As a new reseller, you don’t really think about all of the bad stuff that could potentially happen when you sell items on a reselling platform. Specifically, when it comes to the ill-intent of your potential buyers. Today, I thought that I would share with you a few buyer red flags and share with you some tips on how to navigate some of these tricky situations.
Red Flag #1: Transactions Off Poshmark
In general, if someone tries to conduct a transaction off of the Poshmark app, be cautious as it could be a potential red flag. [The reason that I am not saying that it is 100% a red flag is because I have actually created relationships with other businesses as a result of potentially suspicious Poshmark conversations. This is not the norm but I have to disclose it as it has happened to me.] Generally speaking, the people behind these messages will typically target newer sellers or new listings with higher price points. These messages will usually have an email address or cell phone # instructing you to reach out to the buyer off of the Poshmark app. If something about the message seems off, there are a few things that you can do.
How to Respond
1) Report it to Poshmark– To report a suspicious comment to Poshmark, all you have to do is click on the little flag at the bottom of the comment. From there, you can report the comment by choosing the reason that is most applicable to your scenario. By doing this, the comment will also be removed.
2) Block and Report the User– To block and report the user, click on the user’s profile and click on the 3 small dots on the upper right hand corner. From there, you will see the option to block and report the user. By doing this, the user will no longer be able to view your closet and leave you comments under that account.
3) Respond to the Buyer– If you are genuinely not sure if this is fraudulent activity, you could respond to the buyer and ask additional questions. Hopefully, you will be able to gain further insight into the situation. If you do respond back, NEVER give out any personal information!!
Red Flag #2: A Sob Story
Some buyers on Poshmark love to share sob stories in order to get you to comply with their requests. Don’t fall for it! The buyer is just using emotional manipulation to see if you will take the bait. Something that I recommend that all resellers do is become emotionally numb to these situations. When it comes to business, it is best to remove all emotions from it; it makes everything so much easier. These buyers will typically target people who appear “nice,” “naive,” and “empathetic.” [ I will add that not every person with a sob story is trying to manipulate you but most are so just be extremely cautious.]
How to Respond
1) Report it to Poshmark– To report a suspicious comment to Poshmark, all you have to do is click on the little flag at the bottom of the comment. From there, you can report the comment by choosing the reason that is most applicable to your scenario. By doing this, the comment will also be removed.
2) Respond to the Buyer- If you are confident that the buyer is trying to emotionally manipulate you and do not feel comfortable making a sale with them, don’t be afraid to reach out. I would suggest sending a message like,
“That is a very unfortunate situation, however, I am unable to accommodate your request. If you would like to present me with a more reasonable offer, please feel free to do so. Otherwise, have a nice rest of your day and best of luck to you!”
3) Consider the Request- There is always an exception as some people are genuinely in a situation that may require you to bend the rules a little. If you are going to consider the buyer’s request, be sure to ask additional questions to and make sure that you aren’t losing money on the sale. If at any point something look suspicious, don’t continue forward with the sale. It is always better to be safe than sorry!
Red Flag #3: Passive-Aggressive Commenters
The second that someone starts to become passive-aggressive with me, I abort the transaction. This exact scenario happened to me this past week so I thought that I would add it to the list and talk about it. Let me share with you the exact message that I received from a potential buyer on a pair of $40 shoes:
“Hi, the bottoms, and the shoe overall clearly don’t show “minimal wear.” I’ll do $20 final offer.”
Do you see a problem with that message? I do! Seeing this message, I immediately have two thoughts: (1) This person is trying to emotionally manipulate me (but not in the same way as a sob story) and (2) This person has a higher likelihood of trying to initiate a return and/or leave me bad feedback.
As a reseller, I really try not to let my emotions get involved but sometimes, in situations like this, they do. In this scenario, I would rather hold onto the shoes a little longer (as they are a newer listing) than sell them to someone like this. The shoes have had a lot of interest so I know that they will sell to the right buyer eventually. Just know that if someone treats you in a way that is not acceptable to you, you can end the interaction and move on.
How to Respond
1) Report it to Poshmark– To report a suspicious comment to Poshmark, all you have to do is click on the little flag at the bottom of the comment. From there, you can report the comment by choosing the reason that is most applicable to your scenario. By doing this, the comment will also be removed.
2) Respond to the Buyer– I would only do this if you are looking to move forward with the sale. Make sure that your listing includes any and all flaws before making the sale. This will protect you in case the buyer tries to return the item. Be honest with the buyer if you are going to counter and if things start to turn sour, abort.
**TIP: If you ever feel nervous about selling to anyone, check out their account to see if you can get any clues on their buyer activities. I would look at how new they are to the platform and check for any love notes.**
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