It’s no secret that I love to purchase preloved items! There are many reasons to purchase preloved but the big three for me are 1-save money, 2- unique pieces , and 3- sustainable fashion. But just because I love to buy preloved does not mean that all preloved sellers and places to purchase are equal. Each week I am going to review a different preloved retailer including the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Fashionphile
Fashionphile may be one of the best known preloved resellers in the business. Voted the number 8th most googled brand in 2018 along with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci, they have grown exponentially since I started purchasing from them in 2016.
I had heard of Fashionphile in 2015 from the lady who worked the front desk of the building I lived in. She mentioned it to me when she saw me getting a package from Tradesy. We quickly bonded over our love of designer handbags and she mentioned Fashionphile. I took note of it but didn’t really look into it until I ordered my Celine Micro Luggage for my 25th birthday present to myself.
Since then I have ordered 17 bags from them. Of the 17 I have returned 5 of them with no problems. Only one of those returns was from description issues.
Cheat Sheet
Descriptions: Excellent written descriptions and pictures
Shipping: Free ground shipping
Return Policy: 30 days from delivery and free return shipping
Authentication: Done before the item is listed on the site
Pros and Cons
Pros
Fashionphile is undoubtable one of my favorite preloved sites because of all the information they give you. They give you the year the bag was made, the date code (if applicable to the brand), accessories (if the bag has any), and a full tab stating the description and condition of the bag. They include a lot of pictures and normally zoom in on any major flaws.
Every item is authenticated before it is listed on their site and they have a 100% money back guarantee if something is found to be a counterfeit good. This is true for the handbags, shoes, jewelry and other designer accessory they carry.
Fashionphile also has a buyback and selling program. Within 180 days of your purchase Fashionphile will take back your bag for about 70% of what you pay. Fashionphile also purchases preloved bags either outright or on consignment.
They do have a section of their website where goods are marked down 10%, 20% and 30%, as well as a last call and an outlet. Even better is they do have sales which can often be combined with the already discounted prices.
Cons
Fashionphile is known for having higher prices then a lot of other preloved resellers. I think this is due to the fact that they do have good brand recognition and they are in tune with the market. For example, Fashionphile will know that an item is hard to find (like the LV Palm Springs Mini Backpack) and will markup the price to more than retail. This practice angers a lot of people but honestly I just think its being smart.
Recently I have also seen a lot of complaints about Fashionphile and their customer service. Since I have never had a truly bad experience I was intrigued to learn more. I found our that Fashionphile has a D rating by the Better Business Bureau and often has customer service issues, especially when it comes to international orders. Their customer service is known for being unresponsive and unhelpful. I will have to say the one time I emailed Fashionphile because my bag came without the Fashionphile dustbag no one responded.