Should I create a handbag trading website?

[Annawakes]

You might need to partner with one or more authentication services.

I think this is an interesting idea but convincing people to participate and building up inventory is going to be hard. Besides, what if people agree to list on your site, and then a potential swapper comes along.....months later.....and then the person who originally listed says, Sorry, I ended up selling this bag already. Take my listing down. So you’d have to have them “locked in” for a period of time before they can sell/get rid of the bag.

 

[classicgirll]

You might need to partner with one or more authentication services.

I think this is an interesting idea but convincing people to participate and building up inventory is going to be hard. Besides, what if people agree to list on your site, and then a potential swapper comes along.....months later.....and then the person who originally listed says, Sorry, I ended up selling this bag already. Take my listing down. So you’d have to have them “locked in” for a period of time before they can sell/get rid of the bag.

that's a great idea!
yeah i'm not too worried, because they could then decline the trade and delete the listing , if it ends up selling or not being available anymore

 

[bklner2014]

This sounds like a cool idea! When it comes to designer bags, I think I would be wary about participating in a swap due to the risk of ending up with a fake bag. However, I'd be less concerned about this for non-designer bags. Entrupy has been mentioned as a potential authentication service, but there have been issues raised over on the eBay forum that might be worth a read.

 

[EmilyM111]

I guess the biggest question you need to asking yourself is how do you vet potential traders in order to weed out scammers, and how much liability do you want to assume if something ends up going awry? There are some really, really good fakes out there. How will you ensure you don't get fooled by a fake and send it to someone, and then that person will be coming after you when the scammer who sent the fake disappears? I am not trying to insult your knowledge of fakes. I am just trying to protect you here. Dealing with a product where counterfeiting is common opens you up to a lot of shady crap. Even the big league resellers such as The Real Real have had problems with fakes.

That is true, especially

thank you for your comments!! and definitely important points to consider
for superfakes i would most likely employ an authentication software such as entrupy - and i believe therealreal has a problem just because of the huge volume it deals with, not necessarily because of skill (or so i hope)

basically there couldn't be any scammers because i would be the middleman - so if someone tried to trade a fake/fool someone i would catch them - so essentially i would ensure it's authentic and also ensure the item is as described

but these are just my thoughts - if you have other things i should consider, i would love to hear them

Well the friend I mentioned is also a middleman (she owns the marketplace) but in reality all complains/liability goes back to her in case
- she sends good not as described - good comment from the posters above that what people think is 'very good condition' vary
- entrupy/her team fails to recognise legit product
- entrupy/team passes but somebody goes to online authenticators and finds it's a fake
- the goods are coming from theft (I think i bought an item like that and after some thought returned it - the boutique owner lied to me about the origins of the bag to make a profit)
- honestly people have buyers remorse and might do stupid things to get back at you

(not sure what else but I'm sure others can contribute)

I assume you'd have to work with solicitor to ensure you have the right protection and company structure but in the same time remember that victims of a scam won't think - yeah, she was just a middleman.
The reports from Real Real are concerning and my understanding from articles was that there was skill lacking -they employed associates skilled in design/photos (can't remember exactly) to authenticate, probably due to a high volume.
But again - all this is to help you not to discourage you

 

[classicgirll]

This sounds like a cool idea! When it comes to designer bags, I think I would be wary about participating in a swap due to the risk of ending up with a fake bag. However, I'd be less concerned about this for non-designer bags. Entrupy has been mentioned as a potential authentication service, but there have been issues raised over on the eBay forum that might be worth a read.

definitely, looks like i will have to make sure authentication is on the top of the priority list
even though therealreal has had issues with fakes, i do think it's possible to be excellent at authentication (again, i feel like therealreal's issue is mainly due to volume and not having enough authenticators to match it) - many ig resellers and companies do it - so i see no reason why i shouldn't be able to

i would use entrupy for superfakes - which i think is where it shines, not necessarily on every bag

 

[classicgirll]

That is true, especially


Well the friend I mentioned is also a middleman (she owns the marketplace) but in reality all complains/liability goes back to her in case
- she sends good not as described - good comment from the posters above that what people think is 'very good condition' vary
- entrupy/her team fails to recognise legit product
- entrupy/team passes but somebody goes to online authenticators and finds it's a fake
- the goods are coming from theft (I think i bought an item like that and after some thought returned it - the boutique owner lied to me about the origins of the bag to make a profit)
- honestly people have buyers remorse and might do stupid things to get back at you

(not sure what else but I'm sure others can contribute)

I assume you'd have to work with solicitor to ensure you have the right protection and company structure but in the same time remember that victims of a scam won't think - yeah, she was just a middleman.
The reports from Real Real are concerning and my understanding from articles was that there was skill lacking -they employed associates skilled in design/photos (can't remember exactly) to authenticate, probably due to a high volume.
But again - all this is to help you not to discourage you

thank you!
yes, i think these logistics are definitely key, but it seems like difficult buyers are part of doing business - if other companies have been able to do this, and keep the majority of their buyers happy while helping them, i think that is what matters most
but yeah looks like i will also have to get good insurance and a legal team to protect myself from liability
but i really do appreciate you sharing your friend's experience, definitely lots to think about !

 

[EmilyM111]

thank you!
yes, i think these logistics are definitely key, but it seems like difficult buyers are part of doing business - if other companies have been able to do this, and keep the majority of their buyers happy while helping them, i think that is what matters most
but yeah looks like i will also have to get good insurance and a legal team to protect myself from liability
but i really do appreciate you sharing your friend's experience, definitely lots to think about !

Guess they do it but they benefit from the scale and can afford mistakes or literally pissing off customers - you won't be at the beginning as your reputation will be essential to drive good supply. I'm saying that as Vestiaire Collective seller and buyer who hate their gut - they're just so big that you can't walk away easily. And don't worry about my comments - I manage analysis team and our job is to evaluate and challenge each proposal

 

[classicgirll]

Guess they do it but they benefit from the scale and can afford mistakes or literally pissing off customers - you won't be at the beginning as your reputation will be essential to drive good supply. I'm saying that as Vestiaire Collective seller and buyer who hate their gut - they're just so big that you can't walk away easily. And don't worry about my comments - I manage analysis team and our job is to evaluate and challenge each proposal

very very true! no, no thank you - these are really important things to think about, i welcome your comments!

 

[doni]

Cool idea.

As everyone says the main issue would be authentication. As you say, it is now a market with lots of providers. Personally, I do not trust any of these pre-loved sites with authentication (bar one) and in general photograph authentication. But many people do so that’s what matters for your business.

I do welcome that authentication is guaranteed, meaning, I get my money back if I am able to prove that the bag was fake (say if I take it to Hermes spa and is refused, or through third party authenticators or even by my own assessment). Now, I think it is here that you’d run into difficulties. How do you compensate the person getting the fake? Obviously you cannot just ask the original /trader to reimburse the cost because there was no sale. You could ask them to give the bag back but at that point it may be lost, or they may say so, or be damaged, at the very least it got further use... So you’d need to find a way to deal with this whole scenario.

 

[classicgirll]

Cool idea.

As everyone says the main issue would be authentication. As you say, it is now a market with lots of providers. Personally, I do not trust any of these pre-loved sites with authentication (bar one) and in general photograph authentication. But many people do so that’s what matters for your business.

I do welcome that authentication is guaranteed, meaning, I get my money back if I am able to prove that the bag was fake (say if I take it to Hermes spa and is refused, or through third party authenticators or even by my own assessment). Now, I think it is here that you’d run into difficulties. How do you compensate the person getting the fake? Obviously you cannot just ask the original /trader to reimburse the cost because there was no sale. You could ask them to give the bag back but at that point it may be lost, or they may say so, or be damaged, at the very least it got further use... So you’d need to find a way to deal with this whole scenario.

Thanks for your comments! Yeah, that is very true - would need to get authentication right the first time, which is my goal anyways. accidentally sending fakes = unhappy customers even if i were to refund them, which would definitely impact the business, especially in its early days

 

[sonicxml]

I think this would be similar to a consignment store that offers discounted consignment rate if the seller choose to get store credit instead of cash.

 

[classicgirll]

I think this would be similar to a consignment store that offers discounted consignment rate if the seller choose to get store credit instead of cash.

sort of but everyone would be able to trade with everyone!! so there would be way more variety than something like fashionphile, for example, and you wouldn't be tied to a single company - plus the price would not be set by an external store (like fashionphile) but rather by everyone else!

 

[misstrine85]

I think it is a great idea.

regarding fakes, would you have them authenticated before sending them to you?with the person sending you poctures in advance? Because then they could send you pictures of an authentic bag and then the actual bag they send you could be fake.

or would you have the bags authenticated after a swap have been agreed on?

 

[classicgirll]

I think it is a great idea.

regarding fakes, would you have them authenticated before sending them to you?with the person sending you poctures in advance? Because then they could send you pictures of an authentic bag and then the actual bag they send you could be fake.

or would you have the bags authenticated after a swap have been agreed on?

thank you!
no, pictures would be listed on the website, but after a trade is agreed to, i would have the bags shipped to me - and then i would authenticate before sending it out to the final owners

 

[misstrine85]

thank you!
no, pictures would be listed on the website, but after a trade is agreed to, i would have the bags shipped to me - and then i would authenticate before sending it out to the final owners

That sounds like a great idea. i would go for it if I were you