Preowned 'never worn' or 'worn once'. Really????

[downwindofyou]

Am I cynical that when I see something on Vestiaire or Vinted etc and it's described as 'only worn once' or 'never worn' then it's a big fat porky pie?

How often are things really worn once before someone decides to get rid of it? ONCE??? Not 4 times? Not half a season? Just the once?

It immediately makes me not want to buy the thing

Absolutely possible, I have many expensive items that I’ve sold that were bought for an occasion or ‘saved for best’ that are then never worn or worn maybe once.

I've got a huge amount of stuff really truly only worn once or BNWT. I really need to start working my way through and selling it as I'm running out of wardrobe space due to losing 3 stone
I'm rubbish at sending things back, have/work with horses so generally go around in shit clothes and wellies as that's practical. Nice, pretty things in my wardrobe don't see the light of day very often!

very possible. I have a number of things that teenage dd has ordered and we have not returned. A few are "bargains" from DHs unsupervised shopping sprees whilst on business trips (Tommy Hilfiger pink blouse for example. He was thrilled to get this for a fiver, but it is low cut and xxl and DD is size 10. IT would have to be completely resown to fit any of us) DD also once ordered from a US site, and I stupidly did not check the return policy. The value of the two cheap t - shirts and jeans were less that the fee for the return postage. Plenty of other examples that happen once in a blue moon, but then after two years I have a handful of stuff to put on vented, all of it never worn.

I'm sure that some people do lie about this (and lots of other things) when selling second hand, it's always been the case, buyer beware etc.

You just have to look at the photo and decide.

A lot of people do buy things and then never wear them, though. It certainly wouldn't automatically put me off - I just take it to mean the item has minimal wear, look at the pics and make a decision.

In the past I've certainly bought items that I loved in the shop and then worn once, and realised the item is impractical or doesn't look as good as I'd hoped.
I also have other items that I've loved the look of and bought because it'll "do for a party" or a special event. Then I never wear them because no special event happens, or if it does, the outfit isn't right and I buy something else instead. So yes, I have had things in the wardrobe which have never been worn.

I try not to do this now as it's so wasteful!

I list quite a lot of things on Vinted as never worn. Unfortunately I often buy things and talk myself into keeping them even though I'm not sure they suit me, there's something annoying about the fit that I think I'll get over etc. Or the cost of returning some kid's clothing just isn't worth the petrol to go back to the shop.

So I don't automatically think people are lying about it.

Well, this is encouraging!

I’m a very occasional Vestiaire shopper and will go as far as ‘Very good condition’. TBH I’ve always been a bit sceptical about pre-owned descriptions, but comments here are making me feel less so.

(On the other hand 95% of S&B posters apparently shop exclusively through Next online, so I wouldn’t want your ‘Worn once’ cast-offs anyway. )

But often it's not a special occasion garment. It's something incredibly classic. Like a blazer or classic winter coat. Why would anyone wear a classic winter coat once then think nah. I don't like it

I've been searching for boys/mens coats on Vinted and despite only having new or VGC ticked the amount which "only" have one hole or "just the one" stain is ridiculous.

I can totally believe the only worn once thing though, my DD is awful for trying stuff on in the shop and then buying it but never wearing it because it doesn't fit or is itchy. Now, if only there was a way to tell before buying that something didn't fit or was itchy...

I frequently list unworn or worn once items that have genuinely been worn that amount of times. I found when I was overweight that things were just uncomfortable or didn't quite fit right. Now I've lost almost 6st I find that things are too big after a couple of hours wear as the material relaxes.

However, I bought a pair of white stuff jeans on Vinted and if they were worn once, it must have been because the woman didn't take them off for weeks. The smell was appalling and I was actually retching as I opened the bag and dragged them out of the packaging. I absolutely don't trust Vinted sellers to tell the truth and prefer eBay.

I sell on Vinted and I’m absolutely truthful if I say something like that. I can’t help but be honest and the last thing I want is negative feedback if I’ve misled re the condition.

It annoys me when someone lists in the category ‘new without tags’ and then says in the description the item has actually been worn a couple of times. Surely that’s what ‘very good’ is for.

It seems that most people on here buy things and take off the labels and then never wear them. I don't take off my labels until I wear them. That way if I'm going to resell I can list as BNWT. Not never worn as I just don't trust never worn as being true.

If they don't have labels I don't trust they have never been worn.

If they are occasion wear I can see them being worn only once but unlikely if it's a classic day time piece like a coat or blazer or scarf.

What I'm learning here is if it is a regular day piece and claimed to have only been worn once it's probably got some design problem that makes it uncomfortable or fit weirdly or gape or be itchy/scratchy

I sell loads of things on ebay I've only worn once. I will often buy something and think I like it. Then I wear it and it doesn't work for me. You can't then take it back to the shop and say that you've worn it but you don't like it, so you're stuck with it. Generally it lurks in my wardrobe for a year (or maybe more) and I eventually get around to selling it for 2p on ebay, because I want to try and pretend that I am recouping some of my costs!!!!!

Yes. I do. I may wear something once, decide I've made a mistake because it's not comfortable or doesn't really suit me. I've also bought things, removed labels, then decided (again) that I've made a mistake and decided never to wear them.

I sell on Vinted. Up to you if you chose not to buy the items.

I think you can also tell from the seller's reviews if they are likely to be telling porkies. I've been selling for years and I have consistent positive feedback on my sales. If I were flogging well worn clothes, passing them off as almost new, then the feedback would reflect that.

Also, you can tell a lot from decent photos. I do plenty of close ups so that you can see that the fabric hasn't been through the washing machine 100 times or the rear is seated and all the things that show an item has been well worn.

I am selling a suit on Vinted which was worn once by my teenage son for a wedding. It fitted him for approximately 1 month!
I never lie on Vinted and have 100% 5* reviews.

I buy a lot of stuff described as this and 99% of the time it shows up and I can believe it from the item’s appearance. I’ve sold on quite a lot of day clothes I’ve only worn once or twice, usually dresses I’ve realised were much more comfortable for a two minute try-on in the store fitting room than for a full day sitting at a desk in the office, or are fine when I’m not going anywhere fast but tight enough that they constrict my legs too much when I have to walk somewhere at a reasonable pace. I have a very nice Vivienne Westwood coat that I’m about to list after two wears because it looks great with looser skirts but looks odd if I wear tighter ones.

I have ordinary things I've donated to charity shops that I've only worn once. Sometimes I buy it, wear it and decide that actually I'm not comfortable in it or don't actually like how it looks on me.

I've also seen things in charity shops that are BNWT.

I sometimes buy a selection for DS to try and if it all fits and suits except one t-shirt and it costs to send back I'll sell that on.

(and I've bought in JL in person for him but can't go back in time to return)

I've got about 3 dresses in my wardrobe that I've bought in the sales but were too small and I thought I'll lose the weight! Never happened.... 😅

I only buy but I’ve had generally good experiences. Stuff that says unworn looks unworn. I did get a pair of boots that. Said worn once and looked immaculate. The sole flapped open on the first wear so I suspect they’d had an issue and sold them on but for less than £10 I’m willing to have a go at repairing them as so comfy.

There's so much stuff on vinted listed as 'brand new without tags' and it looks like a grubby rag ready to fall apart.

They say never worn but they're wearing it in the picture at a bar 🤣

Kids clothes quite often are genuinely only worn once or not at all, especially Spanish ones, either because they’re bought for someone who hates the style or because they’re bought for a wedding/Christmas Day and only worn for that.