COVID-19: Seller and Buyer FAQ & Guidelines (last updated 30th Jan 2023)
Depop is and always will be a community first. Your safety and the safety of the entire Depop community is our first priority. As such, we are providing further guidelines on COVID-19 below.
This Help Centre article will be continuously updated with new and necessary information in line with any new developments of COVID-19. Please check back for new updates.
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COVID-19 Guidelines
First and foremost, always follow the latest advice from your local government. For now, we’ve pulled together these guidelines to help you keep safe and to help limit the spread.
- Ship safely: Please check your local government guidelines and shipping providers if it is safe to ship. Some providers are offering specific shipping services to make sure you can ship safely and in line with local government recommendations. Check the FAQ below for more information.
- Get creative with your inventory: More time at home can mean more time to get creative. Relist existing inventory with new styling, new flat lays and to give new life to products you’ve already listed. We recommend that you continue listing items and promoting your shop – we’ll do what we can from our end to send tips on ways to drive traffic and visibility.
- Sourcing safely: With shipping delays and travel bans, we know that reaching your supply may be more difficult during this time. If possible, we recommend buying products from wholesalers or in bulk from online thrift shops to make sure you don’t have to unnecessarily leave your home to source new products.
- Get in touch: If you have any immediate concerns, please go to help.depop.com or reach out to our support team in the app by going to Settings > Need Help? > Technical.
If you are a buyer:
- Be patient: As you know, this is an uncertain time for our community around the world and shipping items is difficult for many of our sellers right now. We’ve asked all our sellers to get in touch about any delays they may be facing. Your item could be delayed due to the shipping provider, or the seller hasn’t been able to get the item shipped yet. If you haven’t already, make sure you reach out to your seller to get any further information from them on your item or refund.
- Update your delivery address: When making a purchase, remember to update your delivery address to somewhere that you can access the post. Avoid sending any packages to work addresses or places that you can’t access until further notice.
- You’re protected: If the seller is unable to ship for any reason and there is no way to resolve your issue with the seller directly, please note that you are fully protected by Buyer Protection and are entitled to a full refund up to 180 days from purchase. To open a PayPal dispute, just follow these instructions ensuring you open a dispute from the item under the reason ‘I didn’t receive an item I purchased’. Please note PayPal is experiencing longer than usual wait times.
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COVID-19: Seller FAQ
Can I still ship my items in the UK?
Yes, Royal Mail and Evri are operating fully. We strongly recommend using a home collection or courier service like Evri’s contact-free collection and delivery to ship as safely as possible. We have removed the home collection option in-app but you can always arrange home collection through Evri directly.
Evri’s home collections and deliveries are both contact-free and all services are fully tracked. For more information on these services, click here.
If you have more questions regarding Evri services, please visit our Evri FAQ here.
Is it still safe for me to drop off my items at a UK post office?
We encourage our users to only ship when it’s safe to do so, and we strongly recommend you use home collection services or courier services if you need to ship your items.
Both Evri and Royal Mail are fully operating and offering delivery services across the UK. Royal Mail’s post office opening hours may vary by location so please check with your local branch. If you’re dropping off at a Evri ParcelShop, click here to find the nearest open store to you.
We’ll continue to update you with any new guidance provided by Royal Mail and Evri as new information is received.
Is it still safe for people to shop on Depop? If so, will you be letting buyers know that Depop is still safe to shop from?
Yes, it is still safe to shop on Depop. The World Health Organization is regularly updating with new information on advice as new developments arise. To stay informed on COVID-19 and to read their full FAQ, please visit the World Health Organization.
Can I still ship items to countries that have been affected by COVID-19?
If you are shipping internationally, we advise you to track evolving communications from your shipment provider. Below are links to the expected shipment impact for Royal Mail, Evri.
Should I be stating in descriptions that all of my items are disinfected?
As a rule, all secondhand items must be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions before being listed for sale. We take listings with misleading claims and practices that try to exploit this public health emergency very seriously. And we will remove and block any listings that mention COVID-19, coronavirus or 2019nCoV in the title or description.
I haven’t responded to customers as I’m ill/ taking care of my family or I’m in isolation. What should I tell my buyers if I’m not able to ship my items?
If you have been affected by the virus and know there might be a delay in responses or the shipment of items, the best thing to do is make this very clear in your shop’s bio so that buyers immediately know to expect delays and message any buyers who are awaiting shipments. Always keep your buyers as informed as possible to avoid any complaints or complications.
If I’m unable to ship an item that a buyer has already purchased, what should I do?
We know this is a difficult time for our community around the world and that shipping items might not be possible right now. Because of this, we're temporarily recommending that you refund your buyer if you are not able to ship.
If you choose to refund your buyer, refund them directly from your PayPal account (via a desktop/laptop/browser on your phone rather than the app). Please click [here] (https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/send-refund) for instructions. Please note that PayPal is experiencing a higher than normal wait time, so their replies may take longer than usual.
To then get your Depop fee refunded, just send us a request via this link and select ‘I have sold something on Depop’ and ‘Refund Depop fee’, make sure you add a screenshot of your refund. We are experiencing a high volume of fee refund requests right now, so it might take us up to 24 hours to get back to you.
Does the government offer any support to self-employed people who get sick? Is there any benefit scheme to provide sick pay for self-employed?
We know that this crisis is particularly difficult for entrepreneurs. If you’re self-employed, we recommend consulting your local council to understand what support the UK government is providing.. For links to recent business guidance provided by the UK government, see below:
Support for those affected by COVID-19
Guidance to businesses about COVID-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
‘New Style’ Employment and Support Allowance
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance
Universal Credit
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit
Guidance on claiming a grant through the government if you are self-employed:
What will happen if the situation gets worse?
As a company, we’ll continue to stick to the guidance provided by the World Health Organization and local public health officials as well as closely following developments associated with COVID-19 to make sure our policies and actions are up to date.
How do I close or pause my shop on Depop?
If you’ve been directly affected by COVID-19 and as a result cannot fulfil orders or manage your shop you have two options to pause or, if absolutely necessary, temporarily close your shop:
- Pause your shop: you can mark each of the items on your shop as sold. This way buyers will not be able to purchase from you – but you can still monitor your inbox and be active on Depop. We recommend proactively communicating that you are pausing your shop in the bio of your profile so buyers are aware.
- Close your shop: you can temporarily suspend your shop by closing it entirely. This means you won’t have access to your account or the ability to log in, but when you sign back in your account will be reactivated. To do this, email close@depop.com asking them to close your account.
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COVID-19: Buyer FAQ
Is it still safe for people to shop on Depop?
Yes, it is still safe to shop on Depop. The World Health Organization is regularly updating with new information on advice as new developments arise. To stay informed on COVID-19 and to read their full FAQ, please visit the World Health Organization.
I’ve purchased an item and the seller hasn’t shipped it?
We know this is a difficult time for our community around the world and that shipping items might not be possible right now. Because of this, we thank you for being patient. If you haven’t already, make sure to reach out to the seller directly to ask for an update regarding your order. We’ve asked all our sellers to get in touch about any delays they may be facing. Your item may be delayed due to the shipping provider or the seller might not have been able to ship the item yet.
Remember to update your delivery address to somewhere that you can access the post. And avoid sending any packages to work addresses or places that you can’t access until further notice.
I haven’t heard from the seller, can I just get a refund?
If you haven’t already, make sure you reach out to your seller to get any further information from them on your refund.
If the seller is unable to ship for any reason and there is no way to resolve your issue with the seller directly, please note that you are fully protected by Buyer Protection and are entitled to a full refund up to 180 days from purchase, to open a PayPal dispute just follow these instructions ensuring you open a dispute from the item under the reason ‘I didn’t receive an item I purchased’. If this isn’t resolved within 20 days, you will need to escalate the dispute to a claim, instructions to do this can be found here.
Please note that PayPal is experiencing a higher than normal wait time, so their replies may take longer than usual.