Depop is a buying and selling app that's proven to be very successful in the online world! Here I am going to tell you of my experiences with it!
Depop is an app that is best described as an infusion of eBay (PayPal Payments or Buy It Now) and Instagram - only for selling purposes. It has become largely popular due to the fact you pay no fee for listing items and because it's only available for phones, it's handy for those "on the go."
The beginnings of Depop date back to 2011! Here's an extract of their story from their official web page:
It all started back in 2011 when Simon Beckerman, a creative entrepreneur from Milan (founder of PIG Mag and Retrosuperfuture) set out to create a social, mobile marketplace to connect with friends. Depop was born in H-Farm, a world-class technological incubator and business start-up centre in Italy. At the heart of this new product, was a desire to create something innovative, design led, intuitive and fun to use. In 2012 after a successful launch, Depop partnered with investors Balderton Capital and Holtzbrinck Ventures and set up its Head Office in Shoreditch, London. The company has grown quickly and how has teams in London, Milan and New York.
It all started back in 2011 when Simon Beckerman, a creative entrepreneur from Milan (founder of PIG Mag and Retrosuperfuture) set out to create a social, mobile marketplace to connect with friends. Depop was born in H-Farm, a world-class technological incubator and business start-up centre in Italy. At the heart of this new product, was a desire to create something innovative, design led, intuitive and fun to use. In 2012 after a successful launch, Depop partnered with investors Balderton Capital and Holtzbrinck Ventures and set up its Head Office in Shoreditch, London. The company has grown quickly and how has teams in London, Milan and New York.
I first heard about Depop in 2014 and as I'd not long purchased a second hand iphone, I figured I might as well download it - it is free after all! Depop is just like Instagram - you search hashtags, "heart" pictures and you can comment and private message another user! The big difference is the fact that any picture you upload needs a price and a shipping fee on it. Of course, if you choose to simply upload a picture with no means to sell you CAN do that - there's no rule saying you're not allowed to do so!
I bought a few items on depop and I loved every single purchase. The girls who sold the items were all easy to talk to and shipped the items quickly as well as wrapping them carefully! Of course I knew there was going to be downsides to depop. Much like other online stores, some people commit fraud and/or sell fake versions of the items.
I think the main disadvantages of depop are noticed as soon as you start selling on there! I only started selling on Depop about 2 weeks ago as I'm not losing too much money as listing is all free! Since I don't want anyone to have overly high expectations of depop, I thought I'd list the downsides I have experienced since selling:
Depop will take a percentage of your earnings (depending on the amount) once you have sold an item. However you can combat this with 1p listings and paying through friends and family on paypal. The downside to that is, you are buying at your own risk with no buyers protection.
There are a lot of counterfeit products being sold on Depop and the sellers will claim they are authentic when they are clearly not. Some sellers are genuine and will specofy whether an item is a replica or the real deal but you do need to be careful and do your research!
A lot of users will use the wrong tags to draw attention to their items. For example, a cat collar could be labelled as #topshop as the users are aware many buyers will be searching that hashtag.
Haggling. Okay I get the fact a lot of us are struggling but you need to be realistic. There's nothing more annoying than selling an item below it's worth and someone expecting it to be bought for a much lower price. I've sold some authentic Mac lipsticks before. Used but a LOT left, probably about 90% left to use. Yet I was still expected to sell one for £5 with free postage......excuse me? I don't mean to sound really rude but SERIOUSLY, they cost me £15.50 and I think selling one for a total cost of £7.50/£8.50 is an absolute bargain!
Buyers, you need to be mindful of how expensive postage is and the fact that some sellers would like to make some money here for reasons. If you don't like it if someone's "saving for Kavos" or "a new home" then DON'T buy it.
Deceitful sellers: Many sellers will sell an item for a LOT higher than it's original value. Selling a Primark shirt that was £6.00 for £10.00 is a rip off and I would never trust or buy from a seller who overcharges their items! Some sellers will claim an item is in a lot better condition than it already is. My trick to combat this is to request pictures and ensure they were not print screened from the internet.
I also advise you check the users buying and selling ratings. I also search the scam hashtag to check for scammers on depop. If someone posts about their experience, it helps the depop community altogether and exposes thieving idiots.
This is my depop: @theshezpalmer and I thought I'd post some pictures of some of the items I'm selling. If you come across this post later on in the future, some of these items may well have been sold.
I bought a few items on depop and I loved every single purchase. The girls who sold the items were all easy to talk to and shipped the items quickly as well as wrapping them carefully! Of course I knew there was going to be downsides to depop. Much like other online stores, some people commit fraud and/or sell fake versions of the items.
I think the main disadvantages of depop are noticed as soon as you start selling on there! I only started selling on Depop about 2 weeks ago as I'm not losing too much money as listing is all free! Since I don't want anyone to have overly high expectations of depop, I thought I'd list the downsides I have experienced since selling:
Depop will take a percentage of your earnings (depending on the amount) once you have sold an item. However you can combat this with 1p listings and paying through friends and family on paypal. The downside to that is, you are buying at your own risk with no buyers protection.
There are a lot of counterfeit products being sold on Depop and the sellers will claim they are authentic when they are clearly not. Some sellers are genuine and will specofy whether an item is a replica or the real deal but you do need to be careful and do your research!
A lot of users will use the wrong tags to draw attention to their items. For example, a cat collar could be labelled as #topshop as the users are aware many buyers will be searching that hashtag.
Haggling. Okay I get the fact a lot of us are struggling but you need to be realistic. There's nothing more annoying than selling an item below it's worth and someone expecting it to be bought for a much lower price. I've sold some authentic Mac lipsticks before. Used but a LOT left, probably about 90% left to use. Yet I was still expected to sell one for £5 with free postage......excuse me? I don't mean to sound really rude but SERIOUSLY, they cost me £15.50 and I think selling one for a total cost of £7.50/£8.50 is an absolute bargain!
Buyers, you need to be mindful of how expensive postage is and the fact that some sellers would like to make some money here for reasons. If you don't like it if someone's "saving for Kavos" or "a new home" then DON'T buy it.
Deceitful sellers: Many sellers will sell an item for a LOT higher than it's original value. Selling a Primark shirt that was £6.00 for £10.00 is a rip off and I would never trust or buy from a seller who overcharges their items! Some sellers will claim an item is in a lot better condition than it already is. My trick to combat this is to request pictures and ensure they were not print screened from the internet.
I also advise you check the users buying and selling ratings. I also search the scam hashtag to check for scammers on depop. If someone posts about their experience, it helps the depop community altogether and exposes thieving idiots.
This is my depop: @theshezpalmer and I thought I'd post some pictures of some of the items I'm selling. If you come across this post later on in the future, some of these items may well have been sold.
My picks: Postage not included!
Real Techniques, Angled Foundation Brush £3.50
Skulls Sheer Blouse S/M £3.50
Mac Matte Gel Primer, £8.50
Skull Scarf £1.50
300G Synthetic Hair Extensions in Burgundy Red, £17.30
Let me know, if you're interested in getting Depop or you have your own buying/selling experience to share! Comment below!
Thanks For Reading! Shez x
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