Is Poshmark Taking Enough Steps to Combat Scammers and Protect Sellers?

Image generated by Gemini AI Pro

Background

Vigilance is key in the world of online reselling, and even with years of experience, staying alert is crucial. With four years of experience selling on Poshmark and a strict policy of my communications staying on the platform, I believe I've become adept at avoiding scams.

I also find Reddit threads about Poshmark and Mercari, detailing others' experiences with potential scams and phishing, incredibly helpful. Staying vigilant by scanning online news about resale sites is also a priority.

My vigilance was recently tested when I encountered a potential scam on Poshmark, and I want to share my experience, as well as Poshmark's disappointing response to my reports.

Screen Shot of Messages Received

Last week, shortly after listing a jacket on Poshmark, I received a message that the buyer added the jacket to her/his bundle. Then, an unusually lengthy and strangely worded message followed from the same person.

Messages Received From the Scammer

I was led to believe I had sold the jacket when I read: "Congratulations! Your item has been purchased..." Yet, I quickly realized this was the beginning of a scam. Here are the tell-tale signs:

The message began with an indecipherable statement: "(Name of Poshmark Closet - I'm not including the name of the closet) requested styling for 'Surprise Me.' '' I've never seen that expression, and it doesn't make any sense!

Even more telling, part of the message misspelled 'Poshmark' as 'Poshamark.' This was a particularly foolish error, given the scammer claimed to be contacting me on behalf of Poshmark. It was becoming increasingly clear that this was not a legitimate interaction."

Screen Shot of Messages Received

Banner Showing Item Sold

Furthermore, I realized the item was not

sold, as two steps that quickly occur after a legitimate Poshmark sale did not take place.

(1) A red 'Sold' banner is attached to the sold item and is immediately visible in the seller's listings. An example of the sold banner on another of my sold jackets is shown here.

(2) Poshmark sends an email notification of the sale to the seller. The email is from orders@poshmark.com and includes the pre-paid mailing label.

The absence of these standard sales indicators confirmed my suspicion that the scammer did not purchase the jacket. These details, combined with the other red flags, made the scam increasingly obvious.

But wait, there's more! Towards the end of the message, I was instructed: "Please follow the link below to complete verification." Well, that wasn't going to happen! Realizing this was a clear phishing attempt, and instead of continuing to interact with the scammer via Poshmark messaging, I chose to alert Poshmark. I assumed Poshmark would be communicative and an ally and promptly remove the scammer from their platform. This, unfortunately, did not happen.

Poshmark Support

Poshmark responded to my request for support in a timely manner. However, the response was a string of canned sentences. Here are a few sentences from the email. Given its boilerplate in nature, you can imagine the rest!

Below is a sentence in Poshmark's email that is applicable to what the scammer sent me. Yet, I felt the response did not go far enough to ensure Poshmark isolated this digital duper. I included the bold and my comments are in blue.

"It is likely these comments and/or emails were phishing attempts. Please disregard it. Do not click on any links, provide personal information, or engage with the sender or caller. We will never call to inform you of or confirm changes to your account." (Why is it "likely?" It is more than "likely" as it was clar Poshmark did not send the message to me. It came from the scammer.)

"To determine if the communication is from Poshmark, always verify that emails are from poshmark.com directly. If the sender's email does not end with @poshmark.com, it did not come from Poshmark." (In my note to Poshmark Support did not include anything about an email from a scammer. I reached out about a message on the Poshmark platform).

The combination of seeing my message was not fully addressed, along with fearing Poshmark "newbies" might have clicked on the link, as an honest seller and a Poshmark Ambassador I felt that this scammer should be promptly expelled from Poshmark.

Poshmark ended its email by stating:"Let us know if you have any other questions!" I did indeed respond, and my response concluded with:"Kindly confirm Poshmark has deleted this closet so it won't harm those that trust Poshmark to make Poshmark a safe and law abiding marketplace."

I did not receive a response from Poshmark and I sent a few follow-ups. Still waiting.

As of the date of this post the scammer is still on the Poshmark platform. I'm unsure if Poshmark is understaffed to handle such alerts from diligent sellers such as myself, or simply uninterested in making Poshmark a safe and comfortable platform.

Conclusion

In July 2024 while attending a Poshmark event in New York City I noticed Manish Chandra, Poshmark’s CEO on the terrace. (I had previously seen him interviewed on television.) I approached him, introduced myself and shared my concerns about a few aspects of selling on Poshmark. I found him to be engaged and thoughtful. He was gracious and supportive, expressing his commitment to making Poshmark a more user-friendly n effective platform. I believe he would be interested in the experience I presented in this post, and I hope this will lead to positive changes that will make Poshmark a safer and more trustworthy platform for all users.

My answer to the question:"Is Poshmark taking enough steps to combat scammer and sellers? is no, I do not believe they are doing enough. And since this is a potentially risky selling environment it is crucial for all resellers to remain vigilant, as even experienced sellers are not immune to sophisticated scams. Sharing our experiences can help create a safer environment for everyone. I'm interested in learning what you have been experiencing on resale platforms.

Full Disclosure: The content in my blog is based on my personal opinions and experiences. It is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. All opinions are my own, and I have not received any compensation for writing this post.

PRICES ON POSHMARK COULD BE PUZZLING AND MIGHT RAISE CONCERNS

An Eye-Popping Price!

During a recent casual search on

Poshmark, I came across a listing for a rather plain used Louis Vuitton handbag -- just a rectangular shoulder bag with a front zip pocket. The style in the listing is called Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bag. Given it is just a simple item, nothing looked to be rare or particularly adorned, I was surprised to see it priced at over $22,000, really closer to $23,000, which, with tax, would be near $25,000. The listing's photos showed scratched hardware and some stains. Yes, a secondhand bag with visible wear was being offered for nearly $25,000. (*) Please see an update at end of this post.

An Immediate Reaction

Two thoughts immediately occurred to me. (1) Was there something special about this bag that I could not see in the listing? Were similar bags listed for such high prices on Poshmark and other resale platforms? (2) Does Poshmark review outlier listings, especially those exceeding a certain price point? I decided to explore each of these points.

Review of Listings for Same Handbag

Keeping in mind my search for the Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bag might not always be an apples-to-apples comparison, because the year the bag was manufactured might be different, or perhaps there is a slight change to the style, I looked for other listings with the same name of this bag on Poshmark.

When listing on Poshmark, there is not a condition of the bag category that sellers need to include, such as Pristine, Very Good, Good, Fair, etc. (Category conditions are found on many other reseller platforms such as myGEMMA andThe RealReal). The only category regarding condition on Poshmark is New With Tags (NWT). If this box is not ticked at the time of listing, the item is considered to be classified as secondhand. Sellers on Poshmark can show the condition through clear photos and also could explain in their own words the condition through the product description, such as stating, for example:"worn edges" "stained lining."

Same Bags Listed on Poshmark for Much Lower Prices

I spent about a half hour searching for the same bag on Poshmark. To be clear, my Poshmark search might not have revealed all the listings of this bag due to other sellers not including the name of the bag, listing a different name, and also for other reasons that resulted in more of the Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bag not appearing in my search results.

The same seller of the $25,000 bag (with tax!) had about 30 other listings for this bag, ranging mostly from $2,000 to $3,000. There were about 30 listings for this bag posted by other resellers and they were priced from around $900 to $2,000. The questionable listing, priced at nearly $25,000 with tax, remained a stark outlier.

Reached Out to Poshmark Support

Seeing such a wide range of prices, I contacted Poshmark support, questioning how it could permit such a hefty price tag. In my email, I included: "Yes, I understand prices are set by the buyer, but this seller seems to be potentially engaging in price gouging." I expected Poshmark to review the listing given the unusually high price. That was not to be. Poshmark responded promptly, but their reply was not only unhelpful but also alarming.

From Poshmark Support

The email reply from Poshmark seemed like a generic response, without a thorough review of the pricing. It stated:

"Thank you for reaching out to us. We understand your concerns and frustrations regarding this matter. Please see that the listing price that a seller chooses for an item is ultimately up to their discretion. Oftentimes, we find that the item is listed at a high price to cover the shipping cost they had paid and the commission that Poshmark keeps, so they are generally not trying to make a profit. We hope this clears up your concerns." (Note: I changed some of the font above to bold to be sure you don't miss that part of the response!).

Their response was shocking, particularly their mention of shipping costs. I quickly responded to that email, stating, among other points: "Unless this package is being hand delivered in an armored guard Rolls Royce, or private jet, postage should not exceed $8.00." I am still awaiting Poshmark's response to my follow-up emails regarding this exorbitantly priced used item.

The Same Louis Vuitton Bag on Other Resale Platforms

In my search for prices for the Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bags, I came across a number of listings at other resellers. These prices are shown in the tables below. Because condition criteria vary across resellers, a precise comparison is difficult. The tables highlight these differences for buyers to consider when purchasing a used luxury handbag.

Two Comparison Tables

Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bag on Other Resale Platforms - In Alphabetical Order

Louis Vuitton Pochette Cite Shoulder Bag on Other Resale Platforms - Priced High to Low

Conclusion

While the listings above may not feature the exact same bag, the bags appear identical and have similar names. I therefore made the comparison. Based on my review, the price range for this used bag is alarming - - from about $500 to $25,000, with the highest at Poshmark.

I am troubled that Poshmark dismissed my concerns about the bag's exorbitant price, given this wide range. This should serve as a warning to those shopping on resale platforms. Do your homework, ask questions, and be wary of unusually high prices.

Full Disclosure: The content in my blog is based on my personal opinions and experiences. It is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. My research for this post was conducted from February 21, 2025 through February 24, 2025, so it possible the companies mentioned in this post have updated their platform content. The handbag with the question marks is a Gemini Pro AI Generated Image. All opinions are my own, and I have not received any compensation for writing this post.

(*) March 3, 2025 - Update This $22,000+ handbag is no longer posted for this price on Poshmark. I don't believe this bag was sold. The seller still has a number of these same bags offered on Poshmark with the highest price of $3,499. So, the bag was either repriced or removed. Perhaps my many emails to them, or to Poshmark contributed to it disappearing.

STUNNING DRESSES FROM TERI JON - A ZOOM CALL REVIEW

In two earlier posts, I wrote about one of my favorite dress brands, Teri Jon, which has been in business for over 35 years. Specializing in occasion wear, it has developed a strong following and reputation for its special event dresses, such as for attending weddings, bridal showers and cocktail parties.

Known for flattering silhouettes and gorgeous fabrics, Teri Jon designs a diversity of looks targeted to a range of clients across sizes and ages. In a 2024 YouTube video, the founder and designer Rickie Freeman mentioned the company provides a "tri-generational collection." Its diverse collection provides dress options for the grandmother, the mother and the granddaughter.

Note though Teri Jon also has elegant day

to dinner dresses, as well as sophisticated dresses you could feel comfortable wearing to work. An example of such a work dress is this one, a pretty powder blue boucle short collar dress. Price: $680

Link: https://tinyurl.com/36xfze8v

The dresses and gowns are created with beautiful fabrics, including taffeta and lace, along with details such as beading and ruching. I find the expert draping in the right places to be one of the best features of these dresses.

Teri Jon is well known for its elegantly updated shirt dress. While a shirt dress could be considered dowdy, Teri Jon transforms this silhouette into a modern and attractive option through the use of gorgeous colors and patterns, including metallics.

Last week I attended a group Zoom call to preview Teri Jon's latest collection with its Creative Director, Leora Platt. Prior to the call she asked for questions so they could be addressed during the call. That was great way to handle the presentation so the pieces presented were targeted for the attendees. For example, some women were interested in dresses for a certain time of year, others for certain locations, while others were interested in seeing dresses for particular body types and dress sizes.

There were many dresses to love, from off-the-shoulder gowns to floor-length shirt dresses and pretty below-the-knee dresses with interesting sleeves, as well as a wide range of colors and fabrics. It was a terrific presentation! But wow, there was so much to choose from!

I was especially captivated by the dresses in the various gorgeous shades of blue. I've read that blue is often considered a universally appealing color because it complements various skin tones and hair colors. Therefore, I'd like to share a few highlights from the presentation showcasing the shirtdress style in different shades of blue. These dresses are on the top of this post and the descriptions are below.

The first dress incorporates a beautiful royal blue. It is the Mikado Watercolor Border Print Shirt Gown. I love the clean top and the beautiful print. The listing on the website states: "This gown is a wonderful option for endless occasions and will look best when paired with nude heels and silver accessories." Price: $980 Link: https://tinyurl.com/2s4krvse

The second dress is in the a stunning shade of periwinkle. It is the Floral Belted Taffeta Shirt Dress. The listing on the website states: "Finish the look by adding your favorite pair of nude heels." Price: $580 Link: https://tinyurl.com/bd7k7ucw

The third dress is in a striking navy and lighter blue floral. It is the Jacquard Border Pattern Shirt Gown. The website states: "This gown is a wonderful option for the mother of the bride or groom, and will look best when paired with black heels and gold accessories." Price: $880 Link: https://tinyurl.com/vrd62wwb

After the presentation I received the Teri Jon Lookbook. It included about 50 dresses and the layout was attractively organized. So many lovely choices!

Do you wear Teri Jon dresses? If so, what are your favorites?

Full Disclosure: The content in my blog is based on my personal opinions and experiences. It is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. All opinions are my own, and I have not received any compensation for writing this post. It is possible the links no longer direct the reader to the dresses shown as they could no longer be available.