Why I Stopped Reselling Online Exclusively Through Poshmark
I’ve been reselling since I was little, it all started with the family garage sale. As time went on, I started to Sell on Ebay, then Poshmark and so on. I discovered the reseller community via social media. At first, I loved the reseller groups and influencers, I was learning so much until I was bullied. This is the story about my reselling journey through social media marketing, and why I stopped reselling online exclusively through Poshmark.
Reseller Roots
Let’s go back to the good old dial up internet days, yes… that’s how long I’ve been reselling, let’s say mid 90’s. Here I am, trying to connect with locals who were interested in items, but then someone would call the house, and I’d get kicked off the internet. The struggle was real! My family held a garage sale every Sunday, we sold everything you could imagine. Some items were new with tag, some vintage, some antiques, pinball machines..seriously everything you could think of. I’d say we would draw up to 500 people every Sunday. Usually everyone was nice, of course you have your hagglers who are looking to score a great deal but overall it was always a fun day.
Reselling Online
Now let’s fast forward to 2011, I have listings on multiple reselling platforms such as Ebay, Craiglist and Etsy. I was also part of the reseller community via social media, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The reseller community online at first was everything I lived and worked around. These people were just like me, looking for tips on reselling, sharing our stories etc. I was so happy to be around tons of people who could actually relate to what I do. A new selling platform called “Poshmark” caught wind within the community. This is where my reseller journey would take a dark turn.
The year is now roughly 2016, I’ve been successfully selling on Poshmark for a few years now. I’d say I made around $90,000 in profit from the app. Poshmark had gained so much exposure through celebrity endorsement’s like Ashton Kutcher’s closet, everyone was now selling on Poshmark. I sold women’s boutique and thrifted designer goods within my closet. I’d had something around 900 items listed for sale in my Poshmark Closet. I even earned the “Poshmark Mentor”, “Poshmark Fast Shipping” and “Poshmark Suggested user” titles.
Poshmark Bullying via Social Media
I connected with so many other Poshmark sellers through Facebook and Instagram. The Poshmark community via social media is crazy, nothing like what I was used to through the Ebay groups. Granted every group has its own drama, but holy shit, the Poshmark community was outright ruthless. Now, I will say I have met so many wonderful people within the Poshmark community, which absolutely do not fall into this “ruthless” category. My first taste of backlash came from Instagram. I posted a Louis Vuitton Boston Speedy for sale, and yes it was REAL. A certain loud-mouth Poshmark influencer decided to swerve out of her lane and BLAST my
listing as fake. She even took screenshots and shared it within the Facebook groups I was in and her IG story/post. This happened around 2:30am, I was sleeping, so that’s the shit I woke up to.
I had no clue who this woman-child was, I didn’t seem to be following her on social media or on Poshmark. I send her a VERY polite DM, asking if she could explain why she thought my item was fake. I knew it was an authentic Louis Vuitton speedy, I purchased it through a Tradesy verified seller. Her response was “I don’t need to explain shit, get your cheap shit off of Poshmark, I have already reported you” … I am not a confrontational person, I rather walk away and just do my thing, so that’s what I did. I stayed in my lane, ignored her and I figured that was the end of it, oh how I was wrong.
She had around 12,000 followers on Instagram alone. She was a public figure known in the Poshmark community, so she had an unfair influence over your everyday seller. She made everyone believe I was selling fake shit. She took screen shots of all my designer items and posted them all over the reseller community urging everyone to report my items. Guess what…my items were all of a sudden being removed from a Poshmark moderator after being flagged as “Replica” This bitch is actually hurting my bottom line, my only source of income to survive. The bullying went on for 8+ months.
Poshmark Wont Help
No matter how many times I tried to say my piece, she would hit back so hard. I even reached out to Poshmark with the screenshots however their reply was “This is
out of our jurisdiction”. I was so upset at the fact that Poshmark would turn a blind eye. They do have to hold some sort of responsibility, especially when these influencers and followers constantly illegally use their copy written logo to accompany the bashing. I had no “real life friends” I lived and worked through the internet, that’s sometimes the life of a full-time reseller.
All of these wonderful people I have met through Poshmark events, and the community are now too scared to talk to me, in fear of being bullied as well. I lost so many sales, friends, and followers, but mainly I lost the love for reselling. There would be days where I would lay in bed, and be too scared to check my social media. Tears would roll down my face for hours, I even had nightmares. The constant bullying for the better half of a year, nearly every day felt like torture. It felt like she had my hands tied behind my back and continuously made jabs. Everyday she would post some sort of content to hurt my reputation. One time she even posted a family picture she took off of my Facebook, she captioned it “I wonder if your family knows how much of a fake you are”. That was the day I deactivated my Poshmark account. I know I am not the only person that has been on her receiving end, to this day she is still bashing people she finds a threat to her status.
I now have her blocked from every form of communication possible however, I know she spies on me through other accounts. I am still selling within the Ebay and now Amazon platforms. I love being a full-time reseller, it’s my passion. The thrill of seeing the little Paypal notification, the suspense of digging through the bins at the Goodwill, it’s my thing!
Picking Yourself Back Up
If you feel like you’re being harassed or bullied by others in the reseller community, my advice to you is to always stay in your lane. These people who bully us are swerving in and out of lanes they don’t belong in. One day they will crash however, when you stay in your lane and keep your eyes on the prize, these bitches will be eating your dust.
Have you ever been harassed or bully within the reseller community?
Comment your experiences below!
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Author : Anonymous
16 Comments
Terri Payne
OMG!!! Ok let me say first I am not like this at all anymore. BUT…I would have haunted that bitch until she was checking the mail in her value city pajamas and no make up and posted that shit. Then I’d find her husband who you know has a biyatch like that is cheating and show how pretty and fashionable his mistress is. Then I’d invite that fake bitch to lunch to clear he air and at dessert hand over the pics. Lunch on you biyatch. Then I’d pay a professional suck off herTRAILER PARK LANDLORD AND GET HER EVICTED. AND KEEP THE DAMN TV. lol they always want that.
Honey don’t ever let anyone get you down you are fabulous! Haters come and go, your are your own strong beliver. Look if you don’t worship yourself and put the faith in you in your soul who will. Honey we have to create our selves that’s our job. Life is divided into 4 quarters 1-25 / 25-50 /50/75 75/ until each decade a new beginning,.
Diane Schultz
Terri. I’d be your next best friend if that was still you. I’m old as shit and don’t give a shit. I’d helped you hid the body. Lots of love. Fly2me on poshmark
Brenda
I was bullied on Poshmark for the first time today…I could not believe how quickly it escalated….it was like being in middle school all over again…people are weak so they lash out which makes them feel stronger….I’ve contacted poshmark but no matter what I’m going to do my best not to let these haters get me down!!!!
Erica Car
Hi Brenda, So sorry to hear this! Happy to hear you are going to keep on keeping on. Have a wonderful week.
Pj
Whoever did that to you, is worthless. They’re life must be super pathetic to bully you like that. I hope karma snaps her breaks on life and she’s hit with a rude awakening.
Christine
I completely understand! I left Poshmark because I couldn’t get past crap some of the poshers said about me. I didn’t care what they said, but it hurt my sales. After almost 5 years, I closed my closet. It sucks when you put so much time and effort into something to he unfairly bullied.
Erica Car
Thank you all for your kind and creative comments. I hope the author reads your comments and takes in all of your positivity and support!
Kat
I sure wish you would have let us know her name so we could BLOCK her before she does the same to us and others. Also, I noticed “elite brand” Poshmark bullies who “litter” the listings of small closets (who have a few high end items) by asking tons of insane questions and casting doubt on an item so that when other shoppers look at your items they’ll see the thread and shop elsewhere. It’s happened to me, and I mark their item as spam, and block them immediately. I play no games with these tricks. I’m not the one, I’m the other one.
Cheryl
Yes I had also been Bullied on Poshmark. I have joined a couple of Facebook groups like you mentioned and I was asking what I thought were innocent questions on how to list items and pack items. There was one woman who would respond to everyone of my post with such nasty comments but I stopped actually posting them there. Fast forward a month or two later I sold a couple of pieces of clothing to somebody in Texas with the same first name as the woman who used to make nasty comments to me but a different last name so I didn’t think anything of it. This person reported all of my items and started flagging all of my items. #Did nothing and she ruined three items that you purchased for me that were not cheap and something back completely ruined I made it out like I sent her ripped and torn and dirty items.
Diane Schultz
Don’t people who do that know we have their address? I’d damn sure be having someone pay them a visit if they did that to me
Danielle
I feel so terrible for the author. I’ve seen so much bullying within social media it really makes me rethink if I want to invest in this company, i’ve stopped listing a few months ago. These people are not worth your tears, and I don’t blame you for leaving the platform. Have you thought of taking legal action against this user? If you do have the evidence which you stated you have a clear shot case. Someone needs to take a stand against these self-titled “influencers” and it’s obvious who these people are. If I saw you were being bullied, I would have stood up for you, 100%. People need to stop being scared. If you see someone is being bullied and you don’t help, you’re just as guilty.
Will
I know how it feels, I was bullied by a group of female influencers on Instagram. For some reason these women believed my business was some how their business. They questioned why I was selling certain things ( women’s intimates and makeup ) I was called names like “creeper” and “disgusting” to their 100K combined following. I have consent from Poshmark to have 2 closets. One closet is Men’s and Women’s clothing, The second closet is just for Women’s accessories like, makeup, jewelry and intimates. Instead of asking my selling techniques, the went straight to harassment.
Don’t give up because of someone else, come back to Poshmark, you have friends here in this very comment section.
Elizabeth Goldberg
This sounds a lot like ornamental stone, is this who she is referring to? The bully and constant picking on people because you don’t like something has to stop.
PATRICIA DREIER
My heart breaks for you. I have been through a few incidents over the years with PayPal/eBay but never, ever anything even remotely close to what you went through. How downright horrible for you, in all aspects and what is most disconcerting is that Poshmark allowed it. By “allowed” I mean they did absolutely nothing to protect one of their most honorable and highly distinguished sellers who had earned respect for her hard work and was rewarded for it by them. Does their word not mean anything? That they wouldn’t at the very least look in to such reprehensible behavior by another member of their community. Insult to injury is the profit they incurred from your sales. Shame on them! I have just recently started selling on Poshmark and have been overwhelmed with how kind the other sellers seem to be. However, by your sharing this awful experience, I am and will remain eternally grateful. I now know to keep my guard up and tread carefully. I am so very sorry for your experience; but I hope you realize that YOU are the winner here, YOU remain victorious by not being shamed by this other person’s despicable behavior. Your authentic sharing of a negative situation will benefit thousands and for that you should be proud. And while I know it’s staggering to rebuild as I have had to do it, there are over 100 selling sites now available to resellers. I wish you the best of everything and continued success.
kare
Poshmark created this mess. For their hefty 20% commission they should be doing more to manage their site. They encourage “Poshers” to take an active role in mitigating problems and counterfeits……..for free. They psychologically manipulate users to believe they’re more important and knowledgeable than they are.
This site is a travesty-any reputable site that wants to sell in the mid to upper luxury market should not be asking their users to authenticate anything.
They may be great at encouraging users to drink the Koolaid, host local Posh events, and do all their marketing gratis………….but it’s not sustainable. There’s a reason they postponed their IPO……………the numbers aren’t there, the management isn’t there, and they have more sellers than buyers or revenue.
I bet all you users that do “sharing” and “liking” the old fashioned way will come down with Poshmark Syndrome in 10 years. The syndrome will be similar to carpal tunnel and require surgery and extensive rehab therapy. Poshmark is exhausting and a waste of time. I make more money on other venues.
VB501
I had to wonder if there is not a way to take LEGAL action against someone who does this.