I’m sure you’ve heard of Poshmark – that great online marketplace for buying and selling second-hand clothing. Well, recently, I experienced a nightmare situation on there that I wanted to share with you.
So, I purchased a Louis Vuitton bag off this user and after I got it in the mail, I knew something was off. It had all the signs of being fake and I was so angry that I spent all this money on something so shoddy. What was even worse was the fact that this user had so many great reviews and she had created a spotless reputation for herself.
But I decided to do the right thing and try to return it, because I knew most likely the seller hadn’t known it was fake. So, I went through the return process on the Poshmark app. But I was in for a huge disappointment. The return policy was totally unfair and denied me a refund.
So, I contacted their customer service and after a long chat, they said they could not help me. They said they couldn’t investigate the sale because the item was counterfeit and they could not mediate. I was so annoyed and felt like I got completely ripped off.
So, then I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went and bought a fake bag of my own. Yes, I said it. I bought a fake bag. But it was a really good quality one and it was a fraction of the price, so I figured it would be worth it. I sent the fake bag back to the seller and they accepted the return and refunded my money.
That was such a relief and I was so happy with the outcome! So, if you ever find yourself in a situation like me, where you’re stuck with a fake item, my advice is to just return it. You never know, you might luck out and get your money back too!
I thought that was the end of my nightmare experience, but it turns out that the nightmares continue for many people after returning a fake item on Poshmark. Even after returning the fake item, sellers can still leave negatives reviews and low ratings so everyone assumes you’re a scammer or dishonest. So, my next advice is to keep a copy of the receipt and email correspondence with the seller or with Poshmark’s customer service in case anything goes wrong or the seller tries to be shady afterwards.
And it doesn’t end there. Even after communicating with and returning the item to the seller, Poshmark still won’t refund you for the transaction fees you had to pay. They said it’s their policy not to refund those transaction fees, even if the item turns out to be fake or something else goes wrong with your purchase. That’s really unfair and I wish they would change their policy and do the right thing by refunding customers in these situations.
On top of all of this, you won’t be able to leave a review for the seller in these cases either, which makes it difficult for customers to get an accurate and honest impression of a store or seller. That’s why it’s so important to read reviews and know the return policy before you buy something off Poshmark.
Finally, even if returning the item works and you get your money back, chances are that the fake item has already been sold to someone else by the seller and now that unsuspecting buyer is out of their money. That’s really unfair and I wish Poshmark could do something to prevent this from happening, like strictly enforcing their return policy or suspending sellers that are caught selling fake items.
But despite all of this, if you’re stuck in a situation where you have a fake item on your hands, the best thing to do is to just return it. You might luck out and get your money back like I did, or at least have the satisfaction of not being taken advantage of and doing the right thing by returning the item.