Real talk here: every once in a while, you will hit a snag buying and/or selling with resale and consignment platforms. It’s inevitable — a seller might not notice a small stain, a QA specialist might have a stuffy nose and not perceive an odor, a listing might accidentally detail the incorrect size or brand. On peer-to-peer platforms like Poshmark, Depop, Tradesy, and Vestiare Collective, I always recommend explicitly asking: “Are there stains, flaws, or odors?” before you make a purchase, and detailing any imperfections in your own listings. But on consignment platforms like Fashionphile, thredUP, The RealReal, or Rebag, you’re trusting that the information provided in the listing is accurate — and, fortunately, it nearly always is.

But every once in a blue moon, you’re going to run into something disappointing. So how do you know what’s expected and acceptable vs. totally unacceptable? Most consignment platforms do a great job specifying the quality of the item on a sliding scale, and specifically detailing any imperfections. Here are a few screenshots from thredUP, The RealReal, and Rebag so you can see how they communicate signs of wear:

So imagine the confusion that a client of mine experienced after placing her very first thredUP order. She loved the pieces she received but there were two things that she had questions about: 1) One item arrived with a stain. 2) A different item arrived with an odor.

WHAT?! I nearly lost my mind — this is totally unacceptable, and a super unfortunate experience for a first-time thredUP buyer. thredUP caught the piece with the stain when they were packing her items and promptly refunded her account (as they should have). But the other item had a distinct, unpleasant odor that was driving her nuts.

Here’s my public service announcement: if you ever place an order from a fashion resale or consignment platform and it arrives with an odor, flaw, or is different in any way from the listing: contact the platform’s Customer Support team ASAP. In my experience (and, let’s be honest, having been active in this space for 10+ years, I have experiences), the Customer Support teams will bend over backwards to make things right and preserve their service’s reputation. Yes, even on peer-to-peer platforms like Poshmark, you can open a claim if your order arrives not as described or with an odor. It might take a few days to process, but they’ll refund your money or credit your account provided you contact them promptly and within the time window outlined in their terms of service.

The higher end you shop, the less likely that you’ll run into an item that’s mistakenly misrepresented or flawed. But, every once in a while, an “oops” happens. For example: a few weeks ago, I consigned several pieces with The RealReal. Imagine my surprise when out of the blue, one of the pieces arrived back on my doorstep without any warning, despite it being actively listed on the site as for sale. I contacted Customer Support immediately, they clarified how the mistake happened and apologized profusely, offered me a few paths forward, and awarded my account a $50 credit for the trouble and inconvenience. Forget good customer service — it was great customer service, and I had the issue resolved over text message plus a free $50 in a matter of minutes.

I share these stories not to scare you away from consigning and resale, but exactly the opposite: as more and more players enter the consignment and resale space, and as demand for these services grows, there will inevitably be operational challenges and hiccups along the way. In my 10+ years of buying and selling fashion resale, I’ve had probably fewer than 10 hiccups that warranted customer service support — some of which actually ended up strengthening my relationship with the service (see above: the great customer support from The RealReal is a total differentiator for them!).

Transparency is important, and not every resale purchase or sale will be sunshine and rainbows. Like anything, remember that the more time you spend in this space, the more comfortable you’ll get with navigating and understanding the ropes. I promise it’s not scary. And if you do hit a snag, know that you’ve got support.