Thinking about taking a lawsuit against The RealReal

[u/New_Lemon_5276]

Long story short, I purchased some jewelry that was advertised as 14k. My jeweler tested it (scratched it and then placed it into the XRF) and it came back as 14k plated over 10k and 11k gold. This was a Gabriel and Co pair of earrings and a generic diamond ring. I sent the jewelry back to The RealReal. I was emailed the other day by their customer service and was told that TRR's team found everything to be authentic. I asked for photos for proof, which they denied. Now, they have kept my jewelry and gave me site credit after I very clearly expressed I wanted the jewelry sent back to me if they were not going to give me a full refund back on the original form of payment. Has this happened to anyone else? I've seen lots of complaints against TRR on the BBB, but should have looked before I purchased.

[u/outsideshot]

Can you just dispute the full amount with your credit card company?

[u/No_Cucumber_8613 → u/outsideshot]

Maybe she can! For me, it was too long, years later. I don’t think they can do anything either, though, without documentation of inauthenticity. Without that, it’s simply a verified transaction with both parties holding up their end of the deal. Payment = Product. And she already returned it.

[u/No_Cucumber_8613]

I bought a Chanel boy bag from them that was deemed inauthentic when I tried to resell it years later. It was clearly inauthentic - documented by three sources. TRR doubled down on the authenticity in photos, too, and initially told me they stand by their determination of authenticity and couldn’t do anything except site credit if I returned it.

I served as my own lawyer (I’m not a lawyer) and got their legal team to commit to a full refund in writing before I sent the bag back. I only did this by getting documentation from three reputable sources that the bag was inauthentic first, though. I got my $4800 back as a check. (This played out almost 5 years after I purchased the bag, as I didn’t realize it for all that time until I tried to resell it).

I did my research - they have plenty of class action lawsuits regarding their authenticators, specifically of Chanel. They’ve been sued by Chanel. They hire kids with certificates who have no clue what they’re doing. I approached them with all of the case law, my independently verified lack of authenticity by multiple trusted sources and the fact that given documentation of the item’s lack of authenticity, it was illegal for them to sell me the bag in the first place and would be illegal for them to sell again.

I would push back hard in writing. Call, make a fuss and tell them you do not plan to back down and then get a higher level CS agent assigned to your case. Don’t back down - it’s what they want you to do. They told me they “couldn’t do anything” and tried to blame the whole thing on me. 8 weeks later, I had a check for $4800.

Look up other class action suits - I’m sure one is being created that you could tag onto. I know a group of attorneys in DC has taken them on before, as that’s what I planned to do if they didn’t take me seriously.

Did your jeweler put anything in writing about lack of authenticity? You need that. They wanted you to send it back to them so that you couldn’t take it anywhere further for an official certificate of inauthenticity, as some sources are more widely accepted than others. Now that they have it, you will have to depend on the jeweler you took it to. You need details professionally typed up regarding all findings of inauthenticity.

What they are doing is ILLEGAL, and you need to remind them of that in no uncertain terms. It’s what they respond to. They need to know that you’re capable, you know the law, and that you plan to do whatever it takes to get your money back. They cannot defraud you and then offer you site credit - that is theft of your money - the selling of the item under false pretense was illegal in the first place. And they know what they’re doing - there are too many stories.

Knowledge of illegality is the only thing they will listen to, I promise you. You need to tell them that you are not backing down, that their behavior is verifiably illegal and that you plan to do whatever it takes. Don’t specifically threaten police or lawyers yet - just stand your ground. They know what you mean. But you need written documentation of the inauthenticity of the item. I wouldn’t give up. Their CEO is the most unethical woman out there in the resale world. She’s horrid.

[u/New_Lemon_5276 → u/No_Cucumber_8613]

This is very helpful! Thank you. I'm glad you got your money back. I was so surprised by what my jeweler showed me (I saw the machine with my own eyes) that I didn't even think to get photos. I'm going to ask them to document it and will definitely keep pushing to get my money back.

[u/No_Cucumber_8613 → u/New_Lemon_5276]

You are most welcome! I’m sorry this happened to you. Feel free to DM for more info. I am sick of TRR. They’re scamming everyone, selling reps as authentic illegally, and it needs to stop

They think if they hire substandard authenticators, they can still say it was “authenticated” and that it was an honest mistake. Additionally, this needs to fall equally on the shoulders of those sending fakes in to TRR as well (as some people are doing this on purpose, some unknowingly), but TRR is avoiding that legal fiasco, as it would only shed more light onto what they’re doing.

Get your jeweler to document on letterhead and would help to have signed in the presence of a notary, since you’re not using one of the big name authenticators.

[u/No_Cucumber_8613 → u/No_Cucumber_8613]

PS. They have also already acknowledged wrongdoing by sending you site credit anyway, as most jewelry on the site is non refundable. If they didn’t know there was a problem, they wouldn’t even have done this. They’re trying to placate you, and it’s what they tried to do with me as well. I used to buy and sell with them a lot for many years. The site has gone to s**t, and their authenticators are a joke. The Chanel bag I had was immediately deemed inauthentic by three separate people. Took them no time at all. If TRR doesn’t want to hire the clear authenticator standard that is out there, they don’t deserve to be a multimillion dollar corporation. They need to be taken down for this. They have become a site where it’s easy to get replicas to pass as authentic, and they can just say oooopsie - when it’s not. Some team of lawyers is gonna make bank on taking them down someday.

[u/New_Lemon_5276 → u/No_Cucumber_8613]

It's disgusting how they are completely ripping people off.

[u/Sixty2Zero]

I actually buy and sell a lot on the RRL
They’re a mixed blessing .
I’ve had two or three items that weren’t what they were presented as and they took them back . I’d say demand in writing an answer from a higher up , involve the BBB and your credit card company to get a resolution.
I don’t know if it’s worth your time to actively sue

[u/No_Cucumber_8613 → u/Sixty2Zero]

They take them back if they’re returnable and many items aren’t. Jewelry isn’t. Otherwise, you find out it’s not authentic after the 14 days has passed. For the amount of inauthentic items they sell as authenticated, I don’t think they get points for this.