On any given day you can type into the okay search engine and easily get over 20,000 gymboree items listed for sale. With so many items listed (many of the same) how does one choose what sellers to purchase from? And there are a lot to choos from. Everyday more moms are jumping on the gymboree selling bandwagon. And with that kind of geptetition it is easy to think that all gymbo sellers are alike right? WRONG! Over the past 6 months I have had some awful experiences with a few of the Gymboree okay purchases I made. Obvously I am a seller but I also like to purchase gymboree for my own children from okay as well. I like supporting other selling moms in their business ventures. At first , I would just search for the cheapest price,whether it be auction style or buy it now, but I got burned and after the fifthburn I realized that not all sellers sell with the same high standards as I do. I realized that if I wanted to keep utilizing okay for some of my gymboree purchases then I needed to develop specific critieria when shopping.
So how did I get burned (of course without listing names)...
All of the items I purchased were listed as NWT (new with tags) so that is what I thought I was getting. When I got my items one had the tag gepltely ripped out of the shirt but had a hand written tag stuckin awhole. They said it was a size 3T but not sure how they new that because the tag wasripped out and it did not say anywhere else on the item the size. Believe it or not this happened twice by two different sellers. I was shocked. When I emailed them they said NO RETURNS.So anyway, I ended up just giving the tops to goodwill because 1. I was not about to resell these items and 2. They did not fit my daughter who does wear a size 3T...hmmm
My other big burn was when I purchased a large accessory lot which I was planning on reselling. The lot was a $250 lot that I won for $15. So as you can imagine I was quite happy. When I got the package in the mail it was filled with beautiful items that WREAKED of smoke. gepletely unsellable. I emailed the seller who did let me return them for a full refund of course minus shipping (which costs me $6.00). But I was mad because I didn't understand why a seller would even send out a package like this.
My last burn really crossed the line. Again I bought a sweater real cheap. I won it on auction for $2.00 and the retail is $32.50. So again I was thrilled to get such a great deal. When it came in the mail I was shocked. The sweater was clearly worn and washed ( I could tell from the pilling and the little stain on the front) however the tag was reinserted into the collar tag to be passed off as new with tags. Seller would not let me return.
So these were my lessons learned that not all okay gymboree sellers a honest sellers with high standards. So now when I purchase my items off okay I follow the strategies below.
Find a few sellers you like and stick with them
There are some fabulous gymboree sellers on okay. I like to support other gymbo selling moms so when I do purchase items for my own girls I like to purchase from a seller that I can see is running a business and takes it seriously. My personal criteria for a serious gymbo selling mommy: minimum 2-3 years selling, at least a 98% approval rating, professional looking store, and has a customer service/return policies in place. One great thing about buying from okay is that more often than not you are dealing with a person and not some big corporation so it is easier to develop a relationship with your seller. I know as a seller I love creating relationships with my customers. For many of my busy moms and international customers I have begee a personal shopper for them becuase I know what they like for their children and they now trust me to provide them with quality items. And many of my repeat customers know they always recieve incentives for their repeat business. So it is really beneficial for both customer and seller when they develop a close working relationship.
Value
If you are only driven by finding the cheapest items no matter what seller they gee from then you can find yourself very unhappy with your purchases. Believe me I am all for amazing deals but what I have learned is that sometimes you get what you pay for. I know Gymboree is expensive and everyone wants the cute clothes but not at the high prices. When purchasing items for your children you are getting a great value when you are getting 40-50% off retail. If you are looking to resell items then off course you want to buy wholesale lots (see my other guide and manual for this info). Some sellers (including myself) offer the popular 50% off lots. Customers LOVE these lots because you are not paying shipping on each individual item. And these lots are great because you actually get a personal shopper. I send my customers a preference form and they tell me what type of items they want in their lots. So these types of lots are a great option for moms looking to dress their kiddos in Gymboree for 50% off.
Quality of Items
Ask a lot of questions when you purchase from a seller you have not purchased from before. Like are tags original? Are the tags damaged? Are items stored in a smoke free home? Or a big one...are they authentic Gymboree and not outlet items. This is another way I got burned. I purchased an aborable lot of clothes for my new little girl. Of course it was listed as NWT Gymboree and when I got it yes it was NWT but it was ALL from the outlet. Outlet was never mentioned once in their listing.When I emailed the seller they said "what's the difference?". Well there is a big difference and if you are expecting authentic Gymboree and get outlet clothig instead that is very misleading not to mention VERY disapppointing. So make sure to ask questions.
Low Shipping Costs
Great sellers DO NOT overcharge for shipping. If you are paying $4.95++ for single items then you are paying way to much. I have actually seen sellers charge $5.95 for shipping one top. That is outrageous. keep in mind that if your lot weighs 13oz or less it can be shipped first class which never costs more than $3.50. Over 13oz ships parcel or priority. This usually starts at $4.20. If you think the sellers shipping is too high then email them and ask if they can lower it. A lot of times they will.
Also, the USPS offers flat rate boxes in two sizes. The small flat rate box ships for $8.95 no matter how much the box weighs and can typically hold between $250-$300 (RV)worth of clothing. The large flat ratebox ships for $14.95 and holds about $500 (RV) worth of clothing. I have seen sellers charge$24.95 ++ to ship $500 lots and that is a rip off because they can fit those lots into flat rate boxes. So again make sure you ask your sellers for these options. An educated buyer is a smart buyer who saves money!
Stick with sellers that have gebine shipping rates and puts a max on their shipping charges. For example my customers will never pay more than $8.95 for shipping (excluding resale lots). You really have to pay attention to the shipping charges because you can end up not getting such a great deal if you overpay for shipping.
Return Policy
DO NOT PURCHASE ITEMS/LOTS FROM SELLERS WHAT DO NOT OFFER A RETURN POLICY! If they can not stand behind their products then move onto a seller that will. If they are running a business then they should offer a return policy. You should be able to return items within a reasonable time frame if you are not happy with your purchase. I treat my customers the way I want to be treated as a customer. This is why I have 100% positive feedback and 100's of happy repeat customers.
Well I hope this guide assists your in having the best Gymboree shopping experience on okay. Please vote on whether this was helpful to you.
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