Lisa B.

I started to use thredup a few years ago, when it was still operated in accordance with its original model: To sell, you sent in one of those PO-provided medium sized flat rate boxes stuffed with items... listed the box, yourself, on the website, and waited for someone to claim it... sent it off when they did; to buy, chose one of the listed boxes... all you paid was shipping. It was on YOU: if you filled boxes with good items and gave good descriptions, recipients were happy and posted positive reviews. Fill a box with junk and get a bad review... fill a box with fabulous stuff but don't bother to itemize the listing no one will buy it in the first place. Honestly, it was very inexpensive... when you received your box it was a fun surprise to unpack it, and typically I'd have a couple of items that were "eh" in a box and a surprise goody. It really was FUN.

This model... I don't like. It started out okay. But the quality of my experience has declined. Steadily. Now, it takes months to process a bag when I send it in. The number of items that are not accepted is arguably ridiculous: I check every single item for stains, for wear... I check the list of "brands we do not accept" but as this list keeps expanding, by the time my bag is processed there are things that, apparently, they no longer accept. I try to send in items that are "in season," as requested, but again, buy the time the bag is processed those items are no longer in season, which results in a lower payout or complete rejection. I have sent in NEW and unworn high end (Calvin Klein, I believe) women's trousers and had them rejected. I have sent shoes -- Stride Rite patent leather Mary Jane's, worn all of one time -- that were rejected for "wear." Really? You know, I'll wager a bet that you could look at the soles and see that yes, those shoes were worn once... but surprise, this site holds itself out as handling used items. Great condition, yes. But not new or unused (for the most part). As far as purchasing, the prices are generally too high considering it's used clothing. I've purchased only a few things since they switched to this model, and they were fine, but they were not inexpensive, the website is not easily navigable and the entire endeavor not really worth it.

My most recent experience left me sufficiently dissatisfied that I am considering just freecycling our items: the payout I'm getting from thredup -- on good quality, good condition items -- is, frankly, sad, and with so much being "not accepted" for reasons I find neither understandable nor predictable, I would rather give the items away to people who will use them.

It's too bad, too. I really did love thredup, once upon a time. Like so many things, they seem to have become a victim of their own success.