The Downsides Of Shopping On Thredup

Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Bree

I love shopping on ThredUp.

And I’ve had both good and unpleasant experiences with the online consignment store.

So this post will discuss the downsides of shopping on Thredup online consignment store.

Let’s begin.

The downsides of shopping on Thredup consignment stores

1. Thredup uploads only two pictures of clothes

When you’re buying clothes on Thredup, you have just two pictures.

The front and back of the clothes.

Then talk about shoes.

Thredup uploads only two pictures of shoes and hardly shows the soles.

Which is what most buyers would like to see before buying used shoes.

So even if the description says like-new, you can’t be sure from just two pictures.

This means the item may not be in the best condition.

But Poshmark or Mercari sellers, compared to Thredup, add close-up pictures of the item.

So you can see the condition of the item.

To get an up-close view of clothes on Thredup, shop with a computer.

That way, you can zoom in and out.

But still, more pictures would be helpful.

What you can do is:

Buy primarily new with tags and sometimes like-new clothes.

I’ve yet to buy shoes from Thredup.

I can’t take the risk, mainly when it’s not brand new with tags.

2. Inaccurate sizing is one of the downsides of shopping on Thredup

While I’ve been fortunate with Thredup sizes, I’ve had to return clothes or be stuck with clothing that doesn’t fit.

Most of my bad shopping experience on Thredup was mostly with bottoms.

I bought pencil skirts that said medium but fit like a small.

Also, with jeans, the Thredup description sometimes says high-rise when it’s mid-rise.

Recently I bought a pair of J-crew mid-rise jeans on Thredup.

Funny enough, I always buy high-rise jeans because my lower body is quite thick.

But I decided to try mid-rise as I’ve lost a few pounds.

The mid-rise jeans came, but they didn’t work for me.

So I went searching Thredup for high-rise jeans.

Then I found a J Crew high-rise jeans.

The description mentions the high-rise and shows the measurement.

So I compared them to the high-waisted jeans I have and bought them.

Only to discover it was the same mid-rise J-Crew jeans I had bought previously.

As I write this post, I have two pairs of the same J-Crew mid-rise jeans.

The same cut, color, rip, raw edge, etc.

And because it was a final sale item, I couldn’t return the second pair of jeans.

That could be one of the downsides of buying Thredup final sale items. Lol.

3. You can’t tell the kind of home the clothes are from

Another downside of Thredup shopping is that you don’t know if the clothes are from smoking or pet-friendly homes.

Though I haven’t bought any clothes on Thredup that smelled of cigarettes.

But I bought a fuzzy sweater recently on Thredup that was covered in pet fur.

For someone who doesn’t smoke or own pets, I don’t like the cigarette smell, pet odor, or fur on my clothes.

Also, buying clothes with pet fur may not be the best if you are allergic to certain pets.

And the worst part about that sweater was it was handwash only.

Which was also not in the Thredup description.

So, I couldn’t throw it in the washer or dryer to remove the pet hair.

Instead, I washed it by hand several times and shook it vigorously to remove the pet hair.

Also, it was a final sale item, so returns were unavailable.

But I love the sweater anyway.

4. The clothes may be dirty.

While some people wash their clothes before sending them to Thredup, some don’t.

Also, given the number of clothes in the consignment store, it’s only standard that the clothes are dirty.

And I can’t say to wash them before wearing them because you might want to return some.

Especially for new-with-tags clothes.

Once you wash them, you can’t return them.

So you’d have to try them while they’re dirty.

Sometimes, when I try on clothes from Thredup, they itch my skin.

And if I’m lucky and everything fits, I can throw them in the washer before wearing them.

So remember that they must fit the way you want before you cut the tags.

5. Returns may be unavailable.

If you buy final sale items on Thredup, you cannot return them because it says final sale.

So make sure you want that clothing or shoe before paying for them.

And the thing is, once you buy final sale items, even if they haven’t shipped your clothes, you can’t remove them from your cart.

I tried when I discovered a sweater I was buying could be itchy.

I contacted Thredup customer support to remove the sweater from my order.

So I could replace it with something else.

The customer care person said removing stuff after you’ve paid for it is usually impossible.

But I knew it was because the sweater was a final sale item.

Also, I once requested to remove a dress from my order because I didn’t like the material.

And the customer support person made sure they removed the dress and updated my order.

So, with final sale items, they might not remove or replace items in your order.

6. Downsides of shopping on Thredup? limited sizes

Consignment stores hardly have clothes or shoes in several sizes compared to regular retail stores.

Well, we shop in consignment stores because we want unique, not-so-common clothes or shoes.

So your best bet would be to filter your search by size to find clothes or shoes in your size.

If you want clothes or shoes in various sizes, go to retail stores.

7. The free shipping threshold is relatively high

Another con of shopping on Thredup is the free shipping threshold.

You must spend up to $89 to get free shipping on Thredup.

That’s high for some of us who plan to spend less shopping.

Imagine I get on Thredup to shop the final sale and have a budget of $30 to $40.

And I’d have to pay $10.99 for shipping or spend up to $89 to qualify for free shipping.

It’s a bit much.

But it might not be for some.

8. Shopping on Thredup is time-consuming

Shopping on Thredup can be time-consuming because there are many things to filter through to find what you like.

Even if you filter by low to high price, there’s much to scheme through.

Also, you can get carried away because you enjoy the window-shopping experience.

Sometimes, I add so much to my list and lose track of what I want to buy.

I have even bought what I didn’t plan to buy because I added what I didn’t need to my list.

So, if you’re like me, you might get distracted from what you went to Thredup for.

9. Restocking fees would eat into your refunds

Lastly, the restocking fees are another downside of shopping on Thredup.

For every returnable item, Thredup charges you a $3.99 restocking fee.

So, if you return something, the restocking fee will be deducted from your refund.

Imagine returning up to three or more clothes… do the math.

Again, be sure you want the clothes before paying for them to avoid paying restocking fees.

Please read Thredup’s return policy for more.

Conclusion on cons of buying on Thredup

So those are the nine cons of shopping on Thredup.

But will that stop me from buying clothes on Thredup?

No way.

I still love shopping for designer clothes on Thredup.

Like every secondhand or thrift store, Thredup has downsides.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Please share it; it would mean everything to me.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

I’d do my best to answer them.

You may also find these related posts helpful:

The Downsides Of Shopping On Thredup – 9 Things To Know

The downsides of shopping on Thredup consignment stores

1. Thredup uploads only two pictures of clothes

2. Inaccurate sizing is one of the downsides of shopping on Thredup