The RealReal

Forgot to add another comment to my updates re this site- After more than 4 yrs shopping... 1. Selection: Re "designer" brands for pre-owned clothing, the best in my opinion, 2. Condition: "50-50"; beware; descriptions may be inaccurate (untruthful!); the more-famous/popular the designer, more incidents of "inaccuracy". Also, if you like designers who are popular with the counterfeiters, beware; I just returned a clothing item I was quite certain was a fake (and a really bad one; I'm a seamstress, and of course, have designer items). Although the Cust Svc agent was great in handling the return, The RealReal simply re-listed it for the next unfortunate customer, 3. Prices: Volatile; the more famous/popular designers prices continue to increase, 4. Customer Svc: Has improved, more agents added; most are courteous, and will attempt to retain you as a (happy) customer. Cust Svc is the reason I'm still shopping here, 5. Pet peeves - Shipping, and CA warehouse packing methods: 90+% of their inventory is stored in CA, and they've contracted for the slowest (ie, cheapest) UPS service- 7+ days from CA to PA - this is ridiculous and irritating! (USPS is 3 days Priority) And worse, this warehouse's packing policy is to squash your purchase in the smallest box they have, no matter what the item is, its size, or designer. Even if it is a very-top-european designer (ie, very-high original price), do not doubt that it will be SQUASHED into a 20x16x5 box (their medium box)! In all the items I've received from them (+90%), I believe that this warehouse just does not STOCK a larger box. (This is a slight improvement over their practice 3 yrs ago- I ordered a trench coat, several leather jackets (all w/ an original retail of over $600), and each was SQUASHED into a 16x12 TYVEX BAG as a mailing "container" - can you believe it?! Obviously due to massive complaints, they've moved on into small boxes, haha) If you should be lucky to order an item stocked at their NJ warehouse, now this location does pack your precious item CORRECTLY; they use their largest box FREELY (28x18x6, approx), as EXPECTED for a high-original-value item! (Shout-out to NJ!) So, depending on what you like, and what you would accept, you may enjoy shopping here :))

This review isn't for The RealReal's physical location nor for their office. This review is going to be based on their online consignment service (https://www.therealreal.com/consign).

A few months ago, March to be specific, I ordered their free "Luxury Consignment Kit" so I could package my valuable clothing and ship it back to them at no cost. It took a few weeks to receive their free Luxury Consignment Kit (shipping time is about the same as thredUP's free "Clean Out Kit") and it came as a large brown box. Inside the box were instructions on what was accepted and other minor documents.

Once I read all of the instructions and documents that came with the kit, I started to fill the entire box up with valuable clothing. It took some hours to sort out which clothing were good and bad, so I could meet their requirements. After I packed all the clothing that I could into the box, I taped it up and used their pre-paid USPS shipping label to return the box back to them.

I received a confirmation email from The RealReal after USPS successfully picked up my 40-50 pound package from my home. That was on March 29. Near the end of April, I started to wonder if The RealReal were going to finish processing my package, because I also shipped a package for thredUP on the same day I shipped the package for The RealReal. I gave it no thought until mid of May where I started to panic. It's been passed a month and a half and I haven't received any sort of notification from The RealReal of where my package was located.

I sent an email to their customer support and their Consignor Relations Specialist told me my package hasn't even left my state yet. What? I told them that I used their pre-paid USPS shipping label that was provided. And told them I even gotten a confirmation email that they knew my package was picked up from USPS. The Consignor Relations Specialist was barely of any help and kept asking me if I used their shipping label or not and what type of clothing I packaged. I even sent them photos that I took of the package before even shipping it out. To this day, we're still emailing back and forth.

In the end, my package is lost out there and will never be in the hands of The RealReal. They failed to have the common decency to even notify me when they didn't see my package at their warehouse. Their customer support is not very helpful and they take nearly forever to respond back. Moral lesson, don't use The RealReal's consignment service unless you want your valuable clothing lost somewhere out there. Instead, go use a reliable consignment service like thredUP or just donate your clothing to Goodwill.

The Real Real "lost" 12 high end pieces of jewelry of mine that I'd consigned in April. It was late July before The RealReal agreed to finally pay me what they'd valued the items for, this being AFTER a battle with them NOT to deduct their "commission" on my lost items that NEVER even got LISTED, let alone sold! Now they've lost a bracelet of mine that they'd declined in early June (before they admitted they'd lost the previous 12 items), and I'm STILL currently battling with them to pay me for that piece because obviously they received my bracelet, lost it, and I'm left with nothing as of today. To me, that's theft. INEXCUSABLE. They've had my Sydney Evan bracelet since early June, and just a couple of weeks ago finally even ADMITTED to me for sure that it WAS "lost"! Now it's been another battle to get them to compensate me for THEIR screw-up... AGAIN. I've texted my area rep several times, called TRR myself about 3 times just in the recent past, and recently sent approximately 4 emails with photo attachments to customer service. And btw, I never can get a "supervisor" or management on the phone either. My experiences with this company as a consigner have been absolutely terrible. I caution anyone who's even thinking about consigning your designer items with them because they may "lose" your pieces, not even have the decency to inform you of it, and then who knows how long it will be before you see any effort of being offered a fair compensation for your items' worth when it was THEIR negligence in the first place that allowed the items to just "disappear"! I personally think they must have a problem with employee theft because nothing else logically explains this absurd practice of "losing" things! (I was even told on the phone that they don't have insurance on their inventory, which makes absolutely NO sense at all and probably is a lie, anyway.) At this point in my maddening dealings with TRR, I really feel I need to contact upper management or even the president of the company to share how I've been treated, but I can't see a way to even do that online or on the phone. (Good luck being on hold forever just to reach a customer service rep also.) These two nightmarish experiences with TRR have stressed me out this entire summer, and I am furious, to say the least, and just thoroughly disgusted at their lack of both accountability and responsibility to their consigners. Shame on them! Full stop.

The RealReal is terrible.
I used to really like this website and spent averagely 1000-5000USD per month here.
After this terrible experience, I regret I spent this much on them.

Here is what happened to me.
The RealReal cancel your order that you made in promotion, and cancel it without notice for' wrong stock'.

As we all know the RealReal has 'spend more earn more' promotion.
I purchased 1000USD ring+ 2300USD bracelet in last promotion.
So I was applicable for 500$ site credit promotion.

The 2300 USD bracelet was never shipped out.
After weeks, they canceled it saying' wrong stock'. Seems they couldn't find the bracelet!
Yes a 2300 USD bracelet! Now in the website it says ' coming soon.'
What a joke.

I was mad and the issue for me was, due to the cancelation I will not be applicable for 500$ promotion credit, but only 200 since I only spent 1000USD for a ring.
I called the customer support and saying I will purchase another 2000USD bracelet and they should add me to the promotion list.
Because it was their fault to cancel my order. I could order another bracelet if they didn't have stock!
The guy on the phone said ok will do.
I asked him to send me a confirmation email, and placed another 2000USD order.

I waited for several days they never send me a confirmation email.
So I called customer support.
You know how hard it is to call customer support.

I emailed them. Finally got a email saying they are talking to their higher manager.
I was like WHAT?
The what about the guy promised me before I placed the new order?
I already submitted the order and was shipped out already.

Later the lady from the email promised I am added to the 500$ credit promotion list.
I HAVE THE EMAIL.

Today is the day we receive our promotion credit.
I received 200$.

I'm so mad.
This company is definitely ridiculous.

This is the way how they treat their customer.
BE CAREFUL.
They lose their stock.
They may not have stock while you submit the order.
They don't care about you purchased the stuff during promotion.
You need to reach out to them about the promotion.
They forget about their promise.
They are insane.

I regret I spent so much money to them.
I used to really like this website.
Until I found how they treat their customer.
Be aware, be careful.

If you are looking for a seamless consignment experience, than this is not it!

I have placed countless items from handbags to jewelry to clothing on consignment with TRR for the last few months.

My items have been marked down significantly without my knowledge and sold before I was given the option of having them returned to me. For example, a MIU MIU handbag that I purchased for $2500 the month prior to consigning it, was originally marked at $1595 and then got marked down to $875 plus 20% off unbeknownst to me. I spent over four hours trying to get a price adjustment for the TRR's deception.

BEWARE AND CHECK YOUR "MY SALES'" PAGE EVERYDAY FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION!

Also be very aware that your items will be priced incredibly inconsistently! For example, I placed a Stella McCartney skirt on sale and it was priced at $345. I recently consigned the exact same skirt, but different pattern, and it was priced at $90. This is just one of SEVERAL items that have been inconsistently priced. You would truly do much better at Crossroads!

Several of my items have been photographed incorrectly. For example, a jacket that is leather on the outside, was photographed inside out with the lining showing as the outside. There was no leather shown in the photos or in the description.

I pleaded with TRR to please photograph /describe the item correctly only to be met with a complete lack of interest. This has happened with several items and I have subsequently had to request a return of the items. It has been over a month and I have still have not received any of the items back!

Indeed, the photography is generally pretty horrible and many items get returned because TRR is not currently capable of keeping up with demand and The RealReal take horrible and inaccurate photos.

If you want to sell quickly, then TRR is definitely not the right place! If you are lucky, then your items may finally go on sale a month after they are received by TRR. Most likely' however, it will be 6-8 weeks.

TRR is not capable of meeting demand and should, in fairness, STOP TAKING CONSIGNMENTS, until they are capable of handling them properly.

And although you, the Consignor, are TRR's bread and butter, you will be taken for granted.

It honestly saddens me to have to write this review, because over the past couple of years, I've had many positive experiences with the Real Real, both as a buyer and consignor. But their standards have clearly declined! The RealReal will sell you items that are dirty and damaged, and then refuse to accept them for return or consignment, even if unworn and still with their tags. I've spent most of this summer going back and forth with them over a jacket that I purchased that didn't fit and attempted to return to/consign with them, still with the tags attached. They assured me they would try to resolve the matter to my satisfaction, but have now sent the jacket back to me for the second time -- this time taking the liberty of removing their tags: a bad faith and truly scurvy gesture on their part. Do they not think that I have photos of this item with its tags and a file full of email exchanges referencing this item, its condition and multiple mentions of the tags still being attached and no prior argument or contradiction about that from their side?

There are two warehouses where items are processed: Secaucus and Brisbane. It seems that there is a disconnect between what is acceptable to the merchandise receivers in Secaucus and what is acceptable to their counterparts in Brisbane. I was told by a previous luxury manager that the folks in Brisbane are careless and much less discriminating about what constitutes acceptable merchandise than they are in Secaucus. In Secaucus, everything is closely examined and scrutinized for any damage, defects, stains or dirt, and items are often turned away if they don't meet a certain standard. In Brisbane, however, it seems to be another matter. This is not the first time I have received dirty or damaged merchandise from Brisbane. But, instead of correcting the problem in Brisbane, the customers are punished by being stuck with dirty and damaged merchandise that Secaucus refuses to accept.

The consignor relations person tried her best to be helpful, but ultimately the decision lies with TheRealReal managers, and it is clear they don't care about the customers, even if one is a VIP consignor. It is meaningless. They've had every opportunity over the past two-plus months to resolve this matter in a satisfactory manner, and they haven't. Instead, I've been given the middle finger. Next step is to seek any legal remedies available and even taking this to the media. I am done with The Real Real.

Just hit 10k+ worth of items sold and wanted to give my overall review.

First and most important thing is timely payment. Unlike many others I've never had any issue with Trr paying out commission. The amount gets locked in on the 15th of the following month, and I get a check in the mail the next week for exactly that. Never had an issue. Well done realreal.

Next is commission rates. Hey guys, just because you hit a certain payout tier doesn't mean all your items pay out that way. I see so much moaning from people who obviously didn't read the fine print. You only get top payout if the item is priced above a certain amount. Under that, there is a default lower commission. That said, I do see many of my items constantly priced right under the borderline of a higher commission. The RealReal would rather price something at $195 rather than $225 because it means they, instead of me, can take the bigger cut. Realreal, stop doing this. You are gaming the commission tiers to skew gains in your own favor at the expense of pricing items honestly and transparently.

Quality control and presentation. I actually think quality control at Trr is very high. As a consignor, I try to check all my items carefully to make sure they are in good condition before sending them in. The quality control team there constantly finds small spots and faults I missed and sends the items back. Obviously frustrating to me but it gives me confidence they only want to put defect free items for sale on the site. Items sent back are also always carefully packaged and wrapped in realreal bags and hangers at the company's expense. I appreciate the care taken for items even which the site will not sell.

Would I continue to use the site? Yes. Many other reviewers say they price items too low, then complain the items aren't selling. Well which is it? Either shopper hate deals all of a sudden or your items aren't worth what you thought. As someone who has sold on eBay, you better bet used clothing (unless it's a Hermès bag) isn't worth even anywhere close to retail. I value my time more than items I will never use again, and I certainly don't want to deal with photographing, measuring, styling, and shipping an item of clothing to a bunch of fickle buyers. If you have more clothing than free time, the realreal provides a needed, and imo very professional service.

Consignor relationship customer service is unacceptably slow and incompetent. No one answers emails, and if The RealReal do return your email is like one month later. Contacted several time customer service because one of items I consigned was placed under wrong sub category, 10 emails and 5 instant chats on their app, the problem is still not fixed. OVERWHELMING amount of luxury items are placed under wrong categories, for example: Hermes Kelly bag placed under Birkin. It was not even my bag and I contacted customer service to let them know (poor owner is unaware that her bag was placed under wrong category) and month later that bag is still listed in a wrong category. Some items listed as pristine new no visible signs of wear condition but when you receive merchandise it is in fact NOT NEW AND BEEN worn more than once in contrary to the listing condition description (and some are final sale). Some items I purchased the condition description was wrong, inaccurate and deceptive. I consigned my Rolex and I believe it was intentionally under priced so it would sell faster (because they need turn around items fast so TRR would make profit). Based on my own independent research much older watches, less desirable models, worst condition were listed at a much higher prices. I feel like that particular watch appraiser (Danny Avizov), was biased and intentionally under priced my watch against my objection and market research opinion. The customer service does not respond to your concerns in a timely manner, they always have ready to go answer to usher you away and forward your concern to "right department", and in turn that right department never contacts you back or if they do it is one month+ later. The consignment process is very biased, if the person likes you they appraised item higher, and if they don't you know the answer. I consigned 2 items in Feb 13th as of Feb 23rd the items are no where to be found. I used to love TRR great concept but something happened to their customer service, customer service is extremely slow unresponsive and at times simply incompetent. They are very aggressive with consignment but the moment you consign an item good luck to you. The relationship manager for luxury items (assigned to each individual consignor $$$) suddenly doesn't want to be bothered or does not answer your concerns, and if they do respond that person sound like they doing you a favor and you are at their mercy. Same applies to customer service. Once chatting on app with customer service the person, did not even say: "Hello, how could I help you", the person responded: WHAT DO YOU NEED, OMG I could not believe what I saw on my screen. They need one full time employee to correct address all mistakes with listings on their website (there are so many!)!

Non-existent customer service!
I recently purchased a vintage jacket from this site that I have been looking for for a few years. I was over the moon to find it and it was on sale at 50% off so a reasonable price. I generally avoid this site as I am in Canada and The RealReal use UPS for shipping which is the only shipping company to charge a brokerage fee on top of duty and taxes for international shipping but I really wanted the jacket. The jacket was about $1000, when it arrived at my home I was SHOCKED to find out the fees were $493. The majority of that cost was brokerage. I am happy to pay duty and taxes, I am a luxury shopper and shop internationally a lot. Just today I received a $980 Chanel sweater from Vestaire collective, total import costs $139, yesterday received a shipment from eBay over $1200 the cost was $111. $493 is outrageous. Anyway, I refused the package and returned to sender and emailed customer service to let them know what happened and why I returned. I received no response. Emailed again to another address. No response. Then I got an email that they got my package back and had refunded me. I am extremely disappointed at their lack of response and customer service. I understand that The RealReal can't control post shipment charges imposed by UPS however I would have thought that the company would value their (former) customers enough to at least respond to concerns and try to work out solutions to such issue. It was a larger purchase and I have shopped there before so I don't think it's too much to ask to at least be treated like a human being and acknowledged, perhaps offering to ship via another company? Or to reship to another address? I have an aunt in the US and after I saw how expensive the import charges were I spoke to her and she agreed I could reship the jacket to her address and she would ship to me with a different courier if The RealReal would not but as I didn't hear a work from their customer service of course I couldn't arrange this. I'm just heartbroken as this was a jacket I was really excited to find. They have since relisted it on their site at full price so I can't even repurchase for the same sale price anymore. I'm just really turned off of the company at this point. There are a lot of great online designer resale sites like Vestaire Collective which has amazing customer service, Tradesy, even eBay will respond to emails! There is no reason to shop somewhere where your business isn't valued at all.

As someone who's too lazy to sell stuff myself and take it to the post office, I thought this would be a great way to get rid of some very nice (and unworn) designer items from my closet. Seemed to go well at first: The RealReal came to my house, took many items and sent me an email receipt with photos. (For a company that supposedly deals with "vintage", they don't seem at all familiar with certain vintage labels. To them, "vintage" apparently just means "2nd hand but not old". But okay, I guess I have to figure out what to do about the remaining items myself.)

Then the problems start. They say you can check your items online before they are made available and ask for them back if you aren't happy with the pricing, but they will lower them to bargain basement prices without telling you, and then you make next to nothing on the sale. Suit jackets were separated from the skirts, and when I called and asked them to sell them together, there was a HUUGE delay because they claimed they couldn't figure out which pieces went together and asked ME to tell them which "item numbers" were paired, but since they hadn't uploaded pictures yet, I couldn't tell. (I only gave them 2 suits and 1 jacket, so I don't see how hard this could be, especially considering the person who came to my house took pictures of each suit, with the jacket paired with the skirt.) Then they asked me for photos of the paired items, so I sent them their own photos back. Sheesh. A month later, some of the items still weren't available on the website, but they had somehow sold one of the suit skirts, separate from the jacket, against my express wishes. Another skirt was photographed all wrinkled, even though I had given it to them completely unwrinkled. A brand new, unused wallet was described as "light wear inside" (but the outside is somehow pristine? C'mon!) A brand new, with tags, tweed jacket was described as "light pilling all over". No, that would be the texture of the tweed, not "pilling". Jeez, they don't even know what pilling is.

I'll probably just wait and see if they can sell my remaining items (especially now that they've already sold one suit skirt) but I certainly won't be using them again.

The Real Real sold my mom a counterfeit bright green Herve Leger dress. I knew it was a fake the minute I saw and tried on the dress. The label was off, the finish was awful and the elasticity was gone. I have 20+ year old Herve dresses that are as elastic as the day I bought them.

I reported a pair of counterfeit Chanel and a pair of Valentino Rockstud flats The RealReal had for sale. 1 sold (I asked they refund the buyer), the other unsold (I asked they remove it from the site).
By the time they got back to me after "looking into it", the 2nd pair sold. They said they marked the shoes as "sold", so no one could buy them and gave me $50 credit probably to keep my mouth shut about it.

What kind of reputable site, that prides itself in having top authenticators and selling ONLY AUTHENTIC items, is dumb enough to show COUNTERFEIT ITEMS as SOLD on their website? None, so basically they thought I was dumb enough to believe their story.

Also, if you consign to them, be aware that because of their continuous 20% off offer to buyers, you'll never receive a 60% or 70% comission. Say you consigned a top for $100. I buy it using the 20% off and pay $80. You'll get paid 60% or 70% of $80, which in reality is 48% or 56%.

Now that I got the scary stuff out of the way, I'll go on with the good. I've bought 3 pair of Margiela shoes and they were fine. One was kind of dirty inside, but that can be fixed.
My mom has gotten decent deals on Gianvito Rossi, Celine shoes, Pucci, etc.

My final word on the Real Real is:
- DON'T consign with them. They don't pay enough, they don't pay the % promised and at times they underprice and mislabel things. They've even rejected consigning items that were sold by them. How about that? I'd love if they said it's because the item is fake lol

-DON'T buy anything mainstream that can be faked! If you're afraid to buy it on eBay, don't buy it here either, UNLESS: IT CAN BE RETURNED (not all items can) AND:
A- You can authenticate it yourself and tell the real from the fake*
B- Pay a fee and have it authenticated it by a reputable 3rd party

- DO buy brands/styles that are not known to be counterfeited, IF you find a good deal. I say if because at times they price it close to retail (some Valentino Rockstud shoes). If in doubt, Google fake xyz. I googled the green Herve I bought from them & found it on a fake website. The real Herve of this style has less bandages on the bust.

I had heard about this new website so thought I would give it a try. I consigned once there and it went okay. But purchasing is a completely different thing. I started slow and purchased a Proenza wallet The RealReal said was in either very good or good condition. When I received it I cleaned with a gentle leather cleaner and all that came off was shoe polish. It then looked terrible. But, thinking maybe it was an anomaly I decided to start even smaller. Shopping the flash sales. So last night I start looking through things It was such a frustrating experience. They give you 20 minutes from the time you put the first thing in your cart (even as you add other things) and then you must make the purchase immediately. It's like $11 or $12 too. Kind of high. So I did purchase two things and continued shopping and bought another dress in the time span of about half an hour, paying an additional shipping charge as there is no way around it. Given that they market themselves a luxury website I thought I would call today and they would refund one of the shipping charges. In the order confirmation they sent me they even combined the two order confirmations in one email, although giving it different order numbers. So, as I called customer service today to explain the situation I was basically told that this is the way they run thier business and it's like a game. What? I tried to explain that luxury is not only about labels, but also the customer service experience he basically said too bad. It was such arrogance. I told him that within two miles of my house I have two luxury consignment stores where I can actually go in and try on and see actual condition of item without all of the hassle. He told me to not compare them to other businesses. He finally agreed to refund half of one of the shipping charges. But I don't remember him even taking down my name or order number. I'm glad I started small. It was such a ridiculously arrogant conversation, with no regard for the customer. He actually said that is how they make thier money is through shipping. So, I wonder how these larger brick and mortars who have the same split with consigning are making thier money? I will not be shopping here anymore if this is how they treat thier customers. There are too many other companies that do care to deal with this foolishness. All over $11.

TLDR:
I have initiated a dispute with my credit card company. If you haven't seen your item ship promptly and you can't get answers from customer service, I would encourage you to do this ASAP. It could prove to be your only avenue to get your money back. But you must do this quickly because there is a window for a dispute.

BCKSTRY:
I recently purchased a very expensive Lauren Manoogian dress from the TRR. It has not shipped, I have received no emails about the purchase whatsoever, and no one in customer service can find any information on where the package is. But The RealReal also will not let me cancel the order because they claim it has shipped. Even though it clearly has not. TRR uses automated systems that generate an email when UPS picks up the package. Everyone knows this, it seems, except their freelance customer service reps that are now working for them from home.

But they did run my credit card immediately.

Which begs the question, should this be the policy?

Other online retailers only charge your credit card once the item has shipped. That takes care of any issues if something goes wrong with the order, the item is damaged or isn't available after all. And these seem to be very common issues with TRR. I am noticing an increasing amount of complaints about orders being lost or delayed by weeks.

There are laws that govern online retail and my concern with TRR is that they do not run their business professionally.

I have contacted customer service on the matter three times, with no resolution. They use a new text based service and it's quite obvious they're using freelancers from home because they are all completely unaware of the systems and how TRR works. I've actually had to educate two of them on what the normal process is for shipping. No one has information and clearly no one cares.

But I care about my $300. Which they happily helped themselves to and now consider theirs, well they seem to have no sense of responsibility to get me my item.

As another reviewer put it, TRR has gotten ugly. I have spent thousands of dollars with this consignment store over the years. It was not always a perfect experience… Very up and down but at least it evened out. Sometimes items showed up even nicer than you expected, and sometimes they weren't quite as nice. But customer service was available and took care of it.

I'm not sure what's happening with TRR, but the service is a hot mess, the business model has become highly dysfunctional, they're treating the items like yard sale trash… and customers like a bother.

I think this is an example of what happens when a company grows beyond its ability, and I think it's pretty clear TRR has.

These messages they are posting to our reviews, Saying "sorry for your experience just contact us and will help you resolve it" they are completely meaningless because you just get pushed back through the same cycle.

TRR is robbing people of money when they do not deliver goods and refuse to issue refunds or make it difficult to get one when they drop the ball. That's not professional. More importantly, that's not legal.

Perhaps it's time to tap the attorney general about this issue?

I have been shopping on TheRealReal since 2011. I was its biggest fan! Over the past year or two, however the prices keep going up, up, up and the customer service keeps going down, down, down. I used to be able to find amazing deals on hard to find designer clothing on TRR, and I would sing the sites praises! The deals are now harder to come by, but if you check every day, twice a day, there are still a few deals that sneak in the pricier items every so often. Shipping is more expensive and the first look/premium memberships just went up to $10 and $30 a month! Over the years, I have been burned four times by fakes. The first fake I bought was a Hermes Clic Clac bracelet. I had it authenticated by a reputable third party authentication service (Authenticate4u.com), and was told it was a fake. TRR was great about taking it back (this was in 2012). The second fake I bought was a pair of Ray Bans that were SO fake The RealReal looked like they were bought on Canal St. I knew the moment I took them out of the box they were fake. I sent detailed side by side DETAILED photos of the pair they sold me and an authentic pair I owned including font and misplaced or non-existent RB markings. The sunglasses were so bad, they couldnt dispute the pair I had received from them were terrible fakes, so they took them back. The third time, I bought a Celine Boogie bag, and because of my previous bad experiences with accessories on TRR, I had it authenticated the moment I received it. I had it reviewed by three different authentication services, (The Purse Forums Celine thread, AuthenticateFirst (not the best, most reliable service, but the only one available at the time) and finally, Authenticate4u.com (a VERY reputable service, who was not processing authentications when I initially asked). All THREE came back to me and said the bag was a fake. I sent all three authentications to TRR, and this time they were NOT so helpful, despite my being a VERY loyal customer with THREE services stating FAKE. They denied, denied, denied. Eventually they took the bag back, but I had to really push. I reported them to the Better Business Bureau, as I did not think it was okay that they be relisting a bag that THREE separate authenticators deemed fake. They just didnt get it that its not okay to sell items that are reported fakes, regardless of what their in house authentication expert determined. If he didnt catch the cheapest pair of Ray Ban fakes in the world, how can I trust that he would catch a fake Celine? After these experiences, I stopped buying any accessories from TRR. I had never had an issue with the clothing I had bought from TRR, until recently. I recently bought a fake Isabel Marant Habra dress. It was also a clear fake, as I had owned an authentic version of the same dress a year or so before. I sent them detailed photos as to why the label was off, and why the stitching was off, as well as comparison photos side by side. They took it back as a regular return, and I just didnt have the energy to fight them again on another fake. Bottom line with TRR, just be very wary of ALL your purchases. Bags, jewelry, and any accessories, make sure to have them authenticated by a reputable third party authentication service because you CANNOT trust TRR on their word. I still shop at TRR, as they do have some great finds from time to time, but I would NEVER buy another bag or accessory from them, and I inspect all clothing very carefully now too. Good luck, and happy shopping!

After reading many negative reviews, I was so struggle if I should send my coats for consigning. Finally I decided to give it a try and I made a good decision. The RealReal processed my stuffs for selling in 1 week. After a week or two, 2 of my coats were sold. I was surprised that they sold my coats that fast. I knew if I sell my coats at Ebay, I would not sell them quickly in great prices. Though they charged me 40% commission, I didn't do anything but just sit and wait. And they do the rest.

Updated note: All four of my coats were sold in a month. My first check was received and the second check is followed. I have no horrible experiences with The Real Real like what other consignors did. I believe that the reasons why many consignors have bad experiences are because they DON'T READ the consignment terms before sending their stuffs to The Real Real. Let me point them out...

1. Some people complained therealreal hold their stuffs for a long time and doesn't list them for selling and then mail them back to them. (The truth is therealreal has a list where you can see what brands of stuffs they want, so don't send them stuffs unwanted.)

2. Some people complained they have sold the stuffs, but don't send them a check (The truth is therealreal issues payment for Commissions on the 15th day of every month, if your items are sold on 16th, you are expected to receive the payment in a month.)

3. Some people complained therealreal sets the price too low while their designer stuffs are brand new with tags. (The truth is you might think your designer bag worth $800, but that's your own thought. It's all about marketing demand. Don't expect you buy a handbag $1000, have it sat in your closet for ages brand new, and then can sell it out $800. Fashion stuffs depreciate quite that dramatically)

4. Some people complained therealreal rips them off by sending them 45% of commission payment instead of 60%. (The truth is therealreal sometimes puts the items on promotion in order to attract more buyers. Let say if there is 15% off for buyers and your stuffs are sold in the promotion periods, your commission will be 60% - 15% = 45%. So be prepared and don't expect you will get 60% commission at the end.)

I was extremely excited when I first discovered TheRealReal and within the first six weeks of discovering the site I spent thousands of dollars purchasing designer handbags and shoes. I then decided to consign some of my own items and scheduled an in home visit from one of their representatives. The representative we very pleasant but she didn't give me prices on the spot and didn't closely look at any of my items- she simply packed them in a bag and took them off with her. TheRealReal representative that came to my home told me that I would receive a consignment inventory list by the following day - It took her 10 days to email me this list! When I finally received this list, I felt The RealReal undervalued my items and I asked for one item to be returned to me, a pair of almost brand new Chanel sandals. This is where the real problems started! Instead of returning my Chanel sandals, they mailed me a blouse that was not mind. When I called customer service regarding this, they asked me to mail the top back and casually told me they would look into locating my Chanel sandals. After a few days elapsed, I had to followup with customer service who told me their warehouse had lost my Chanel sandals. It has now been 12 days since TheRealReal lost my Chanel sandals and they have done NOTHING to rectify the situation. The woman who I have been emailing with at customer service sends me nasty, snarky emails, and has been refusing to refund me the full amount of my shoes even though I was told that consigned items are fully insured. It is impossible to speak with someone at customer service because no one ever answers the phone!
It's really unfortunate that Therealreal has done nothing to fix this situation because they have now lost me as a buyer and a seller.
I urge you to think twice before buying or selling on this site. If you run into any problems, do not expect any customer service or resolution. TheRealReal clearly does not value it's customers.

Pros: The quality of the items I've received have been pretty good and accurate to the description. The RealReal also list exact measurements in the description which have been accurate and helpful, since the marked sizes are often incorrect and inconsistent (see Con #3).

Cons:
1. As others have noted, their refund policy is shady. They send orders with a slip of paper that clearly says returns must be made within 21 days, however if you look closely at the fine print it's actually 14 days that they give you to process a return, and then they need to physically receive it within 21. This would normally be fine, but they make it hard to understand the policy. It's extra annoying because they charge SO MUCH for shipping, both delivery and returns, so you'd think they'd be a little flexible on their return policy.

2. Slow and inefficient customer service. I missed the 14 day window by a day because I was waiting for my full order to arrive (one of the 5 items in my order took a while longer to get to me), and again thought I had the 21 days they bolded on the packing receipt. I contacted customer service through text hoping that I could have some flexibility since my full order hadn't arrived in time and this was the first issue. The chat took almost two hours. The customer service rep kept saying no, too bad, you missed the timeframe, and when I pushed back they said they would "check one more thing", then came back 10 mins later to ask me the SAME questions they already asked me, then said no again. They finally said "let me ask a manager" and came back to offer me store credit. Better than nothing, but it's a little crazy to me that even with the circumstances of not receiving my full order in the estimated window they couldn't make an exception.

3. Sizing is a mess and it's impossible to truly filter by size. I was actually just on the app and saved a sweater that was marked as a Medium, and then in the description it says "designer size 2". In no world is a size 2 a medium, and you have to read the full description to catch those details. This is a pretty consistent occurrence: In my last order I ordered two pairs of pants, one was marked as Small and was actually a larger waist size than the pants marked Medium. A lot of what I've returned was due to poor sizing, you have to pay attention to the details and go through a lot of mis-sized items to find what might actually work. The sizing in the descriptions are accurate (see Pros), but it makes it really time consuming to not be able to filter properly.

4. Some details are missed in the photos. They use the same mannequins in the same position, which can sometimes make it difficult to see details that are also not in the description. For example, a skirt I ordered ended up having a high slit in the back, which was impossible to see in the photo and not mentioned in the description, and if I had known about it I wouldn't have ordered it.

OVERALL: Now that I understand the sizing issues I can pay more attention to what I purchase and use up the $300+ I wasted in not being able to return something within a reasonable time frame. The high cost of shipping and inflexible/unclear return policy makes this service not worth it. With inconsistent sizing and photos that make it hard to see details, I've ended up paying more money in shipping than on anything to put in my closet.

BUYER BEWARE OF HONESTY ISSUES & TIME RESOLVING PROBLEMS: when things go wrong, as The RealReal sometimes do, it is important how the mistake is handled. Customer service used to have long wait times but the representatives were polite and able to solve the problem. NOW the wait times are still long but the remote reps are totally inept with supervisors that are "unavailable" & they do not return calls as promised.
In my case the warehouse failed to include all items listed on the box's inventory list. The remote based representative would only tell me that she would file with UPS and they would have to pay. Explaining that the box was delivered in good condition and that UPS was not at fault didn't matter to her. That was her solution and she was sticking to it. Pointing out the dishonesty in deflecting onto UPS to pay when clearly it was a warehouse error only generated the same response. Foolish me, I asked for a supervisor thinking she could easily solve this simple issue. A supervisor refused my call saying she would call back within 2 hours but did not.
IT TOOK 7 CALLS BETWEEN 8 AM-2:30 PM to get a US based rep. She immediately understood the issue and sent the warehouse a note to "search". EASY PEEZY TROUBLE SHOOTING! It seems to me that customer service no longer matters at TRR. I can't say whether it's cost cutting measures or greed but there are defiantly customer service issues. As a customer and consignor the inconvenience is a big issue but the honesty factor raises yet another concern. If they are dishonest with UPS then how about us as buyers or sellers? Then of course there is the internal TRR issue of the warehouse not including what I paid for.
Basically, when things go as they should I would give TRR a 5* but when they are not perfect, as life often is, then the customer is in for a roller coaster ride. TREAD CAREFULLY.
I gave a 3* because my experience with the order number referenced on this survey was a 5* but other orders have been a 1*. Since surveys are rare I am including an honest broad response. I hate doing this but TRR has changed and not for the better.

You can score some fantastic deals buying if you know what you are looking for, know your brands and your size. The shipping and return times are acceptable and The RealReal address any related issues in a timely manner most of the time.
However, you will have to take risks and be willing to lose big on your items when consigning with the RealReal. Regardless of tag or no tag or you providing original receipt or approximate value, they still assign their own value as they see fit regardless of accuracy or fairness. You will waste so much time communicating with them just to get their spiel responses every single time with no actual resolution because they don't care.
I had recently purchased an item at a certain price but missed the return period due to being away for my honeymoon so unfortunately had to consign it with them when I got back knowing that I won't get the full value back when they sell it but that's the price you pay for missing the return window and I'm ok with that part. But that wasn't the worst of it. They priced the item at half the original price! I had to waste so much time emailing them million times, pulling teeth to address this issue which they responded to by raising the price little by little every time but never to the original price that I bought it from them just few weeks ago.
I believe they play favoritism with some customers who manage to get the most money for their items. Maybe the lower its priced for the second time around, the better for them since they will pay you even less once sold, that and their untrained employees in customer service can explain how one item is not priced the same within weeks when not worn or used.
Considering how many times I got wrong items shipped, or not shipped at all due to listing errors, where the size was wrong or items had defects and sometimes unauthentic, you would think the least they would do for a customer is to resolve an issue as simple as pricing something the same when the condition didn't change and the amount of time that passed isn't material. Very disappointing.

Most of the positive review are from buyers. That is because, in my experience as both consigner and buyer, items are priced very cheaply. Unreasonable cheaply.
Problems for consigners:
1, rejected items based on fictitious "problems". Non existent stains, non existent fading.
2. Initial log in info like description, condition. The condition is almost always fictitious. Favorite words, fading, used, staining, pulling even if the item is brand new with a tag attached. Happens all the time. You can ask for a review if you catch the item before it is released, that can take several weeks and in 99% of my cases The RealReal corrected it to pristine, no visible sign of wear.
3. Pricing is atrocious. A brand new item with a tag $700, could be priced bellow $100. The 20% discount upfront is put on without rhyme or reason. Again, you can ask for a review that takes again several weeks. They talk about "selling trends" every item where the price was increased sold at that price. Sometimes double or more. They are dealing with too many brands. In my experience they are not familiar at all with the brands. How they price? Every skirt is the same price, every pants the same etc.
4. Getting through to Customer service for consigners can take a long time. I wish they changed that dreadful music on the phone.

5. Lost items. They lost my shoes, they were never found.

The most recent experience is an example what you are up against. I sent in a jacket, that was priced by TRR $325, with no discount. It sold the day it was listed. After a week of inquiring WHY the item was not shipped yet to the buyer it turned out TRR lost the jacket and they eventually HAD TO CANCEL THE SALE because they could not deliver the lost jacket to the buyer. This was a month ago. After TRR cancelled the sale I was told repeatedly and my luxury rep was told repeatedly that TRR was going to pay me in fullfir the sold jacket, They eventually found the jacket, but by then they cancelled the buy. Now, one month later I am being told TRR will NOT pay me for the cancelled sale BECAUSE THEY FOUND THE JACKET! Never mind I made $325, I never received, they want to re list the jacket now with a 20% discount. It may or may not sell at this point. What happened to the fact that the jacket was sold? Had TRR not lost the jacket and had they delivered it to the buyer, I would have been paid without a problem. Conveniently TRR is ignoring that fact.
TRR should remember that without consigners there is no consignment business. They deserve 0 stars.