Poshmark Review: What You Need to Know Before Buying & Selling on Poshmark (2023)

Updated 2/16/23

Online shopping is growing by leaps and bounds year after year. Poshmark is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell new and used clothes, shoes, accessories, and household goods. Started in 2011, Poshmark has grown to over 80 million users as of 2021, making it one of the most popular online marketplaces in the US.

I’ve been buying and selling on Poshmark since 2015. This Poshmark review covers everything you need to know about selling and buying based on my experience and that of other Poshmark sellers and buyers so that you have everything you need to know before using the platform.

This post covers

Buying & selling on Poshmark
Benefits as a buyer & seller
Negatives as a buyer & seller
Tips for a better buyer & selling experience
Frequently asked questions about Poshmark

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

***If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015. ***

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

Background

Poshmark started as a small company focused on selling primarily second-hand women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. Over the years, it has expanded to allow men’s and children’s items, pet items, beauty products, home goods, and select other items.

It’s grown its boutique market for items sold directly from wholesale to customers. Poshmark now operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, and India.

Poshmark has made clear that it intends to expand its offerings and expand even further internationally so that one day a person in Italy can buy something from Canada and someone in Australia can shop from Poshmark India.

If that happens, you’ll find more people on the platform, which has exciting benefits:

more potential buyers to purchase your items
more goods available to meet your and buyers' wants and needs
greater opportunity for people to resell as a side hustle or even a full-time job

Buying on Poshmark

The best things about buying on Poshmark are

Saving money! You can buy items at lower than retail price and sometimes even lower than any other place on the internet. You’ll save lots of money if you shop smartly.
Replacing worn items – I’ve been able to replace items that I’ve loved and worn out. These items are no longer sold in stores because they’re seasons old. Sometimes they’re being sold in good condition or even new on Poshmark.
Finding rare or unique items. The more time you spend on Poshmark, you’ll find that people have some unique listings like one-of-a-kind jewelry, vintage dresses, and antique dishware.

Benefits as a Buyer

Ability to negotiate prices and make bundles – Poshmark has a “make an offer” button that lets shoppers open negotiations with sellers. Sellers can accept or counter offers. This goes back and forth until an offer is declined or the item is sold.
Sometimes you really want an item but just don’t want to or can’t afford to pay the listed price. Go ahead and start a negotiation. Most sellers expect that this will happen and price their items accordingly. They’re often willing to discount items in order to make a sale.
See more than one item you like from a seller? Make a bundle and negotiate for a deal. You're likely not to have to pay extra for shipping either because Poshmark's shipping covers up to 5 lb.
Discounted USPS Priority shipping – Shipping is currently $7.67 as of March 2022. You’ll hear a lot of people complain that shipping is too expensive. It’s already $5+ to ship items close to 1 lb using regular USPS first-class package service.
You’re getting a deal shipping anything from 1-5 pounds, the max weight the Poshmark label covers. (The seller pays for extra postage if it’s over 5 lb up to 10 lb.) You wouldn’t find that good a deal on other sites like eBay and Mercari, where shipping has gotten so expensive.
Sometimes Poshmark holds specials (Closet Clear Out days) where shipping is discounted even further to $4.99, $3.99, or even free. The additional cost is covered by Poshmark.
Many sellers will offer discounted or free shipping to encourage sales as well.
The other benefit of a set shipping cost is that you know exactly how much you’re going to pay for shipping. Shipping is tracked, and you can expect your package within 3 days of shipment.
Poshmark is fast and easy to use. It’s easy to look for what you want on the platform. You can search by keyword and filter by a number of options like color, price, and item condition. The algorithm needs work to show the best results at the top of searches, so you may have to search a few times and adjust your search a bit, but once you find what you want, it’s quick and easy to check out.
You have multiple options for payment including using a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Venmo.
On eBay, you might wait to see if you’ve won a multi-day auction, consider payment types and shipping fees, then have to remember to pay within the seller’s desired timeframe. Poshmark is more simple.
Availability of on-trend brands and styles – Poshmark is full of fashion-forward items. Do you like Lululemon, Free People, Nike, and Kate Spade? You’ll find all of these brand names sold on Poshmark. You'll find designer items and luxury items such as Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton purses too. Poshmark is one of the best places to get great deals on popular brands and the latest styles.
Buyer protection – Poshmark protects buyers in the case of receiving an item not as described, receiving a counterfeit item, not receiving the item at all due to having been lost in the mail or the item not having been shipped
Buyers also have 3 days upon receiving the item to check it and accept it. You can open a case within those three days if you feel there’s anything wrong with the item and would like to return the item for a full refund.
Authentication of luxury goods. Poshmark offers Posh Authenticate, which is free authentication of items purchased for $500 or more. Items are sent to PM headquarters, where the team checks the items for authenticity. It’s an added layer of protection against monetary loss and receiving counterfeit goods.
You don’t have to be social to buy. Poshmark is set up as a social marketplace. You’ll hear a lot of people talk about how much time and work they put into the platform because of its social focus, meaning sharing listings, attending virtual Posh parties, posting to social media, and so forth. None of that is necessary as a buyer.

As a buyer, you don’t need to do more than search for what you want, maybe negotiate the price, and purchase the item. Don’t buy into the idea that you have to be social to get the most out of Poshmark.

Negatives as a Buyer

Varying quality and descriptions of items. You take a gamble when you buy second-hand items online,. You can’t touch the item or see it in person before purchasing it, so you rely on the seller’s description and pictures.
People have different ideas about items’ conditions. One person might consider an item with fading and pilling to still be in good condition while another would find it unacceptable to even wear.
When you rely on someone else’s description for millions of second-hand items, there are bound to be differences in opinion and inconsistencies between descriptions and reality, both of which lead to unhappy buyers.
Sales are final. All sales are final unless an item wasn’t received as described. You get a 3-hour window after purchasing a full-priced item to cancel an order. If the item doesn’t fit or you have buyer’s remorse after that window, you’re stuck with the item.
Consider that most brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers offer refunds for 30 days or at least give store credit. It’s not hard to buy something when you know you can return it.
It’s harder to pull the trigger to shop a final sale. You have to know you’ll like the item and you’d better be getting a good deal to make up for the risk.
Counterfeit goods. The internet is filled with counterfeit goods for sale. It’s not only on Poshmark.
Inauthentic goods can be found on every second-hand sales platform. Unfortunately, Poshmark is not the fastest or most attentive to getting those items removed.
That means buyers could be duped into buying counterfeit goods, particularly people who are unknowledgeable about these things. It’s annoying to go through the hassle of opening a case for a counterfeit good and potentially losing the case and your money.
Caveat emptor. If you’re looking to purchase a high-end item, do your research to recognize if it’s counterfeited. Learn how to identify an authentic version of the item before you make a purchase.
Lots of dead closets. One of the most challenging things about buying is the presence of so many dead closets. These are closets set up by PM users and then abandoned due to time, inactivity, loss of interest in the app, and other reasons.
You ask a seller a question about an item and never hear back from him or her. You buy an item and it never ships. That’s because these sellers are no longer active on Poshmark, but their closets and items are still up for sale.
Poshmark has been testing putting notifications up on dead closets, but I think it's in limited testing. Poshmark doesn't differentiate between active and dead closets for the most part, so the top results in a search may be old listings for a seller that is inactive on the platform.
Taxes. Poshmark collects taxes on purchases where they are required by law. This is helpful for sellers, but it’s just another added cost to buyers.
You might find yourself wanting a $15 shirt and find the total cost close to $25 after including taxes and shipping. Almost double the cost for a used item? Ouch!
Slow shipping. Although Poshmark recommends sellers ship within 2 days of a purchase, sellers have up to 7 days to ship an item before the sale can be canceled.
Some sellers take a long time to ship items and there’s not much you can do about it as a buyer. I always try to ship on the same day or the next day, so know that there are many attentive sellers out there too. Ask the seller when he or she will ship if you need the item soon.
Customer service is through email. Poshmark customer service is lacking. Email is the only contact method, and it can be a pain to wait 24-48 hours for a response. There’s no phone service yet. You may have some luck by contacting Poshmark via social media such as Twitter.

Tips for a Better Buyer Experience

Now here are some tips to follow so that you have a positive buying experience on Poshmark.

Save searches. Poshmark finally introduced the ability to save searches, which makes it faster and easier to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can save your search after adjusting the filters to “just in” and for price, size, etc. or your preset sizes.
If you’re looking for a specific item in a particular size, you may have to be patient and check frequently to see if the item comes up for sale.
Like your favorite items. Like an item to be notified when the seller drops the price of it. The is sometimes offered in conjunction with a discounted shipping so you get even more of a deal. Check that your notifications are on either by text or email to be notified right away.
Bundle your favorite items. Add your favorite items to bundles to take advantage of bundle discounts, ability to negotiate price semi-privately, and one shipping fee for multiple items.
Most sellers are willing to give you a deal on the price when you’re buying more than one item from them.
Ask questions! Go ahead and ask questions. Ask about the condition. Ask for measurements. Ask if the item is still available.
Take action to avoid shopping from dead closets.
- Check when the item you want was last updated. At the top of listing under the seller’s name states when the listing was last updated (e.g., an hour ago or Dec 14). Sharing an item is considered an update. Any recent date or time means the seller is probably active.
- Check when the seller was last on the platform. Go to the seller’s closet, then to their About page, and see "Last Active". If it's been months since they’ve logged in, you know they're not active.
- Look at the seller's closet. Indications of an active seller are having lots of sold listings, lots of shares, responses to questions and comments on their listings.
- Read a seller’s love notes. Negative ratings are not publicly displayed, but you'll see love notes any time a seller receives written feedback with a 5-star rating. A seller with tens or hundreds of love notes is probably a good and/or active seller.
- Ask a question about the item. Wait for a response to indicate if they’re active.
- Make an offer. Wait for a counter or acceptance. If you don’t receive a response, the seller is not active or doesn’t want your business.
Ensure you’re comfortable with the price you're paying. Poshmark prices tend to be higher than those found on other sites. Add taxes and shipping fees to the price and you could end up paying much more than you expected.
Don't be shocked by the listing price at first at first glance. Negotiate for a discounted price. If you settle on a reasonable final price, you’re much less likely to have buyer’s remorse or an unsatisfactory shopping experience.
Look at the seller’s feedback. Positive feedback is shown publicly; negative feedback is not. You can be more confident in your purchase if the seller has lots of positive feedback. Other indicators of a reliable seller:
- How long they’ve been on the platform – You can see when a person joined Poshmark. Generally the longer the person has been on the platform, the more experienced he or she is with it.
- How many listings are in their closet – Sellers with large closets (several hundred items to thousands of items) are probably selling as a business.
- Their ship time – This isn’t shown publicly unless they provide a screenshot in their profile or state in their profile description. Many sellers share that they are fast shippers (<2 days).
- Their response time – When you ask a question, does the seller respond within a reasonable amount of time? That’s an indication of someone who’s active on the platform.
- Poshmark Ambassador status – Some sellers share that they’re a Poshmark Ambassador in their closet name or listings. They’ve met certain criteria for sales, shares, ship time, and more to achieve that designation.
Pass on an item if you’re questionable about it. Poshmark’s policy is all sales final, so I recommend buying an item only if you’re sure that you want it or are willing to take the risk and have a backup plan for the item if it doesn’t work out.
Some people reposh (relist) the item for sale if it doesn’t fit. Others may give the item away to someone who would like it.
Read Poshmark’s guidelines before you purchase. Take the time to read up on Poshmark’s guidelines because every platform works differently. This will help to avoid many of the misunderstandings and issues I see come up between buyers and sellers. The biggest issues I see around this are
- Requests for returns due to fit or changing one’s mind. Sales are final.
- Requests for refunds after the 3-day acceptance window. Be sure to inspect the items you receive and try them on before the three days are up. On the fourth day, payment is released to the seller and you cannot open a case for the item anymore.
- Taking transactions off of Poshmark. This is attractive for a lower price and cheaper shipping but removes any buyer protection. Poshmark doesn’t allow it, and it can get you banned from the platform.

Selling on Poshmark

The best thing about selling on Poshmark is

Making money! This is probably the number one reason why people sell on the platform. Whether they’re just listing a few items to clean out their home closets or they are full-time sellers with thousands of listings, all sellers have the same goal of making extra money from their sales. Poshmark helps them do that.

Benefits for a seller

No listing fees. You can list as many items as you want for free. Yay! There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on Poshmark because it’s free to list and the sky’s the limit on listings.
Quick and easy to list. The Poshmark app existed before the website. It was meant to be used on a cell phone. That’s why it’s easy to snap a few pictures, write a description, click a few buttons for additional details, and price the item. It’s different from a site like eBay that has a difficult user interface and wants you to select detail after detail per item.
Many features to promote sales. Poshmark wants you to make sales because that’s how they make their money. The company has features for sellers to make sales such as offering bundle discounts, making it easy to negotiate prices, holding events such as Closet Clear Out, and sometimes covering part of all the cost of discounted shipping to buyers.
Nowadays you can also host live sales if you like being in front of the camera, although it’s not necessary.
Straight-forward shipping process and fees. Shipping is all done through USPS Priority mail. When you make a sale, the shipping label is sent to you or you can download it. You just attach it to your package, drop off the package at the post office, or schedule a mail pick-up.
No need to calculate postage (under 5 lb). Even shipping boxes can be obtained free through USPS so you can spend very little on packaging supplies.
No returns. This is great for the seller because once an item is accepted by the buyer or after the 3-day acceptance window passes, the sales proceeds are transferred to you and it’s yours to do with what you’d like. You don’t have to worry about being asked for a return or refund after that.
Poshmark Ambassador status. I like that Poshmark offers this designation to let people know you’re a reliable seller. After you’ve met certain criteria for buying and selling, you can become a Poshmark Ambassador or PA II. People feel more confident buying from you knowing that you are one.
Taxes. Poshmark collects tax on sales (as required by law) and remits them to states on behalf of sellers. As a seller, you don’t have to collect tax yourself and then send it to the state each year. That would be a huge headache. Poshmark does all of that for you. How amazing is that?

Negatives for a seller

High commission. The biggest downside of selling is Poshmark fees or commission. It’s a flat rate of $2.95 for anything under $15. It’s 20% for items $15 and above.
That really cuts into profits, particularly for lower priced items. I suggest avoiding selling low priced items <$10 if possible.
Time-consuming to maximize Poshmark’s potential. Poshmark is a social platform. Most sellers have to be at least somewhat active on the platform to see more sales. You’ll want to share your listings, respond to questions, and send out offers.
You can do more than that like share other people’s listings, attend Poshmark virtual parties, and list and relist items frequently. Poshmark can take all your time if you let it.
Many sellers use automated tools for sharing items, relisting them, and sending out offers. While these go against Poshmark’s terms of service, the company knows they are in use and does not actively stop them likely because they bring in sales.
Shipping costs for items under 1 lb. As mentioned above, shipping is a great deal for items 1 lb and above. Items under 1 lb could be shipped cheaper through first-class commercial service if Poshmark had that option. This makes shipping a considerable expense for small lightweight items.
Competitive pricing. First off, people come to Poshmark looking for a good deal. They want the lowest prices they can get. Then there’s the fact that Poshmark has millions of sellers.
The main way to be competitive on the platform is through pricing. If you’re selling something that a lot of other people are selling, then you don’t have much flexibility on price if you want to make a sale. You have to match other sellers’ prices, which could be low and eat into your profit.
Buyer scams. You may be unfortunate to run into someone who tries to scam you out of your item. There are a few main ways they try to do this on Poshmark.
Sometimes it’s saying that they received a different item than they ordered or it was more damaged than described. Sometimes they’ll say they received an empty box. It’s frustrating, but it’s a part of every business that sells online.
Scammers are on every site, not just Poshmark. And scammers are on both sides of the transaction. Sellers can be scammers too. It’s important to be aware of the issue though if you’re planning to sell online.

Tips for a Better Seller Experience

Know Poshmark’s guidelines. Read up on what’s allowed and not allowed on the platform as well as what’s expected of sellers (e.g., shipping within two days of a sale).
It’s good to know that Poshmark handles all customer service through email so you may have to wait 24-48 hours for a response, even on a pressing issue.
Put up quality listings. Create listings with good pictures, detailed descriptions, and a fair price. This doesn't mean your listings have to be professional level, but they should be nice enough that a buyer has confidence in what they're buying. This can also keep buyers from asking for more pictures or asking the same questions repeatedly.
Keep all transactions professional and on the platform. If you’re selling as a business and want to continue to long-term success, keep all communication professional.
Ignore any negative comments and let open cases roll off your back. Focus on the positives you bring to your business and the happy customers that you have.
Join in the social aspects of the platform. Poshmark is built around being social, which is necessary for most sellers to see the sales they want.
Share your items several times a day and make offers. This can be done manually or through a third-party tool.
Check the buyer’s profile. You can sometimes get a better idea of a buyer by looking at their closet and profile. If you see they have a lot of listings or good feedback, then they’re more likely to know how Poshmark works and be a reliable buyer. That can calm nerves when selling high-end items worth hundreds of dollars.
Protect yourself when selling high-end items. It’s okay to take additional pictures of items, record yourself packaging items, and add copies of original receipts. I don’t do this myself because the items I sell are <$100, but it’s good to do if you’re concerned about attempts at scams or claims of inauthenticity.
Enjoy what you do. If you like the Poshmark platform and you like being a seller, you’re much more likely to enjoy the whole experience of selling on Poshmark.
I’ve passed on other money-making side hustles because I knew I wouldn’t like them, even if they were profitable. You’ll have a better experience selling if you already find it enjoyable.

Wrap Up

I’ve been active on Poshmark as a buyer and a seller for several years and had a good experience 99% of the time. In that time, I’ve also read and heard many Poshmark reviews, complaints, and praises. I’ve read more negative reviews and comments about the platform than I hoped there would be.

That doesn’t mean that most people’s experiences on the platform are bad. Remember that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Poshmark buyers and sellers who have had great experiences on the platform.

They don’t voice their satisfaction simply because they are happy with their experience and move on with their lives. That’s how Poshmark continues to do well growing with no end in sight.

I’ve tried my best to provide a fair review of Poshmark from both a buyer’s and a seller’s perspective. As you can see, there are pros and cons to both the buying and selling sides.

I still think Poshmark is one of the easiest places to buy and sell items online. And using the tips above, you’ll be more assured of a great experience

Frequently asked questions

1) Is Poshmark a legitimate site?

Yes, Poshmark is a legitimate and safe site to buy and shop for goods. Poshmark has been around since 2011 and has systems in place such as Posh Protect and Posh Authenticate to protect buyers and sellers.

2) Can you get scammed on Poshmark?

Yes, it’s possible to get scammed on Poshmark or any second-hand online marketplace. Poshmark has policies to reduce the chance of being scammed, but it can still happen. Read Poshmark’s guidelines and my tips and use comment sense to protect yourself as best as possible.

3) Is selling on Poshmark worth it?

Selling on Poshmark is worth it if you have items with resale value, time to list your items and ship them, and can deal with the conversations and tasks of selling. Learn how Poshmark works and optimize use of its features to maximize your sales.

It’s been worth it for me as made thousands of dollars on the platform in my spare time as a seller and been able to replace my favorite old items as a buyer, but everyone has a different experience with it.

4) Is buying on Poshmark worth it?

Buying on Poshmark is worth it if you find something in-demand, rare, or just something you want at the best price available. The best way to ensure a good buying experience is to read up on Poshmark guidelines, check the seller’s profile and ratings, and ask questions before purchasing.

5) Is Poshmark a waste of time?

Selling on Poshmark will feel like a waste of time if you don't make enough sales to justify your efforts. It's a good idea to learn the best items to resell and most efficient ways to list and promote your items on the site so that you use your time well. Think about how much money, time, and effort you're willing to spend on the marketplace before reevaluating your efforts.

6) Why is Poshmark's fee so high?

Poshmark's fees ($2.95 for sold items under $15 and 20% for items $15 and over) are high because they provide so many things to help you make sales: the marketplace website and app, customer service, marketing to bring in more buyers, etc. The fees are middle-of-the-road compared to many marketplaces and cheaper than others such as Tradesy and The RealReal.

Have more questions? Want to share your good or bad experiences with me? Write to me in the comments below. I read them all!

Want to try it out for yourself? Sign up and start using Poshmark today!