Vestiaire Collective experiences?

[Korat]

Tbh, VC is kind of in its own market. A niche. All other existing ones such as the ol’ Ebay, Poshmark, Etsy, Grailed, DePop and countless others uses PayPal’s dispute resolution system if things go south with your purchase. If in 2023 there’s still folks who still unbox without taking a video then there’s bound to be hiccups dealing with direct shipment. You would hv thought by having an “authentication process” physically would cancel any chances of getting ripped but it seems VC has its fair share of problems offering such service. A paid service that is. Therefore, I’m afraid we all need to resort to the old ways of dealing with buyers by being extra diligent when receiving our packages. I’m an international seller and the only reason I created a stream with VC was because of the 18% commission which also includes shipping fee with a reputable courier (DHL) to all destination worldwide. If VC choose to screw the harmony by introducing an absurd “buyers fee” then I’m afraid they’re digging their own grave.

I agree with you on VC having their own niche, that is why I think they can pull off this increase. All other platforms charge more or the same, with less buyers on the platform. In terms of authentication, personally I have never had an issue (knock on wood). To be fair, they have had advantages. DHL has been an excellent courier, but now I see them using Chronopost or UPS more, which is significantly worse on shipping times. Customer Service has their moments, mostly if it is about non-complicated stuff. They are also 24/7 which I hope they stay with.
Since the introduction of the new buyer service fee, I have switched off offer feature entirely. Already had it off, as it was a huge waste of time, but had it on for some items. I still end up having to explain to buyers that my bag prices don't include their buyer service fee, because VC shows for the most, a total number to them.

 

[Korat]

I really miss a Vestiaire Sellers Club to discuss things with other sellers. Does no one want to make such an online forum?

 

[Elena S]

I’m really shocked by the introduction of the buyer’s fee! From their FAQ:

“If the item you purchase is listed in the same currency as yours, the Buyer Service Fee will be 5%* of the item’s price, excluding any fees.

If the item you purchase is listed by the seller in a different currency to yours, the Buyer Service Fee will be up to 15% of the item’s price, excluding any fees.”

Price discrimination of us living in Sweden and other EU countries using their own currency (not Euro) just got onto a new level! Wasn’t it enough with outrageous “currency conversion fee” of about 12%??? Now we are punished with extra 15% surcharge??? It’s insane…

 

[alaia.lou]

Who was the seller you bought from? Any chance it was https://www.vestiairecollective.com...leather-picotin-hermes-handbag-33032178.shtml

Not this one. The seller was based in France

 

[alaia.lou]

Was the bag sent to Hong Kong for authentication by any chance? IMHO, the stitching looks sus AF. I mean, even someone with a 10/20 vision can tell the poor workmanship on the thread. No way that passed authentication unless it was from their HK hub. This should be posted far and wide online to deter others from falling prey to their claimed “expert authentication service”. Appalling is an understatement for such a rubbish company.

Unfortunately, they will not bow down to admitting their mistake(?) and proceed with a refund because the seller has already been paid. Btw, they’re just stalling you and I can guarantee 100% you won’t get your money back and will have to resort to re-selling the bag with them. Disgusting

No, the bag was from the seller based in France. After second check, VC insisted that the bag is authentic and resell the bag again. For me, I‘m done buying with them. And for others, be careful when purchasing with them. Counterfeit bag nowadays is really that good and it‘s hard to distinguish between the original and the fake one.

 

[Korat]

I’m really shocked by the introduction of the buyer’s fee! From their FAQ:

“If the item you purchase is listed in the same currency as yours, the Buyer Service Fee will be 5%* of the item’s price, excluding any fees.

If the item you purchase is listed by the seller in a different currency to yours, the Buyer Service Fee will be up to 15% of the item’s price, excluding any fees.”

Price discrimination of us living in Sweden and other EU countries using their own currency (not Euro) just got onto a new level! Wasn’t it enough with outrageous “currency conversion fee” of about 12%??? Now we are punished with extra 15% surcharge??? It’s insane…

It is insane. However, you can switch your currency to the buyer's currency in the settings, and let your bank do the conversion for much much cheaper (1-3%, usually). What surprises is me is how so many people just do not comprehend this simple currency conversion thing. Have tried explaining it to buyers, and they just think i want to trick them somehow.

 

[Elena S]

@Korat Well, I have payments set to my my PayPal account which is in SEK and all my listings are in SEK from the start. Switching currency on my side wouldn’t change anything for the buyer. It’s the buyers who should switch to my currency before making offers or purchasing. Unfortunately, as you said they are more often than not reluctant to do so and just disappear. Shame on Vestiaire for discriminating the sellers (and buyers for that matter) within EU. I wonder if it’s even legal according to EU trade laws…

 

[ringing_phone]

I’ve been a loyal VC customer for 5-6 years, only as a buyer, never as a seller. I’ve never had to make complaints about a seller, never had issues with any of my purchases, etc. I’m generally on the hunt for past season clothes. I made a purchase on Friday (<$200), got the confirmation and thought everything was good.

I tried to log into my VC account yesterday and got a message that my account has been suspended. I thought this was some sort of glitch, so I emailed customer service asking what was going on. I was told that due to section 15 of the T&Cs, one of my selling listings was found to be inappropriate, and they had sent me a letter a couple days prior telling me so. I responded saying that I’ve never listed anything on VC and have never received a letter, please re-visit the issue and re-activate my account as they must have mistaken me with someone else.

In the latest response this morning, they’ve told me that they perform routine checks of accounts and mine was flagged- they referred again to section 15 of the T&Cs, where they can ban anyone at anytime without notice. I responded asking to escalate this, because I still don’t know what I did to get banned.

Oh, and they keep saying not to worry, I will still receive my purchase from Friday… now I want to tell them to cancel as I don’t think they deserve any more of my money!

 

[Sferics]

I’ve been a loyal VC customer for 5-6 years, only as a buyer, never as a seller. I’ve never had to make complaints about a seller, never had issues with any of my purchases, etc. I’m generally on the hunt for past season clothes. I made a purchase on Friday (<$200), got the confirmation and thought everything was good.

I tried to log into my VC account yesterday and got a message that my account has been suspended. I thought this was some sort of glitch, so I emailed customer service asking what was going on. I was told that due to section 15 of the T&Cs, one of my selling listings was found to be inappropriate, and they had sent me a letter a couple days prior telling me so. I responded saying that I’ve never listed anything on VC and have never received a letter, please re-visit the issue and re-activate my account as they must have mistaken me with someone else.

In the latest response this morning, they’ve told me that they perform routine checks of accounts and mine was flagged- they referred again to section 15 of the T&Cs, where they can ban anyone at anytime without notice. I responded asking to escalate this, because I still don’t know what I did to get banned.

Oh, and they keep saying not to worry, I will still receive my purchase from Friday… now I want to tell them to cancel as I don’t think they deserve any more of my money!

Wow, this is so unprofessional. I even don't have words.

 

[ringing_phone]

Escalation worked! Someone else responded to me and said they looked into the issue, and that they had made a mistake and apologized. My account has been re-activated!

 

[WilliamF]

Here's what's weird though I can't purchase from France --> USA but the listing says it won't ship. However the same item (twice the price) I could purchase from UK --> USA. Which makes no sense to me. Has anyone encountered this and are there any shipping work arounds?

Actually shipping from USA can be challenging at the beginning but if you can find a middle company that is located in USA and ships globally, that would be your best bet. Once you have someone in USA, they can get in touch with the company and solve the issue for you or inform you about customs. I've been using forwardme.com and they are a very trusted company so i suggest checking them out. You can also reach them via live chat.

 

[happygal00]

Has anyone had anu experience as a seller selling a completely new unused item and buyer disputing it as “not compliant”? VC couldn’t tell me exactly what the buyer complained about. The item is being sent to VC for review. I’m very concerned the buyer may have worn or damaged the item and will claim that’s how I had sent it to the buyer. I can not imagine how else the buyer would think he/she can get away with disputing a brand new item. I have very good history as a seller and never had anyone dispute any item I sold them.. wonder if VC will take that into account. Would love to hear anyone with similar experiences.

 

[onlyk]

Has anyone had anu experience as a seller selling a completely new unused item and buyer disputing it as “not compliant”? VC couldn’t tell me exactly what the buyer complained about. The item is being sent to VC for review. I’m very concerned the buyer may have worn or damaged the item and will claim that’s how I had sent it to the buyer. I can not imagine how else the buyer would think he/she can get away with disputing a brand new item. I have very good history as a seller and never had anyone dispute any item I sold them.. wonder if VC will take that into account. Would love to hear anyone with similar experiences.

Was it shipped to the buyer directly? Typically buyer open case for return: picky buyer, paid too high, condition not as described.
how much was it sold?

 

[happygal00]

Was it shipped to the buyer directly? Typically buyer open case for return: picky buyer, paid too high, condition not as described.
how much was it sold?

Yes shipped directly to the buyer. After reading this thread now I realized to never ship directly to the buyer!

Weird thing is that it’s being sent from buyer to VC first to see if what buyer complained about is correct. Rather than it being sent directly back to me then refunded to buyer. I’m hoping that’s a good thing.. hoping for the best and Vc reviews it and sees there is nothing wrong with item. Although the buyer could CERTAINLY just damage the shoes and send it to Vc claiming that’s how I sent it.

 

[onlyk]

Yes shipped directly to the buyer. After reading this thread now I realized to never ship directly to the buyer!

Weird thing is that it’s being sent from buyer to VC first to see if what buyer complained about is correct. Rather than it being sent directly back to me then refunded to buyer. I’m hoping that’s a good thing.. hoping for the best and Vc reviews it and sees there is nothing wrong with item. Although the buyer could CERTAINLY just damage the shoes and send it to Vc claiming that’s how I sent it.

Do you have original photos of the item? Could you send these pictures to VC customer service as evidence? I would send them all evidence you have to support it was sold as as described.