Shopping and Selling: ASOS Marketplace

This post was requested by my good friend Hana, and I have been putting this off for so long but I eventually got round to it (sorry it has taken so long Han!).

In 2010 ASOS launched ASOS marketplace which is the equivalent to eBay, but just for clothes. You may ask "why on earth would you not use eBay?" and you'd be right to ask, eBay is a very well established company but ASOS is more well known among the fashionistas that this site is targeted for.

For buyers

The site is really easy to use as it is based on the ASOS site. You are more likely to find a unique piece or something that is truly vintage rather than a reproduction, to me the site feels like a luxury boutique rather than someone trying to flog some tat like I often feel like on eBay. 

Items are really easy to find, there is a search bar so you can search for specific items or you can view a category or even by brand; the only thing I would like to add would be a search by size. Items can be listed in order price which is good for those in search of a bargain.

I'm also really impressed by the pricing on the website, you can plainly see how much the item is and how much postage will cost rather than having to guess which I frequently end up doing on clothing sites. They also accept Paypal and a multitude of popular bank and credit cards. Buyers seem to be well protected by problems on the site, there is a 45 day refund policy for items that are 'not as described'. 

For sellers

If you aren't a serious seller and just wishing to sell a few things on the side then a Basic package is for you, if you are wishing to start a business then the Boutique is more suitable. Boutique package will cost £20 a month and will charge you 20% commission on everything you sell but it may be worth it as you get an option to customise your selling page and a spot on the Boutique Directory on the site. The Basic package does require a 10% commission per item you sell but there is NO monthly charge. 

The photography requirements for the site are very strict (and can be found here) but generally they make sense; I'd like to see how something fits before I buy it but if the reason you are selling the item is because it doesn't fit you then you will have to try and find someone who it does fit just to take a photograph of it. 

When it comes to pricing your item you can pretty much put what ever price you like which is good. There are also multiple shipping options so you can decide what to charge per region of the world and put an estimated arrival time. 

There is definitely a way to make money on this site, they give you tips on how to promote your items which is a nice little touch. 

I hope that was a good introduction to the site, if you fancy joining then click here.

If you have joined then let me know how you have got on with the site in the comments or if you'd like to request a post then write me a little message in the comments.