Consigning/buying with The Real Real TRR

[Love Of My Life]

I think they take in way too much merchandise, some of it in sketchy condition to boot. I sell as well as buy on TRR, and they are the only place I've ever consigned my clothing that doesn't require that items be cleaned before they accept them. I've seen many TRR items listed with "minor spotting," yet, they've rejected items of mine for so-called "spots" that were in actuality just fading of the fabric. I've purchased items from them that came with minor marks or spots (not listed) that easily came out with a good wash or a dryclean. Really inconsistent.

I think they could mitigate some of these problems by taking in less merchandise and being more selective about what they take. Who wants to buy a used T by Alexander Wang or James Perse t-shirt, when all they have to do is scout around the 'net for a while and they'll find it brand new but on sale? Or a pair of Manolos with sweat stains on the insole and major creasing on the vamps?

Agree that TRR is really not as discriminating as they could or should be
Initially the site probably attracted many new customers but as time has past on the experiences that
are so unacceptable speak for themselves.
There are so many unpleasant situations especially with handbags that are simply over the top..
I agree that much of their clothing & accessories is not in the condition that appeals to me
Sending items that aren't cleaned leaves much in fact too much to be desired.
There are many options available to look for new clothes that are priced & where one doesn't have to absorb
a very high shipping fee to purchase & to return.
TRR "staff" is also not properly trained or knowledgeable in many areas & their customer service for
sure needs improvement.. waiting on the phone line for more than 10 or 15 minutes is outrageous!!
TRR needs to pull it together as they can no longer rely on what their initial image was

 

[cncm]

Do you need to dry clean clothing bought from TRR or do they clean the items before selling them? I just bought a dress off TRR and would like to wear it on vacation. Leaving tomorrow and won’t have time to dry clean myself.

 

[CPG]

Do you need to dry clean clothing bought from TRR or do they clean the items before selling them? I just bought a dress off TRR and would like to wear it on vacation. Leaving tomorrow and won’t have time to dry clean myself.

TRR does not clean clothing prior to putting up for sale, and there is no way to know if person who's consigning the item has cleaned it, either. TRR does not explicitly require items be cleaned before accepting.

 

[cncm]

TRR does not clean clothing prior to putting up for sale, and there is no way to know if person who's consigning the item has cleaned it, either. TRR does not explicitly require items be cleaned before accepting.

Yikes - that’s really gross. Off to the dry cleaners! Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Haughty]

Just had my first disappointing experience with them. Have had good luck until now, but I only buy inexpensive Rebecca Minkoff Nikki Bags that are no longer available except on the secondary market. Bought a bag that was described as cream and in very good shape. Disappointed when I received it as it was a strange color of light green with very noticeable stains on the handle and top of bag and probably should not have ever been taken for consignment. I was able to return for a full refund even though it was final sale and not returnable. Imagine my surprise when I checked their website and the bag is for sale again with the same description and same pictures with no mention of the very obvious stains to be sold to some unsuspecting buyer.

 

[rdgldy]

Just had my first disappointing experience with them. Have had good luck until now, but I only buy inexpensive Rebecca Minkoff Nikki Bags that are no longer available except on the secondary market. Bought a bag that was described as cream and in very good shape. Disappointed when I received it as it was a strange color of light green with very noticeable stains on the handle and top of bag and probably should not have ever been taken for consignment. I was able to return for a full refund even though it was final sale and not returnable. Imagine my surprise when I checked their website and the bag is for sale again with the same description and same pictures with no mention of the very obvious stains to be sold to some unsuspecting buyer.

that’s horrible

 

[Haughty]

that’s horrible

I thought so, too. Here’s my picture of the bag that according to them is in very good condition.

I have a questionnaire to fill out regarding my experience with them. I think I will ask them how it feels to know they have sold their integrity for $90.

 

[renee_nyc]

I have a theory as to why they no longer provide measurements.

I worked in vintage fashion for a few years so consignment doesn't freak me out. It was a side hustle I would do only on weekends. Working in vintage and having to list stuff, gave me a sense for how time-consuming it is. So I can't help but think that they've stopped doing the measurements to save time listing (put more items up, in less time.) So it's great for them but sucky for us.

They've also introduced a re-homing consignment option. Basically if they don't take your items, you can choose to have TRR recycle them. It's a dumb policy because as a consignor you have to agree to it then and there (you can't decide it on the website.)

BUT from a business standpoint, both of these initiatives are super smart. They save tons of $ by not having to ship our stuff back and it seems charitable if it is being donated. And it's more convenient.

These are all signs of an organization struggling with profitability.

Prices are getting ridicuously low and it is taking SO long to get stuff listed. It's not good.

I am so frustrated with this site. Now they have stopped giving measurements, even on high end clothing. This is becoming a joke. And when questioned customer service says "oh just return it if it does not comply with description".

This is really frustrating. At first, I just thought it was my browser. Nope, measurements missing on about half the items I looked at, regardless of the browser. So I sent them an email asking why they were no longer listing measurements. The customer service rep had no clue. Said it must be a "mistake" in that one listing. I emailed back and said no, about half the items I look at are missing measurements. I got the same "Just return it if it doesn't fit" BS. Which is ridiculous because they do not refund original shipping AND they charge a shipping fee to return! I told her this. Crickets.

My thinking is that they have decided not to list measurements because the process was so inconsistent. I had in the past ordered items that described a bust measurement as one size and it arrived clearly much larger than what was listed. Several times they agreed to waive the return shipping fee because of incorrect measurements. Maybe it just became a problem so they figured they'd stop.

So now I only look for items from designers whose fit I'm familiar with. And I never purchased final sale anything–I have wasted too much money on "blind buys" there.

So many brands have widely varying measurements even for the same size. E.g., Chanel RTW -- a 38 can vary 4 inches or more when TRR shows measurements. It is really critical to have measurements. Especially if you are looking at sale items, which are not returnable.

Very true! If anyone gets an answer from TRR as to why they've stopped doing this, please post it here. I haven't had any luck.

 

[rdgldy]

Just had my rep pick up a few things from me and found it interesting to learn that they get flagged for submitting the unacceptable items. Still, so many pass through their system.

 

[bc1990]

https://www.therealreal.com/products/women/handbags/shoulder-bags/hermes-swift-lindy-30-4rtUMWOuWGA

just bought this, I love the bag soo much. Nervous about condition and authenticity though, don't trust trr. I called and asked if I can return if deemed unauthentic (by bababebi) she just she will make a one time curtsey and allow that. That made me really mad. Anyway, by the little u can tell about authenticity in the listing, does this look good to you?

 

[renee_nyc]

Did you get it authenticated?

https://www.therealreal.com/products/women/handbags/shoulder-bags/hermes-swift-lindy-30-4rtUMWOuWGA

just bought this, I love the bag soo much. Nervous about condition and authenticity though, don't trust trr. I called and asked if I can return if deemed unauthentic (by bababebi) she just she will make a one time curtsey and allow that. That made me really mad. Anyway, by the little u can tell about authenticity in the listing, does this look good to you?

 

[bc1990]

Did you get it authenticated?

yes. it was deemed authentic (which seems to be a rarity for trr) Upon further inspection however, the handles were disgustingly dirty which was not in the description. it also had many scratches. I ended up sending the bag to be returned. I am so upset I paid her first, but I honestly did not want to fall in love with the bag and inspect it before I knew if it was real or not. I will never purchase from them again.

 

[renee_nyc]

Ugh that sucks! I've never had an issue with TRR but I only buy NWT which helps.

yes. it was deemed authentic (which seems to be a rarity for trr) Upon further inspection however, the handles were disgustingly dirty which was not in the description. it also had many scratches. I ended up sending the bag to be returned. I am so upset I paid her first, but I honestly did not want to fall in love with the bag and inspect it before I knew if it was real or not. I will never purchase from them again.

 

[Blueberry1]

To those wondering about the lack of measurements on TRR clothing descriptions....

For at least 3-4 months, TRR has posted the following reply to all Twitter inquiries about it:

“Thank you for reaching out.

The RealReal is moving toward offering detailed sizing information through our size chart.

We value and appreciate your feedback, as we continue to work on this.”

I take this to mean that TRR is trying to find a way to just send customers to some useless chart instead of undergoing the more time-consuming process of measuring. We all know that no size chart can work when dealing with clothing from hundreds of different designers. At $12 to ship each way, I think TRR should offer free both-way shipping for items that have no measurements.

 

[renee_nyc]

I wish they would just be real and say “We are trying to scale our business model and we can list things faster without having to provide measurements.”

Any business savvy person knows this is the real reason. But it sucks for buyers and consignors. As a consignor my stuff will move slower because as a buyer I don’t want to take a chance on something that doesn’t fit.

To those wondering about the lack of measurements on TRR clothing descriptions....

For at least 3-4 months, TRR has posted the following reply to all Twitter inquiries about it:

“Thank you for reaching out.

The RealReal is moving toward offering detailed sizing information through our size chart.

We value and appreciate your feedback, as we continue to work on this.”

I take this to mean that TRR is trying to find a way to just send customers to some useless chart instead of undergoing the more time-consuming process of measuring. We all know that no size chart can work when dealing with clothing from hundreds of different designers. At $12 to ship each way, I think TRR should offer free both-way shipping for items that have no measurements.