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Child Item

Depop and Bloggers

SusieBlue

I know most threads here regarding bloggers end up getting extremely personal and nasty and this isn't my intention for this thread, but I'm really keen to hear other opinions on this topic.

I'm not sure if everyones familiar with the app Depop but its a fantastic platform, very similar in layout to instagram, for selling clothes and cosmetics etc. that you no longer need. Has a high level of Irish users, members pay via paypal and you post the item to the person that bought it.

I follow a large number of well known beauty bloggers on this and it has come to my attention that some of them seem to be selling things they have gotten for free for extortionate amounts of money. Unfortunately it seems dedicated young fans are too naive to see this and are only too willing to spend their hard earned cash on second hand, worn items these bloggers were sent for free.

This week, one well known blogger went to an event and wore a gorgeous dress. There were comments all over her various social platforms from followers begging to know where she had gotten the dress, from instagram, to snapchat, to twitter. This blogger flatly refused to reply to any of these comments, yet thanked those who complimented her on how pretty she looked.

Not long after, she announced on snapchat that she would be selling this dress on Depop and a follower quickly purchased it from her. She sold it for €45, with €5 postage, a total of €50. She still hadn't revealed what brand the dress was, but awhile later, someone found the dress on Missguided for only €14. She sold it second hand for more than 2 and a half times the original cost, which I don't think would be too bad only for the fact that so many people asked where the dress was from and she flatly refused to answer.

This has left a very bad taste in my mouth, I feel like certain bloggers are taking advantage of their fan base to pocket extra cash when this would have been a fantastic opportunity to show how easy it is to dress nicely for bargain prices. Its very disappointing and cheeky imo.

I know that it is each persons own prerogative to decide how much they want to sell on their own stuff for, but between selling freebies and adding huge mark ups to second hand, worn clothes, taking advantage of a fan base like that seems really sneaky to me.

Opinions on this?

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JellieBabie

meeeeh wrote: »

That was more of a rhetorical question, I think every right minded person would be bothered by what was going on there. My reply was aimed more generally about all the comments to donate things to charity and not sell them implying it's more morally superior action and in my opinion it is way more complex than that.

Just to make it clear, I do not sell clothes and I do not donate them to the shops. My dress size didn't overly change last twenty years (excluding pregnancies), frankly by the time I am done with clothes they are in no state to be resold or donated. I consider buying smartly and getting good use out of things by far the most responsible action. Most of the clear out items go to the charity containers, at best they end up being used as rags for industry (hotel sheets are preferable material for that) and at worst they land in land fill but they would anyway if I just threw them in the bin.

I made first purchase in a charity shop the other day. It was a impulse buy because I was looking at something else that was not in my size. When I saw it at home I was quite annoyed because only in the better lighting I spotted all the tattered material around the stitching. Not because of money I paid but because someone obviously thought their rags are good enough for others and so did the people handing and sorting clothes. I think it shows certain disrespect for people. Anyway I am rambling...

Yeah I just felt I'd respond to it anyway for the sake of clarity. I understand you meant the comments more generally but you replied specifically to a post of mine I had directed at onthemitch and answered in her stead and went on a bit of a rant about how donating to charity doesn't make one morally superior; I had in fact said nothing of the kind. I never posted anything like what you're suggesting on here. In fact I've considered selling on depop myself because my wardrobes are absolutely crammed with clothes I don't wear.

onthemitch has highlighted some things to me about ethical consumption that I was previously unaware of and I am actually going to consider my own participation in fast fashion a little more critically as a result. I think it's important to have this open dialogue on ethical consumption (if only because people like me become more knowledgeable) and I dislike when people take umbrage against somewhat innocuous comments as though they are a personal criticism.

Noahboah2014

My issue is not with the buying & selling of goods, there is a huge market for second hand goods in this country at the moment.
The only issue I have, is with bloggers selling on free gifted items. As I mentioned in my first post a blogger received several pairs of expensive jeans. Swooned over delivery. "These jeans are amazing. I will wear them dressed up/down etc etc".
Having seen her reaction to them, I'm sure there was some impressionable girls who ran out to buy said jeans on her recommendation. Only for her to then sell all the jeans, unworn with tags on a few weeks later listing the retail price, as if they had been bought.
I commented on one post politely , (real name, real profile. No "hater" here) and the blogger just deleted the entire post.
So if it was right & nothing wrong with what was being done, why delete the entire post when politely challenged?
I just find this so shady. This, along with a few other things has made me lose all trust in bloggers & their reviews.

Noahboah2014

Like, one person could put up their sweaty, unwashed bodycon and it would sell in seconds, while someone else with no followers could be trying to sell brand new Arnotts-grade stuff, to no avail. It's kind of nuts.[/quote]

@onthemitch BTW this post gave me the best laugh. "Sweaty unwashed bodycon" haha.
So true. I've often wondered if the items are washed before sending.
I seen a comment on depop, to a blogger saying they recieved a dress & it had smelled like perfume. Then asked the blogger what the perfume was because it was lovely. Lol.

Lotus Flower

[/quote]

I seen a comment on depop, to a blogger saying they recieved a dress & it had smelled like perfume. Then asked the blogger what the perfume was because it was lovely. Lol.[/quote]

It's actually quite troubling how some people fawn excessively over bloggers....

retro:electro

^^ disturbing.

Noahboah2014

Stop I know. What perfume it was would be the last thing on my mind, the fact that the dress obviously hadn't been washed before selling is so disgusting & disrespectful to followers willing to buy these items.

JellieBabie

Tbf to one rather prolific blogger (Dublin based, has her own makeup range) the clothes she sells on depop are always greatly reduced in price from the original retail price. It seems that these are items she has purchased herself.

She had a fab orange dress on recently that was originally 35-40 euro range and she sold it on for 20. It had clearly only been worn once. In that case the buyer is getting a good deal.

idunno78

JellieBabie wrote: »

Tbf to one rather prolific blogger (Dublin based, has her own makeup range) the clothes she sells on depop are always greatly reduced in price from the original retail price. It seems that these are items she has purchased herself.

She had a fab orange dress on recently that was originally 35-40 euro range and she sold it on for 20. It had clearly only been worn once. In that case the buyer is getting a good deal.

I'd say she is also the one that sold the dress wth perfume on it mentioned in the previous post!

If it's something you buy yourself, no one should have a problem with how to get rid of it, charity shop or selling for whatever you see fit that's your business! I give my stuff to charity shop!
But I think as it seems majority here do, that selling things you get for free is wrong! If your going to at last state it's something you recieved from whatever company!

heyjude88

JellieBabie wrote: »

Tbf to one rather prolific blogger (Dublin based, has her own makeup range) the clothes she sells on depop are always greatly reduced in price from the original retail price. It seems that these are items she has purchased herself.

She had a fab orange dress on recently that was originally 35-40 euro range and she sold it on for 20. It had clearly only been worn once. In that case the buyer is getting a good deal.

I don't think so? They are mostly river island and i'm pretty sure she is sponsored by them. I know she gets her fashion factory clothes from them anyway, and has mostly posts about their clothes. I would be inclined to think they were freebies.

Also most of her posts on facebook where she has links to the clothes shes wearing, (those links where she gets money), are to that shop!

I could be totally wrong though, I just think its done in a clever way!

scarbouro

heyjude88 wrote: »

I don't think so? They are mostly river island and i'm pretty sure she is sponsored by them. I know she gets her fashion factory clothes from them anyway, and has mostly posts about their clothes. I would be inclined to think they were freebies.

Also most of her posts on facebook where she has links to the clothes shes wearing, (those links where she gets money), are to that shop!

I could be totally wrong though, I just think its done in a clever way!

I agree, I doubt she spends much of her own money on clothes except for her designer stuff. She also collaborates with Jervis shopping centre.

I don't mind them selling on pieces they have bought themselves once they are valued correctly but selling on gear they have received as gifts for a profit is another thing. I wonder how revenue would look at it?!

ratmouse

scarbouro wrote: »

I agree, I doubt she spends much of her own money on clothes except for her designer stuff. She also collaborates with Jervis shopping centre.

I don't mind them selling on pieces they have bought themselves once they are valued correctly but selling on gear they have received as gifts for a profit is another thing. I wonder how revenue would look at it?!

I totally agree with your point.
I'm not sure if selling on gifted items for profit is illegal. As in,I actually don't know enough about this area . However, like many regulatory authorities, revenue may not be aware of every possible wrong doing that goes on. Submission of complaints or queries to these departments regarding wherether an individua/blogger is complying with the law might be one way to bring it to their attention with accompanying evidence of something of a particular concern.Otherwise, said individual/bloggers might not even be on their radar if there is something non-compliant occurring.

JellieBabie

heyjude88 wrote: »

I don't think so? They are mostly river island and i'm pretty sure she is sponsored by them. I know she gets her fashion factory clothes from them anyway, and has mostly posts about their clothes. I would be inclined to think they were freebies.

Also most of her posts on facebook where she has links to the clothes shes wearing, (those links where she gets money), are to that shop!

I could be totally wrong though, I just think its done in a clever way!

That dress is actually from Missguided and is currently sold out. I don't know if she is sponsored by them? But for someone like me who wants the dress it's a way of getting it when it's sold out and it's only been worn once - it'll still look perfect after a wash and you're making a saving of nearly 50%.

spain33

In the last few posts I think there's a mix up with who is being spoken about? The blogger I thought JellieBabie was talking about does something similar to the fashion factory but doesn't call it the same thing? I don't think the one who does the fashion factory sells on depop? I could be wrong but I took it to mean the other top Dublin one with the make up line!

scarbouro

spain33 wrote: »

In the last few posts I think there's a mix up with who is being spoken about? The blogger I thought JellieBabie was talking about does something similar to the fashion factory but doesn't call it the same thing? I don't think the one who does the fashion factory sells on depop? I could be wrong but I took it to mean the other top Dublin one with the make up line!

Yes that's the one being discussed not the blogger who had a baby recently.

Said blogger seems to always stick with the same companies - RI, boohoo and Missguided. I'm sure she is getting a delivery of their new stuff to show off since all of her links are always affiliated with these companies.

onthemitch

scarbouro wrote: »

Yes that's the one being discussed not the blogger who had a baby recently.

Said blogger seems to always stick with the same companies - RI, boohoo and Missguided. I'm sure she is getting a delivery of their new stuff to show off since all of her links are always affiliated with these companies.

I'm obviously not privvy to what goes on with every single blogger in Ireland, BUT I *suspect* that most of the clothes are bought, but that clothing is bought strategically, based on what will sell best via affiliate links. So, for instance, River Island has a great return – if you wear it and it looks good, people will buy it. The better known the brand and site, the better idea people have of their sizes etc so you're pretty much guaranteed a return on investment. I would say that's got more to do with which brands are chosen than the items being sent for free.

I mean, clearly bloggers do get items for free: one recently snapped about going into a press room and being gifted a whole swathe of bits for her holidays; when H&M did the Balmain collaboration last year they invited people in for a VIP presale and gave them €500 in vouchers to spend. But I just don't think it happens all the time.

idunno78

Dont now what to think about this! Aaages ago remember a blogger being so happy and blessed to receive a handbag! Think she even picked the one she wanted herself can't remember that part for sure. But now she has sold it on her depop for a bit less then what she says is RRP. brand new never used!

I just don't get why pick something you say you love but never use it and then sell it? No problem her being gifted it as she was honest about all that! just don't understand the not using it at all and then selling it!

SusieBlue

idunno78 wrote: »

Dont now what to think about this! Aaages ago remember a blogger being so happy and blessed to receive a handbag! Think she even picked the one she wanted herself can't remember that part for sure. But now she has sold it on her depop for a bit less then what she says is RRP. brand new never used!

I just don't get why pick something you say you love but never use it and then sell it? No problem her being gifted it as she was honest about all that! just don't understand the not using it at all and then selling it!

I saw that too. Thought it was very cheeky to sell something not only gifted, but already used, for about €20 less than it would cost to buy brand new.