Beware of VERO, the eBay Police

When posting your item on eBay, please always take your own pictures. Never use stock photos or anyone else’s photos. If someone sees their photos in your ad they can report your ad and it will be removed. Lululemon participates in eBay’s VERO program, if one of their employees sees your ad, and it features a stock photo, it will be reported. Once the stock photo is reported, Lululemon will have your name & address, as well as other information. eBay states: “When a rights owner files a VeRO claim against a seller, the rights owner may have the option to request a seller’s registered user ID, name, address, phone number, email, and company name. This process is outlined in our Privacy Policy.”

The difference between when the average user reports your photo & when Lululemon reports your photo is that Lululemon participates in the VERO along with many other companies listed here: Vero Participant Companies “About Me” pages. The average user can report your image to eBay for copyright infringement, but when someone registered with VERO does it, they also have the right to request your personal information.

eBay’s VERO policy can be found here.

I also would like to mention that at one point, Lululemon had Facebook shut down one of the most popular selling pages on Facebook. It also froze the accounts of the administrators on that page. The stated reason was copyright infringement. So, the admins had all of the Stock photos removed from the page & coordinated an effort to remove all stock photos from all pages. To this day, no stock photos are permitted on any Facebook selling page. Personally, I think it has helped deter scam artists who sell things they don’t own. (If you have to take your own pictures, how do you post an ad without the item? I suppose it’s possible, but it becomes more difficult.)

I know I haven’t covered the entire breadth of this. I find this subject too dry to elaborate on. However, I thought it was important enough to cover. Some people are new to eBay or new to selling Lululemon and may not be aware of Vero policies. I hope that my small effort to prevent your ad from being reported, removed and your privacy being compromised by Lululemon & eBay will be heeded and I can help everyone have a positive eBay experience.

How to do the eBay. AKA: Selling Lululemon using eBay.

This blog is meant, primarily, to help people sell their Lululemon collection. I want to talk about selling, specifically, on eBay. Some of these tips might be applicable to eBay in general, but I do like to keep myself on topic. So, please comment with your opinions on how I can improve this post, especially regarding its specificity and relevancy to Lululemon.

First thing first! Learn how to prepare your item for sale.

Decide When to Sell- market trends occur year-round and always merit consideration. But there are other factors to consider. I have limited closet space, so I’m constantly considering and re-considering pieces of my Lululemon wardrobe. But once I decide to sell, I prepare the item for sale and it gets zip-locked. That way, the condition of the item is unchanged.

Sell many items at once- I recommend selling multiple items at once. Because there are so many listings for Lululemon items, I like to do as much as I can to make sure my ads get noticed! I try to add at the end of my listings “If you’re looking for more Lululemon, check out my other listings!” Hopefully they do. The more views you get, the more watchers you’ll get the more sales you’ll create! If you sell in multiples, one person who was searching for something may look at another ad and buy that instead! You never know!

Give your potential customers the attention they deserve- Make sure you have the time to dedicate to your sales. If someone messages you with a question, answer it ASAP. People are fickle, someone may be very interested in your item and if you don’t respond quickly, they’ll move on to something else. This is particularly true at the very beginning and towards the end of your listing. People who are considering the BIN option may ask questions immediately after you list the item. After all, it’s a GREAT item and they don’t want to miss out! Answer them quickly and you may earn that sale! Leave them hanging, and they will certainly explore other options.

Pricing- When you list your item, BIN is probably the most optimal outcome. You never know whether something will sell or not, or how high it will go if you post as auction only. Never price your item at 0.99. This doesn’t work for Lululemon items. It works for other things. It works for commodity-like items where there are too many of the same thing to keep track of and everyone is looking for the lowest possible price on the same thing. But Lululemon is NOT a commodity (as in a mass-produced, unspecialized item, made to be used up), it is an asset. It retains value over time and that’s part of the reason your collection and its sale can be lucrative. If you price your item too low, you’ll just get a bunch of people who will watch your auction, and you will not get what your item is worth. Price your item fairly, and you should get what it’s worth, or at least close to that much. The most important factor in getting what your item is worth is ensuring that it is listed correctly. For help trying to find the name and colour name of your item, read this post or this post for even more (extensive) advice. I also think it’s a a good idea to price your item such that it meets eBay’s minimum requirements with regards to start bid vs. BIN price. The current rule is that the BIN price must be a minimum of 30% higher than the starting bid. The BIN should be what you want for your item, in the best possible outcome. It should be optimistic, but not ridiculous. Try to find out the value of your item and price it accordingly. People like a good deal, but there’s no need for you to give your things away! The reason I think this is a good idea is because if people think they can get a really good deal by simply *watching* your item, they will. However, if your item is $100 and the SB is $70, people are more likely to BIN if they’re actually interested in the item. Then you get what you want, a sale, and they get awesome, awesome Lulu.

Shipping- Regardless of where you are, I recommend offering shipping to Canada AND the US, as this is where the highest concentration of buyers reside. I am so honoured to be able to say that I have had readers from Singapore, Australia, the UK & New Zealand! Therefore, I find it appropriate to mention that the largest market for Lululemon is the US & Canada. And that regardless of your home port, I recommend offering your goods to the largest available market and that means these two Western nations.

eBay’s Global Shipping Program- whether you choose to use this or not is up to you, I just want to let you know that in my experience, it over-charges the buyer. And beware of being automatically or mistakenly opted-in.

Finally, my advice is to keep your eBay account as private as possible. Don’t name it after yourself or tell people your eBay handle. The reason being that eBay is purely business and once people know who you are, it becomes personal. I once witnessed a public argument on a Facebook group about a $2 shipping charge discrepancy & both the buyer and the seller posted their own thread talking about this “terrible buyer/ seller on eBay.” Then, everyone realized what was going on and it was a mess.

Please be a responsible and courteous buyer/ seller. The market rewards excellence in service, who knows, maybe one day you’ll be a Top Seller!

Talking Market Trends

I want to take the time to talk Lululemon after-market trends. The market suffers and benefits from general and somewhat predictable fluctuations. I want to discuss with you how we can take advantage of the good times and mitigate the losses in the bad times. In the following scenarios, my suggestions refer to the common person. There are exceptions to every rule, I’ll even try to cover them, but again: My advice applies to the average collector.

Seasonal– Seasonal fluctuations are easy enough to understand, but surprisingly few people use their own common sense to their advantage. People are not searching for shorts in the winter, nor are they seeking out sweaters in the summer. There are over 15,000 listings of “Lululemon” items on eBay- every single day. If you want to stand out, you have to make sure you’re selling your item when as many people as possible are interested in buying it. I suggest listing your sweaters at the beginning of Autumn, and shorts at the beginning of Spring. I also suggest you consider the weather patterns of the biggest markets for your item. Canadians will want more cold-weather items. If you’re a US seller, you might also consider adding a Canadian shipping option. (There are some extra risks involved with shipping abroad that can be alleviated, but I will cover them in a future post.) Therefore, if I were selling a sweater, I would list it mid to late September as average temperatures tend to begin becoming cooler around this time.

Secondary Seasonal Considerations There are other so-called seasonal conditions to evaluate. One of them is the fact that the Designers in MANY companies seem to release their best efforts in fall. The fall fashion shows are always the most anticipated and Lululemon’s strategy is not different. It seems like every fall they release the best stuff. I know people who don’t buy much in summer, so they can save up for fall! They usually release some special edition items around Christmas, although, last year was a bust. During these times, people are spending more money on Upload night, and in-store on new items, so they’re not looking at eBay or on the Facebook Pages for deals on older items. The point of this story is: avoid selling when people don’t have the money to buy. The irony is that it will likely be when you need the money the most that you decide to sell. But don’t say I didn’t warn you 😉

Unicorns- Unicorns change over time (Don’t know what a Unicorn is? Check out my Previous Post about Lululemon Slang), but often you can take advantage of when your item obtains unicorn status and cash out, unless you love it. Then, I say keep it. But if you have a “Unicorn,” and you notice that it has been doing very well on eBay, you should make a decision on whether or not you’re going to sell- And Fast! Because there is always a limited number of people who are willing to pay the big bucks for something they really want right now, and then there are people like me, who will wait for it to pop up on eBay for cheaper. However, there are some things that maintain their value fairly well and I will continue to discuss those things in future posts.

Preparing Your Item For Sale

It doesn’t matter where you sell your item, you’ll have to prepare it for sale. The better you are able to prepare your item, the more likely it is to sell and fetch a high price.

Make sure your item is in the best condition it can be.  You’ll want to make sure that your item is in the best possible condition before you list it. You should refer to my Last Post for tips on how to repair any damages your piece has suffered over the time you’ve had it.

Take lots of pictures of your item. Take your best camera and make your item look pretty. Smooth out the wrinkles, Fold it nicely along seams when you’re taking pictures at different angles. Take a picture of the full front, full back, any details that make the item unique like thumbholes, pockets, ruffles, zippers, etc. Take pictures of cuffs and the bottom hems on pants, as these areas tend to receive the most wear. Take up-close pictures of the fabric. If your item has a size dot, take a picture of that. I love it when sellers take a picture of the size dot because it guarantees that the item is the size stated in the auction. There have been countless times when I have purchased an item sold as one size, only for it to get to me and discover via the size dot that it is a different size. Disclose any flaws, no matter how small and take pictures of them. Also disclose if the item has even been altered, including hemming.

In a Previous Post, I talk about rip-out tags. This is where they come in handy. Take a picture of the rip-out tag. This helps buyer determine the size and most importantly authenticity because there are FAKES out there. This is especially important when selling items that are New With Tags. (Got Q’s about how to assess the condition of your item? Consult this post) Personally, I’m very cautious when contemplating purchasing items that are new with tags and I like to consult this blog if I have any concerns about whether an item may be a replica. I’ve also started a post about fakes that I update on a very regular basis entitled “Time To Talk About Fakes.”It has examples of fake Scubas, Strides, Wunder Unders & I update it everytime I find something new.

Wash your item. Wash your Lululemon item according to the Lululemon washing instructions or refer to my post about washing Lulu and clean your item. After is has been washed & dried, place it in a Ziplock Bag and put it away.

Post your item. Using the pictures you’ve taken, post your item in your chosen selling format.

Happy Selling!

How to Describe the Condition of Your Lululemon Item.

When you’re posting your item, whether on eBay, one of the bidding pages or in one of the direct buy/ sell Facebook pages the condition of the item is going to be fundamental in the final value selling price of your item. And may also dictate whether it sells or not. If you are selling on eBay, I always post the most amount of information possible, but let’s start with the basics. If I were selling my item on a Facebook group, I would describe it quickly with one the following acronyms:

GUC- This is an item that is still wearable, but may have one or more small flaws.

VGUC- This item is very wearable but may have one small flaw that is not a rip, hole, tear or stain

EUC- No visible flaws. Has been washed and worn, but not too often.

VEUC- Rarely if ever worn. Worn once, maybe twice. Practically looks new.

NWOT- This item is brand new, never washed, never worn and has had the tags removed then sat in your closet.

NWT- This item is brand new, and still has the product information attached to it.

A few notes on condition acronyms: these are guidelines only. Please do remember to describe all flaws. If your item is in “GUC,” or “Good Used Condition,” meaning that it’s still wearable, it might have a small stain on the cuff, or a seam may be unravelling. Sometimes people will buy things thinking they might be able to repair them. As long as you’re honest about the condition, they really don’t have any recourse if they decide they don’t like the item. I tend to allow returns anyways, in order to maintain good will, but you don’t have to if you’ve honestly described all flaws. Don’t forget to take a screen shot of your ad, and describe in your correspondence (Facebook messages or eBay ad) the flaws. Keep those messages, in the event of a disagreement, PayPal with consult them to establish your defence.

“VGUC” or Very Good Used Condition. These items will have no rips, holes, tears or stains. Some flaws that I describe with a “very good used condition item” are any wash wear that has occurred. This includes “sueding” of the fabric, which occurs after it’s been washed quite a few times, or if it’s been washed incorrectly. I also say if there is any “pilling,” which occurs when tiny bits of other things stick to the fabric. This most often occurs with Luon, Lululemon’s signature fabric and towels need to be kept far away from this. Pills can be removed with this: Fabric Defuzzer* (Canadian friends, click here). Again, sometimes, people will buy an item thinking they can fix it, and wanting to return it when they are unable to. Fading is another issue I would mention in an ad for a VGUC item. A slight bit of fading never deterred me from buying something I really wanted. The final issue that I can think of that would still allow an item to qualify as “Very” good is “stickiness.” You must include in your ad if your item is “sticky.” When you unfold your Groove pants, do they stick together? Then they are sticky. This is what happens to Luon as it breaks down or if it is washed incorrectly. Over time, it does break down and it will become sticky. It’s still really good, in my opinion, but this flaw is often over-looked by eBay sellers. That said, I’ve purchased several items that were in perfect condition- except for being sticky, and even though the seller didn’t mention this flaw, I’ve never returned an item or asked for a partial refund due to stickiness. But some people are picky and it’s better to be safe, rather than risk negative feedback or having to process a return.

Excellent Used condition is my favorite to buy from. The items are used, but have only been worn a few times, and then the person decided that they just don’t want them anymore. Often these items are the best deal because they still look great in my collection, but they will generally be priced at less than retail. (Except in some cases, which I will develop as this blog continues). There should be no visible flaws, including none of the above. In some cases a slight bit of pilling is excusable, but I strongly caution against using the word “Excellent” to describe your item unless there is no pilling. (Some items like Charcoal Wunder Unders pill in the gusset after one or two uses, there’s one exception. There may be others, but I discourage it because if there is a PayPal case, pilling does not constitute “excellence” in my opinion.)

VEUC, or “Very Excellent Used Condition.” I rarely use this acronym myself. This is reserved for things where I can’t remember if I took the tags off and put it in my closet or if it has been washed and worn once or twice. I recently sold a pair of Pow Pink Wunder Unders that I had taken the tags off and worn for 6 hours. Those were in VEUC.

NWOT or “New Without Tags,” should be pretty self explanatory, however, I am constantly plagued by eBay ads which state the condition as “NWOT” and then, in the description exclaim: “Washed and Worn once!” As if that’s a great thing. No, mystery eBay-er. NWOT is NWOT, I once won a PayPal dispute because the condition stated “NWOT” and in the ad she said “Washed and worn once.” They had obviously been washed and worn MANY times. They were in “Very Good Used Condition,” a far cry from “New Without Tags,” but I digress. It’s all just semantics, just be honest and no one will open a PayPal claim against you… or at least they won’t win if they do.

NWT is the best possible condition in which you item can be. You bought it new, were unsure about it, but maybe you forgot about it, or were unable to return it due to Lululemon’s strict return policy, which can be found HERE. And so it sat, unloved, in your closet… until now!

Don’t forget to take photos of the flaws! If there’s a stain on the cuff, or a few pills here or there, as a buyer- I would love to see a photo before I make a purchase. If you’re interested in trying to repair your item before selling it I wrote a post about repairing Lululemon!

I hope that this has been helpful. Please Remember: These definitions are fluid and some people have a different idea of what “Good” or “Excellent” are and may be expecting “New,” so please remember to be picky and honestly describe all flaws.

An Introduction to the little known world of Lululemon after market sales

Upon discovering Lululemon, and submitting to the fact that their marketing directly targets people like you and I, I wondered, what is it about this company in particular that allows it to earn and maintain such a loyal fan base. It does no television marketing, or pop-up ads, no billboards or print ads and yet the popularity of the clothing doesn’t seem to wane. Even in the wake of “Pantsgate,” profits and the Stock, seemed to carry on, almost uninterrupted, save for the occasional late night talk show gag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guYcnGKg9Z8 <<— watch Kimmel poke fun at Lulu here.

March 18th, the day that Lululemon announced the recall of sheer, defective, yoga pants the stock closed at $65.90. It continued to hover for a couple of weeks around the 62 dollar mark, and has slowly risen back up almost reaching it’s 52 week high of $81.77. As I write this, the price is currently $80.94. It’s astonishing to me, that a company that has experienced such a damaging public relations disaster can continue to remain so popular, and highly valued. At least it was astonishing to me. Until I encountered the obscure world of after market Lululemon sales.

Have you ever purchased a pair of Nike shorts? How much did they cost? Thirty dollars? What if I told you that you could sell those for more after you had used them? You don’t have to give them to charity or throw them away, even if they have a hole in them! Well, that’s the nature of the after market for Lululemon clothing. Of course, you can’t do that with Nike shorts, but there are shorts by Lululemon that sell for MORE than retail. And keep in mind that these are USED clothes. The reason for this is the scarcity model that Lululemon employs. Lululemon introduces new products every week, and they only manufacture a limited number of each product. Once the product sells out, (save for returns) the product is gone, and you can no longer buy it. At least, not from Lululemon. Enter the after market. A solution to a problem I didn’t know I had until I discovered it. It’s absolutely incredible and I want to help you understand and participate in it.

I love the Lululemon after market. It helps you discover things you didn’t know you wanted, things you never knew existed and it encourages you to see your Lululemon clothing as a collection. This culture is the reason, I believe, that Lululemon has been able to maintain its stock price despite some difficult press releases (Lululemon Recalls Sheer Pants,) and dropping some of their core products, such as the ever popular Define jacket. In writing this, I’m hoping to recruit more fans for Lululemon clothing as well as to introduce you to and encourage participation in the after market sales of Lululemon clothing.

I intend to discuss the vernacular, culture and trends of these markets and in order to encourage conversation, I ask that you submit questions regarding these markets as well as questions regarding the market value of individual items themselves.

I hope we can all have a fun and fruitful discussion about Lululemon!