Hello, it’s me, the handbag queen back to write yet another designer bag focused blog post. Whether you’ve followed my YouTube handbag reviews or here on the blog – ya’ll know I love myself a good handbag. Which is exactly why I wanted my next handbag related post to be a Fashionphile review.
Because here’s the thing, while I love all handbags, I especially love pre-loved designer handbags. I get a little high each time I find a designer bag wildly discounted in like-new condition. Few things beat out finding a $3K bag on sale for $800. And honestly I’m blessed to live in San Francisco where there are high end consignment stores on plenty of corners.
Which – by the way, I’m well aware it’s wild to be spending hundreds/thousands of dollars on luxury handbags. But we all have our vices – so let me live.
I’ve shopped for pre-loved bags at a whole host of different websites, but out of all of them Fashionphile is by far my favorite. And no – this post is not sponsored.
I know there are a ton of you out there who are less familiar with Fashionphile and looking for a quality Fashionphile review before taking the plunge, so consider this one for YOU. Let’s dive into how Fashionphile works and my experience shopping on the site in this lil’ Fashionphile review.
What it’s like to buy a pre-loved designer handbag on Fashionphile
Is Fashionphile legit?
When I first found Fashionphile, I literally was asking myself out loud if this website was legit. Sites like eBay, the RealReal, and more seemed to be much more well known and therefore – in my mind – legitimate.
After a little bit of research (or like, just checking their “About” page lol) I saw that Fashionphile has actually been around since 1999. They’re just growing at a rapid rate right now which is why it feels like they’re only just entering the scene.
Honestly, I found this knowledge comforting. I really just wanted to make sure by shopping on this site I wasn’t going to lose my money in some sort of a scam.
The long story short on this one – having now shopped Fashionphile multiple times – I can personally tell you Fashionphile is legit and has quickly become my favorite platform to use when shopping pre-loved designer goods.
So let’s talk about why that is…
Variety of pre-loved item options
While Fashionphile doesn’t have the inventory size of say eBay, I’ve found that there are very few items I’ve got on my wishlist that I can’t find on Fashionphile.
If you’re hunting for some of the more classic and popular pre-loved designer handbag styles (like a Louis Vuitton Neverfull, Chanel classic flap, etc) you’re likely to find everything you need on Fashionphile. If you’re looking for a more specific, unique, or rare style – you may have to keep an eye out on Fashionphile and other platforms.
The legitimacy of the authentication process
I’m sure this is everyone’s biggest question – what is the authentication process like at Fashionphile? And how can we be sure we’re buying REAL luxury goods?
I’ll link Fashionphile’s authentication page on their website here for you. The long story short is authenticity is taken very seriously. Before any items are listed for sale on the site, they are checked by two highly qualified authenticators specializing in specific brand names. I’ve always felt 100% confident that the bags I buy from Fashionphile are just as legit as the bags I’d buy at say, a Neiman Marcus.
Shipping
Fashionphile shipping within the U.S. is FREE. Which, honestly – thank you. If I’m spending major cash on an item, I’d prefer to not also pay to ship it. Free shipping is a lovely gesture.
The shipping speed in all my experiences shopping on Fashionphile has been fairly prompt. That being said, I live in California which is also where Fashionphile is headquartered – so all my packages have a shorter distance to go.
Accuracy of quality description
My least favorite thing about shopping pre-loved goods (handbags, books, clothes, you name it) is when I get an item that doesn’t match the description online. Nothing sucks more than paying for a “like new” condition item only to get something that borders on “very good.” It just feels a little shady.
Fashionphile does not have this problem. I can say from my many purchases, I’ve noticed Fashionphile tends to understate the quality of their items. I’ve ordered bags from Fashionphile that they’ll list in “very good” condition, and I’ll be searching all over for a single flaw – it looks legitimately like new.
I super hope everyone else that shops Fashionphile has the same experience – because this is truly why I keep going back to them. I love that I’ve never once purchased an item and been disappointed by what showed up in the mail.
Price for quality of item
I definitely have no science or data to back up this claim I’m about to make – but based on all my pre-loved designer handbag shopping, Fashionphile always seems to be the least expensive.
Designer goods, even pre-loved designer goods, aren’t exactly cheap. I love to price shop around and honestly every single time I end up back at Fashionphile – their prices always seem (in my experience) to beat out their major competitors.
Fashionphile return policy
My absolute favorite part about Fashionphile is that they have a generous return policy – SO MANY PRE-LOVED DESIGNER SITES HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE RETURN POLICY. And when you can’t trust the accuracy of the quality description, buying from sites that don’t accept full refunds is a massive risk.
Fashionphile items come with their iconic pink circular tag attached. Once you cut the tag – the bag is yours. You have a full thirty days to noodle your latest purchase and, as long as that pink tag is still on the item, you can get all your money back (not just a store credit!).
Customer service
Honestly I’ve had so little need to contact Fashionphile’s customer service team because my experience shopping from the company has been that good. I have sent a return in before, though, and found that entire process to be easy and seamless. Literally a non-issue. I give the Fashionphile customer service team a big thumbs up.
The items I’ve purchased from Fashionphile
I’ve made two large-ish purchases on Fashionphile over the years. Large meaning I purchased bags and not SLGs or other small accessories.
The first bag I bought on the site was a Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM. Let me tell you – the Fashionphile Louis Vuitton selection is ACES. I had plenty of GMs to choose from, all different colors and conditions. I was able to find one that fit well within my budget for buying the bag pre-loved, and the condition was amazing. Not a scratch on it.
I’ve also purchased a Balenciage City Bag from Fashionphile. I actually did an entire YouTube unboxing you can watch here! I purchased two City Bags I liked the look of and ended up keeping one of the two – which is how I got to test out just how great the return policy is.
My overall thoughts
Alright I think this Fashionphile review was obvious enough – you knew where this was headed.
Fashionphile is my favorite place to buy pre-loved designer bags. Period. From the quality and price of the items to the free shipping and fair return policy – I’ve really got no complaints.
Have you shopped Fashionphile? Share your experience in the comments below!
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