1. Authenticity

A downside of not purchasing directly from the store is the risk of purchasing counterfeits. One way to circumvent this is to purchase from stores who provide an authenticity guarantee and/or buyer protection – this means that if you unfortunately encounter a fake, you can contact the store you bought from to return the item in the same condition for your money back.

2. Returns

It’s not uncommon to find sellers who do not accept returns, so to give yourself peace of mind for your purchase be sure to check the sellers returns policy to make sure you’re happy before buying. If returns are accepted make sure your items are in the same, original condition and you adhere to their returns policy. 

3. Condition

Check the photos and description of the item to have full understanding of what you’re buying. Are there any major flaws that make the item unusable or make the price unwarranted? If you feel the photos aren’t clear enough contact the seller for more information, or look for an alternative store with better photos.

4. Price

What’s the price of the item and how does it compare to the retail price? If there’s not much of a difference, then it may not be worth buying it second-hand or instead it could be better to be patient and wait for a more reasonably priced second-hand item to come onto the preloved market. This is where Lifestyle in Chic’s alerts come in handy, we send free weekly emails with the best preloved luxury fashion deals in the market.

5. Gut-feeling

Use your inner instinct when it comes to the store:
– Do they have clear lines of communication should you need to reach out to them in the event of an issue with the purchase?
– Does the seller have any reviews to check other customers experiences with them?
– Is the sale through a marketplace such as Vestiaire Collective, who could step in if required?
– What payment methods does the store accept? If possible, it’s best to pay using a credit card or a platform such as PayPal who want to protect against fraud. Avoid methods such as bank transfer (especially if you don’t trust the seller) because this makes it more difficult to get your money back if an issue occurs

At Lifestyle in Chic, we sell all of our items with the aim of making buyers feel happy with their purchase. Check out our store to see the items we have available.