Case Opened Against You on Poshmark? Here’s What To Do

PoshmarkReselling

Sep 27

So…the day every seller dreads has finally come: a case has been opened for your recent sale on Poshmark. You might be wondering: what does this mean? Am I in trouble? Why is this happening? And most importantly—what should I do?!

First, try not to worry or get too worked up about it. After all, cases happen to the best of us! That’s right—even the most seasoned “successful” sellers are not immune from it. In fact, having a case opened is unavoidable when you’re a high-volume seller. The more you sell, the higher your odds are—it’s as simple as that.

In all of the cases I’ve had opened against me, only four have resulted in a return. Since I’ve sold thousands of items, I’d say that’s a pretty decent track record! So whether this is your first case or your fifth, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Poshmark cases and what to do if one is opened against you.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A CASE OPENED ON POSHMARK?

Having a case opened on Poshmark is essentially a buyer requesting to return an item. According to Poshmark’s return policy, a buyer can only submit a return request for the following reasons:

The item received is “not as described” (e.g. has flaws that weren’t mentioned, is the wrong size, has alterations that weren’t reported in the listing description, etc.)
An item is missing
The item is not authentic
The seller sent the wrong item

However, a buyer cannot request a return because the item didn’t fit or they changed their mind.

IS A CANCELLATION THE SAME AS HAVING A CASE OPENED?

No. A cancellation occurs before the item is shipped out. If a buyer made an accidental purchase, they can cancel the order within 3 hours of purchasing it. However, if an item was purchased through the “Make an Offer” feature, that sale is final and does not get the 3-hour cancellation grace period. Likewise, if an order has still not shipped after 7 days from the time it was purchased, the buyer has the option to cancel the order on the 8th day.

That being said, a buyer cannot request a return or cancel their order if the item has already started tracking via USPS since shipping delays are out of a seller’s control.

WHAT TO DO IF A CASE GETS OPENED AGAINST YOU ON POSHMARK

Don’t let your emotions get the better of you

Take a deep breath (or two or three) and collect yourself. Remember—just because a buyer opens a case does not necessarily mean their return request will be approved. Plus, you’ll have a much better chance of winning the case if you present yourself as calm and even-tempered. As an online seller, cases and returns come with the territory, so you need to figure them into your business model. Are cases annoying? Sure. But your business will not come crashing to the ground because of a few returns (and if it does—it’s time to rethink the sustainability of your current business strategy).

Decide who you’re going to address

Some Poshers recommend addressing the Poshmark employee instead of the buyer as it keeps things less personal and potentially lowers the risk of dialogue spiraling into an argument. Personally, I feel weird acting as if the buyer “isn’t in the room” and pretending they don’t exist. After all, they can see all of your responses. Either way, make your decision and stick with it so back and forth communication remains consistent.

Be overly polite in your responses

Instead of lashing out like a raving lunatic, kill ‘em with kindness. Especially if the buyer is being rude to you. After all, there is a real human being behind the scenes at Poshmark and your fate rests in their hands. Think about it—if you were in their shoes, would you rule in favor of the unpleasant person or the one who’s well-mannered? If you’re still struggling to get the friendly juices flowing, here’s a great phrase to lead with:

“I’m bummed to hear you aren’t satisfied with your purchase.”

If you’re not actually in the wrong, try to avoid apologizing. Saying, “I’m sorry” can sometimes come across as admitting you are at fault. Instead, gravitate towards phrases like, “I’m bummed to hear” that still convey sympathy and concern without being outright apologetic. Following that up with, “you aren’t satisfied with your purchase” is a safe route because it highlights that the reason for their return is dissatisfaction—which does not fall under one of the accepted reasons according to Poshmark’s return policy. Likewise, if the buyer indicates ‘fit’ as the reason for opening the case, you could simply reiterate the facts by saying:

“Unfortunately, Poshmark does not accept returns due to the item not fitting.”

Or, you could swap out the second half [of the first sentence suggestion I gave] so that the phrase reads, “I’m bummed to hear it didn’t fit you” since that also calls attention to an invalid reason for return. Bottom line—be professional. Ask yourself: if someone were to screenshot this message thread and put it on blast, would it reflect well or poorly upon me?

Upload additional photos

Hopefully, you were thorough with the photos you originally uploaded to the listing. If you still have additional photos of the item saved to your phone, submit those to support your case. Furthermore, it may be helpful to pull stock images of the garment to prove that the raw-hemmed crop top in question was originally designed that way (and no—you didn’t “DIY” crop it yourself).

Similarly, since we often associate things that are “Made in China” with being cheap, a buyer may doubt the authenticity of your item if that’s what the care tag says. What they may not realize is that loads of high-end and designer clothing are made in China. Try digging around the brand’s official website and screenshot any instances where it states that their clothes, indeed, are made in China. Submit said screenshots to further support your case.

Cut your losses

Sometimes it’s best to just cut your losses and accept the return—especially if you know you are the one in the wrong. We’re all human! Don’t beat yourself up if you accidentally missed a small stain or hole. Don’t try to lie about it, either. Treat your customer the way you would want to be treated. Accepting a return can build trust with your customers and increases the likelihood that they’d be willing to purchase from you again in the future. While it stinks to lose out on the immediate income, you can easily relist the item using Poshmark’s “Copy Listing” feature. Plus—Poshmark pays the return shipping costs!

Do absolutely nothing

Yep–you read that right. Sometimes the best route is not responding at all. This works well for sellers who:

are super busy
don’t mind if their item gets returned
feel uncomfortable knowing buyers can see their responses in the case’s message thread
feel uber confident the return request will get denied as the buyer is clearly citing a reason that’s not accepted under Poshmark’s policy

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE POSHMARK TO RESOLVE A CASE?

Cases typically take one to two days to resolve. I’ve noticed that it can take longer if, say, the case gets opened on a Friday since Poshmark employees are likely not working on them over the weekend. Sometimes Poshmark will request additional photos from the buyer, so in those instances, it might take a bit longer to resolve. Just be patient and try to focus on other aspects of your business in the meantime.

HOW TO AVOID HAVING A CASE OPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE

Winning a case is great, but what’s even better is if you can avoid it altogether in the first place. My advice?

Take clear, detailed photos

Showcase all angles of your garment. Make sure your item is well-lit so your pictures don’t turn out grainy. If there are any flaws present, photograph them close up and describe the flaw in your listing description. Utilizing Poshmark’s video feature is another great way to prove the condition of your item.

Include measurements & disclaimers

Including measurements helps give buyers the most accurate snapshot of what they’re purchasing. Don't have a tape measure? I recommend using a cloth tape measure since it's soft and flexible unlike your traditional bulky, rigid one. Since most resellers are selling secondhand clothes, inserting a disclaimer in your description like, “Please refer to measurements in case item has shrunken or any alterations have occurred” can help protect you in the event that a case gets opened for either of those reasons.

If you’re a smoker or you own pets, that’s another thoughtful piece of information to add so buyers know what to expect and can accommodate any allergies.

Get $10 when you sign up for Poshmark using my invite code: POSHTOPROFIT

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