I posted a picture on Instagram of this sweater a few weeks ago and mentioned it was from ThredUp and someone asked how I find cute things on there.
Well, it only takes one question for me to barrage you with an entire post of my (dubious) wisdom, so buckle up.
In the last six months, I’ve only bought about three clothing items that aren’t from ThredUp. I seriously love that site and I’d say about 50-60% of my closet is now from there (this post isn’t sponsored; I assume they have no clue who I am except as that person who orders a LOT of things. There are, as usual, some affiliate links, plus if you make your first purchase on ThredUp through my link, you’ll get $10 off your first order. Proceed disclosed).
The new thredUP Restocking Fee
One caveat about shopping with thredUP is that they now charge a restocking fee. They started testing it in Summer of 2018 – I didn’t see the thredUP restocking fee for a while, but I started getting comments on this post about it, plus some emails.
I sent an email to one of the team members I’ve worked with and asked about the restocking fee and she told me that it was a test. One third of returns were charged no restocking fee, one third were charged 99 cents per item that they returned and one third were charged $1.99 per item returned if those items were under $50. It was completely random who was given which return charge, so eventually I did see a return show up with those restocking fees.
Then, as of August 28, 2018, the thredUP restocking fee was made permanent, so now for any item under $50 you return, you’ll receive the full amount back in cash or credit, minus $1.99 per item.
I personally think it’s not the best business decision, since I think it makes most people less likely to pull the trigger on making a purchase at all or take a chance on something that they might like but aren’t sure about. On the other hand, as a business owner myself, I understand that shipping isn’t free (even if Amazon wants to make us all think it is) and that restocking things all has a cost.
Even with the restocking fee, I’ll still be shopping at thredUP, but I’ll definitely be less likely to take a risk on something I’m not sure about and I’ll be more conservative about the size of my orders.
Anyway! With all of those disclaimers aside and with more experience with thredUP shopping than I should probably admit to, here are my secrets:
My Best Tricks for Scoring Deals on ThredUp
- Look frequently. You know how some people unwind for the day by looking at Facebook for twenty minutes? That’s what I do with ThredUp. I don’t look every single day, but I probably browse through a couple of times a week. Their inventory turns over all the time and they have so MUCH inventory that you never know what might pop up.
- Start with shoes. The thing I look at most often is shoes because I know exactly what size I am, and shoes aren’t as tricky to figure out online as other items. I’ve bought some amazing pairs of shoes on there that look brand-new.
- Stick with brands you know. If Banana Republic clothing never fits or flatters you when you buy it new, it’s very unlikely to start magically fitting when it’s secondhand. On the other hand, if you’re a loyal Gap or J.Crew or Anthropologie lover, try those brands on ThredUp – you’ll know what their sizing means and you’ll have a good feel for their style and fit.
- Shop with a goal in mind. It’s one thing to go to Old Navy without any particular idea of what you want to buy – they have things organized beautifully and mannequins all over the stores to give you outfit ideas, but when it’s just individual items on ThredUp, it can be ridiculously overwhelming. I just went and looked at the women’s section and there are currently 107,000 items on there. That’s ridiculously overwhelming. I have much better luck on ThredUp when I enter the site thinking, “I need a new pair of black jeans” or “I’d like a striped sweatshirt.”
- Use the filters. The filters will help you narrow things down really quickly. For instance, if I decide I need a few new t-shirts for the summer months, I filter to tops, then ones with short-sleeves with a scoop or v-neck in my size and suddenly I’m down to 2,000 options. If I specifically want a black one, then I’m down to 145 items. The search tool is pretty excellent too – I found a polka-dot shirt in thirty seconds this summer after I saw someone at church wearing a darling one.
- Buy higher-end than you might normally. For me, one of the big draws of ThredUp is that I can buy a $95 J.Crew top for $15. My closet has much nicer items than it has the in the past – now most of my jeans are in the $150 range (if they were new – they’re about 75% less on ThredUp) and, surprise! They fit so much better than the $7 ones I bought at Forever 21. I know – I’m astonished too.
- Try things on twice (or three times). Usually, when I get a box from ThredUp, I try everything on. I immediately put things back in the box to return that I don’t like and then I hang the rest of the items in my closet. Then I try those things on again a day or so later. Which brings me to. . .
- Return things that don’t fit. I’ve been so careful with my closet this past year, and it’s been amazing how much easier it is to get dressed in the morning. So when something comes from ThredUp that doesn’t quite fit or flatter me, I resist the urge to say “well, it was only $5” and I send it back. I always choose to get my refund in store credit so that I can get free shipping and then the next time I make an order, I just use that store credit again and so on and so forth.
- Resist the clearance items. I love clearance items but with ThredUp, clearance items aren’t returnable and so I just avoid them all together.
- Don’t forget the extras. You can also buy scarves, hats, and handbags on ThredUp (although the handbags aren’t returnable, so keep that in mind when you’re ordering).
- Kids too! They don’t have men’s clothing on ThredUp but they do have tons of kids clothing and I’ve basically restocked all three of my girls’ wardrobes this fall and winter. I bought Ella the gorgeous red wool coat she’s wearing in our Christmas photos here, plus tons of shoes, jeans, tops, skirts, and dresses for them. The prices are killer and it’s nice for them to have clothing that is a little higher-end and actually holds up for more than one washing.
Not to mention, buying things from ThredUp (which has such good quality control) is SO MUCH BETTER for the environment. I mean, 107,000 items currently NOT in a landfill or dubious "donate bin" but instead on their way to new homes all over the US for a fraction of what they cost new? Yes, please! A few of the things I've gotten from ThredUp have been, as far as I can tell, brand new. Perhaps they're items like we all have, that we bought but never wore. It's a steal, for more reason than one.
I LOVE Thred Up! Annnnd, I just got notice that my cart is about to expire, so off I go to complete my order. 🙂
I have read some bad reviews about them not paying much for your items when you send things to them. Have you had this trouble?
I have read some of these reviews and I personally disagree with them. I've sold items and it is true that they don't pay a ton (I think I got about $5 per item for things that were Gap brand or equivalent), but how can I possibly expect to get killer deals when I BUY things if they are paying a boatload to purchase those items?
I figure that anything I get is better than the nothing I would get for donating them to a thrift store, and I didn't even have to leave my house. I suppose I could possibly get a little more if I took them to a consignment shop, but that seems like a lot more effort.
Thanks. I love all of your tips. Do they always give free return shipping if you take a store credit? Have you sent in many children's clothes?
Yes, you can always get free return shipping if you take store credit.
And, now that you mention it, I've never sold any children's items – only adult clothing. So I have zero knowledge on that topic.
I've sold to ThredUp, and I've had the experience that Sbjp mentioned. They paid me exactly $1.45 for a pair of Gap skinny jeans (in good condition) that I originally paid $50 for on sale. They also paid me $3.80 TOTAL for 6 items: 2 Victoria's Secret bathing suit tops, and 4 pairs of shorts (from Target, H&M, JCPenney, and Old Navy).
Thank you for these tips – especially the store credit in exchange for free return shipping – I wasn't aware of that policy! When I was pregnant last year I bought my entire winter maternity wardrobe (my other two babes were summer pregnancies) from ThredUp and was so happy with almost everything I bought. However, because I live on the east coast, the cost to return the few items that did not fit was so much that I haven't purchased with them since. Thanks to you I'm going to go do some shopping right now… and use your link! 🙂
I sent a big pile that had been headed to donations to ThredUp instead after reading about it on your blog a while back. While they didn't pay a ton, like you said – it was more than I'd get if I just donated the clothes, and WAY less hassle! I am moving soon and plan to send another big shipment.
Once I was on the site to sell things, I was obviously sucked in and ended up purchasing some things. Your tips above are super helpful as I've definitely gotten frustrated by the sheer volume of items and difficulty in really telling what things look like from the photos. I do have a few complaints and I'm curious if this has been your experience: 1) I received one item that had very clearly come from a home with a cat – visible fur, and I basically had an allergy attack the second I opened the box! I had to return everything that was in it! 2) Maybe this is because I live farther away, but shipping returns has taken FOREVER — 1-2 months. That is a LONG time to wait for a refund!
All that being said, I will probably try again armed with your tips! I did get at least one item that felt like a super score (a pair of sandals from Anthropology that I desperately wanted last season but refused to shell out $80+ for, purchased like new for $15). Their customer service has also been responsive and helpful.
Apologies for the super long post here! I learned about ThredUp from your blog and have had a mixed experience, so figured I'd chime in here!
Whoa, that return window is INSANE! Mine usually is less than a week.
And that cat hair incident? Yikes. . .I've never had that problem, but especially with an allergy, that would be terrible.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, good and bad!
Awesome that this post is featured on the thread up blog. Way to go! !
Awesome that this post is featured on the thread up blog. Way to go! !
I've loved ThredUp for a long time! It's been a while since I bought stuff there, though–they used to have $50 free shipping and free returns on any items from mobile orders. So I'm curious…when you take store credit to get free returns, does using that return credit on a future order count towards getting you to the $70 free shipping amount? Thanks!
Have you shop at their smart stores? I find it easier online with the con of not being able to try it on. But I was overwhelm at the store. They opened their second store in our area. Thoughts?
I haven’t since there isn’t one in my area! I just order a bunch of stuff online and try it on at my leisure and return what doesn’t work.
Great post! I too love ThreadUp, though had to take a break from regularly looking for the sake of our clothing budget. Ha! I’ve not had a great experience reselling to them, but I agree with you that it is better than the nothing I would get from donating at a thrift store and I love that they recycle responsibly. I restock my girls’ closets before school every year and love the kids’ section for that. So much high-quality stuff there! One tip I have, my clothes from there usually smell – that lovely thrift store smell. I now hang the items I plan to keep in our shower and spray them with a mixture of 1 part cheap vodka to 2 parts distilled water. Leave them hanging until dry, and then wash as usual. Works every time, even on the coats I’ve purchased!
Great post! I too love ThreadUp, though had to take a break from regularly looking for the sake of our clothing budget. Ha! I’ve not had a great experience reselling to them, but I agree with you that it is better than the nothing I would get from donating at a thrift store and I love that they recycle responsibly. I restock my girls’ closets before school every year and love the kids’ section for that. So much high-quality stuff there! One tip I have, my clothes from there usually smell – that lovely thrift store smell. I now hang the items I plan to keep in our shower and spray them with a mixture of 1 part cheap vodka to 2 parts distilled water. Leave them hanging until dry, and then wash as usual. Works every time, even on the coats I’ve purchased!
Do you have any tips for how to get a promo code discount? I had recently made a big return and was waiting for my store credit to come in; meanwhile, I was sitting on 25 items in my cart, stirring the cart once or twice a day to keep them in there. After a week of that, they sent me an email containing a promo code for 15% off! Now I have other things I want to buy but I feel like I want to wait until I get a promo code 🙂 So I’m waiting… and hoping.
I’ve actually had occasional success asking for one in the chat box that’s on their site! Try it and see if they’ll give you one!
I am finally ready to try this, today, but the chat box seems to be nonexistent or nonfunctional. Does anyone happen to have a working link to that? I found a page that says “live chat” but clicking on it doesn’t work (I tried at 1:45pm PST, which should have been working hours). I also read somewhere that there was a chat feature from the checkout page but I couldn’t find on there. Anyway, I would sure love a promo code for an existing user, right about now… on the other hand, it’s not a dire emergency – I can wait for the next big sale.
I have been using thredup for a few months and they just recently started charging me a restocking fee for returns. Do you know if this is new? Do you get charged $1.99 per item on returns for restocking? If I don’t love it, I send it back. Just curious if I’m being punished. Thanks for your blog post!
That’s new, but apparently it only happens for the first several orders and then you don’t get it anymore. At least, that’s been my understanding!
I’ve been using thredUp for a while now and today, for the first time, they are hitting me with a restocking fee becaue the return is under $50 (I have returned single items before and there was no fee). This is going to definitely change things for me – I was OK just ordering a few things and returning what I didn’t want, since I had free incoming shipping and free shipping if I took a credit.
I’m hearing about this from multiple people and haven’t yet seen it myself, but I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it!
Oh wow, I haven’t seen that – that would be terrible. I return about 38% of what I order. Here’s a new good thing, though: they process the return and credit my account just as soon as I drop off the box at the post office, instead of waiting until they receive and verify it! I live on the west coast so I used to have to wait a week and a half.
Yes! I love that new policy!
I’ve been using ThredUp like a crazy woman for the past four years, but these restocking fees are just killing me. All of the items I click on are showing that I’d be charged $0.99 if I had to return them (there’s a new field for this in the item details between location and item number). Nevermind that! Sadness…
I haven’t seen the restocking fee, yet! Good thing my closets are overflowing with thredup finds at this point. Does it show on the cart or at checkout, too? I’m sitting on a cart full of goods, waiting for the next promo code (Labor Day, I figure). I’ve returned 39% of what I’ve bought, overall – returns are essential.
Super bummed with the thred up site. I had a sweater in my cart. I thought about it overnight and intentionally got up early to purchase before it was to be removed from my cart. The counter showed I still had 10 minutes left and then poof! the sweater disappeared from my cart. I did a search to find the sweater (by specific brand) but it was gone, gone, gone.
I’m so disillusioned now that I’m forgoing the other items I was considering. I searched for hours on the site (yes, it is addictive) only to lose out on a high end sweater.
Tip #11: don’t wait to buy even though the counter shows you still have time left
Oh, that’s so disappointing! I’m so sorry.
Make a dummy account under a different email address and try that search again. I have two accounts and my main one excludes many items from search results, when I click on a particular brand name, for reasons I have not yet determined. It’s NOT because of saved sizes. I can copy the link and paste it into a different browser where my dummy account is logged in and I’ll see a lot more results.
Feel free to share the item info if you would like me to see if I can find it for you.
I had a fun one happen just a couple of days ago: I started a bundle then cancelled the orders in the bundle. The items on the orders showed as “sold” and didn’t come off that status. Then I searched for similar items and lo and behold there were the very same items, only the item number/link had changed. Same image and all other information. I was happy to be able to put them back in my cart.
I love ThredUp too and have been using it for years but after going to return a couple of things today like I normally do when they don’t fit (I always take the store credit) I saw they now charge a restocking fee on any item under 50. This is not for your first few orders. I’ve ordered from them multiple times over the past 5 years and this is new and unfortunately because the sizing descriptions are not totally accurate (something you have to depend on when online shopping, that and free returns!) I will probably not be buying from them as frequently as I once did. Very disappointing too because I’m a seasonal shopper so when I buy, it’s a BIG order!
I’ve been buying a lot of stuff on Thredup but the restocking fees are turning me against the site altogether. First, it was a $0.99 restocking fee, and now it’s raised to $1.99 per item. That’s not acceptable since I’ve received items that HAD to go back; one for a loose hem and one pair of boots for a VILE putrid scent. The restocking fees are unfair, to say the least.
I purchased a Top on 9/29 Order #13810713 and have not received it. How do I check on this?
Too bad that Thredup decided to start assessing a restocking fee. It is a complete turn off for me. I have enjoyed their service in the past, and part of the reason was the easy returns. Oftentimes items are not as described, either in size, color or other. Of course, there’s also the issue that you don’t know how something will look on you until you try it on. With this new policy, it simply does not make sense to continue to shop with them. Too bad. IT was good while it lasted.
bye bye
I stopped buying from thredup when they started testing the restocking fee. Of the dozens pue items I’ve returned to them, most were because the product was not accurately described online – inaccurate condition, wrong measurements. Why should I pay $1.99 to restock an item that was their error?
From what I understand, the restocking fee shouldn’t be assessed if it’s because of an error on their end!
They say that they have people who know the fair value of an item before listing (and I always google the values of things before committing) but I was looking through their jewelry and found that they’re selling super cheap Paparazzi Jewelry, which is sold in home parties for ONLY $5 an item (ALWAYS), for $20! If you look at the site they’re valuing this $5 jewelry for $99, then marking it down to $20, some are less at $7, but STILL! What the …?! It’s breaking my trust, which was already pummeled by their ridiculous restocking fees.
I am very disappointed with Thredup’s fees and surcharges. I returned five tops out of an order of 17 clothing items recently. All five tops were all very tight in the bust area, but other tops in the same order, same brand and same size fit fine. Thredup no longer lists exact measurements, but instead refers you to a generic size chart that is not an accurate representation most of the time, and they should know It’s bad business not to provide full details including exact measurements for clothing. But it gives them an “out” now and you can’t claim the measurements were wrong. This leaves customers in a position of “taking a chance”, so basically we’re being charged to try something on and hoping it fits. How many times have you taken multiple items into a dressing room, only to find one or two that fit and flatter you enough to buy them?
And to rub a little salt in the wound, there’s another fee added (a $3.00 surcharge!)if you buy something from any of the 100’s of Thredup warehouses other than the one designated for your area. What??? So in order to avoid this surcharge, you have to filter all of your searches to just one warehouse, leaving you with a very limited selection since your searches will not include all of the other warehouses across the country! Seriously? I buy stuff from all over the country and am charged the same shipping rate whether I live in Florida or California. And too bad if you buy something you really like from another warehouse and it doesn’t fit, because your refund or credit won’t include those senseless charges. So now you’re paying $4.99 for each item that you return! Ridiculous, especially if the item was $15 or less or if you have 5 ! And why am I paying a restocking fee to a company that doesn’t give you specific measurements on clothes?
One last thing…it would be helpful if they added ‘sheer’ to their filters because I don’t want sheer tops, but anytime I’ve searched for a blouse, tunic, etc., I’ve waste so much time scrolling through many items that are sheer, and I waste even more time when I click on a listing that doesn’t appear sheer until I see a larger image.
I will buy from Thredup again if they decide to drop the $3 surcharge, allowing me to buy from any warehouse without a penalty, and either drop the $1.99 restocking fee or limit it to $1.99 for all items (not each item) that you return in your order. But unfortunately, Thredup now has too many added charges, turning good deals into a waste of my money and time.