So, you want to start selling clothes online (or maybe you’re already doing it?), and you want to know what you’re getting into?
More specifically, what are some of the common problems you might face when selling clothes online?
I’m here to help clear that up.
I’ve been buying and reselling (aka flipping) clothes for profit for over 4 years now, so yeah, you can probably imagine just how many silly little problems I’ve encountered since then.
BUT!
This post isn’t meant to scare you off from starting your own buying-and-reselling-clothes side hustle.
For every problem that I mention, I will also try to give you some advice on how to solve that problem (and maybe even some extra resources for you nerds <3).
Y’know why?
Because buying and reselling clothes is, despite these few inconveniences you might face, a really great way to make some extra money on the side. You don’t have to invest a lot of time or money into it, and the profit margins can be high.
But enough yapping.
Here are the most 5 common problems you might face when buying and reselling clothes online.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
#1: A buyer wants to return an item
#2: I’m no photographer!
#3: The clothes are piling up O_O
#4: Nobody’s buying your stuff
#5: Why on earth are the fees so high?!
CONCLUSION
#1: A buyer wants to return an item
Well, this has certainly happened to me more than once.
Let me tell you about a little incident that happened about half a year after I had started making money by flipping clothes.
I sold a blue faux leather jacket online for about 10 euros (I had bought it for 1 euro at a thrift store. Quite a nice return rate, if you ask me.)
The buyer messaged me saying they want to return the item. I asked why, and they replied “well, it just doesn’t fit me like I imagined it would“.
Are you fu-
Keep in mind that on the platform I was selling, there was a clear rule that stated: “the seller is only obligated to accept the return if the item is damaged or doesn’t correspond to the description.”
So, it’s clear that if a piece of clothing doesn’t fit the buyer as they imagined (but otherwise corresponds to the the description) then it’s not mandatory for the seller to return the item.
That’s what I told them, and after a long discussion I said that if they had any further complaints, they should reach out to the customer support.
What bothered me most about this whole thing, I think, was that they had this arrogant, overly nice tone.
Made it seem like they were a Disney princess who thought that everyone should bow before them and say “yes, your Highness” when they ask for an unjustified return.
Anyways, long story short, I was forced to return the item, because of my own silly mistake – the jacket had only the US size on the size label, which meant that I just googled the EU equivalent and marked that as the size.
Damn my stupidity.
Unfortunately, customer support sided with the buyer and said that if the actual size (the US size on the label) isn’t marked in the description then technically the size isn’t correct.
And that, partner, is why you always have to mark every detail (the brand, condition, and size) correctly when writing a product description.
To save yourself the headache of bitchy buyers.
PS! The risk of a buyer being unhappy with their item is usually higher if what you’re selling is electronics (what if they accidentally lock themselves out from the iPhone you sold them, and they blame you?), fragile items (aw, that mug broke while being shipped? Yikes.), or pricier items (if that designer coat has so much as a scratch, the buyer may not be happy).
So, in conclusion, when contacting your buyers, you should always be polite and friendly with them.
BUT, you also have to know your rights as a seller, and stand up for yourself if necessary.
#2: I’m no photographer!
Yeah, as I have mentioned in my other posts, appealing pictures are the key to getting sales!
Just think about it, which would you rather buy:
(Ignore the LIDL logo, let’s just focus on the quality of the photos, ‘kay?)
If you want a buyer to already make a purchase based on just the picture, you’ve got to have nice pictures. (Duh!)
So, what if you’re not good at taking pictures of clothes with your phone?
Well, my first advice to you would be – practice!
It may sound cheesy (practice makes perfect yap-yap), but nobody who knows how to take good photos of clothes knew how to do so, at first. They learned by trial and error.
What will definitely speed up your process of learning how to take photos that attract buyers, is:
a) look up videos and tutorials on how to take better pictures of clothes
b) try out different styles of taking photos of clothes (flat lay, mannequin, hanger, model)
c) look at what other sellers are doing, and take inspiration from them!
By doing those things, you’ll be guaranteed to learn quickly, even if your photos look like crap right now.
And, if you’re not on team-learn-it-yourself, you could always ask your tech-savvy relative or friend to take those photos for you.
#3: The clothes are piling up O_O
Again and again am I finding myself in the situation where literally more than half of my closet is full of the items I’m trying to sell online.
But, honestly, that’s ok for me – as long as I have space for them, it doesn’t really bother me that there are some pieces of clothing that sit there for over a year before being sold.
But, if your closet is full, and you don’t really have anywhere to store the clothes you want to sell, then it may become a problem when the clothes start piling up.
The solution?
a) Be more picky about what you hoard to sell. Buy only the items that you know you can sell relatively quickly.
b) Make room. If your closet is full, you may still have some space around the house to store the clothes in (where they won’t get in the way). Maybe you have a storage room, a cupboard under the stairs (just make sure Potter’s ok with it), etc.
c) Learn to sell quicker. (I also mention this in the next point)
Again, clothes piling up is a problem only if you think it’s a problem. If you find a way to store your items, it’s chill.
#4: Nobody’s buying your stuff
Been trying to sell that coat for over a year, have you?
Don’t worry. Once, I got to hold on to a pair of jeans for about two and a half years before somebody finally bought them.
But, on the rare occasion that I decide to deep-clean my closet, I almost always find from the depths of it a random T-shirt or a pair of sneakers that I vaguely remembered buying about 4 years ago. To sell them.
And I still haven’t sold them till today.
Because I usually decide to just give it away to charity or something instead of stubbornly holding on to stuff that nobody’s buying, and keeping it in my closet.
I can make better use of that space.
Anyways, there are a few things that could be preventing you from getting sales:
a) your items aren’t searchable. Solution? Add more relevant keywords to your descriptions.
b) you have crap pictures. Solution? Take better pictures, duh.
c) your prices are too high. Solution? Take a look at how your competitors are pricing their items, and try lowering your prices a bit.
d) etc.
#5: Why on earth are the fees so high?!
On some platforms you can sell clothes on, the fees and shipping costs can be ridiculously high. On most platforms, though, the fees are somewhere around 5-15%, and that’s pretty acceptable (if you asked me).
Yeah, it might be aggravating that some of your profits get taken away just like that.
But those fees also provide a platform that makes it easier for people to discover your items and purchase from you.
Shipping fees, however, can go sky-high, depending on how far apart you and the buyer are.
That’s why it’s a good idea to try selling on local sites, if you can.
If you want to eliminate all fees and shipping costs, the best platform I can recommend is Facebook Marketplace. You can sell anything there, it’s not just limited to clothes.
Of course, selling on FB Marketplace also means more risk for both the buyer and the seller, but if you’re ok with that then it may be the right fit for you. Also, you may have to work harder in order for your items to get noticed.
CONCLUSION
There you have it, my dear hustler.
The ultimate overview of common problems that you might face when selling clothes online.
I hope you got some tips on how to face those challenges, and got some encouragement to start flipping stuff for profit!
Now, if you have any questions or comments, I will gladly answer them.
Peace out!