Let’s get right to it. Is depop.com (the clothing marketplace) a legit website? The quick answer is yes, they are legitimate. I received all of the clothing orders I placed with various sellers, and they arrived mostly as expected. Now the biggest question is, would I shop here again?
In this honest and detailed review, I will share my overall purchase and seller experience, platform information/research, and my final verdict/recommendation. Keep reading for more!
Table of Contents
About Depop
Is Depop sustainable?
Yes, it is a sustainable platform.
Depop released a Sustainability Plan for 2021-2022, highlighting its commitment to creating a more sustainable and responsible future. The plan outlines several goals, including promoting diversity and inclusion, running a low-carbon and low-impact business, powering its operations with renewable energy, and empowering its users to buy and sell mindfully.
Additionally, not only is buying/selling second-hand clothing a sustainable practice in and of itself, but it will also depend on the seller and what you purchase from them. If the item you are buying was made sustainably (ethical production, recyclable materials, etc.), then that’s another layer of sustainability.
Depop Review and Order Details
1) Vintage 80’s Levi’s White Tab Jeans Review
I ordered the above item from the seller @abreuvintage on 9/6/2023 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $35.38 via PayPal. – View Order Confirmation
- Listed Price: $25.00 + $7.99 shipping. This was my first Depop purchase, and I overlooked the ‘Offer’ button. I paid the full listing price for these.
- Seller’s Terms: The seller mentions that the prices are negotiable, all items are Final Sale, and no sales under $10 will be made.
- View the Product Page for more information.
My Expectations:
- As someone who is not familiar with vintage clothing, I am SHOCKED by how tiny these jeans are. I normally wear a size 29 or 8-10. These jeans, even though they say size 8, look like they fit a size 24 or 0. Upon doing further research on vintage sizing, turns out vintage clothing tends to run four to five sizes small compared to modern sizes. Check out this article How to Shop for Vintage Clothing + Vintage Sizing Tips by A Beautiful Mess for vintage size information.
- These might be the sturdiest denim jeans I have ever touched, as they are extremely thick and feel durable. Based on my research, they seem to be genuine vintage Levi’s. Read How to Spot Fake Levi’s by Thrifted for details on checking authenticity, and ways to avoid getting scammed with fake Levi’s.
- These look exactly as pictured, and I think the seller represented the product accurately.
2) Vintage Y2K Winter Sweatshirts Reviews X2
I ordered the above items from the seller @thriftapp on 9/13/2023 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $23.60 via PayPal. – View Order Confirmation
- Listed Prices: $11.00 + Free shipping. The items were on sale, and I saved on shipping since I bought both of them as a bundle. I did not feel comfortable making an offer since these were already over 40% off.
- Seller’s Terms: They mention free shipping on bundles.
- View Product Page (light blue one) and View Product Page (navy one) for more information.
My Expectations:
- While the measurements provided on both product pages are correct, both of these sweatshirts are smaller than I expected. I ordered a men’s large in both, thinking they would be quite oversized, but the light blue one fits like a men’s small, and the navy blue one fits like a men’s medium. This was my fault in assuming they would fit like modern men’s sizes. Check out this article How to Shop for Vintage Clothing + Vintage Sizing Tips by A Beautiful Mess for vintage size information.
- The seller lists the quality as used, but ‘excellent’. In my opinion, they should have put ‘good’ instead. On the light blue sweatshirt, the tag has been sloppily cut off, and both of the sweatshirts look like they have been washed dozens of times (the inside of both are very pilled). The embroidered snowman on the light blue one is also a bit frayed and wrinkled.
3) Hand-Embroidered Long-Sleeve T-Shirt Review
I ordered the above items from the seller @iconicallyvoid on 9/13/2023 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $21.45 via PayPal. – View Order Confirmation
- Listed Price: $15.00 + $8 Shipping. I sent an offer for $12 and they accepted.
- Seller’s Terms: They mention sending them a message for bundle discounts.
- View the Product Page for more information.
My Expectations:
- While this shirt doesn’t list a size, I came across this item because I specifically set filters for XL men’s shirts. Not sure how this ended up showing, but it fits more like an L.
- They list the shirt as used but in excellent condition. The seam on one of the armcuffs is torn open, by about half an inch. So, I would say this isn’t quite accurate. It should probably be listed as ‘good’ instead.
Shipment Info
I received three packages from three different sellers, and they all shipped from various places in the United States. I was provided tracking numbers for each order.
- @abreuvintage: The order took 2 days to ship, and 6 days from the purchase date to arrive.
- @thriftapp: The order took 9 days to ship, and 12 days from the purchase date to arrive.
- @iconicallyvoid: The order took 6 days to ship, and 9 days from the purchase date to arrive.
Note: Depop’s shipping policy states that sellers must ship items to their customers within 7 days of purchase. If this doesn’t happen, you can open a dispute with Depop, and they may offer a refund according to their Buyer’s Protection policy.
Seller Communication
- @iconicallyvoid courteously let me know on the day of the purchase that they couldn’t ship it out until the next week, which was no issue.
- @thriftapp took a bit over 7 days to ship the items. I followed up with them in a private message, and they let me know the next day that it was being shipped out.
- I made a purchase with a different seller using PayPal, and they let me know over message that they were underage and did not have a PayPal account. They were extremely polite, and I ended up having to go to my PayPal account and cancel the order. It was fairly straightforward, and I was refunded promptly.
- A few sellers never responded to my private messages for more information, but a large majority did.
Is Depop Legit or a Scam?
In this section of the review, I will answer whether this marketplace is legitimate or not, and let you know my recommendation. Keep reading for more!
Do I Recommend This Marketplace?
Based on my experience, this is a legitimate marketplace. I ordered from several sellers and received all of my items, with the exception of the seller who was underage, but that was resolved quickly and I was promptly refunded.
It is important to note that this is a platform for individual sellers similar to places like Ebay, and Poshmark. With any online marketplace, there are always fraudulent sellers waiting to scam you (this is especially true when shopping for designer items).
With that being said, I would *probably* shop here again.
While I generally had an easy and positive experience, you should always be thorough in your investigation and ask questions before jumping to make the purchase. Here are some ways you can help prevent a frustrating shopping experience (and even have a great one!):
- Check seller’s reviews. I have seen customers absolutely roast sellers who shipped a month later or sent an unexpected item, so this can help you avoid a nightmare.
- DO NOT SKIP the product descriptions. If the seller provides measurements, make sure you check that the measurements are correct for you. I have experienced ignoring the provided measurements, and just basing my expectations on the size letter or number, and I was very disappointed. If the seller doesn’t provide detailed size information, reach out to them in a private message and ask. If you have a tape measure and can measure your favorite garment for comparison, even better!
- Anything that is labeled ‘Vintage’, assume that it will fit small. It is especially important that you check with the seller what the measurements are or how it fits according to modern sizing. I made the mistake of going with my regular size for a vintage item, and the jeans I received looked like they were for a child.
- Most sellers are open to negotiation, so don’t be afraid to negotiate! There seems to be an unspoken rule though, that low-balling is not only insulting to the seller but is a near guarantee that they will reject your offer. So if you are wanting to snag something before someone else does, make a ‘considerate’ offer. Depop helps with this by suggesting an amount.
- It seems most sellers do not accept returns, many do not accept PayPal, and some only ship within the U.S. Double-check with the seller before purchasing. Some sellers list this information in their bio on their profile.
- Beware of incorrectly tagged or pictured items. For example, I saw someone tag a dress as Brandy Melville, but upon closer look, it was a different brand. Make sure to read the product page carefully and reach out to the seller for further clarification.
- Some sellers offer free shipping (for single items or bundled items). This may be apparent while you’re browsing their items, you may be notified when you add items to your cart, or it may be hidden in their bio. I’ve seen bio messages such as, “Message me for free shipping”, or “Send a message for bundle discounts”.
To wrap up this review, regardless of my experience, be sure to read as many customer reviews as possible. If you found this post helpful in your search for depop reviews, please consider sharing and commenting (via Reddit) below. Have a great day!
– Noelle
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