Consigning/buying with The Real Real TRR
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I agree about the measurements. I have had to send back a lot of things because the measurements were not correct.
Overall, I'd say their prices are fair (except the shipping, I think it's highly priced and slow IMHO). I've definitely gotten some really really great deals there. But I've seen some LV items cheaper elsewhere so I always Google to see what the retail price is and if it's listed for sale at other consignment shops.
As for the condition descriptions, pay close attention to their descriptions and you should be ok. I've been on a shopping spree with the real real for the past few months. He's what I've found....
- Any thing marked Pristine or Excellent usually is and I will buy with out hesitation.
- Everything else they list as 'Very Good' and call out the specific wear. Since they don't mark anything less than 'very good' you have to read between the lines on their notes regarding the specific wear. It's my observation that the categories within 'Very Good' are Faint, Minor, Light and Moderate. I very seldom buy anything marked as having moderate defects. I'm weary of things marked 'light (wear, marks, pilling, scratches, etc)'. Anything marked faint or minor seems to be what I would consider 'very good'.
They are also very fair if something is miss represented. I bought a Chloe bag that was marked 'light exterior wear'. You couldn't tell from the pictures but the scratches were so bad it looked like it had been mauled by a small dog. They took it back with out hesitation.
Also look at the pictures. And have your bags authenticated of you buy from them. I haven't had a fake come my way (just one suspicious Givenchy that I returned with out issue) but I'm still nervous. So many things are titled incorrectly, wouldn't a legit authenticator be able to assist with proper naming/item identification?
Despite a few hiccups, I do love the real real. My handbag collection looks a lot better since I found them
Hope that helps! Happy shopping
Overall, I'd say their prices are fair (except the shipping, I think it's highly priced and slow IMHO). I've definitely gotten some really really great deals there. But I've seen some LV items cheaper elsewhere so I always Google to see what the retail price is and if it's listed for sale at other consignment shops.
As for the condition descriptions, pay close attention to their descriptions and you should be ok. I've been on a shopping spree with the real real for the past few months. He's what I've found....
- Any thing marked Pristine or Excellent usually is and I will buy with out hesitation.
- Everything else they list as 'Very Good' and call out the specific wear. Since they don't mark anything less than 'very good' you have to read between the lines on their notes regarding the specific wear. It's my observation that the categories within 'Very Good' are Faint, Minor, Light and Moderate. I very seldom buy anything marked as having moderate defects. I'm weary of things marked 'light (wear, marks, pilling, scratches, etc)'. Anything marked faint or minor seems to be what I would consider 'very good'.
They are also very fair if something is miss represented. I bought a Chloe bag that was marked 'light exterior wear'. You couldn't tell from the pictures but the scratches were so bad it looked like it had been mauled by a small dog. They took it back with out hesitation.
Also look at the pictures. And have your bags authenticated of you buy from them. I haven't had a fake come my way (just one suspicious Givenchy that I returned with out issue) but I'm still nervous. So many things are titled incorrectly, wouldn't a legit authenticator be able to assist with proper naming/item identification?
Despite a few hiccups, I do love the real real. My handbag collection looks a lot better since I found them
Hope that helps! Happy shopping
Thanks for the information. I don't shop at online resellers much. This helps a lot!
Overall, I'd say their prices are fair (except the shipping, I think it's highly priced and slow IMHO). I've definitely gotten some really really great deals there. But I've seen some LV items cheaper elsewhere so I always Google to see what the retail price is and if it's listed for sale at other consignment shops.
As for the condition descriptions, pay close attention to their descriptions and you should be ok. I've been on a shopping spree with the real real for the past few months. He's what I've found....
- Any thing marked Pristine or Excellent usually is and I will buy with out hesitation.
- Everything else they list as 'Very Good' and call out the specific wear. Since they don't mark anything less than 'very good' you have to read between the lines on their notes regarding the specific wear. It's my observation that the categories within 'Very Good' are Faint, Minor, Light and Moderate. I very seldom buy anything marked as having moderate defects. I'm weary of things marked 'light (wear, marks, pilling, scratches, etc)'. Anything marked faint or minor seems to be what I would consider 'very good'.
They are also very fair if something is miss represented. I bought a Chloe bag that was marked 'light exterior wear'. You couldn't tell from the pictures but the scratches were so bad it looked like it had been mauled by a small dog. They took it back with out hesitation.
Also look at the pictures. And have your bags authenticated of you buy from them. I haven't had a fake come my way (just one suspicious Givenchy that I returned with out issue) but I'm still nervous. So many things are titled incorrectly, wouldn't a legit authenticator be able to assist with proper naming/item identification?
Despite a few hiccups, I do love the real real. My handbag collection looks a lot better since I found them
Hope that helps! Happy shopping
Also agree that when TRR uses pristine & excellent, that is usually correct.
Since condition is so subjective, I am not inclined to purchase anything
that shows specific wear..
I've bought from them before. I've never had a problem with authenticity, and it's been a while since I've seen a fake pop up, but it definitely has happened. They've grown too fast and their copywriters, merchandisers, authenticators and photographers can barely seem to keep up with the amount of product they have coming in. If you look at the size of their inventory it's no surprise, really. But they get some great bags--mint condition oldies as well as new condition current bags (as well as "fair" condition bags which they'll inexplicably price the same as or more than mint condition bags).
I know many people (myself included) have contacted them asking why they can't just take the right photographs (like fashionphile does), but their response is usually that they have a set of 'uniform' photos they take for every bag. How that doesn't include at least the tag is beyond me.
More often what I see instead of fakes is inaccurate or incomplete descriptions, and therein lies the key to their "no return" policy. If there is anything at all about their item description that is inaccurate, including the condition being different from what is shown in the photographs, they will take the bag back and issue a refund. I ordered a white city from them once, in the photos it looked pristine and I was thrilled to find a white 06 chevre city that was like new. But when it arrived the white was actually gray, and huge patches of the bag had yellowed, including one entire side panel.The photograph had completely misrepresented the true condition of the bag, and the description just said "faint wear." I called and told them and they took it back and paid for the return shipping, no questions asked. Their copywriters are vague and/or sloppy, and their photographers often don't document the bags completely or they describe them inaccurately. Either case is grounds for a return and in my experience they'll honor it. Same goes for odors. They don't describe odors, and I've ordered two non-bal bags that stunk so badly it was like getting hit in the face when I opened the box. In both cases, they took them back and paid the shipping.
All of this said, there is always the risk that unless you have an exceedingly clear reason for the return (fake/NAD) you'll get a customer service associate who is strict and unbending, and you're stuck with a bag that you just don't like. It seems to work for them though, because they sell a ton of stuff and they keep growing.
I know many people (myself included) have contacted them asking why they can't just take the right photographs (like fashionphile does), but their response is usually that they have a set of 'uniform' photos they take for every bag. How that doesn't include at least the tag is beyond me.
More often what I see instead of fakes is inaccurate or incomplete descriptions, and therein lies the key to their "no return" policy. If there is anything at all about their item description that is inaccurate, including the condition being different from what is shown in the photographs, they will take the bag back and issue a refund. I ordered a white city from them once, in the photos it looked pristine and I was thrilled to find a white 06 chevre city that was like new. But when it arrived the white was actually gray, and huge patches of the bag had yellowed, including one entire side panel.The photograph had completely misrepresented the true condition of the bag, and the description just said "faint wear." I called and told them and they took it back and paid for the return shipping, no questions asked. Their copywriters are vague and/or sloppy, and their photographers often don't document the bags completely or they describe them inaccurately. Either case is grounds for a return and in my experience they'll honor it. Same goes for odors. They don't describe odors, and I've ordered two non-bal bags that stunk so badly it was like getting hit in the face when I opened the box. In both cases, they took them back and paid the shipping.
All of this said, there is always the risk that unless you have an exceedingly clear reason for the return (fake/NAD) you'll get a customer service associate who is strict and unbending, and you're stuck with a bag that you just don't like. It seems to work for them though, because they sell a ton of stuff and they keep growing.
Hi all.
Just wanted to post a little info about The Real Real.
I previously posted my bad experience with TRR in regards to a couple of pair of Chanel boots I purchased from their site. Looking at them, I did not think the boots were authentic. Yes, yes, I know I should of had them authenticated prior, but I really trusted the TRR site as I read quite a few good reviews on them. I chose not to post them on TPF for the experts opinion, and decided to just return them. I had no real problems with their customer service, and got my refund in a timely manner. Other TPF members said that they had good experiences with TRR, and said that I should not give up on them so I decided to give them another try, so I did, but this time, I had TPF experts take a look at the photos prior. I was so happy to get a response that they were authentic, so I purchased then right away. I received them, and they are absolutely beautiful! Great condition, and to me, looked better then the photos they had listed.
Now, I could of been mistaken about the authenticity of the first boots I purchased, as I am in no way an expert, but do own quite a few pairs to know a little about how the quality should be, but regardless, I am still glad I returned them as I would not want to wear a pair of boots that I was unsure of authenticity on.
So with all that being said, I am glad I did not give up on TRR.
Just wanted to share my experience with you all, just in case anyone is questioning whether to buy from the TRR site. Yes, there are some bad reviews in regards to their website, but there are also really good reviews. And, there are some really great deals there. If any fakes are bought through them, I do not think they do it purposely. After all, we all know that to be 100% sure we are getting authentic, we need to buy directly from designer boutique, or from a authorized seller. Just be sure to really do your homework before you buy from them, and get everything authenticated prior if possible, or after. Thanks all for taking the time to read my post!
Tomiko
Just wanted to post a little info about The Real Real.
I previously posted my bad experience with TRR in regards to a couple of pair of Chanel boots I purchased from their site. Looking at them, I did not think the boots were authentic. Yes, yes, I know I should of had them authenticated prior, but I really trusted the TRR site as I read quite a few good reviews on them. I chose not to post them on TPF for the experts opinion, and decided to just return them. I had no real problems with their customer service, and got my refund in a timely manner. Other TPF members said that they had good experiences with TRR, and said that I should not give up on them so I decided to give them another try, so I did, but this time, I had TPF experts take a look at the photos prior. I was so happy to get a response that they were authentic, so I purchased then right away. I received them, and they are absolutely beautiful! Great condition, and to me, looked better then the photos they had listed.
Now, I could of been mistaken about the authenticity of the first boots I purchased, as I am in no way an expert, but do own quite a few pairs to know a little about how the quality should be, but regardless, I am still glad I returned them as I would not want to wear a pair of boots that I was unsure of authenticity on.
So with all that being said, I am glad I did not give up on TRR.
Just wanted to share my experience with you all, just in case anyone is questioning whether to buy from the TRR site. Yes, there are some bad reviews in regards to their website, but there are also really good reviews. And, there are some really great deals there. If any fakes are bought through them, I do not think they do it purposely. After all, we all know that to be 100% sure we are getting authentic, we need to buy directly from designer boutique, or from a authorized seller. Just be sure to really do your homework before you buy from them, and get everything authenticated prior if possible, or after. Thanks all for taking the time to read my post!
Tomiko
I have purchased from the Therealreal multiple times.
The first two items I purchased from the around 2011 were not real. 1 was a Herve Ledger dress and the other was a Hermes twilly. I have no idea how both passed their inspection, but I sent them back for authenticity issue and got a refund without any trouble.
I decided to give them another shot after because I saw a great deal for a Used Chanel Beige Caviar WOC that was at least a decade old for $600 after using a coupon code. This was in 2012. The bag was real and quite a steal.
I have since purchased several things from them without issues.
But I have heard from other friends that they do not buy from therealreal because they have heard of other friends getting fake items from there. This is a total she said he said thing. I am not sure if they are basing this on their experience in the past when therealreal just launched and their inspection/authenticity department was still green or now.
The first two items I purchased from the around 2011 were not real. 1 was a Herve Ledger dress and the other was a Hermes twilly. I have no idea how both passed their inspection, but I sent them back for authenticity issue and got a refund without any trouble.
I decided to give them another shot after because I saw a great deal for a Used Chanel Beige Caviar WOC that was at least a decade old for $600 after using a coupon code. This was in 2012. The bag was real and quite a steal.
I have since purchased several things from them without issues.
But I have heard from other friends that they do not buy from therealreal because they have heard of other friends getting fake items from there. This is a total she said he said thing. I am not sure if they are basing this on their experience in the past when therealreal just launched and their inspection/authenticity department was still green or now.
During their holiday sales I purchased a jacket that was described as excellent and it came with stains (including one that looked like it had been made with a gold Sharpie). Luckily the jacket was washable and the stains came out. But still, it was not excellent. I do agree with what you said about pristine though, those items are usually new and unworn.
This jacket was a dark color so I could not tell from the photos, but with light colored items you can usually see everything quite well if you view through a desktop monitor and mouse over the photos carefully.
I also don't like the fact that - in the absence of sizing - they "estimate" the sizes of shoes but don't put the measurement in the listing. So now I have a pair of shoes "estimated" to be size 7 that are too small for my size 6.5 feet.
I think I may have received a fake item. What websites are there to get your stuff authenticated? Bags and clothes.
No tag = no Buy for me. That being said, I have not bought from them, but have heard that some fakes were sold. No bueno!