ThredUP Reviews: Is the Online Consignment Store Worth It?
Getting rid of clothes and want to try to make some money from selling your clothing online with ThredUp? Consignment stores are the best way to easily get money for your old clothing. What if you don’t have a consignment store near you, though – or the time to go to a thrift store? ThredUP is an online consignment store offering to buy your clothing and sell gently used clothing online.
But is thredUP worth it?
After I saw the online resale shop promoted on nearly every blogger’s site that I knew, I was intrigued. Why were so many people suddenly writing about thredUP clothes and how wonderful the online consignment store was?
So I decided to do a thredUP review that wasn’t sponsored.
I had a lot of really nice clothes that I no longer fit into anymore and I wanted to make some money off of them. So I decided to try to sell clothes to ThredUp. Here’s what happened.
This article has been updated most recently in March 2021. Over the years, there have been more than 200 comments of real-life ThredUp reviews from other people who sold clothes to thredUP and how much money they made. Be sure to scroll down and read their comments, too!
ThredUP Consignment
I tried selling some of my Express clothing on a private Facebook group for my HOA community. A few things did sell for about $30-40 profit. I sold Forever 21 dresses for $5 each, and my Express clothing for $10 each.
There was still a huge pile of clothing left, though, including Express pants, shorts, tops and more. And it was all in really good shape. Some stuff was barely worn. I am pretty gentle with my clothing. In fact, there are still things from high school in my closet that I can wear. That’s how little wear and tear my clothes get. Especially my dress clothes (I work from home after all. My dress pants might get worn 10 times a year.)
I wanted to make some money from selling my clothes. That’s when I heard about ThredUp.
What is ThredUp?
Before I start telling you about my experience selling clothes to ThredUp, you might be wondering what ThredUp is.
ThredUp is an online thrift store. Or you might call it an online consignment store. Either way, it’s a website that buys used clothing from you and sell clothes to buyers online. You can just sell to the website, or you can just buy from the ThredUp thrift store. You don’t have to do both.
You can buy discounted clothing via their website, www.ThredUp.com, or via the ThredUp app.
It is a sustainable way to buy clothes, since you are purchasing previously worn clothing.
Selling Clothes on thredUP
So, I ordered a free Clean Out bag to sell my clothes to ThredUp. (In April 2020, the Clean Out bags or mailing label for your own box are free. However, the secondhand resale shop once charged for these bags. So be sure to look on their site to see their current policy, which changes frequently, in case there is a ThredUp clean out kit cost.)
I filled the Clean Out bag with what I couldn’t sell on my own and hoped for some money for selling my clothes. I knew that ThredUp is very picky when it comes to accepting clothing, but they don’t send your clothing back that they won’t sell unless you pay them a fee. For instance, I had some clothes from Synergy Organic Clothing, too, but I knew (based on thredUP’s guidelines) that there was likely no way they’d take them. I decided to keep those items to donate to charity instead.
ThredUP will take women’s clothing; children’s clothing – both boys and girls; handbags; shoes; plus size clothing and maternity clothes.
How Does ThredUp Work?
Once you decide to sell your clothes to the online thrift store, you will request a ThredUp Clean Out Bag. This is a large bag that they send you that you will stuff with all of your clothes that you want to try to get money for. Alternatively, you can use your own box and request a free mailing label to send them your clothes. Up to 15 lbs. can be in each package.
Not all of your clothes that you send to ThredUp will be bought. In fact, ThredUp clearly states that with their Quality Standards they only accept an average of 40% of clothing sent to them. So your odds of actually making money on a piece of clothing is 4 in 10. While you might *think* that your clothing will definitely be accepted because it’s in mint condition, don’t be so sure. (You’re definitely going to want to read all of ThredUp reviews in the comments section for real-life stories about this!)
Will you get back the clothes that ThredUp doesn’t accept? No, not unless you pay for the option, which is $10.99 (April 2020 pricing). Otherwise, the great quality clothing that they say they won’t take will be given to other sellers to sell, or used in their ThredUp Rescue Boxes. Poor quality clothing will be given to textile recycling partners to recoup money.
Clothing that is accepted for sale will be on consignment for up to 60 days (for what they call Value or Mall brands) or 90 days (for Premium and Designer brands).
You get paid if your clothing sells.
What if your clothing doesn’t sell? What does Thredup do with the clothes?
You can choose to reclaim your clothing. Otherwise the clothing becomes the property of ThredUp.
ThredUp Estimator
When I sold my clothes to ThredUp, there was no examples of the payout. Now, there is now a Payout Estimator on the thredUP website. It gives general examples of what you could expect to receive from selling your clothing.
I think you’ll be shocked if you put in some of your clothing brands into they calculator and see how much is being offered. In a search during April 2020, here’s what the ThredUp Payout Estimator was saying:
- JC Penney Khaki Shorts: $0.48
- Old Navy Jeans: $0.90-$1.47
- Express cardigan sweater: $1.08-$1.26
- LC Lauren Conrad Casual Dress: $1.92-$2.43
- Athleta Active Pants: $7.09-$7.87
- Calvin Klein Cocktail Dress: $11.88-$15.00
I can’t fathom getting paid $1 or $2 for a piece of clothing rather than donating it in my community to an underprivileged women trying to reenter the workplace.
ThredUp Processing Time for Clean Out Bags
After I sent in my big bag of a clean out kit, I waited. And waited. And waited.
Yeah, it took about 30 days. I sent my bag in on August 6. My credit wasn’t processed until September 10.
Over the years, nothing has changed. In fact, it might take even longer for ThredUp to process your donation.
As of April 2020, ThredUp processing times are up to 7 weeks. That’s almost 2 months before you even know if you can make any money! Of course, if you want to pay the company some money, they’ll let you know sooner. If you want to pay $16, then your clean out kit will be processed in one week.
Does ThredUp Sell Shoes?
Yes, they do!
ThredUp takes shoes, including women’s and kids. For children’s shoes, they take both boys and girls.
I’ve personally found quite a few good pairs on never worn Vionic shoes on the site. Just like everything, their shoes used to be a better value. Now a lot of the shoes I like are about the same price as I could get on the company’s website with a good sale.
Does ThredUp Take Men’s Clothes?
After seeing how awesome the clothes and shoes are that come in the mail from ThredUp, my husband often asks if he can buy clothes on the consignment store.
Unfortunately, no he can’t.
ThredUp does not take mens clothes or shoes, so they won’t pay for men’s clothing and they do not sell men’s clothes. I don’t know why they don’t sell men’s clothes. Maybe men just don’t shop as much online? I think it’s a wasted opportunity for donating clothes.
ThredUp Payout Options
If your clothes do sell, you can get your payout in three different ways (after a 14 day window has passed):
- PayPal credit (with a 2% processing fee deducted)
- Cash back via Stripe
- Shopping credit at partner brands, such as Athleta
Related Posts:
- ThredUp Goody Boxes Review – What’s Inside
- Buying Clothes on ThredUp’s Sale Site
- Sustainable Fashion on Amazon
ThredUP Reviews for Selling Clothes
After I sent in my bag and waited for a while, I was shocked at the payout they said I would get. My massive polka dot bag of high quality, name brand clothing only scored a grand total of $7.40 of thredUP credit (back then, they used to give you credit in the store as an option). That’s all.
WHAT?!?!?
Yeah, I was pretty upset.
That’s less than $2 per item.
Here’s what was accepted – only 4 items.
For less than $8, I would have rather donated all of my things to a local thrift store who could have made three times that money for worthy programs for the needy.
The amount was truly an insult.
Especially when the pants were now selling for $18.99 (that’s just ONE of the items):
Wondering what clothes I sold to ThredUp? Here’s the clothes that I sent in a Clean Out bag. They all had no rips. No sweat stains. No pilling on most items. Hardly any wear or tear on most. All were Express except for the lemon dress:
Is ThredUp Legit?
Once you receive a very low amount of money for great clothing that you sent in, or you find out that most of your clothes weren’t accepted, you will likely start asking yourself is ThredUp legit?
Many people have wondered that. Especially not knowing why clothing is rejected or where the clothing is being sent.
As the world’s largest fashion resale platform, ThredUp is partnering with many notable fashion brands in collaborations. In 2020, the online thrift store had partnerships with the Gap, Macy’s, Banana Republic, Athleta, J.C. Penny and J. Crew.
According to Forbes, the company received more than $300 million in funding.
From a business standpoint, yes ThredUp is a legitimate company that employs hundreds of people and receives investment funding.
Is Thredup Good?
Now, that’s a very personal question with a very personal answer. Whether you see it as good or not depends on how you use the online thrift store.
Will I ever use thredUP again to sell my clothes? No.
I would rather sell my clothing in local stores, through online groups that I know and love, or donate to worthy charities.Thre
Most ThredUp reviews that I read all end up with the same story of people expecting to make a decent amount of money by selling their clothes, but being shocked with how much they actually receive months down the road.
So it depends on your expectations and how you are using the thrift store.
If you just want to get clothes out of your house, it’s a great way to get rid of them without having to drive to a consignment store or donation center. Keep in mind, many donation centers will pick things up at your door, too, if you arrange for a pickup.
However, if you think that selling half of your wardrobe will help pay for a vacation or pay off debt, you might be sadly mistaken. If you are comparing ThredUp vs. Poshmark, you will likely find that Poshmark will give you more money. Here’s more websites where you can sell your clothes online.
You also better have ponied up for some high end brands to begin with. They are very label conscious and brand oriented. I personally don’t like that, because paying a high price for name brand clothing doesn’t mean anything.
I want great clothing, no matter what the brand tag says.
Is buying clothes on Thredup good? It depends.
There are a lot of really great prices to be had. It depends on if there is a sale, and how much the seller is pricing their clothing, shoes and accessories for. However, I have found that the really good deals of name brand clothing that used to be plentiful a couple years ago are now long gone. Much of the name brand clothing is priced higher than what I could buy it for with a sale or discount in another store or online website.
However, there are deals to be had, definitely. And I do buy some clothing in the thredup clothing store.
If you want to see what thredUP is like, I’d suggest buying clothes with the company before trying to sell them your clothes to see how it is.
Have you ever used thredUP? What did you think???
Oh my goodness. I’ve given in to this convenience of ThredUp consignment 4-5 times over the last 4 years. Their payouts are so inconsistent. My last bag got $75…which was awesome considering I’d actually worn a lot of my things and it was paid out quickly. NOW I sent a bag off around a month and a half ago and was estimated a payout amount by 08/15/18. On 08/22/18 it was finally processed. I have $2.15 pending payout. Yep $2.15!! These are Gap, Lucky Brand, Express, Hurley, Loft, and a few Old Navy things WITH TAGS. I’m so annoyed that I took the time to pack up these clothes, wait on my offer, and then to add insult to injury, they email you when your stuff sells and you can look at what they sold it for…I understand that it’s a business but sheesh! You can make at least triple off of a garage sale. Save your time. There was once an online consignment that offered so much more called Like Twice (I think. I miss it). Also if you want to purchase something from ThredUP, I’d recommend just going to an actual store and buying it on sale. They are selling my things for more than I paid for it from the retailer. No thanks TU, I won’t be giving into your conveniences again!
I’ve seen my stuff posted for higher than I paid! I agree…great sales and coupons can equal same a same price in a store. Not always, but pretty close.
I have to say that ThredUp is the worst online consignment store I have ever encountered. It was indeed quite the rip-off! I am beyond furious. I received an email today that 32 of my items had been posted and sold. I have requested for expedited processing as I was in the midst of moving. I was nonetheless thrilled to see that so many of the items I sent had sold and rather quickly! To my surprise, the total amount I am owed after the expedited processing fee and after the insanely low selling prices for the items, I am to receive a whole whopping $0.00!!!!!! I DO NOT recommend seeking your items on this site as you will do far better justice by giving the items to a charity of your choice and/or donating to the Salvation Army or Good Will.
#neverselltoThredUp
Wow! $0?!?? That really is annoying when you expect to make money on your efforts. Thanks so much for sharing your story! (Hope you had a great move, though!)
I am planning to consign with ThredUP but now hesitated. The items I plan to send in are what they categorize as luxe so I am hoping to get a good payout. Honestly if you check their payout structure, anything lised less than $20, the standard payout is less than 10%, for luxe will be 10% points more. I don’t think regular brand names like Jcrew zara would expect a good sell price to be frank. However I do see that one comment said she only got $10 for oscar de la renta. I wonder how come? This makes me hold on sending in my items.
Seller and Buyer beware! SCAM!!!
I have purchased clothing and sent in clothing to resell through thredup on 2 separate occasions. NEVER AGAIN!!!
I gave them a second chance after my first experience, believing they were newer and could improve over time. The second experience is worse than the first. I sent in over $500 worth of new shoes, $500 worth of clothing, and 2 brand new bags worth over $300 together. They rejected almost everything, only keeping the lowest end things. For all this, they have offered me $60, and will not return any of the items stating, I didn’t choose that option. I was NEVER given that option. Their response, “It is implied by the ‘terms and conditions’ of using our website.”
I would much rather give those items to women in need.
They lost my clean out bag with over $1,000 worth of items; designer bags, jackets, clothing. Many of them were brand new and still had the original tags. Go to Goodwill instead, at least you can get a tax deduction and you will be doing good for others. I was robbed by this company, don’t let it happen to you!
Wow! Did they reimburse you at all? Did you have any recourse for a lost bag?
Thred up sells Paparazzi jewelry that most people knows costs $5 an item for much more. I notified them and they still haven’t changed their policy. Take a look : https://www.thredup.com/products/jewelry/paparazzi?department_tags=jewelry&sort=Newest%20First&brand_name_tags=Paparazzi
I wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one with the pretty rough experience. I sent int well over 1500 worth of clothing and just received $16. I get they’re a business and there’s overhead but this seemed extreme. As many others have mentioned, I would’ve rather donated to someone in need than a bargain shopping middle class mom.
Pamela, Ugh! I wish you had read these stories from others, too! Wow, you sent in a lot of clothes! Sorry you only got $16 for your big bag.
I also wish I would have read this before trying out thredUp. I get that recycling clothes is good for the environment, and I’m all for that, but I agree with the writer and other comments. Someone is making money on this and it ain’t me! I made $9.75 for a Longchamp bag and Frye heels, both in good condition. Not worth it. I also agree with the writer and comments, just donate your clothes to a local nonprofit bc this will only make you feel ripped off.
Thank you, Emma, for sharing your story! I’m so passionate about donating to local nonprofits to help those in need. Glad you want to do good with your donations too!
Hi,
I totally agree with you not using ThredUP again to sell or consign your clothing. I will NEVER use ThredUP again to sell it consign my clothing. I was very disappointed in the amount I received for my items. It’s terrible that they’re getting the majority of the profit from your items. I sent in items brand name like: Jcrew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Zara, Gap and etc…more than 50 pieces and received $25.00. My items were in prestine condition. More sellers and consigners need to know about the truth about guidelines and they way their payout works…I will not be telling family and friends about the website. This company needs to remove from online selling and receiving clothing. No one needs to selling or consign with the company, EVER! Such a rip off!
A Disappointed seller!
Lynn
Lynn, So sad that you only got $25 for 50 pieces. Yes, I know how difficult it can be to take great care of your clothes and think they are worth something valuable. Thank you for sharing your personal story.
Thanks for the info, saw commercials, thought of shopping, but will NOT!!!, after reading how horrible they’ve been to you all! As an FYI for everyone, Habitat For Humanity accepts like everything!, clothes, shoes, books, furniture, jewelry, electronics, dishes, household goods, etc. etc. etc. AND! they will then give you a receipt if you want it, that you can use to file with your taxes, for a charitable donation tax deduction that YOU fill in the $ amount you think is the value of donated items. Obviously it has to be reasonable, you can’t put $1500 for grammas old worm out slippers, lol. But it’s a better option, and they then sell the stuff in their stores and online and use the money to rebuild homes and lives!
Yes, there are so many places to donate so many things in your own community! No one should ever have to feel that they have no options where they live. So many people can benefit from the things and clothes that we no longer need or want.
One of my relatives told me about thredUP because we both like nice clothes. She buys and sells, but I was more interested in the selling aspect.
I decided to do an experiment; I see others have done that as well. The thought of paying to get back the clothes they decline was not appealing to me. I’m trying to declutter, and figured my closet was a good place to start. I ordered a clean out kit, and sent in some clothes I didn’t want back; things I knew I could live without. I only made a few dollars, but decided it was worth it just to have that stuff out of my home. Then I sent some clothes from better brands (again, things I could live without), and figured if thredUP is paying the shipping, I”m going to get that bag chock-full.
So far, I”ve sent at least seven bags to thredUP, and have received nearly $200.00 (total). It takes time; and yes, the payout is not everyone’s cup of tea, BUT…I know if I had a garage sale with these same clothes, people would look at me with a straight face and offer to buy my daughter’s Land’s End summer dress, or bought-but-never-worn Gymboree skort for 25 cents – say what?? So yes, I’ll take the $1.40 from thredUP. Everyone has to make their own decision, and do their homework, but for me, the clothes are out of my house, and thredUP is doing the legwork. Again, I’d say start with things you don’t want anymore. The truth of the matter is, in all of those bags, I haven’t missed a single item of clothing, and neither has my family. You might be pleasantly surprised; as you and your family purge your closets, you may find some clothes you really love and can’t wait to wear.
I agree with the author; yes, thredUP is very brand conscious. Well, ok. With all the thrift stores, charity shops, outlets, and websites that offer clothes for less, I can understand why the payout is what it is. I’m utilizing the site only to sell and edit my family’s wardrobe. If you really want more money for your higher end clothes, a consignment store or other online site might be a better option. But you need to decide if you want to sell, store, photograph, describe, wait, pack, post, and ship. It sounds like I’m one of the few people who’s had a good experience with thredUP thus far; I hope it continues.
Christine, Very well said. I think most people’s expectation with selling their clothes is that they will actually make money, and more than just a few pennies. It’s an expectation that you should be paid a fair price for something of value. However, look at any online selling group and you’ll quickly find out that no one wants to pay you decent money for used items, even if they are of great quality. Which is a shame, and a hard learning lesson when you think you’ll be able to recoup some cost of investment, whether clothes or furniture.
What it comes down to, is, are you willing to use convenience to get rid of clothes (without seeing what your community donation options are)? If donating and decluttering are your paramount concerns, then how you donate is up to you and your values. If you want to make money, then that is a different guideline to consider!
I too have sent some expensive brand name Items which were in excellent condition to
ThredUp, and as many others have commented, I have been appalled at the prices they have charged on their website and The pittance I was paid for these items. I will never send to this company again.
Thanks for leaving your story, too, Jenifer. Always good to hear real-life accounts of true stories of what actually happened.
With the market as flooded as it is, you can’t expect to get much by selling clothing from cheap brands such as Express. I sell on ebay and I would never list an item from an inexpensive brand such as this because the market is flooded and the brand isn’t that good and cheap to begin with. Pants and slacks generally no longer sell at all, even from expensive brands such as eskandar or isabel marant, people just don’t wear them, and it’s becoming harder and harder to sell anything other than Lululemon leggings which is the only item still popular in the second hand market. I understand your frustration with ThreadUp payouts, but you have to understand that they take all the risk by paying you upfront and paying their employees to process items. I can’t tell you how many times ThredUp lost money by paying me for upfront items and then eventually selling them cheaper than what they paid me! For instance, they paid me around $40 for a pair or Michael Kors boots they ended up selling 2 years later for $30 because no one would buy them for more! They paid me about $40 for stuart weitzman shoes they ended up selling for $20. I agree that sometimes their payouts are disappointing and even shocking, like they paid me less than a dollar for a pair of Luciano Barbera pants, or less than $10 for Oscar de La Renta runway piece (not the Target collaboration but actual high end designer stuff sold at Neiman Marcus), but at the same time they simply cannot pay more than pennies for brand like A&F, Forever21, etc. that are dirt cheap to begin with.
Elaine, valid points, but would you suggest that people just give away their clothes out of the goodness of their hearts to a for-profit company to make money? If their business model doesn’t work, it is up for them to fix it. Americans shouldn’t have to give like they’re giving to charity so that a business can be profitable. In fact, that’s what giving to charity is all about. Donating clothing to people who need it, so that you can do good in the world. If you are willing to make pennies on the clothing that you give away, perhaps there is a single mother who needs clothing for a job interview, an abused woman who is reentering the workforce, an immigrant family or foster child that has nothing but a bag of clothes on their back, or a cancer patient who’s entire monthly income goes towards chemotherapy treatments. The online sale of consignment clothes surely isn’t an easy profitable space, but that doesn’t mean we have to find a way to make it work while others could be benefiting in our own community.