Buying handbag on eBay (new with tags)

amother

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 3:31 pm

Thinking of buying a handbag on eBay because it would be around $80 cheaper. It's supposedly new with tags.
Says "no returns but backed by EBay money back guarantee." What happens if I don't like it in real life? Will they really return my money?

Also did anyone purchase a new with tags bag on eBay and were you happy?

LovesHashem

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 3:40 pm

I would suggest trying to find one on Poshmark. They have amazing service and if it's not as described you can ship it back and 100 percent get your money back. It's also 3 day shipping. They really do have the best service! The money isn't released to the seller until a few days after it reaches you to be sure that you are truly happy and it's as described.

Poshmark is a site where people sell things second hand, many new with tags. I buy all my handbags on there.

Fox

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 3:46 pm

Please be very, very careful. Both eBay and Poshmark are notorious for knock-offs. Depending on the manufacturer, it's possible to get an independent authentication service to estimate the probability of the item being legitimate. I think each authentication costs $10-$30.

However, one easy trick to weed out the bad actors is to check the seller's history. If he/she has a long history of selling handbags "NWT," it's not a good sign.

amother

Lavender

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 3:58 pm

I buy frequently on eBay, therealreal, poshmark, Vestiaire Collective etc. I've gotten amazing deals but also some busts. I think the key is buying things that aren't so well known. As in if you're buying a Louis Vuitton bag, there is a relatively high probability that it's a fake since those are very very popular bags and have a huge profit margins for fakes. If you're buying a kind of random Vince Camuto bag for instance, its much less likely to be fake because they're not as in demand and probably not worth the effort it takes to fake them.
As for the eBay guarantee-you can't get your money back just because you don't "like" it. The eBay guarantee covers things like if the seller never ships the bag, if you never receive it, or if its a fake that the seller stated was authentic.
When buying on these sites, you have to basically be okay with losing the money. It's happened to me very rarely where the item is a total bust, and most of those times it was my own fault (I thought I could fit into a medium but I really couldn't). Don't order something unless you're sure you're going to keep it if its what it is purported to be. I'll often go into stores to try something on and then find it on one of these sites for cheaper so I know that I already like it.
that being said, I've gotten amazing amazing deals on all of these sites and can basically dress way above my actual price point due to the deals I get. But there is a certain art to it.

Fox

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 5:51 pm

studying_torah wrote:

Fox, having a long history of selling on poshmark is bad? Or did I misunderstand something?

Having a long history isn't bad, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for someone to constantly have new bags for sale unless they're selling items that they're importing themselves.

A higher-end bag manufacturer isn't going to sell a bunch of their product to someone who will turn around and sell it on eBay or Poshmark. They'll sell only through recognized retailers or online vendors.

At the same time, it doesn't make sense for someone to purchase a bunch of bags at retail price and turn around and sell them for less.

In other words, if it's too good a deal to be true, then it isn't.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule -- particularly if you're talking about non-branded bags that are being imported by the seller.

But a bag that's being sold for $200 in department stores and is always available from a particular seller on eBay/Poshmark at $80 off -- that bears a little more investigation and skepticism.

amother

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 6:42 pm

Fox wrote:

The bags are around $30 less, and eBay is giving a $15 promotion, and it could be sales tax will be less. I exaggerated when I said 80- I would probably save closer to $50.

Maybe I'll wait for cyber Monday and see if the brand has any promotions.

amother

Bronze

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 6:59 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Yes I purchased a $10 handbag on eBay in the past new with tags and I was very happy

Fox

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 7:31 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Can I ask what brand it is? You aren't obligated to give in to my yenta-dik curiosity. Just wondering if I know any tricks to help you score a good deal.

Fox

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 7:56 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Brahmin

Excellent, excellent choice! Brahmin is the next Mansur Gavriel, IMHO -- very high quality, classic styling, and not yet on the mass market radar.

Here's an article on authenticating Brahmin bags -- it's pretty general, but being able to ask questions about the registration card and number will deter at least some of the scammers.

Brahmin Bag Authentication

Good luck, and let us know what you end up buying!

mlc

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 8:28 pm

Fox wrote:

This.

LovesHashem

Wed, Oct 23 2019, 11:57 pm

I think the thing isn't how many bags they sell, like someone said people do this for a living.
It's when people have multiple of the same bag. Usually people who sell bags NWT I've seen have one of each thing They get them super cheap or discounted and buy whatever is left, they're not buying a shipment of 50 from aliexpress.

geemum

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 1:35 am

I had a horrible experience on eBay - eBay customer service got involved and to cut a long story short, I was advised by the rep not to leave negative feedback or comments as the seller had my personal details (name, address, phone number) and "it would be best just to leave it be"

So, my advice is don't take "only good reviews" as a great sign.

Good luck and enjoy shopping :-)