Last Updated on November 21, 2020 by Stiletto Socialite
Many people wonder on Depop why message before buying? You may see sellers saying to please message me before buying and you are like “ok but why?”
Well let’s dive in and get to the bottom of this on times it might be best to message before buying!
Should I message before buying on Depop?
It is okay for you to message a seller on Depop before buying. However, before messaging I would consider the intent and the why first.
To be clear, if I had to ask someone a question on Depop I would ask myself?
“What is the purpose of this question?”
Additionally, I would double check to make sure that the seller did not already address the question in the listing.
You will be surprised how many questions I get that I have clearly outlined in my listing description.
Let me give you an example, I don’t typically model shorts for various reasons. However, I will constantly get girls requesting me to try on shorts.
I guess I get it, they want me to make a special consideration for them. However, I clearly put that on my description “no modeling” and I have recently on my newer listing started to put “no further modeling” to let customers aware that there will be no more modeling besides what is being presented.
Why I am such a stickler?
Because it takes me time to pull things out of storage, to try on, and then take a picture and upload an item. I am a set it and forget it type of girl.
Depop is my side hustle and I work a job with a “Karen” boss that is trying to push me to work 100 hours (I’m salary so there is no increase in my pay) and being a bully!
I am a walking zombie and my children are complaining that “mommy has no time to be with me anymore because of work!”
OUCH…here goes my parent of the year award!
Ain’t nobody got time to be revisiting stuff on Depop.
Also, let’s get back to “what is the purpose of the question?”
I mean why are you sliding in the seller’s DM?
Are you there to make an offer?
If so, I suggest checking out there shop policies first.
Are you asking if they can ship internationally?
You see the trend?
Honestly, at least 50% of the questions I get on Depop are answered in my shop policies and/or my listing description.
I get it no ones read anymore, we scan everything nowadays but I can tell you it is a little annoying to have to keep answering the same question over and over again.
Here are some common places you can find a seller’s shop policies
- Depop has a shop policy area the seller can choose to “show policies” or not
- Some sellers put a short summary on their header
- Some sellers will add a listing to their shop with their full comprehensive shop policies
There is nothing wrong with doing all three!
Why?
Most sellers are final sale and if you want to be able to keep it that way with no returns you need to disclose all the terms and conditions of your shop via your “shop policies.” Don’t ever leave a customer guessing and leave room for miscommunication and the possibility of an unwarranted return. Your pocket book will thank me later.
Imagine, you sell this one of a kind item that costs $125 just for somebody to hit you up for a return and you then already spent that money!!! Let that simmer for a minute. No sale is worth a bad relationship with a customer. Accordingly, you should let the customer know what they are getting into, no sale is worth your integrity!
How do you buy safely on Depop?
The best way to buy safely on Depop is making your purchase via the app. Do not…I repeat…do not make a transaction outside of the app you will lose your Depop protection and also it could cause your account to be banned.
Just don’t do it…it’s not worth it.
<<If you need more details about how to buy safely on Depop and protect yourself from scams then check out this article.>>
How do you negotiate on Depop?
The best way to negotiate on Depop is to be fair and reasonable. However, sometimes it is hard to determine what’s fair and reasonable. From the seller perspective they want to get the most money for their item. From the buyer perspective they want to get the best deal.
That is so true…I mean one day I am like
“the kids need laptops if they have to stay home due to coronavirus and yes I will take $2 for this item that is worth $50”
Then others days I am rolling my eyes like and cussing in my head all while saying “this person then just tried me!”
Honestly, lowballing is a matter of perception and the reason it persists is because people do take low ball offers sometimes!
So what do you do?
Here are a few tips I learned along the way.
Check out the sellers shop policies to determine if they are open to negotiations.
Many will spell out how to negotiate via DM or not in the comments. Some sellers like me, explicitly state we will not negotiate in the comments nor give out the lowest.
I don’t like leaving money on the table so I don’t typically give out my lowest number.
As a buyer make an offer you are comfortable with. Also, note that you are dealing with an “individual” not a corporation.
They spend time to get an item, wash/clean it, model it, and post it.
Time is money. So if you are offering $5 on an item that is worth $60 know that they may take offense or not even respond.
I think we often complicate negotiation we talk win-win or zero sum games when its all about being respectful.
Some people don’t engage in negotiation at all and if you can’t stand back and forth and don’t like haggling negotiation might not be for you.
However, realize that negotiation can help increase your sales.
Sometimes people just want a little something off.
I’ve literally sold items with just $5 off.
I’ve built enough profit margin that I can afford that.
So consider building your profit margin so you can to and get your negotiation on and watch them sales increase!
Depop why message before buying + Cross Selling
Another reason why people might ask you to message before buying is because they cross sell a lot and they just want you to contact them before purchasing. That is why people will often ask “is this item available” because they might have had an experience with purchasing something just for the seller to be like “its not longer available.” Not intentionally, it’s always that one time you got a sale in the middle of the night and check your phone and rolled over then forgot to update your shop! OUCH….
All in all, typically the seller will typically put a message in their shop if you they want to be messaged. I got so tired of people asking me if something was still available and I tell them that it is, ust so they can not return and purchase that I tried to update my listings to let people know. CAUSE as a seller, we can all do with one less message notification we much rather prefer a sale notification!!!
