Monday, March 17, 2025

Lesson Learned- Was it a scammer? Maybe.  I hope not. I am going  to believe it was a buyer who liked many items and when I canceled the sale and provided the explanation for them that Support gave me, they decided the solution was not worth the effort. And, that's okay.

I was so excited that I had finally sold a big bundle.  

Here's what happened; what I learned; and how to try to avoid it in the future.

What happened:  A buyer liked several items.  I made an offer on the bundle.  They bought it.  I tried to package in one box.  I went to print an overweight label but this was more then 10 pounds. So, then I started thinking what can I do?  Can I split it into two boxes and get another label from Poshmark or just send one box myself.  

I have learned in the past to check everything with support because they are great! Of course, I did everything else but that first.  I researched.  Asked on Instagram. Read Reddit and Quora.   Mostly, that resuted in sponsored ads telling me to go third party.  So, I asked support.

Support told me to cancel the order and ask the buyer to agree to it being split into two bundles so I would have the shipping labels needed.  I canceled the order and messaged the buyer.

What I learned:  It is often too good to be true. Signs to look for a possible scammer-  a buyer  has only one listing and very little information on that listing.  The  buyer has no love notes given and few or no responses to notes on their listing.  When the buyer does not communicate with the seller that is another clue they may be a scammer.  

I learned to be skeptical.  If someone likes a lot of items, message them first and ask them to select their top items so it stays under 5 lbs. If they are sincere, they will respond.

I also learned not to be so trusting.  I always treat people as I want to be treated and I assume everyone is for real.  I do not think people are criminals.

Biggest lesson:  When in doubt, ask support.

How to avoid it in the future:  The experience did prompt me to do some research.  I found this helpful site about scammers on Poshmark.  It is for both buyers and sellers.

Norton info on scammers

The scam I suspect was in play here is the Return Fraud Scam.  The Norton article explains it:

"In this scam, buyers abuse the return policy by claiming an item is “not as described.” They initiate a return to obtain a refund but send back a damaged or different item instead of the original. This allows them to keep the authentic item while tricking Poshmark into approving the refund. As a result, the seller loses both the product and the money from the sale.

Sellers can help prevent return fraud by using the following strategies:

  • Create detailed listings with high-quality photos.
  • Disclose any flaws in the listing.
  • Take pictures or videos of the item during packing, showing its quality, packaging, and any identifying labels on the box." (Norton Is Poshmark Safe)

Final thought:  Stop to think and always depend on support when you are not certain what to do.

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

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