INSIDE VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE

Blame it on my countryside childhood and growing up with boys, dirt and craftsmanship but I have an enormous interest in how things are done. You may call it the „behind the scenes syndrome“ but for me there’s nothing more interesting than getting some backstage insights…
No wonder my nerdy little me was jumping up and down when Vestiaire Collective invited me to their Paris Headquarter to take a closer look at their Quality controls and Authenticity experts. As a frequent VC user I loved getting these extra informations, because I always wonder what happens just after I have bought/sold/submitted an item on their website. Here are the secrets:

Step 1 // Submission
If you want to sell an item on Vestiaire Collective you have to upload pictures, descriptions of the item and of course a price. The VC Team then takes a closer look and considers if the pictures have a good quality, the description fits the images, the quality is as described and if the price is appropriate. They are able to ask for additional information and better pictures (they should be high-res and with good lighting) to make sure your item is sold as fast as possible. They also check if the uploads might be counterfeits – that happens in less than 0.4% of all submissions… Once your item is accepted the pictures will be cropped and processed for the website.

Step 2 // Shipping
About 5000 pieces a day have to face the VC quality check, so if your item is sold it will be send to Paris where an expert takes a closer look to guarantee its quality and authenticity. As soon as the item arrives it will be unboxed and categorised in Bag/Shoes/Jewellery/Lifestyle or Apparel and will then be checked by an expert.

Step 3 // Quality Check
95% of all pieces received are just as expected and will be send to the customer right after the quality check. Only a few items have undescribed stains or in very very rare cases turn out to be fake. That’s why the experts very carefully check the stitches, the logos, the fabric/leather, serial numbers and certificates so that every customer can be assured to receive a authentic high-quality piece. Jewellery has to pass the gold & diamond tests (the experts work with special liquids to proof the carat and quality).

Step 4 // The final touch
Before the item is shipped to the customer, it will be cleaned/polished and receive the VC quality control tag with the name of the expert that had a look at it. Then it will be send to the customer who receives a piece of affordable, pre-owned luxury – quality checked by fashion loving experts.