Since its founding in 2011, the social e-commerce platform, Depop, has blown up to the point in which it’s highly likely that the majority of people you know are using it. It functions as a second-hand marketplace, where people can make money on the items which they were initially going to take to the charity shops or simply throw away. Considering the declining economy alongside the new wave of concern regarding the environmental impact of fast fashion, Depop has inspired all kinds of people to shop and dispose of fashion goods in both a smart and sustainable manner. Though this description of the app makes it sound ideal, its users can often be far from it… I have been using the app for a good number of years now, both as a buyer and a seller; during which I have come to realise that different types of sellers can be categorised via their irritating, and rarely positive, attributes. If you don’t use Depop or are fairly new to the platform and haven’t had the annoyance of interacting with these types of sellers, let me familiarise you with a few.
THE ONE THAT WON’T LEAVE YOU ALONE:
These types of sellers are the worst! You will have accidentally hit like on an item they listed months ago, and all of a sudden you will receive a message along the lines… ‘Hi! Saw you were interested in my y2k Jane Norman denim mini skirt, will post it first-class today as soon as you hit buy!!’ If anything, pushy messages like this put you off from buying the skirt even if you were considering it in the first place. But, the very worst thing is when a user who is selling something which vaguely resembles another item you have liked, messages you in desperation. Let’s just say there is a reason why these types of sellers are very rarely successful.
THE INFLUENCER:
Something about this one seems very off… As we all know, social media influencers have the luxury of being gifted all kinds of products in the hopes that they will promote them on their page and ‘influence’ followers. However, a lot of the time these influencers are actually uploading these items to their Depop page at a high price and profiting off the back of brands which have kindly gifted them. Whilst this can be viewed as a smart move, I would argue it’s somewhat unethical for the reason being that influencers make enough money as it is. Alternatively, they could give these products away to friends and family for free, or even to their following at a significantly reduced price.
THE OVER FIFTY SELLER:
A lot of the hidden gems on Depop can be found on this seller’s account. In an attempt to have a massive declutter and be rid of all their unwanted goods, middle-aged women are selling super cool vintage pieces at a marginal cost. Most of the time they don’t realise the value of what they’re selling and that their old Penny Lane jacket from the ‘70s has become in high demand on the second-hand marketplace. A lot of these sellers can also be found on the Vinted app, which is known for having slightly lower prices than Depop.
THE SHEIN RESELLER:
Forget what I said about The One that Won’t Leave You Alone, this one is the very worst! These sellers pay pennies for clothing from the fast-fashion website, Shein, only to photograph and upload the items to Depop at jaw-dropping costs. Besides being a form of daylight robbery, this defeats the whole environmental objective of shopping on the app. So whatever you do, don’t fall for this!
THE ONE THAT NEVER ACTUALLY SELLS ANYTHING:
These sellers are the type to upload a picture of a piece of clothing which is completely sold out and in high demand with the caption, ‘interest check’. They have no intention of actually selling this item and are essentially just bragging that they’ve managed to get a hold of it. Even worse, these sellers will upload this item at a low price and fool people into thinking that they are actually willing to let it go for this amount. In the hopes of bagging what seems like a bargain, users will stumble right into this seller’s trap by purchasing the item; to which they are met with the realisation that it is never going to be sent to them and they are going to have to spend weeks chasing up Depop customer services to get a refund.
THE DIYer:
Lockdown gave birth to a number of artistic hobbies like knitting and crocheting, making your own jewellery, and, we can’t forget, tie-dying nearly every piece of white clothing you own. Some people have started selling their DIY crafts on Depop, and whilst they’re clearly talented, these items tend to be on the expensive side. However, this is not always the case, and you can find some really unique items on these sellers’ accounts.
THE BRANDY CULT MEMBER:
Of course, I couldn’t leave this one out. For some reason, Depop seems to attract young girls with an obsession with the retailer, Brandy Melville. Though Brandy Melville sells basic essentials like cotton joggers and vests, these pieces sell on Depop at immense prices. Often, these basic baby tees are accompanied by the caption ‘super rare and hard to find’. Additionally, these users partake in swaps with other Brandy-obsessed users where they rotate vest tops around each other. Whilst there is absolutely no harm in it, it is a little bit odd considering Brandy Melville in no way sells exclusive or limited edition pieces, but the plainest of (cute) clothes.
I will hold my hands up and be the first to say that I may possess a few annoying habits as a seller myself, such as overpricing certain items. However, my flexing of entrepreneur skills does not compare to the annoying habits of some of the types of sellers that I have listed.
If you don’t use Depop, don’t let this put you off from downloading the app and making some extra cash alongside more space in your wardrobe for some recycled pieces. You never know, you may uncover a love for recyclable fashion or even the business side of it. I know since downloading the app I definitely have.