Let’s get straight to the point. Is thredup.comthe online women’s thrift shopa legit site? The short answer is yesthey are legitimate. Now the biggest question iswould I shop here again?
In this 100% unbiased and detailed review (I am NOT paid to write this)I will share my purchase and return experiencemy thoughts on their clothingand my observations and research regarding their brand and website. Keep reading for more!
Table of Contents
My First Impression of ThredUp
After digging around their websiteI’m not seeing anything that immediately jumps out as scammy. Their pages seem well-writtenI don’t see any obvious discrepanciestheir images look cohesive and realetc. – keep scrolling for a deeper dive!
About ThredUp
Is ThredUp Ethical?
Yesthey appear to follow many sustainable practices. According to their About page and Our Impact pagethey promote secondhand shopping to mitigate the environmental impact. Their online platform offers a modern resale experienceprocessing and recirculating clothing at an extraordinary scale. Their initiatives include educating consumers about fashion waste and collaborating with high-profile brands and celebrities to inspire positive change in the fashion industry. Notablyby the end of 2022they had processed 172 million garmentsmitigating 666 million pounds of carbon emissionsand saving customers over $5 billion. I can also confirm that my items arrived in recyclable packaging (a cardboard box) without any plastic packaging.
Check out this article What Is Fast FashionAnyway? by the good trade to learn more about fast fashionsustainabilityand how to spot it from a mile away!
Where Is ThredUp Located?
According to their Contact pagethey are located in the United States. Their business address is 969 Broadway Suite 200OaklandCA 94607.
Where Does ThredUp Ship From?
My order was shipped to me from a warehouse/distribution center in Georgia (United States).
Business • Domain Info
- According to their Contact pagetheir legal business name is ThredUp Inc.
- Read this List of Online Stores that are confirmed to be run by the same owners as ThredUp.
- The website thredup.com was registered in November 2008.
Philanthropy • Statements • Press
- According to their About pagethey commissioned Green Story Inc. to analyze the environmental impact of buying garments used instead of new. View Report
- They have been mentioned by popular magazines and platforms including Forbes, Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, Vogueetc. (Click to view linked articles)
Services • Policies • Products
The below info is accurate as of this post’s publish date. For the most current and updated infoplease check their website.
- They offer Clean Out Kits for you to fill with clothing you would like to sell. They receive your itemsinspectphotographand list/sell on your behalf.
- They offer heavily discounted Rescue Boxes filled with clothing that doesn’t qualify for listing on their marketplace.
- They have ThredUp Rewards where you can earnredeemand spend points.
- Shipping is free over $89.
- Returns are allowed within 14 days of delivery. They offer free return labels on items in your first order using their Welcome reward code (this was automatically applied). After your first ordera return label costs $10.99 if refunded back to your original payment method (you can also opt to return it yourself). Additionallyitems are subject to a $3.99 restocking fee. Final Sale items are not returnable.
- Size charts are NOT available for any of the clothing. These are second-hand itemsand since there are DOZENS of different brandsthey just provide a few measurements such as bustlengthetc. For each item I choseI Googled each brand’s size chart.
- They carry:
- Standard and plus sizes from XXS to 5X
- Junior sizes
- Maternity sizes
- Tall and petite lengths
ThredUp Clothing Review
I ordered the below items on 3/13/2024 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $129.73 to ThredUp Inc. ([email protected]) via PayPal. The charge appears on my credit card statement as “PAYPAL *THREDUP INC”. – View Order Confirmation
Expectation: They are not what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. The product page is a bit misleading:
- It mentions ‘High-Rise’but these are not high-rise as you can tell by the pictures.
- The product measurements are inaccurate; I measured 30″ for the waist10″ for the riseand 29″ for the inseam.
- These are a size 8s. They just list size 8.
- They list ‘Excellent Condition’. These clearly have been washed and driedand the dimpling/morphing on the back seam is evidence.
Fit: I ordered based on this brand’s standard size chart (I Googled)and they fit well. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Quality: In my opinionthe quality of the materials overall is great. Howeverthey have a defect. The back seam appears to be permanently wavy and makes them unwearable (it is particularly noticeable from the side). See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Value: They feel great quality but are NOT worth the price I paid due to the defect.
Expectation: It is not what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. The product page is a bit misleading:
- This is NOT grayit is more of a faded blue.
- The widest part of the chest is closer to 29″not 34.5″.
- There is no ’embroidered detail’ that I can see.
Fit: I ordered based on this brand’s standard size chart (I Googled)and it is the right size but not the right fit for my proportions. The chest area fits okaybut the hips are too tight. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Quality: In my opinionthe quality is pretty good. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Value: The price I paid seems fair for the right person!
Expectation: They are what I was expectingfor the most partin terms of overall appearance. Howeverthe rise is closer to 10.25″ – on some bodiesthese may fit more like high-rise leggings.
Fit: I ordered based on this brand’s standard size chart (I Googled)and they fit one size too big. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Quality: In my opinionthe quality is great. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Value: They feel good quality and are worth the price I paid!
Expectation: It is not what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. The product page is a bit misleading:
- This dress I received is different from the one that is pictured. I’m assuming they received a few of thesetook photos of oneand used the photos for all of them. I prefer the print on the dress in the product imagethough I am okay with the one I received.
- The chest measurement is closer to 32″not 36″.
Fit: I ordered based on this brand’s standard size chart (I Googled)and it fits well. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Quality: In my opinionthe quality is pretty good. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Value: It is a different dress from the image (looks like the same but a different section of the print). Since I don’t care about thisit is worth the price I paid!
ThredUp Order Details
Shipment Info
I received four items in one package at my address in North Carolina (United States). The package came from a warehouse/distribution center in the United States. I was provided a tracking number through Veho.
Package Shipped From: 580 Horizon DriveSuite 20SuwaneeGA 30024 (United States)
Shipping Timeline:
- I placed my order on WedMarch 13th
- My order shipped on ThursMarch 14th
- I received my package on SatMarch 16th
Total time of 3 days
Return & Refund Info
I requested a return through their return portal on March 24th. My request was approved instantaneouslyand I was provided with a prepaid return label. I mailed the package on March 30th via USPS.
Provided Return Address: 580 Horizon Dr.Suite 200SuwaneeGA 30024 (United States)
I received a full refund of $129.73 on April 17th. I received it eighteen days after I mailed the package. – View Refund Receipt
Customer Service Experience
Responsiveness
My experience was seamlessand I didn’t need to contact their support email for anything (including the return since it was done through their return portal). My return was approved and I was provided with the next steps instantaneously.
Shipping
I was notified via email regarding a brief delay in delivery. My package was delayed by one day. Here is the message shown in the tracking log:
"Your order has been returned to a Veho warehouse due to an issue with your delivery. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Your delivery may be attempted again today or tomorrow." -Thredup Support
Return
They provided me with the following return/refund options:
- Refund in Shopping Credit (free return label + get credit as soon as USPS scans the label)
- Refund to original payment using a prepaid label (free on 1st order – normally $10.99)
- Refund to original payment (no label – do it yourself)
I went with the second option. They asked that I include the other page of the provided printout inside the package.
ThredUp Background Research
Reverse Image Search
ThredUp appears to be the source of their product images.
Website/Company Search
No suspicious information (such as lawsuits or alerts from the Better Business Bureau) was found.
Customer Reviews
ThredUp has a low rating on Trustpilot and other platforms. To summarize the negative reviews:
- Selling experience: Sellers report extremely low payoutswith fees wiping out profits. Many feel it’s better to donate clothes or sell elsewhere (PoshmarkeBay).
- Customer service: Slow response timesissues with correcting mistakesand poor support when items are missing or incorrectly listed.
- Quality control: Numerous complaints about receiving items with defectswrong sizesor stains that were not shown or mentioned in the listings.
- Final sale problems: No returns allowedeven for inaccurately described items.
- Transparency: Hidden feesunclear policiesand accusations of unethical practicessuch as selling items without paying sellers.
I agree with many of these complaints (especially the lack of quality control and incorrectly listed items complaints) – these incidents/experiences should be kept in mind.
Is ThredUp Legit or a Scam?
Based on my experiencethey are a legitimate shop and I would shop here again WITH CAUTION!
I remember shopping here 10 years ago and having a good experience. This time aroundI have a lot of things to discuss/bring to light. Here are some very important things to keep in mind (based on my experience) before making a purchase:
- Every single item in my order looked dullerdarkeror more grayscale in color compared to the product image.
- Every single item’s product page listed slightly or very inaccurate product measurements. I’m talking up to several inches. This is particularly an issue since they don’t have any size charts. I had to Google each brand’s size chart to guess my size (this ended up being more accurate than relying on ThredUp’s measurements).
- Some of the items had irrelevant/inaccurate keywords listed under the ‘Item Details’ section. For exampleone of the dresses lists ’embroidered detail’ but doesn’t have any embroidery. The jeans list ‘High-Waisted’ but are not high-waisted.
- The jeans say they are in ‘Excellent Condition’but they are flawed. These should not have been listed for sale. HoweverI did see the flaw in the product imagewhich I should have taken more seriously.
- They leave out details on some items such as if a pair of jeans is a regularshortor long lengthor whether a dress has a liner or not. These are important details and should be listed properly. They seem to miss a lot of smaller (but important) details.
- Unless the condition states ‘New With Tags’expect that every item you order has been wornwashedand dried at least once or twice. This means that the item could be slightly stretchedor has shrunk. This also means Googling a brand’s size chart and relying on it may not work out perfectly.
- After your first orderreturn shipping costs are on you if you don’t want store credit (and likely restocking fees for each item)so buying based on inaccurate information is risky.
OverallI rate ThredUp a Hit or Miss due to the sizingqualityand fit of some items (due to inaccurately provided product information). Next timeI will rely on each brand’s size chart (as I previously did)and will keep my above points in mind.
To wrap up this postregardless of my experiencebe sure to read as many customer reviews as possible. If you found this post helpful in your search for ThredUp reviewsplease consider sharing this with your friends and commenting (via Reddit) below. Thank you very much for your support and readership!
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