle suits you, which is why you’ve started researching Tradesy reviews. Before listing and selling items on Tradesy, there are several key things you should understand. You’ll need to know how this luxury fashion resale marketplace operates, its advantages and drawbacks, and whether superior alternatives exist.
This comprehensive Tradesy review covers everything you need to know about the online marketplace, helping you determine if the Tradesy side hustle is right for you.
How Does Tradesy Work?
Tradesy operates through an app and website that enable you to sell secondhand women’s high-end fashion and luxury items at competitive prices. This includes designer goods like clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, and wedding-related items—provided they’re authentic. Expect to find coveted brands like Louis Vuitton or items with that signature Louboutin-red dust bag.
To sell an item, sellers simply create a listing. Once sold, you ship it directly to the buyer. Keep in mind that customers may contact you with questions, requiring prompt responses.
For shipping, you have three options:
- Shipping kit
- Prepaid FedEx shipping label
- Ship it yourself
Always provide the buyer with a tracking number and valid return shipping label. For detailed information about these shipping methods, click here.
Once you receive earnings, you can convert them to site credit for future Tradesy purchases or transfer them to your PayPal, debit card, or bank account.
Registration is available through either their app or the Tradesy website.
The Pros of Selling on Tradesy
Understanding how Tradesy functions is just the beginning. Let’s explore the advantages of selling on this platform.
The Tradesy App
The Tradesy app features a clean, intuitive design that stands out as one of the platform’s strongest points. Prospective sellers simply tap “sell” at the bottom to begin the listing process.
The app then guides you through each step of listing. You’ll select your item’s category, making it easier for potential buyers to discover your listing.
The Listing Features
Tradesy streamlines the listing process. You can include extensive item details, and the platform supports multiple high-quality photos.
Unlike competitors, they provide suggested pricing if you’re unsure how to price your item. You can also enable “smart pricing,” where Tradesy adjusts your price based on buyer demand, helping you sell faster while offering buyers attractive deals.
They’ll even edit your primary photo’s background to create a clean white backdrop for display.
Another convenient feature: if you purchase an item on Tradesy and decide you don’t want it, you can easily resell it using the “relist” option. This makes reselling unwanted items incredibly simple, and you can negotiate prices before finalizing sales.
Shipping Options
As mentioned, three shipping options provide flexibility in completing sales and managing costs.
The prepaid label option costs $10.50 but allows you to use any box for items under 10 pounds, ensuring secure packaging. For larger items, this might prove more economical than handling shipping yourself at $50-60 for similar service.
Before choosing the prepaid label, compare your own shipping costs. If yours aren’t significantly cheaper, opt for the prepaid label or shipping kit.
When using the prepaid label, always get a receipt from the post office. Should your item get lost or go undelivered, that receipt ensures Tradesy will cover the loss.
Tradesy Sales
Tradesy sales offer another valuable feature. When you opt in, Tradesy determines when to put your item on sale, marking it down by your specified percentage. This increases exposure to millions of potential buyers who are motivated by attractive deals.
The Cons of Selling on Tradesy
Before committing to Tradesy as your side hustle, carefully consider the platform’s significant drawbacks. Many seller reviews of Tradesy are unfavorable, though be wary of fabricated reviews.
High Commission Fees
Excessive commission fees represent the most frequent complaint in negative Tradesy reviews. For items selling at $50 or less, Tradesy takes $7.50.
For designer clothing over $50, they claim 19.8% of the sale. As if this hefty percentage weren’t enough, they charge an additional 2.9% when you transfer money to your bank account or card instead of converting it to Tradesy credit!
These fees significantly deter sellers, prompting many to choose alternative platforms that allow them to retain more profits. If you do sell on Tradesy, factor these costs into your listing price.
However, pricing items much higher to cover costs makes it harder to find buyers willing to purchase secondhand items when new ones cost only slightly more.
Long Payout Time
Another major frustration is the extended payment timeline. After shipping your item and the buyer receiving it, they have four days to return it. If they do return it, Tradesy takes up to 21 days to inspect and validate the return. This means you could wait 4-21 days to receive earnings.
Even then, you initially receive store credit for Tradesy purchases. To transfer funds to your bank account, PayPal, or debit card requires another 7-10 business days, plus an additional fee.
For many sellers, these lengthy payout periods alone justify avoiding Tradesy.
Blocked User Accounts
Several Tradesy reviews describe users having accounts suddenly shut down without explanation or warning. If funds remained in your account when this occurred, you’d lose that money. With Tradesy’s poor customer service, resolving such issues becomes nearly impossible.
Customer Service Is Lacking
Tradesy’s inadequate customer service represents a major disadvantage. Response times are slow, and many inquiries go unanswered entirely. This particularly affects users dealing with closed accounts, who may spend hours on hold trying to resolve complaints.
More troubling, their website lacks a “Contact” section—only a help center with FAQs. To find Tradesy’s contact information, you must search Google since they don’t readily provide it on their site.
Tradesy Alternatives
While you could still use Tradesy to sell your clothes or handbags, I wouldn’t recommend it given the superior alternatives available.
Poshmark stands out as an excellent option. You’ll retain more earnings and receive payments faster, since Poshmark gives buyers only three days to accept items before automatically releasing your funds.
eBay charges roughly half of Tradesy’s commission fees.
For local sales without commission fees, consider LetGo or OfferUp.
Is Tradesy Legit?
Tradesy is legitimate and not a scam, but that doesn’t make it worthwhile. I’d only recommend Tradesy if you’ve struggled to sell items on other platforms. The company claims zero tolerance for counterfeit items.
The platform offers an authenticity guarantee and claims to use advanced technology detecting fakes. This might attract buyers who prefer Tradesy over competitors. However, numerous buyers have complained about receiving knockoffs, proving Tradesy fails to uphold their guarantee. While they offer returns, full refunds aren’t guaranteed.
As more buyers recognize Tradesy’s authenticity issues, they may shop elsewhere for designer fashion. Many already have. Before listing on Tradesy, try other available options.
Only consider Tradesy if you cannot sell your item elsewhere.
Wrapping Up: Selling on Tradesy
You now have the information needed to make an informed decision about using Tradesy as a side hustle. Alternative websites and apps allow you to sell designer items while keeping more money in your pocket.
Since Tradesy specializes in high-end fashion, it’s worth knowing it exists as a backup option if you struggle selling items elsewhere. To maximize your side hustle profits, always consider the costs involved. Now it’s time to start earning!
