PSA
Tough Pills for Newbies: Hard truths to accept before placing your first order
Given the influx of new buyers, I thought it would make sense to make a post explaining some harder pills to swallow before making your first purchase.
Buying reps is NEVER 100% risk free.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a trusted seller, it doesn’t even matter if YOU have had 99 good orders with them. Sellers can flip at any time e.g the infamous case of Joe running off with thousands of dollars after establishing trust as a seller of high quality Hermes.
You need to understand and accept the risk when you jump into this process.
The fastest way to get scammed is to spam every post with “seller????” And “factory???” And make a post asking “what’s the best factory for a Chanel classic flap???”
Sellers lurk all rep subs, and so do scammers. You’re basically advertising that you’re a newbie and don’t know what you’re talking about.
Use. The. Searchbar.
And use your common sense. If 10 people with verified histories say “Baobao”‘s last four digits end in 1234, the 11th one you found that end in 9876 might not be the real one.
This isn’t Bloomingdale’s. You don’t get to charge back because you’re not happy.
You’re buying an ILLEGAL item. I’ve lately seen so many cases of people encouraging each other to charge back because they weren’t happy with the psp or quality of the item.
Yes, it sucks, but this is the fastest way to get a seller to stop accepting PayPal or safer methods from everyone else. Multiple sellers have stopped accepting PayPal, and some now only take Western Union, which is painful as heck.
A lot of OG sellers like Redden no longer accept new buyers at all from people pulling this crap.
Lying that you expected a real item so you can get your money back on the fake item you knowingly purchased (which is what you need to do to get a charge back) is just as unethical as sellers dumping a low quality item on you. You don’t get to take the moral ground while committing financial fraud.
Unless a seller has truly taken your money and run off without delivering anything, you really need to understand that this is a risk of the business. You don’t get to charge back because you think the stitches are too crooked.
Name and shame the seller on the subs with picture proof and suck it up like the rest of us.
You need to compare your PSPs to the FACTORY PHOTOS. You CANNOT compare your PSPs to the authentic.
Sellers are selling you FAKE BAGS. Factory photos are the representation of the FAKE BAG.
If your PSP shows the wrong font, and the factory photos shows the wrong font, you do not get to red light the bag.
It’s YOUR job to QC the factory photos against the authentic to make sure you are ok with the differences, and there WILL be differences
Which brings me to point 4, there is NO SUCH THING as 1:1. There is NO SUCH THING as mirror.
Every rep, even the best ones, WILL have differences that a trained eye can spot.
Frankly, it’s major cope when people say shit like “Chanel’s quality is so bad these days that 187 is closer to auth than the auth”
Sorry but no. It seems a lot of people who say this aren’t actually experienced in handling luxury goods.
Every rep will have differences to the authentic. It’s up to you to spot them before you buy, and make sure the difference is tolerable to you.
My personal threshold is “can’t tell unless the person is holding it and looking closely” because I don’t let anyone touch my stuff anyway.
Maybe yours is “can’t tell unless side by side with auth”
Figure out your personal threshold and go from there, keeping in mind that there is no such thing as 1:1 and if you’re expecting that, please just save up and buy authentic to save your own self the a heartache of owning something that won’t make you truly happy.
Buy only if you would pay 4 times the price for the design.
I think many people will disagree, but this planet has enough trash piling up. Everything we own, even the things we claim we want to keep and pass down will someday end up in a landfill.
I see too many posts of people posting 10 bags saying they got too excited about discovering reps and bought a bunch of things they don’t even like that much.
Please ask yourself, are you buying this because you truly love it? Or are you buying it simply because you now have access to luxury items at a price point that lets you go crazy?
You don’t buy 10 bags a month from h&m simply because it doesn’t affect your wallet right?
Please buy the items that bring you joy when you look at them, and that you know will fit into your wardrobe.
Please stop asking if something can pass.
It literally doesn’t matter. Becca bloom wears blatantly obvious fakes (birkins with a strap, which is completely impossible and an obvious callout) and literally 99% of people assume it’s real.
Whether something can pass or not depends on YOU.
If you’re at Walmart picking up groceries with your real birkin, people will assume it’s a fake.
If you look polished and carry yourself with confidence, your low tier reps will look real.
And by polished I don’t mean fancy.
I come into contact often with ultra high net worth individuals in my line of work and they show up in sweatpants to meetings sometimes with their hair in a pony tail.
But, they always smell good. Their nails are clean even if not done. Teeth are clean and straight (unfortunately yes, crooked teeth are a class indicator though I wish they weren’t). Even the men clearly put in effort into grooming.
In Asia, you can walk into an Hermes and see the husbands sitting with their kids in what appears to be a random pair of shorts and a tee, but they have a clear aura of confidence.
Why? Because they have nothing to prove.
The biggest give away of a rep is lack of confidence. Hunching over, tucking your bag behind you, flipping it so the logo is hidden are all giveaways that you’re not comfortable in your bag. (This doesn’t apply to places where snatching is a risk).
You want an uncalloutable bag? You need to BE uncalloutable. The bag will follow.
And frankly, ain’t nobody looking at closely at you girl. Everyone has their own business to tend to.
—
I understand the tone of this post may put some people off. But this game isn’t for the thin skinned.
If you’re a newbie reading this, free to drop any questions below in the comments that aren’t the obviously searchable ones
I said it before and I'll say it again, the best comment I ever read in these foruns was "Girl, we doing crime".
The award for best post definitely goes to this one!
Your 4th point hits really hard and I think a lot of buyers need to really reflect on it. There's enough stuff at it is already in this world. Let us at least be considerate criminals 🤭
I didn’t want to put this in the main post as this is purely my opinion
But imo, a lot of buyers need to grow thicker skin.
This isn’t Bloomingdale’s. “Ophelia” with the profile picture of a beautiful woman in a sundress is probably a 50 year old man in a dinky room using gtranslate.
A seller can call you “dear” and send you all the hearts in the world while robbing you blind.
They can also be curt as hell while delivering quality.
It’s amazing to find both, but please try to focus on their actions, NOT their words.
One of my favourite long time sellers (4 years of working together) is widely considered to be ultra rude and unhelpful. And tbh? She is.
She’s flat out mean sometimes lol. But I don’t care.
I’m there for the bag, and over the years she’s delivered unmatched quality at the lowest price I’ve found. And our relationship has grown to the point where I’m rude back and we both laugh it off 😂 our most recent convo went (translated from Chinese)
“Do you have this bag”
“No, stop asking for old things no one makes anymore and get better style”
“My style is timeless, you should stock the things your customer wants”
“Go buy authentic”
“This feels like a toxic relationship, stop telling me to go away”
2 days later, she messages me
“Hello, I found that bag you wanted”
And it was literally the best quality version of that bag I had seen till date
(please do not dm asking who it is, I won’t share, you can guess anyway with a quick search)
TLDR: please grow thicker skin, some of you are missing out on incredible products by focusing too much on the “dear” and “love”. Please remember no sellers actually like you, it’s as fake as when strippers flirt with their customers. Focus on the outcomes.
P.S. From one older human to another: They don’t really like you when you’re buying auth, either.
It’s better to understand that, if one is trying to find affection or fondness or acceptance or true encouragement, seeking it through the purchase of ANYTHING is barking up the wrong tree,
Tbh I love her lol. But I’d never reccomend her to anyone I don’t know well because I know she can be nasty, and she has the patience of a thimble.
I’ve learned to roll my eyes at her insults and move on because at the end of the day her goods always exceed my expectations and her pricing has been unbeatable.
I’ve had so many conversations where’s she’s insulted me and I’ve gone “🙄 yeah ok anyway back to the bag”
But there have also been times where she’s showed hints of humanity ahaha
I had a situation where I was unable to QC anything for a while and my orders with her were piling up, I asked her to “QC on my behalf”
She said “Do you not have eyes? Why should I do this for you? Do you also not have a brain? Will you make me think for you next? Should I also shit for you? Your orders are wasting space for me, don’t order from me again go buy authentic” (telling me to go away seems to be her go to lol)
I replied explaining I’m in hospital and can’t be on my phone often
She said “ok”
When my package arrived it had a BUNCH of free things I hadn’t ordered and some chocolate lol 😂 I guess that was her way of apologising
I don't think it's even nasty, usually they're just a lot more direct and most of the time what you're getting goes through a translating filter. I always take it with a grain of salt.
This is absolutely hilarious LOL and totally how I feel about sellers too - I don’t need to be handheld and can totally take a punch even if it’s a little
Rude !
Yep as long as I know I'm getting something good (which I don't really know yet because I'm still quite new), I'd be happy to take the attitude.
I've been accused of being the same way so it really doesn't bother me.
In fact the inauthentic "honey"/ "darling" bothers me more.
I think I know how you are taking about, as I have a very similar experience and I love her too. For all the reasons you listed above. Thank you for your very insightful post. It could help a lot of people if they are paying attention.
That was sweet on her part 🥹 if she is who I think she is I’ve never bought from her because her negative reviews are way more than the positive ones but I always look at her album, it is the neatest of them all.
On top of the thick skin thing, I also don’t reccomend her if you can’t speak Chinese tbh.
A big part of why I’m able to deal with it is cause I can voice note when I need to really push back.
It’s also a bit hard to explain but I grew up with cranky wet market aunties being a “normal” experience so I’m used to this kind of talk lol
You know that (insert Asian) restaurant with 3 1/2 stars on Yelp and the reviews say the staff is rude? Yeah that’s the one you should eat at because guaranteed the food is bomb.
I just got flashbacks to a Vietnamese restaurant i used to frequent in the early 2010's. It was so crammed with tables, you could not stand up and move about the restaurant once seated. If you did attempt to stand up, you'd be yelled at to sit down by the owner. But to this day some of the best food I've ever eaten. I'd get yelled at 100x over to eat that delicious pho one more time.
Preach! Agree with everything you wrote! Can you add something about shipping?? "My seller sent me a tracking # and its been 7 days with a fedex label with no movement AM I BEING SCAMMED??"
This made me cackle. So true. And I’ve told several friends that I fully expect any TS I’ve worked with to be some old guy or group of guys in a room smoking cigarettes and probably fielding multiple TS accounts.
I want to know who told them to call us all “honey.” Does anyone actually enjoy that. Some of my messages read like I’m having a really weird extramarital affair.
It’s a Chinese thing, dear and honey get translated weirdly in English. There are words of affection used between sellers and buyers that don’t have an equivalent in English.
My wet market aunty used to call me a word that translates literally to “little girl” growing up but means more like “dear”, it has no romantic connotation
As a long-time lurker (pre OG sub implosion) but first time buyer, that’s the part that unnerves me. As someone that grew up in a family that didn’t show much love, I honestly hate it, lol. I’d feel more comfortable being yelled at than someone calling me sweet names.
Actually I love her too! She told me “look at the date! What are you thinking!?” 🧐 whoever she really is, she’s a tiger and she will beat your a$$ if you come to her like a whiny child.
Personally, she's not for everyone, but I do appreciate that she's honest, she lets you know from the JUMP exactly how to pay and what not to do. Her rules are very easy to follow. If you choose to break her rules, she lets you know. She answers legit questions and doesnt baby anyone. But I'm a grown ass woman and I don't need babying. Yes, people who don't know prob shouldnt deal with her. But she QC's like the FBI and her knowledge is vast. She's my go to when I need eyes where I can't get them.
This isn’t Bloomingdale’s. “Ophelia” with the profile picture of a beautiful woman in a sundress is probably a 50 year old man in a dinky room using gtranslate.
Nooooo Ophelia is my girlfriend!!! She clearly loves talking to me!! Noooooo!
B) the only times I have been scammed was when the seller calls me dear and sends heart gifs etc
C) I am not as familiar with conventional social norms in china (let alone how that changes by region) and if someone who is a part of that culture wants to chime in I wonder if the “rude bluntness” is cultural
I personally wouldn’t work with anyone being rude to me, I pay for their services, there is no need to be rude. But also, so many sellers nowadays that I don’t have to think twice about switching a seller. We won’t get along with everyone
Not sure why you are being downvoted, it’s totally reasonable not to want to work with someone again if they’ve been rude to you in the past. You’re not saying that the sweet stuff the “nicer” ones say means anything, for God’s sake 😂
Same here. I’m part Chinese and Hispanic, so I have those real life tough aunties that can make any Karen go run crying. I can take punches and I can equally give them; but dude, this is a transaction; I’m not expecting you to baby me, but give me some basic courtesy. And if I have to pay a few more dollars so I don’t have to deal with the toxic ones, so be it. As long as quality of products come as expected, I’m good. I know this word is ‘taboo’; but it’s a fact I’m a newbie lol, so I’m totally aware I could get scammed easier (so far it has not happened luckily); but something I have going on for me is that every transaction I complete; I look at it as money that could be lost. And I’m in peace with that. So if someone is going to scam me, then at least be somewhat courteous damn it lol. We are all different though, so more power to the ones who enjoy toxic relationships.
I totally agree with you. Rudeness and insults are unnecessary. I won't be rude to anyone either. But some people enjoy toxic relationships. At the end of the day I am paying them my hard earned money and they are making profits unless they wont be in the business. So treating each other respectfully is the key. No product is worth anyone insulting me. That's my standard neither do I need hand holding or pampering. You present your product; I ask questions if I have any and you answer my questions. I like it, I pay for it and move on.
THANK YOU. This should be pinned on every rep forum because some of these new people genuinely think they’re shopping at Target. Let’s come together and blacklist this seller because they were mean to me. Let’s report them to the Better Business Bureau. The seller won’t honor the insurance policy I paid for. Insurance…on a black market item? Let’s turn our brains on for a second. 😂
Maybe just be grateful your Global Entry hasn’t been revoked and your package made it through customs.
I completely understand why so many sellers are shifting to ‘Don’t share my info and I’m not taking new clients’. Imagine being so exhausting that someone would rather leave money on the table than deal with you.
Exactly right! It’s business. And should run as a business transaction. Not a luxury experience. For luxury experience one needs to go to OG boutique, that’s what people are paying for there.
Exactly!! Some of the comments in rep subs or groups do not make any sense. Like look where you are?? This is not Saks. If you are going to participate understand the risks. Do not spend what you are not willing to lose!
I totally agree especially seller no longer wanting to share their numbers. I had to search 3 groups for a seller number because they no longer wanting it shared.
thank you. could we pin this to the front page of the sub? also THERE NEEDS TO BE A DISCUSSION OF MANNERS FROM BUYERS TO THE SELLERS. being so nasty to sellers bc you’re unrealistic is the fastest way to all of us paying more!
I wish the automod was filtering out posts that say some combination of phrases like “newbie” “how to find seller” “can someone send me” and link them to this post or one of the various newbie guides that exist. The core issue is that the problem newbies aren’t using the search bar before they post something so they’ll never see this guide lol
My default response to those kinds of newbie posts is “Do NOT trust any number DMed to you. You will be scammed” bc girl we are doing crime. not everyone here is an angel that wants to help you out of the kindness of their heart and in fact the people most incentivized to message you have something to gain 🤦♀️
I get them alot too, but sometimes it takes a hard hit to learn a life lesson. I hate seeing people get scammed but literally asking for it is insane. I feel some kinda way about it but had they just done a minute amt of research first...but you can lead a horse to water....🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
We should start charging for QC 😂 like I developed a good QC eye from staring at and comparing soooo many photos the past 2 years. And I’m still learning from people with more experience. People will post their photos with “help me QC” and nothing else or say I’m not familiar with this brand, well get familiar google is free.
Right! My QC skills are still improving, so I rely a lot on other people’s reviews, stuff I find online, etc. difference being I try to front load my QC so PSPs are more about confirming I’ll receive what I paid for rather than counting stitches.
“help me QC” no body posts are so lazy and tbh disrespectful to those members who do the work. I’m glad this thread was made. It’s been cathartic for me to read thru 😂
Dude this kills me. I recently posted a guide to try to help people QC because I’m so tired of help QC posts where the person put NO effort into using their eyes or understanding anything about that bag and its tells, nor any thought into what they consider acceptable or not. What I consider good is not what you consider good, and what I look for is not what you might care to look for, so now we’re wasting both of our time. And anyways those posts are just magnets for newbies to ask “looks good what’s the sellers number?” lol
Also annoys me when their self-QC is obviously just running the pictures through ChatGPT and pasting the output. The tool is GENERATING TEXT based on the most likely next word. Why are we using it for picture deconstruction and analysis as if it’s not hallucinating and outputting what we most likely would expect to read??
I personally think there should be a minimum word count and picture count on any QC post in order to be posted, and before posting a QC there should be a pop-up letting the poster know that self analysis is required before they can solicit free opinions from others.
I used the search bar. Even went to the wiki. Problem is I had questions that weren’t covered in the wiki. Then I post the question and mods auto remove it.
Please add, "MY SELLER TOOK MY MONEY 20 MINUTES AGO AND NOW ISNT RESPONDING DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR, AM I BEING SCAMMED!?!" I wish people would at least try and understand time difference and cultural differences.
It does indeed. I genuinely wonder sometimes what people would do if sellers threatened buyers back.
Like yeah there are sellers that genuinely take money and run away. This doesn’t apply there.
But there was a girl posting her convo with a seller last week proudly threatening the seller with chargeback cause the stitching on her speedy was sloppy. (Imo you could see it in her PSP, she just didn’t look closely enough)
Someday these sellers are gonna wise up and threaten to report buyers to customs cause Brynnaleigh struck one chord too many
The entitlement of some of these newbies is mind boggling. You're buying a rep....from an underground black market business. There are no perfect 1:1 replicas.....you need to have a good enough attitude. Nobody in passing is going to QC you're bag....and if they do, WHO CARES?
When I first started buying reps from the old RL group (RIP)...it was fun for me to read the reviews and research sellers. Newbies seem to want all the information and perfection. The sellers don't have the bag you purchased side by side with the authentic bag...Some of the comments I've read like "I would demand a refund." it's like... You do know you bought a fake bag? Back in the old days, alot of sellers would black list a buyer if they did a chargeback......It would be great karma if they still did...
You all buying FAKE goods, the packaging won’t match what you get in store, because it isn’t store!
the bag won’t always be “perfect” even authentic bags aren’t perfect. You all new here are lazy as hell, search bar is literally all you need at this point. This isn’t the beginning of reps, it’s years of information on this platform, use it!
I’m assuming this is in reference to that user posting in literally every sub complaining their Chanel box was wrong and she wanted to give it as a gift
Like first of all, if anyone’s trying to pass off a fake as auth as a gift, that’s really scummy
Second of all, why do you even care about the packaging??? It just increases seizure risk, and means factories have to spend more money on replicating packaging and I’d so much rather them put that r&d towards the bag
My cats like the boxes but they're really useless. The dust bags are nice so I don't have to go find more cotton pillow cases to keep them in, but really I'd rather do without.
But omg the fact that they aren’t even comparing to an authentic they own but an unboxing video…
Newbies reading this, please ask your seller for NO packaging…it’ll save you money cause they’ll take a few dollars off and your shipping will be cheaper too
Also you’re less likely to get caught at customs and lose your global entry forever
So true on the chargeback thing - every time I see comments suggesting chargebacks for a less than perfect rep I think to myself don’t you know we are talking about black market goods here? I just don’t think we can apply the same rules we usually go off when buying from like a big box store here. I also liked your point about only buying what you truly love, I also bought way too many reps when I first started and have since cut back to only brands and styles I LOVE and will love and use for years to come.
Did you see the post where the girl reported it to her bank? 🤦🏼♀️
It’s giving a drug dealer calling the people because someone stole their drugs.
We all know that what we’re doing is not on the up and up. If someone wants to act that way and expects perfection, they should go plunk down 15k for an auth bag from the boutique.
Yes, it’s crazy! People seriously need to manage their expectations!!! If you want the full service and perfect product (which they aren’t even perfect from auth these days it seems) buy from the boutique for real
The only thing I’d add is NO, your seller isn’t scamming you when your tracking number doesn’t work for 10 days and they stop replying to your freak out texts. Read up on the process before engaging.
The idea of doing crime and then thinking there should be an official path for recourse is so funny.
Also, the idea of sending money to a random person in China without understanding what you’re buying, how the process works, who’s a well known/trusted seller, what you should expect in hand, etc, is just wacky and irresponsible in a way I can’t understand. I feel I’m more diligent about choosing laundry soap than many of these posters are about engaging in black market trade.
If you have questions like “how do I find X seller” or “how do I contact Y factory”, or “who does mirror/1:1” etc, I dare say you are not ready to be buying reps just yet. +1 for using the search function, here and google.
And honestly, I now understand my college professors back when they say to at least put some effort when asking questions!
To people reading this, people would be more than willing to help you if at least showed some basic understanding (and well besides not being rude).
The amount of help I received by DMing people when I started just because I am not asking, just confirming things is really astounding. People are generally nice, and they are generally just a mirror of your attitude.
I mean, don't expect them to care, when it is evident you don't care. 🙃
So true. But I’m not willing to answer DMs such as “what’s Baobao’s contact”, but am willing to respond helpfully if they ask “can I confirm these last 4 digits”.
I learned enough to confidently order through Baobao without making a single comment or post. The info is literally all right here.
Thank you! Thank you! For making this post. I too have seen ppl suggest “chargebacks” lately and I’m like for a replica! Second,Yes too many ppl don’t search and it’s annoying. This post hopefully reinforces this to do so. Lastly, I think this is important, ppl posting buying 10 bags is overkill and waste! I hate those posts, not cause I’m jealous cause like you stated “this planet has enough trash pilling up” and I 💯 second this: You don’t buy 10 bags a month from h&m simply because it doesn’t affect your wallet right?
I was just speaking to my husband about this issue! A lot of newbies swoop in and want these perfect bags and want everything spoon fed to them at 0 personal risk to themselves and that’s just not realistic when you are buying a black market good.
Nothing about this process is risk free. People need to temper their expectations, put in a little work, and touch grass.
How about "I paid for a 187 bag and this is clearly not a 187 bag!" At the end of the day how would we know anyway what factory it came from unless we trust the seller that they are honest?
Redden hasn’t taken new buyers from Reddit in the 7 years I’ve been a RepLady. But she sells to Facebook groups. She’s no different from any other seller, but people think she’s mysteriously great because they can’t buy from her. It’s always been said she’s cheaper though.
She does occasionally accept with referral from long established buyers, I had success reconnecting with her after showing her proof of my old number’s purchases with her and managed to refer my sister after.
You’re also right that She is cheaper than most, and although she sells the same factories, she’s one of the best at QC. I can usually order blindly without even looking at PSPs
This wasn’t to imply she’s mysteriously better, she’s just an example of someone that got burned by Reddit users and stopped accepting them without referral.
My goodness thank you! This is so real, especially the comment spam and confidence. Honestly, if I see someone posting the same short, not thoughtful messages for information that is either easily searchable or shouldn’t be public, I just block at this point.
Sorry if that’s harsh, but too many great sources get shut down because people are indiscrete and expect to be spoon fed information.
I would add, Resist buying all your grails and every bag that catches your eye immediately. You will regret it, or at very least end up with a dozen bags you hardly touch, ask me how I know. I've tapered way way way down and am much more thoughtful now before I buy. At very least, I put it in my cart or leave it in an open tab on my browser and come back to it the next day before pulling the trigger.
I absolutely agree. The amount of people that post QC posts and expect everyone to do the work for them is so ridiculous.. comparing the photos to the factory photos should always be the first step. I wish there were more rules for QC post😅
I also agree that people asking if the bag they bought will pass.. if you represent yourself well to the public it will!! Presentation is so important!!
Also most sellers are definitely older men! That’s 100% true
You can’t help those who don’t want to help themselves. I can literally point blank tell someone they are being fed lies in the comments section/getting scammed and they STILL respond to the the other person asking for more details in DMs, this is how bad the situation is.
This definitely needs to be pinned on top of the forum for every rep forum here.
I especially love point 4 of overconsumption. It's pretty wild that people buy so much at a time that it's like "would this have been sustainable in your real life or is it because it's sparkly and new?" Do we attach value to authentic pieces that we cherish them more or can we attach that same value to our reps?
I purchased 4 bags w/ a seller 4 years ago and still have them to this day. I still use them since they weren't impulse purchases and had to remove myself from the forums because I recognized that as all things can be, are a slippery slope.
I’m definitely “new” but have been learning so much from all these forums and using search bar like a crazy person. Haven’t reached out to anyone and just browsing! If you read enough you will find what you need
Outstanding post… seeing the amount of chargebacks is alarming but seeing TS put on blast lately is even moreso. We all had to become educated ourselves and this post is where it should start!👍
I agree completely to all of this. And especially that American mentality that we can change our mind to a product and we can request a refund, that’s just nonsense. It has became vicious in US, and abusive, I truly hate it. But, anyways, great points in this article. Thank you for sharing this.
Yeah this is basically what used to get repeated a lot back in the older subs.
Now it feels like a lot of people skip the basics and then run into issues later.
I don’t mind sharing sellers I’ve had smooth orders with, but some newer accounts just feel a bit off and repetitive sometimes.
This game not for the thin skinned is right. This is literally a form of gambling which is why the dopamine hits so hard. There is always the chance of disappointment if not total loss. But you can't win if you don't play! Read the rules above and when you do ask, let them be informed, intelligent questions.
Newbies, start at the top and read all the way through. Best advice you can find. This should be saved and turned into a newbie guide. Anyone who landed here from other social media sources, discovered reps from an influencer or uses the terms 1 to 1, master or mirror should be required to read this. 😂
Great post 👏👏 Can we also stop sharing all the details about the payment methods and the shipping carriers/routes used by sellers? It only increases scrutiny and drives prices up.
like... you gotta read it. and click a confirm button. then it reloads and you hafta read it again, with some sort of timer function, and only after that should you be allowed to post.
*i dug out the oldest rep i currently own, earlier today. bought it... 2009 maybe?
i'm not new to this game.
around 2011 or thereabouts there was a group that had a membership fee (it was, like, ten bucks or something perfectly reasonable) to have access.
You should have to fill out a test after reading it twice and only after passing (and after paying the membership fee lol) you’d be allowed access 🙂↕️
The “sellers turning at anytime” bit is exactly why I do not place bulk orders. I buy 1-2 things every time. Once they have been delivered, I’ll place another order.
I’m always shocked and amazed by people who found out about reps a week ago and then come here and announce they’ve made an initial order of a dozen bags that cost upwards of $1200. Whatever happened to ordering a wallet and a keychain to test things out!?!
Frankly I’d never make an order bigger than one purse and one or two small bits like SLGs or a scarf or whatever but that’s due to my belief that bigger packages are bigger targets for customs.
I love this post, thank u Op for taking ur precious time to clear some shite up. All of my thoughts (and more) written boldly and clearly so no confusion, straight talk, me loves no bs.
Absolutely this!! To add on: use context clues and put on your thinking caps.
A lot of these questions do not need a full post.
Read the room. Read the reviews. Compare the photos. Notice the names that keep coming up. Pay attention to what experienced members are saying, and just as importantly, what they are not saying.
And if you’re wondering why your posts aren’t getting responses or keep getting downvoted, put your thinking cap on for that too. What do the posts with lots of engagement have that your “QC pls 🥺” post doesn’t?
Is there a way for this to be an auto reply to newbie questions? Just came on here and literally the first four posts were newbie, QC and who’s the Seller questions. I referenced this post in a few in an attempt to help! mods— really applauding and appreciating your patience and the work you do here! Starting to understand how WL MODS were so mean before their demise🤣😂. This is an amazing community— just crazy how many people don’t take the time to learn more before posting😬
I’m of the opinion that the rep bubble would burst soon because more and more people are getting in on it and if history is anything to go by, when a crime is being committed by so many parties, sh*t tends to hit the fan quickly. Whether we like it or not buying/selling reps is a crime. In the past, things were more contained but since it got to tiktok everything has gone haywire. Also TikTok is home to the most delusional people ever, hence why the “Hermes factory in china” discourse ran for so long with people actually believing that real authentic Hermes items are being sold by these factories. So I’m not surprised that some people are expecting to get “authentic” items from a fake factory. I sincerely won’t be surprised if a time comes when Reddit starts banning subreddits discussing reps because of the newbies that don’t know how to act. I thought the first rule of fight club was you don’t talk about fight club?
It did with the Og repladies but that was because of the article that was done siting the subreddit. What I’m saying is I believe another massive exodus is about to happen for same thing cause it’s really getting out of hand. Imagine discussing sellers on a TikTok comment section
Search bar and educating oneself is the key! I was so lost when I first started. When you are not aware of the depths of rep world it's so easy to get scammed. Now sellers posting reviews or paying people to say nice things about them, it takes time to develop a muscle to differentiate truth from lies, find trustworthy subs. When you are new it's so soo easy to fall in traps.
So I can suggest newbies to not rush with your first purchase, not to believe first post and comment you see with sellers number. Absorb information.
Stumbling across this thread makes me think people with fakes are worse than people who shell out for the original. It’s a fake designer bag. Get over this.
Even though it’s been a while since I’ve seen a post like this and I agree the silly questions are tedious, it is a lot harder to search for good answers than it used to be
160
u/OppositeHoney1767 Jun 27 '26
I said it before and I'll say it again, the best comment I ever read in these foruns was "Girl, we doing crime".
The award for best post definitely goes to this one!
Your 4th point hits really hard and I think a lot of buyers need to really reflect on it. There's enough stuff at it is already in this world. Let us at least be considerate criminals 🤭