I’ve been using Depop for 4/5 years and it’s still my number one spot to sell the excess kit I’ve accumulated, but I had to get some tips on how to sell on Depop so I can make the most use of the platform!
Years ago, or perhaps not so long ago, I was a big fan of ebay. However, as time has passed, I have not had the inclination to use the platform, as it is mainly desktop based and needs to add detailed descriptions and quality photos.
So, when someone suggested that I try Depop, I thought I would give it a try. Likewise, I was told to try Mercari, but I didn’t like the feel or the fluidity. So here are some basic tips based on what I’ve learned since I joined….
First, what is Depop?
Depop is a fashion marketplace app where you can discover and buy unique items. They have a total community that buys, sells and connects to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful.
How much do Depop and Paypal charge?
There is no charge for listing your items, but you pay a 10% total transaction fee (including issuing costs) to Depop when you sell. In the UK, PayPal even charges a transaction fee of 2.9 % + £0.30.
If you are in the UK and have enclosed the Evri (formerly Hermes) issue, this amount will even be deducted from your settlement.
Recently, Depop launched Depop Payments, which means that the fly is paid directly into the chosen bank account. You are still charged the typed transaction fee of circa 2.9% + £0.30, so I’m not entirely sure what the benefit of this is for sellers.
Treat your Depop profile as a live store
I now have a routine where I take photos on a Saturday and upload everything on a Sunday. It’s written in my profile that I add new notions on weekends.
I publish a monthly calendar to share notions coming soon along with more details about my policies. I also added details of my blog and Instagram so that the crowd can helminto and know that I am 100% a live person.
Taking the best photos you can is even good advice. Check this out light box lighting kit which you can get on Amazon.
It is identical to the one they sold on the Depop Supplies website. It’s brave to help you take great product photos, especially in low light conditions (that’s asserting, indoors).
Depop has made many updates to their desktop website, so not only can you shop through the website, but you can even list items and run your store. This is very useful, especially if you have someone to help you with your shopping lists.
The desktop website is very useful for rearranging the order of items in your store and pushing sold items in the direction of even below. See my store here!
These items are in high demand…
I’ve had Gymshark items sold within seconds of being added to the platform. Seriously. Lululemon and Sweaty Betty even sell out pretty fast.
Trainers that are hardly used / not used and are even clean have gone perfectly for me. I also sold a couple of bags / 1 kg jars of protein powder very quickly on the platform.
Depop has recently (and quietly) updated their policies, so there are now some things you can’t list on the site, including smartwatches. I found out the hard way when they removed a litany and contacted them to monitor why.
Save yourself a ton of direct messages
If you do indeed want little to sell, be sure to take a picture of it. The crowd wants to see how the items fit on a human being, I guess! I’ve used the video option a couple of times, it comes out like a stop motion.
Video is useful if 4 photos are not enough to show a particular product. Add a description as detailed as you can; when it is not very contemporary and practically new I copy and paste the description live from the brand’s website.
Council – you can add a greater than 5 hashtags to a litany, so choose wisely!
Include information about the condition the item is in, whether the tags are still on, the size (although this is a property in itself), the setting and some hashtags, as I’m sure I read somewhere that you can disable hashtags in Depop. .
Typically, I use the brand name, the type of training, is assert, #pasar, and a couple of other basics that I think the crowd would use to wake up the particular item.
A word of caution
Equally I always add that my items are from a pet independent / smoke independent household and all items are shipped tracked, usually sent via Depop using Evri. No lockout, I have a caveat about the issue with Depop / Evri; their default insurance is £20, so if they lose your parcel, the highest you will get is £20 and the customer will be refunded.
If you are sending items of old value, arrange the issue yourself through Evri, where you can indicate the value for which you need insurance. On the other hand, be aware that Evri has a litany of things it does not compensate you for, as it lists them as items that should not be routed through its service.
Include postage and packing in the total price.
Then, your item will appear as a free issue and will make it easier for someone to decide to buy it, as there are no additional costs. I must also remind you to take into account Depop’s fees (10 %) as well as PayPal’s fees when nominating the price of your items.
If it’s little small I probably would have given it away, I often don’t get any benefit, so don’t bother using Depop.
Don’t forget to think about how you will package your items, because that can be a cost to you, as well as the fact that you want your items to arrive safe and sound.
I reuse the packaging from things that were delivered to me in the first place or keep a stockpile of mailing bags of different sizes. i usually these large recycled mailing bags* for larger items like handbags, coats or sneakers in boxes.
This set of mixed-size mailing bags* is brave for smaller items – both are generally available on Amazon Prime, so orders well in advance should show up the next day!
And you know what I found out today? That Evri offers a student discount through My UNiDAYS. How the hell did I not know this back in the day? Do you know how much fly could be saved when I had a student discount?
I choose to deal with Evri because the price is moderate without the discount and I can drop off the packages locally. I also issue 99.9% of the items with a signature required to protect me against any questionable type.
If you ship with Evri through Depop, they will automatically generate your issuance formality, which will save you a few minutes at the branch. It is a little more low value to route directly through Evri and, as mentioned above, you have much more control over the issuance.
A personal touch goes a generous way
I always include a receipt in my packages with a little thank you message. I think it’s very helpful and lets the person who bought from you know that you appreciate the clearance.
I had little Vistaprint credit to use anyway, so I made a keep it simple Elle stamp and some extra special sales stickers!
As I try to become more conscious and mindful of my consumption, I shared some of The Best Tricks for an Ethical and Sustainable Workout Routine in a blog post.
Does anyone else have tips for selling on Depop? Or let me know your profile name in the comments and I’ll give you a follow up…..
