Consigning/buying with The Real Real TRR
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TRR is just growing too fast & subsequently many prime areas are falling to the wayside.
Measurements, condition & knowledge of fabrics are utmost as we buyers are relying upon TRR for
as close to accurate information as they can provide & many times that falls short. So I do agree
that TRR should take "responsibility" when it comes to lack of...
IS TRR going to have a size chart like the home shopping networks?? Every designer cuts different
& the fit is not always the same for that particular size.
What they need to do is HIRE people that have knowledge & pay them & not put pressure to
get 100 + listings done..
TRR needs to address these issues as well as their "phone waiting time" which is beyond acceptable.
Interesting article on authentication:
https://fashionista.com/2019/09/the-realreal-authentication-process-exposed
THE REALREAL'S AUTHENTICATION PRACTICES ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM, ACCORDING TO NEW INVESTIGATION
Inexperienced copywriters are reportedly responsible for the bulk of the site's authentication, sometimes processing over 120 items in one day.
DHANI MAU · UPDATED: SEP 14, 2019 · ORIGINAL: SEP 13, 2019
Over the years, The RealReal's authentication claims have been called into question a few times here and there — by customers in review forums who've claimed they received counterfeit goods; on Instagram by accounts like Diet Prada; by brands like Chanel, who filed an actual lawsuit; and by news outlets like this one. And a new report lends credence to those who have grown skeptical of the retailer's standards when it comes to authenticating luxury goods before listing them.
From day one, authentication has been The RealReal's "thing." It's right there in the name, for one, and when the site emerged in 2011, it positioned itself as the most reliable source (compared with, say, Ebay) for secondhand designer goods. And its purported leadership in this area helped it raise $300 million in a recent IPO. "We employ 100+ brand authenticators, gemologists, horologists and art curators. They inspect thousands of items each day, so you can be sure every item is 100% authentic," reads a page on therealreal.com.
This week, The Capitol Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that conducts in-depth investigations into potential consumer protection issues, published its findings following one such investigation into The RealReal's authentication process. And they suggest that the above claim is misleading at best.
The report alleges that hourly workers with the title "copywriter," rather than professional authenticators, are performing the majority of authentication of consigned items before writing their descriptions and posting them on the website. Seven former TRR copywriters were interviewed for the report, all of whom said they didn't feel it was appropriate for them to be authenticating.
For one, the training they received was reportedly quite minimal. "They give you a quick 5-minute presentation on what things should look like and then have you go. [...] I should not have been authenticating an Hermes scarf, for example, but all they care about is the product getting on the site," said one former employee. Additionally, according to the former employees, the job had such a high turnover rate that experience levels remained low.
"The pay was so low and the work so grueling that everybody thought of it as just a temporary job," said one interviewee, "so no one really took it that seriously because they'd be gone in a couple of months.
Employees are also reportedly required to hit quotas that could exceed 120 items per day, per person. And, according to their accounts, that's 120 processed items; items found to be inauthentic didn't count, and while they could pass items they were unsure about off to be reviewed by professional authenticators, that process would take time away from meeting their mandatory quotas. Per one former copywriter, "Training was rushed and they put a lot of pressure on meeting our daily goals, so a lot of fake items slipped through the cracks because of all the goods we had to authenticate in one day, which could be 130 to 155 depending on what department you worked in. Our days were super long and draining, so a majority of employees were rushing to meet the quota so that they would not get fired. It was more about not getting fired than authenticating the goods." There were also allegedly perks for exceeding one's quota, like site credit.
Asked to respond, The RealReal confirmed to Capitol Forum that copywriters do authenticate products that it identifies as "low-risk" while more trained professionals take "high-risk items," also saying that "we're not training them on everything, they have guides they can refer to." The company also claimed that employees could take as much time as needed to authenticate goods but would reportedly not acknowledge the existence of quotas.
Obviously such an environment would leave room for inauthentic pieces to slip through the cracks — Capitol Forum even spoke to professional authenticators who confirmed as much. It is also not too surprising when you think about the volume of items on its site, and the speed with which it process consignments. But that is not a very good look for a company that promises authenticity to inspire trust in its customers and investors.
In response to the report, The RealReal provided the following comment to Fashionista: "This company’s actions and misrepresentations are clearly calculated to sell their subscriptions and improperly manipulate the market for the benefit of short-sellers on behalf of their subscribers. These people are not journalists and they are not credible. The RealReal stands 100% behind our state-of-the-art authentication process."
https://fashionista.com/2019/09/the-realreal-authentication-process-exposed
THE REALREAL'S AUTHENTICATION PRACTICES ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM, ACCORDING TO NEW INVESTIGATION
Inexperienced copywriters are reportedly responsible for the bulk of the site's authentication, sometimes processing over 120 items in one day.
DHANI MAU · UPDATED: SEP 14, 2019 · ORIGINAL: SEP 13, 2019
Over the years, The RealReal's authentication claims have been called into question a few times here and there — by customers in review forums who've claimed they received counterfeit goods; on Instagram by accounts like Diet Prada; by brands like Chanel, who filed an actual lawsuit; and by news outlets like this one. And a new report lends credence to those who have grown skeptical of the retailer's standards when it comes to authenticating luxury goods before listing them.
From day one, authentication has been The RealReal's "thing." It's right there in the name, for one, and when the site emerged in 2011, it positioned itself as the most reliable source (compared with, say, Ebay) for secondhand designer goods. And its purported leadership in this area helped it raise $300 million in a recent IPO. "We employ 100+ brand authenticators, gemologists, horologists and art curators. They inspect thousands of items each day, so you can be sure every item is 100% authentic," reads a page on therealreal.com.
This week, The Capitol Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that conducts in-depth investigations into potential consumer protection issues, published its findings following one such investigation into The RealReal's authentication process. And they suggest that the above claim is misleading at best.
The report alleges that hourly workers with the title "copywriter," rather than professional authenticators, are performing the majority of authentication of consigned items before writing their descriptions and posting them on the website. Seven former TRR copywriters were interviewed for the report, all of whom said they didn't feel it was appropriate for them to be authenticating.
For one, the training they received was reportedly quite minimal. "They give you a quick 5-minute presentation on what things should look like and then have you go. [...] I should not have been authenticating an Hermes scarf, for example, but all they care about is the product getting on the site," said one former employee. Additionally, according to the former employees, the job had such a high turnover rate that experience levels remained low.
"The pay was so low and the work so grueling that everybody thought of it as just a temporary job," said one interviewee, "so no one really took it that seriously because they'd be gone in a couple of months.
Employees are also reportedly required to hit quotas that could exceed 120 items per day, per person. And, according to their accounts, that's 120 processed items; items found to be inauthentic didn't count, and while they could pass items they were unsure about off to be reviewed by professional authenticators, that process would take time away from meeting their mandatory quotas. Per one former copywriter, "Training was rushed and they put a lot of pressure on meeting our daily goals, so a lot of fake items slipped through the cracks because of all the goods we had to authenticate in one day, which could be 130 to 155 depending on what department you worked in. Our days were super long and draining, so a majority of employees were rushing to meet the quota so that they would not get fired. It was more about not getting fired than authenticating the goods." There were also allegedly perks for exceeding one's quota, like site credit.
Asked to respond, The RealReal confirmed to Capitol Forum that copywriters do authenticate products that it identifies as "low-risk" while more trained professionals take "high-risk items," also saying that "we're not training them on everything, they have guides they can refer to." The company also claimed that employees could take as much time as needed to authenticate goods but would reportedly not acknowledge the existence of quotas.
Obviously such an environment would leave room for inauthentic pieces to slip through the cracks — Capitol Forum even spoke to professional authenticators who confirmed as much. It is also not too surprising when you think about the volume of items on its site, and the speed with which it process consignments. But that is not a very good look for a company that promises authenticity to inspire trust in its customers and investors.
In response to the report, The RealReal provided the following comment to Fashionista: "This company’s actions and misrepresentations are clearly calculated to sell their subscriptions and improperly manipulate the market for the benefit of short-sellers on behalf of their subscribers. These people are not journalists and they are not credible. The RealReal stands 100% behind our state-of-the-art authentication process."
Hello ladies,
I'm eyeing a bag on TRR and the photos look ok, but I'm concerned that the hardware may be more that just "slightly" scratched like the description says (I have the same bag in a different colour so I know that hardware gets scratched easily). How difficult it is to return a "final sale" item that has not been described accurately?
I'm eyeing a bag on TRR and the photos look ok, but I'm concerned that the hardware may be more that just "slightly" scratched like the description says (I have the same bag in a different colour so I know that hardware gets scratched easily). How difficult it is to return a "final sale" item that has not been described accurately?
I have had to return one bag to them. I usually don’t have problems, but I stick to low end Rebecca Minkoff. I purchased a bag that I felt was grossly misrepresented by them due to color and condition. It was dirty and that was definitely not mentioned in the description or I would not have purchased. I did not have any trouble with my return. I emailed my complaint about the flaws and my pictures and they agreed right away to a refund. As I mentioned, this was a RM bag. Not sure how they are to work with if it’s a high end bag.
Unfortunately, when I checked the website, they had relisted the bag with the same description and clearly doctored photos with no mention of any flaws.
I'm from Canada and I wanted to buy a Marni bag from TRR, but seeing all these reviews makes me nervous.
I'm firstly nervous about how bad the customs charge will be (not sure how they'll report it, value wise) and also now concerned about authenticity. On something like a Marni, I know designs are frequently copied, but I am not sure if they are fully counterfeited with a label or not.
Would love some insight.
I'm firstly nervous about how bad the customs charge will be (not sure how they'll report it, value wise) and also now concerned about authenticity. On something like a Marni, I know designs are frequently copied, but I am not sure if they are fully counterfeited with a label or not.
Would love some insight.
Yes, they are so aggressive. They called my house 10 times!!! I called them back and told them to not call me. They are way too pushy and rude. I dealt with Hannah and Cameron.
I’ve had mixed experiences with TRR but had a pretty unfortunate customer service experience recently. I’ve had issues with them from day one, years ago, however for the most part was overall happy. But the customer service has gone downhill and they really aren’t handling their inventory or customers well. I don’t know if they’ve gotten too big or what the issue is but it’s hard to have confidence in them anymore, to consign or buy. But my one little opinion and history with them won’t put them out of business so it will keep going downhill.
Have you seen this awfully, blatantly, fugly fake, so fake it hurts 'Proenza Schouler PS1' on TRR? Item # PRO59402
https://www.therealreal.com/product...er-medium-suede-ps1-satchel-60qma?position=73
I have just stumbled upon it and oh boy... And it's final sale no less. How exactly did this happen? I couldn't believe it, the first five seconds I've just been stupidly staring at the screen with my mouth open.
I know good counterfeits can slip through the authentication process sometimes when it's not done properly, but this bag is sooo fake anyone can just google the bag's name and the difference will be obvious!
https://www.therealreal.com/product...er-medium-suede-ps1-satchel-60qma?position=73
I have just stumbled upon it and oh boy... And it's final sale no less. How exactly did this happen? I couldn't believe it, the first five seconds I've just been stupidly staring at the screen with my mouth open.
I know good counterfeits can slip through the authentication process sometimes when it's not done properly, but this bag is sooo fake anyone can just google the bag's name and the difference will be obvious!
“State-of-the-art authentication process” - what a joke. What’s so state of the art about it? Since their IPO, everything just seems to have gotten worse. Their customer service is as bad, if not worse, than Tradesy. The only way to get any real help is to publicly shame them on Facebook. They don’t take enough photos, and the ones they do are low quality. They manage to make even the most elegant thing look frumpy and old. Like hey, how about you steam iron a dress before asking hundreds of dollars for it? Might have a better chance of selling it before it gets marked down to 70% off. And that telephone wait line just to get someone on the line who can’t / won’t help is absurd. They’ll list two identical items with different descriptions. Most don’t even bother putting the specific name or model. But hey, they have stylish commercials of models moving quickly in items they aren’t selling.
FYI:
https://www.morningbrew.com/retail/...ng-counterfeit-goods-cnbc-investigation-finds
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/the-realreal-ceo-says-we-may-not-be-perfect-every-single-time.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/05/the...ge-is-threatened-by-poor-training-quotas.html
There are zillions of other articles, videos, etc.
https://www.morningbrew.com/retail/...ng-counterfeit-goods-cnbc-investigation-finds
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/the-realreal-ceo-says-we-may-not-be-perfect-every-single-time.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/05/the...ge-is-threatened-by-poor-training-quotas.html
There are zillions of other articles, videos, etc.
What I can't believe, is that they got $300m for their IPO!!!! Who in God's name would invest in this sh!t show when their Prospectus clearly said that they could not project profits for the foreseeable future!!! WTF?????
WOW oh WOW .. in the CNBC article (link above), it says the following:
"The day after the report, two unhappy customers who were interviewed received an email from the company, canceling their memberships.
“It has come to our attention that The RealReal has been unable to satisfy your needs as a client. Please be advised that your membership with The RealReal has been canceled and you will no longer be able to shop or consign on our site,” the email sent to Cherish Garcia said."
This is unbelievable!!! I would have been on this list if I had been interviewed since I noted my displeasure with TRR in this thread and I was contacted by someone at CNBC (via the 'Conversation' tool)!!
While I will not consign with them anymore, I have to say that I am still shopping with them .. but only 2 categories:
"The day after the report, two unhappy customers who were interviewed received an email from the company, canceling their memberships.
“It has come to our attention that The RealReal has been unable to satisfy your needs as a client. Please be advised that your membership with The RealReal has been canceled and you will no longer be able to shop or consign on our site,” the email sent to Cherish Garcia said."
This is unbelievable!!! I would have been on this list if I had been interviewed since I noted my displeasure with TRR in this thread and I was contacted by someone at CNBC (via the 'Conversation' tool)!!
While I will not consign with them anymore, I have to say that I am still shopping with them .. but only 2 categories:
- Balenciaga handbags (I used to authenticate) .. and have gotten some amazing deals since they have no clue re: Balenciaga
- Jewelry - I have gotten some "steals of the century" on TRR because they have put up a Designer that I know but because the "trademark" is not there (and they told me that if not trademarked then they put it up as 'unbranded') .. to, in essence, resell on eBay or for my own collection!
Did anyone else get their “Pledge To You“ email yesterday? About how they work hard to eradicate fakes from their site?
I don’t know what’s so difficult, I mean lots of other companies (fashionphile, yoogis, etc) must use authenticating services, why can’t TRR?
I don’t know what’s so difficult, I mean lots of other companies (fashionphile, yoogis, etc) must use authenticating services, why can’t TRR?
