Is Depop Safe for Sellers? How to Avoid Common Scams

Is Depop Safe for Sellers? How to Avoid Common Scams

Depop has become a go-to marketplace for fashion resellers, offering a unique, style-driven community to sell clothing and accessories. But with its growing popularity comes an increased risk of encountering bad actors. For sellers, the question "Is Depop safe?" is a critical one.

The platform can be a secure and profitable place to run your business, but only if you know what to look for. Understanding common scams, Depop's protection policies, and the reasons accounts get suspended is essential for long-term success.

This guide will cover the most common Depop scams targeting sellers, how Depop Seller Protection works, the PayPal dispute process, and how to avoid having your account banned. We will also explore how using a powerful resale tool can not only protect your business but help you scale it across multiple platforms with ease.

Common Depop Scams Every Seller Should Know

Staying vigilant is your first line of defense against scammers. These individuals often use sophisticated and persuasive tactics to part you from your items and your money. Here are the most prevalent scams targeting sellers on Depop.

False "Item Not Received" Claims

A frequent scam involves a buyer purchasing an item and then falsely claiming it never arrived. They then open a dispute with Depop or PayPal to get a full refund, leaving you without your product and the payment.

This is why using tracked shipping is non-negotiable. It provides concrete proof of delivery that can be used to fight these fraudulent claims effectively.

False "Item Not as Described" Claims

Similar to the above, a buyer might claim the item they received is not as it was described in your listing. They may invent flaws, damage the item themselves, or misrepresent its condition to force a refund.

To combat this, take detailed, well-lit photos of your items from every angle, highlighting any existing flaws, no matter how minor. A thorough and honest description provides a strong defense against these claims.

Fake Returns

In a fake return scam, a buyer will initiate a legitimate return process. However, instead of sending back your original item, they will ship an empty box, a different, worthless item, or your item after they have intentionally damaged it. Because the tracking shows a return was delivered, they often secure a refund automatically.

Chargeback Scams

Considered one of the most common scams, a chargeback occurs when a buyer contacts their bank or credit card company to reverse the payment for a purchase. They might falsely claim the transaction was unauthorized or that they never received the product.

This can happen weeks or even months after the sale, making it particularly frustrating for sellers who thought the transaction was complete.

Phishing for Personal Information

Scammers often try to move the conversation off the Depop platform. Be wary of any private messages asking for your phone number or email address.

Once they have your contact details, they can send you phishing messages or fake payment confirmations outside of Depop's secure system, tricking you into shipping an item you were never actually paid for.

Phishing Emails and Account Takeover

A more advanced method involves phishing emails designed to look exactly like they are from Depop. These emails might claim there is an issue with your account or a recent sale and will include a link to a fake login page.

If you enter your credentials, scammers gain full access to your account. They can change your password, alter your payment information, and effectively take over your shop, a scam known as an account takeover.

The Address Change Request

After a purchase is completed, a buyer might message you with a request to send the item to a different address than the one on the sales receipt. This is a major red flag.

Shipping to an unverified address voids your Depop Seller Protection, as you can no longer prove the item was sent to the buyer's registered address. The scammer can then easily claim they never received it and win the dispute.

How Depop Seller Protection Works

Depop offers a protection program designed to help sellers sell with confidence. However, it comes with a strict set of rules and eligibility criteria. Understanding these terms is crucial to ensuring you are covered if a transaction goes wrong.

The Depop Protection programme is available to sellers in the UK, US, and Australia and forms part of Depop's Terms of Service.

Eligibility Criteria for Depop Protection

To qualify for Depop Protection, every one of the following criteria must be met. If even one condition is not satisfied, your sale will not be covered.

• Sale Method: The item must have been sold directly through the Depop app or website using the official BUY button.
• Shipping Method: You must ship the item using a Depop Shipping label. Using any other shipping method, even if you purchase tracking, will exclude you from protection if you are in the US, UK, or Australia.
• Shipping Timeframe: The item must be shipped within 5 days of the transaction date.
• Shipping Address: You must send the item to the buyer’s address exactly as it appears on your sales receipt. You will not be covered if you send it elsewhere, even if the buyer requests it.
• Item Type: The item sold must not be on Depop's prohibited items list.
• Transaction Value: The total transaction value (including item price, shipping, and taxes) must not exceed the specified limits. Sales up to £250, $300 USD, or $300 AUD are eligible. For items valued higher than this, you should consider an alternative shipping method with appropriate insurance.
• Communication: If a case is opened, you must respond to all communications from Depop Support within the given timeframes and provide any requested information.

What is NOT Covered by Depop Protection

It's equally important to know what is excluded from the program. Sellers are not eligible for Depop Protection under these circumstances:

• Off-App Sales: Transactions made outside of the Depop BUY button, such as direct PayPal payments, Venmo, or bank transfers, are strictly excluded.
• Prohibited Items: Any item on the prohibited list is not covered.
• Alternative Shipping: For sellers in the US, UK, or Australia, using any shipping method other than a Depop label voids your protection.
• In-Person Transactions: Meeting a buyer to hand over an item is not covered.
• Location: The protection is currently only available for sellers based in the US, UK, and Australia.

It is important to remember that Depop Protection is not an insurance policy, warranty, or guarantee. Depop retains sole discretion to decide if a transaction is covered and has no legal obligation to refund you under the program. Your rights under local consumer law, however, remain intact.

Navigating a Depop PayPal Dispute

When a buyer pays with PayPal, the dispute process starts on PayPal's platform, not Depop's. This is a critical distinction for sellers to understand.

If a buyer has an issue with a purchase they made via PayPal, they are instructed to open a dispute directly on PayPal to request a refund. You, as the seller, will be notified by PayPal and must respond within their system, providing evidence like proof of shipping and delivery.

For sellers in Australia, you must first go through the entire PayPal dispute resolution process, including any appeals. Only after providing Depop with proof of an initial claim and a lost appeal with PayPal will you be considered for Depop Protection.

For all sellers, if you have been through the PayPal dispute process and still need assistance, you can then contact the Depop Support team for help.

Why Depop Accounts Get Banned

A suspended or banned account can be devastating for a reseller. Depop enforces its Community Guidelines strictly, and violations can lead to warnings, temporary suspensions, or even a permanent ban, sometimes without notice for serious offenses.

Prohibited Items and Misrepresentation

One of the fastest ways to get your account suspended is by selling items that violate Depop's policies. This includes:

• Selling counterfeit goods or replicas.
• Listing banned items, such as dangerous goods, stolen property, or items promoting hate speech.
• Using stock photos instead of your own pictures of the actual item.
• Falsely advertising items or manipulating transaction details after a sale.

Abusive Behavior and Harassment

Your interactions with others on the platform matter. Depop may issue warnings or suspensions for:

• Using abusive language in messages, comments, or descriptions.
• Discrimination of any kind.
• Harassing other users.

Off-Platform Activity

Depop's business model relies on transactions staying within its system. Attempting to move sales off-platform is a serious violation that can lead to suspension or a permanent ban.

This includes encouraging buyers to pay via a direct PayPal transfer or another method to avoid platform fees, or offering special deals for transactions completed outside the app.

Payment Issues and Disputes

Payment-related problems are a major cause of account suspensions. Your account could be flagged if:

• A buyer files a chargeback with their bank.
• Multiple buyers report issues with transactions, such as items not arriving or being significantly different than described.
• Your linked payment method (PayPal or Depop Payments) is expired, declined, or flagged for suspicious activity.
• Unresolved disputes that result in negative feedback can also be a factor in Depop's decision to suspend an account.

Repeated or serious offenses can lead to your account being permanently banned, so always adhere to the platform's rules and resolve disputes professionally.

Comparing Depop to Other Reselling Platforms

For many resellers, success means selling across multiple platforms. Each has its own fee structure, audience, and level of seller effort required. Understanding these differences is key to building a robust resale business.

Reseller Haley Burson shared her earnings and experience across Poshmark, Mercari, and Depop for December 2020 and January 2021. Her results highlight the unique dynamics of each marketplace.

Haley Burson's Sales Data (Dec 2020 - Jan 2021)

For Burson, Poshmark was the clear winner, which she attributed to her large following and the sale of high-value collectible and vintage pieces. She noted that Poshmark requires active engagement—sharing, liking, and following—to keep listings visible.

On Mercari, where listings are shown in chronological order, she found that relisting items or dropping prices helped bump them back to the top. Depop provided her lowest earnings, and she expressed dislike for the lack of transparency in calculating her net profit after fees and shipping costs.

This comparison shows that a multi-platform strategy is smart, but it also creates significant administrative work. Juggling different listing requirements, fee structures, and engagement strategies is time-consuming and can lead to burnout. This is where automation becomes a game-changer for serious resellers.

Are you spending too much time on manual tasks instead of sourcing and selling? Our platform is designed to automate your resale business, giving you back time to grow. Start your free trial today.

How Reeva Helps You Scale and Sell Safely

The challenges of selling on Depop and other platforms—avoiding scams, managing listings, and tracking profits—can feel overwhelming. Running a successful resale business requires more than just great inventory; it requires smart, efficient operations.

We built our platform to be the all-in-one solution for resale businesses looking to grow. We simplify selling, automate time-consuming tasks, and provide the tools you need to scale with ease.

Sell Smarter and Faster

Listing is often the biggest bottleneck for resellers. We've streamlined the entire process to save you hours of work. Simply upload your photos, and our AI will instantly generate complete listings with optimized titles, detailed descriptions, and suggested prices.

With our multi-store support, you can publish your items to Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, Depop, and more with a single click. No more switching between tabs or re-entering the same information over and over.

As user FabFam from Washington says, "Reeva has cut my listing time by more than half. I can take photos, voice-to-text my details, and let Reeva handle the rest."

Save Time with Automation

Success on platforms like Poshmark requires constant activity. Our platform automates these tasks to boost your visibility and maximize sales without you lifting a finger. We can automatically share your products on Poshmark and send personalized offers to potential buyers.

One of our most critical features is the ability to instantly delist sold items across all marketplaces. This prevents overselling and protects your seller ratings, a crucial safeguard for your business's reputation.

User AlistairBP from Georgia calls this essential: "The feature I use 100% the most—and couldn't live without—is the AUTO-DELIST feature."

Grow Your Business with Ease

As your business grows, so does the complexity. We provide powerful management tools to help you scale. You can update and manage hundreds of listings in bulk, track your sales and profits with robust business analytics, and even give team members access with multi-user account options.

TUFFNY from New York notes, "I've cut down my admin time by at least 30%, which has allowed me to source more products and expand my offerings."

Full-Service Accounting

Remember Haley Burson's frustration with Depop's lack of fee transparency? We solve that problem. Our full-service accounting tools automate your bookkeeping. Connect your bank accounts, and we will automatically record your transactions, expenses, and platform fees.

We categorize your income and expenses so you can easily file taxes and generate clear profit and loss reports. This financial clarity helps you make smarter business decisions and truly understand your profitability.

"No more spreadsheets. My bookkeeping is now all automated thanks to Reeva accounting," says PCT Vintage Finds from Florida.

Stop juggling multiple apps and spreadsheets. We put everything you need to run and grow your business in one place, accessible anytime, anywhere on mobile, desktop, or tablet. See how it works and start your free trial.

Conclusion: Sell on Depop with Confidence and a Strategy for Growth

So, is Depop safe for sellers? The answer is yes, but with a major condition: you must be informed, cautious, and strategic. By understanding the common scams, you can recognize red flags before they become problems. By following the rules for Depop Seller Protection, you can ensure you have a safety net when things go wrong.

Staying compliant with Depop's guidelines is the best way to avoid account suspension and build a sustainable business on the platform. However, the most successful resellers know that true growth comes from expanding to multiple marketplaces.

Managing this expansion manually is a recipe for burnout. The administrative burden of cross-listing, tracking inventory, and analyzing performance across different platforms can stifle your ability to focus on what truly matters: sourcing great products and making sales.

This is where Reeva transforms your business. We automate the repetitive tasks that consume your time, provide crystal-clear analytics to guide your strategy, and give you a single platform to manage your entire resale empire. You can increase your sales, reduce your admin work, and scale faster than you ever thought possible.

Ready to stop juggling and start growing? Start your free 7-day trial of Reeva today and see how easy it can be to run your resale business.