Gear trade is a big rip off. They take forever to list your gear. I mean weeks possibly months after you've sent it. Their communication is poor. They sell brand-new unused gear at full price to other people and then they give you 50% or less! Honestly you have a better shot at selling it yourself online on some other platform that doesn't take half of the proceeds. I don't think I'd buy from here knowing that they rip people off this much.
I'm only giving one star because there isn't an option for negative stars. This company is a parasite and I will never use there service, buy from them, or support there business in anyway. Any company that would take over 50% of your sell is pathetic. Along with other reviews the way they mislead you with pricing is horrific and a disgrace. Basically all I can say is please never use this company and I can only hope anyone involved rots in hell and has a slow and torturing demise. Again with all due respect F&C$ these scumbags!
I was mostly satisfied with the clothes I got. I just don't understand why they let people resell clothes with HOLES in it.
Date of experience: February 08, 2024
Reply from Geartrade.com
We're so sorry about that! You can certainly return your item for a full refund. I see a few orders on file, so please let us know which order/item you are referring too. Thanks again for your business and understanding.
Geartrade has a very vague Pricing Policy that allows them to change your agreed-upon price whenever they want, without notice. I initially agreed to sell a pair of $250 bike shoes on their site for $125. After just over 6 months, they sold the shoes for $37 which netted me just $9.79. At no time did they notify me of any price change. When I reached out to them they said that, "After the initial 30 days of a Consignment item being listed, the price is reduced on a weekly basis to maintain pace with the depreciation of the item." Nowhere is their Pricing Policy does it state such practice. What it does say is, "Geartrade may decrease the price based on market conditions, demand, and seasonality." Although this broad statement questionably covers the aforementioned practice, this is completely misleading. No way would I have agreed to terms that depreciated my shoes by ~14% a month after listing for just 30 days. If this is standard practice for all gear consigned to their site, they should state so clearly. I am very unsatisfied with my experience and although I love recycling gear back into the stream, I assure you that I definitely will never do so with Geartrade again.
Date of experience: February 29, 2024
Reply from Geartrade.com
We have a section dedicated to Pricing in our Consignment Terms of Service here: https://www.geartrade.com/consignment-terms-of-service
This is also highlighted when users choose to consign with us when requesting a free shipping label.
It states: Pricing
Listing prices are determined by many factors, including the estimated Retail Price, brand, age, product category, seasonality, and condition of each item. If we cannot find an accurate Retail Price for your property, Geartrade will in its best effort estimate the Retail Price based on other known products or categories.
Price Adjustments: Once your item has been accepted, you will receive an email with our suggested price and will have 48 hours to adjust the price. The maximum price adjustment you may make is 80% of the estimated Retail Price set by Geartrade. The price you select will be held for thirty days, at which point:
(1) Geartrade may decrease the price to find the optimal selling price based on market conditions, demand, and seasonality. This can be up to 85% off the Retail Price.
(2) Geartrade may offer additional discounts and promotions during the Consignment Period, at its sole discretion and without notice to you, to efficiently market and sell the Property (end)
We do follow this pricing policy as stated above. The quote from our customer service rep: "to maintain pace with the depreciation of the item." is not correct and I will speak with our team so we convey the pricing policy as stated above. As we reduce the price over time, the price of your item updates in your account and can be viewed on your 'active items' page here: https://www.geartrade.com/consignment/active-items
We strive for transparency throughout our consignment process, and I recognize that we do not email our consignors every time a price is updated. That is something we will discuss internally and let you know when we make any updates here. Thanks for providing your feedback. We take all customer feedback seriously and often make modifications to our experience based on this feedback. Thanks again for your business and understanding.
I've used Geartrade for the past year and a half, selling dozens of items on their website. They've made a reasonable 20% commission from my sales. Recently though, and without informing their customers, they've changed their business model to NOT allowing sellers to sell their own items.
Is it their right to operate their business as they see fit? Yes. Is this a disingenuous business practice, establishing your online business as a seller-to-buyer online resource then, without warning, deleting that option? Perhaps.
I'll be deleting my account and NOT giving geartrade any of my more of my business. Big middle finger to you guys!
Date of experience: October 26, 2023
Reply from Geartrade.com
Thanks you for your feedback. The decision to move away from a peer-to-peer marketplace was not made lightly, but due to an increasing amount of external sellers who have taken advantage of our platform, we've decided to limit our marketplace for now. Over the years, Geartrade has grown into a thriving community of outdoor enthusiasts like you. While the vast majority of our sellers have been honest and dependable, we've faced some challenges that have made it impossible for us to keep running the marketplace business as we have.
1. Illegitimate Sellers: Unfortunately, we've seen an increase in illegitimate sellers who have taken advantage of our current marketplace system. This not only affects us but also impacts the trust within the community we've built. 2. Unfulfilled Listings: We’ve seen an uptick in sellers who have listed items on our marketplace but have not fulfilled them. This has led to a higher number of order cancellation rates, which is a frustrating experience and not fair to buyers.
In order to provide a better customer experience, we're transitioning to a consignment model. This model is easier for sellers - no more going to the post office, figuring out what to charge for shipping, answering buyer questions, dealing with returns, etc. It allows us to give people a consistently better experience, faster shipping, and a longer return window.
Here's how it works:
You send us your items, and we handle everything, from listing and photography to shipping. When your gear sells, we send you payment via PayPal or Venmo. As of right now, sellers will no longer be able to list items directly on Geartrade; they must be shipped to us first. However, all of your current listings will continue to be listed for sale and you can edit those items and fulfill new orders as usual. So, there is no impact to your currently listed items.
Please let us know if you have any questions or more feedback. We greatly appreciate you choosing to be a part of our community to re-use your gear and get more folks outside.
Have been a longtime buyer and seller on Geartrade. Their customer service is always willing to do the right thing and solve any problem. Shout out to Scott for finding a solution on my last order where I needed a Black Diamond jacket that I ordered faster than I had originally selected. The service was prompt and the order showed up when I needed it. Hard to find service like this in a world of chat bots.
Will try to be short.
Gear - almost anything you need for outdoor
Availability - patience required, but also rewarded (waiting for someone to sell item you want takes time)
Handling transactions - no issues, always in time
Handling issues - (if you want return, etc) - outstanding!
Overall - yes, I definitely recommend this (please log in after I checked the site, I want to get my item first! :))
Have sold gear in the past on Geartrade with no issues. I logged in a week ago to list about a dozen winter items for sale, and discovered that there is no longer a way to list your own items for sale. The only option is to now use their Consignment model, even though the help desk documents still show that you can list your own items for sale. I emailed the help desk a week ago asking how to navigate to the "list your own items for sale" via the menu options and still have not received a reply. If gear trade no longer allows or supports members listing their own gear, then the website should clearly state this and your help desk documentation should be updated.
Date of experience: October 16, 2023
Reply from Geartrade.com
Thanks you for your feedback. The decision to move away from a peer-to-peer marketplace was not made lightly, but due to an increasing amount of external sellers who have taken advantage of our platform, we've decided to limit our marketplace for now. Over the years, Geartrade has grown into a thriving community of outdoor enthusiasts like you. While the vast majority of our sellers have been honest and dependable, we've faced some challenges that have made it impossible for us to keep running the marketplace business as we have.
1. Illegitimate Sellers: Unfortunately, we've seen an increase in illegitimate sellers who have taken advantage of our current marketplace system. This not only affects us but also impacts the trust within the community we've built. 2. Unfulfilled Listings: We’ve seen an uptick in sellers who have listed items on our marketplace but have not fulfilled them. This has led to a higher number of order cancellation rates, which is a frustrating experience and not fair to buyers.
In order to provide a better customer experience, we're transitioning to a consignment model. This model is easier for sellers - no more going to the post office, figuring out what to charge for shipping, answering buyer questions, dealing with returns, etc. It allows us to give people a consistently better experience, faster shipping, and a longer return window.
Here's how it works:
You send us your items, and we handle everything, from listing and photography to shipping. When your gear sells, we send you payment via PayPal or Venmo. As of right now, sellers will no longer be able to list items directly on Geartrade; they must be shipped to us first. However, all of your current listings will continue to be listed for sale and you can edit those items and fulfill new orders as usual. So, there is no impact to your currently listed items.
Please let us know if you have any questions or more feedback. We greatly appreciate you choosing to be a part of our community to re-use your gear and get more folks outside.
I placed two orders after I accidentally left out an item that I meant to combine with my first purchase so that I could qualify for the free shipping. I was worried I was going to have to eat the shipping fee, but geartrade was able to fix the issue before the packages were sent out and combine the two orders for me, saving me the shipping cost! Great customer service from Scott! I bought a Karrimor Predator 80-130 liter ruck and the two side pocket attachments for it. Both items were in better condition than described, they were both brand new / completely unused. Super fast shipping too!
Date of experience: September 03, 2023
Reply from Geartrade.com
Thanks for your order and glad your items came better than expected!
I ordered some Chaco sandals for my son through this company because I found a good deal. We ended up having a problem with the sandals, a manufacturing defect. I needed to return them but it worked out good because he just could not get used to them and I was going to try to resell them. Customer service was wonderful, responding and giving me a hassle free refund. Great to work with!
Date of experience: September 01, 2023
Reply from Geartrade.com
Thanks for your understanding in this matter. We appreciate your review and glad we were able to get everything resolved!
I listed and sold quite a bit of $$$ worth of merchandise on this site. It was a costly and frustrating experience and I finally had my account deleted. They are unprofessional and simply do not have the tools to handle returns, etc. Their website needs a major overhaul. Their excuse is that they are a small company with limited resources. Can't say in my 40 yrs of business in the Outdoor Industry, anyone every used that excuse before. Not selling themselves well to say the least. My cost in time was by far the most frustrating part, but for the commission they charge, more than EBAY, it of course makes zero sense for selling outdoor gear, new or used.
The scope of products, vendors and owners is great! It's difficult to not find what you're looking for, new and old. Pricing is typically fair and better brick and mortar store prices. The various sizing methods could be cleaned-up in addition to site navigation from a user experience point of view. Overall, a go-to source for gear.
Overall seems to be a great company, with lots of great clothing, gear, and parts for sale. I feel as if 17-20% is an unbelievably high commission rate for an online platform. Most in person outdoor used stores, will only take 25% commission. For this reason, I will probably sell most items else where, such as Requipper (7%) or Facebook (0%).
Date of experience: July 16, 2022
Reply from Geartrade.com
Joshua, Thanks for your feedback. We understand your concern. As you sell more with us, we do lower your commission rate per our rewards/loyalty program here: https://www.geartrade.com/helpdesk/our-policies/rewards-policy Our regular sellers only get charged 13% commission. Unlike other marketplaces, we only charge the commission on the purchase price of the item - we do not charge commission on the shipping or tax like all major marketplaces, so we end up being a bit cheaper. We also advertise our individual sellers gear on a handful of platforms; something most major marketplaces do not do. As we grow, we hope we can offer our sellers greater discounts. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you and have a great evening!
GearTrade is now 0 for 2, and I won’t be ordering anything from them again.
My first order was for cycling shoes, but I received a completely different pair in a different size.
Second order was for a cycling jersey described as “excellent”, when the zipper slide was no longer attached to the jersey.
A Jersey without a working zipper, rated excellent? Ridiculous.
Both items were sold by Backcountry, which apparently doesn’t adequately check the items they offer for sale on GearTrade.
Date of experience: August 02, 2023
Reply from Geartrade.com
Tim, We would love to help you resolve your recent order issues and setup a return for you. Can you please contact us directly with your full name and/or order number? You can reach us here: https://www.geartrade.com/contact
For more context, the seller "Backcountry' is an independent seller on our marketplace. Though we have done business with this seller for over 15 years, we are not the same company, and we are a completely separate business entity and always have been. If the items you received were misrepresented, you are entitled to a return and we will help you facilitate this. Thanks for your business and understanding. Have a great day, Geartrade.com
UPDATE: Thanks for sending us your contact info. A customer service rep is reaching out to you now. 8/9/23
I've been shopping on GearTrade for 3 years now & up to 61 orders so far & it's one of my most favorite shopping sites. Only twice did I have an issue with processing my order & they were very very prompt in replying to my email & fixed the issue promptly. I also like the option to shop by sorting the items based on the % off savings. It's makes it fun to browse when just wanting to shop but didn't have any specific item in mind. I've purchased from both individual sellers as well as backcountry store items. Both transactions always have gone smoothly.
I love gear trade and have bought a handful of products from the site. I primarily buy things sold by Backcountry as I trust the descriptions and have never been disappointed. The search options on GearTrade could use some updating but that's difficult when anyone can list products for sale and the seller misspells brand names, descriptions, etc. Typically not their fault but I would like to see some enhancements on that end.
Good stuff... I have gotten plenty of things from here. I especially look for when I need a specialized piece of climbing gear (generally clothing) that I may only a few times. For example I got good GORETEX pants for a mountaineering trip for like 1/4 the price.
Also, Backcountry.com liquidates things here and you can get seriously good deals on basically new stuff. Got a sick pair of climbing shoes for $60 ($150 retail) and they are perfect. Highly recommend geartrade.
Just like Backcountry's awesome return policy for snowboards was destroyed by idiots abusing it, a similar thing has started to happen to Geartrade. Once a great place to get returns from Backcountry at fantastic prices, now small board shops are listing all of their new inventory on Geartrade. I have bought close to 10 boards in the past few years from Geartrade, but I don't even bother to visit the site anymore with all the full price new gear you have to wade through.. Sad.
Date of experience: August 30, 2014
Reply from Geartrade.com
Sorry you haven't been able to find what you're looking for on the cheap. We still have over 800 items over 80% Off so there are still some good deals floating around.
As a seller I am most disappointed with the site. I have had 5 offers on a tent which I accepted but NONE have followed thru with the purchase. Having read complaints here about buying then getting a note the item is not available I am wondering g if this is happening or whether people just can't follow thru.
Date of experience: April 13, 2019
Reply from Geartrade.com
I'm sorry that no buyers followed through with the purchase. I would be happy to send these interested parties a reminder of your offer. We are always here to help. Let us know your username so we can contact you directly or you can email us direct at gearheads@geartrade.com. Have a great evening.
Some good experiences, some bad. The customer support is frustrating. They don't seem to have visibility or the ability or willingness to contact sellers to work out discrepancies. The site is very glitchy. One price shows in some places, another place shows another. Links lead to unexpected places or do nothing. It works OK enough that I will still use the service but it can be extremely frustrating service if you have any trouble with your order or glitches.
