Is Depop Legit and Safe for Buying Second-Hand Clothes in 2026?

Yes. Depop is a legitimate resale marketplace that Australians use to buy second-hand clothes, with about 56.3 million registered users, over 68 million items for sale and up to 600,000 new listings a day, according to Depop. It was founded in 2011 and has been owned by eBay since July 2026. Buying is usually safe if you pay inside the app and check each seller, because you are buying from individuals, not from Depop. Before you pay, go through ShopBack so the effective price drops.

New to ShopBack? ShopBack Australia is a free app and website that gives you money back on eligible orders when you start your shopping from ShopBack before you pay. Depop is one of the fashion stores you can shop this way. Join ShopBack Australia for free, then open the Depop page on ShopBack before your next order.

Is Depop legit? The facts that matter

Depop is a real, established company: a London-headquartered resale marketplace founded in Italy in 2011 and owned by eBay since 2026. The key facts, with sources:

• Size. About 56.3 million registered users, over 68 million items for sale, up to 600,000 new listings every day and over $6 billion of goods sold by the Depop community to date (Depop Newsroom, facts and figures).
• Founding. Simon Beckerman founded Depop in 2011 at the H-Farm start-up centre in Italy, and the company moved its headquarters to London in 2012 (Wikipedia).
• Ownership. Etsy bought Depop in June 2021 for US$1.6 billion. In February 2026 Etsy agreed to sell it to eBay for US$1.2 billion, and the deal was completed in July 2026 after approval by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (Wikipedia).
• What it sells. Mainly second-hand, vintage and designer clothing, listed by individual sellers through a social-media-style app (Wikipedia).

Other places Australians compare for pre-loved fashion include eBay, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and local op shops. For whether second-hand is worth it at all, see our guide on whether buying secondhand clothes in Australia is worth it.

Is Depop legit in Australia in 2026?

Yes. Depop serves buyers and sellers in Australia in 2026, and Australia is one of the three markets, with the UK and the US, where Depop offers buyers a full refund route for items that do not arrive or are not as described. Wikipedia, citing Depop's help centre, says the refund applies when the issue is reported within 30 days. Check the current window in the Depop app before you buy, since terms can change.

What this means in practice for an Australian buyer:

1. You pay Depop's checkout, and the seller posts to you. Most Australian sellers post domestically, so delivery times look like normal Australia Post or courier times.
2. Overseas sellers are on Depop too. If a seller is in the UK or US, expect longer postage and check whether the listing price includes international shipping.
3. Prices are set by sellers. There is no single sitewide sale calendar, so the same item can be listed at very different prices by different sellers.

Is Depop safe to buy from?

Depop is usually safe to buy from when you keep the whole purchase inside the app: pay through Depop's checkout, keep messages on Depop and buy from sellers with a visible track record. Most problems people report come from moving off the platform or from a single seller, not from the marketplace itself.

What protects you:

• In-app payment. Paying through Depop's checkout is what makes an order eligible for Depop's refund route if something goes wrong.
• Seller reviews. Every seller has a review history from past buyers. Read the recent ones, not just the star count.
• Message history. Messages inside the app give Depop's support team a record if there is a dispute.

What to avoid:

• A seller who asks you to pay by bank transfer, gift card or a link sent in messages.
• Moving the chat to Instagram, WhatsApp or email.
• Designer or hyped streetwear priced far below what similar listings sell for, with only stock photos.
• New accounts with no reviews selling high-value items.

Depop reviews, complaints and refunds in Australia in 2026

Complaints about Depop in Australia tend to fall into three groups: an item that is not as described, slow or lost postage, and a slow refund or dispute. Very few concern Depop itself taking money. Knowing that helps you prevent most of them before you buy.

Common complaint	How to prevent it	What to do if it happens
Item not as described	Ask for photos of labels, measurements and any flaws before you buy	Message the seller, then report the order in the app
Item never arrived	Prefer sellers who offer tracked postage, especially on higher-value pieces	Report it through the order in the Depop app
Slow refund	Keep every message in the app so support can see the history	Follow up through Depop support on the same order
Wrong size	Check measurements, not just the size label, since sizing varies by brand and era	Ask the seller; change-of-mind returns depend on the seller

Depop's official refund policy and customer service

Depop's official route for a problem order is to message the seller first, then report the order to Depop, which can refund buyers in Australia when an item does not arrive, arrives damaged or is significantly different from the listing. Wikipedia, citing Depop's help centre, says the issue needs to be reported within 30 days. Change-of-mind returns are up to each seller, so read the listing and the seller's shop description before you buy.

How to reach Depop customer service:

1. Open the order in the Depop app.
2. Message the seller and give them a chance to fix it.
3. If that does not work, use the help or report option on that order to contact Depop's support team.
4. Attach photos of the item, the packaging and the label if the item is not as described.

Depop's help centre also has articles on orders, postage, refunds and staying safe.

Depop reviews on Trustpilot and ProductReview

Trustpilot and ProductReview.com.au both carry reviews of Depop, and they read as a mix of happy buyers and complaints that usually concern one seller, postage or a refund dispute. A site-wide score blends sellers and buyers from many countries, so it tells you less about your order than the review history of the seller you are about to buy from.

How to read them usefully:

• Sort by most recent. Policies and support processes change, so a review from several years ago may not reflect how Depop works now.
• Look for patterns. Repeated mentions of the same issue are more useful than a single angry review.
• Check whether the reviewer is a buyer or a seller. Seller complaints about fees or payouts do not affect you as a buyer.
• Go back to the seller's own reviews. On Depop, the seller you are buying from matters more than the platform average.

How to buy second-hand clothes on Depop safely

The safest way to buy on Depop is a short checklist: check the seller, check the item, pay in the app and keep the record.

1. Check the seller. Look for a history of reviews, recent sales and clear photos of their own.
2. Check the item. Ask for photos of the label, the care tag and any marks, plus flat measurements (pit to pit, length, waist).
3. Compare the price. Search the same brand and item to see what similar listings sell for. A price far below the rest is a reason to ask more questions.
4. Make an offer if it suits. Many sellers accept reasonable offers or bundle discounts if you buy more than one item.
5. Pay inside the app. Never pay by bank transfer or through a link sent in messages.
6. Keep the record. Leave messages in the app and keep photos of the parcel when it arrives.

How ShopBack lowers what you pay on Depop

Before you pay for a Depop order, go through ShopBack Australia: open the Depop page on ShopBack, tap through to Depop and finish the order. ShopBack is a post-purchase discount: go through it before you pay and the effective price drops.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

Your effective price is what you pay minus the Cashback, at the rate shown on the Depop page on ShopBack.

The same habit works for travel. For merchants like Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Expedia, going through ShopBack is an essential step before you book or check out, so you pay less on the same booking or order.

Depop discount codes, card rewards and ShopBack

You can often use a card reward or card offer and go through ShopBack on the same Depop order, and no code is needed for Cashback. A seller's own price drop, an accepted offer or a bundle discount does not use a code either.

A card reward comes from your bank, while ShopBack is a separate step you take before you pay. Some card offers need activation, a minimum spend or a specific store.

Frequently asked questions

Is Depop legit and safe for buying second-hand clothes?

Yes, Depop is a long-running resale marketplace, founded in 2011 and now owned by eBay, with about 56.3 million registered users and over 68 million items for sale, according to Depop. Buying is usually safe when you pay inside the Depop app, check the seller's reviews and photos, and keep every message on Depop. Australian buyers can ask for a refund through Depop if an item does not arrive or is not as described.

Is Depop legit in Australia?

Yes. Depop serves buyers and sellers in Australia, and Wikipedia, citing Depop's help centre, lists Australia with the UK and the US as places where buyers can get a full refund if an item does not arrive, arrives damaged or is significantly different from the listing, when reported within 30 days. Check the current window in the Depop app before you buy.

Who owns Depop?

eBay. According to Wikipedia, Etsy bought Depop in June 2021 and agreed in February 2026 to sell it to eBay for US$1.2 billion, a deal completed in July 2026 after approval by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Depop is headquartered in London.

Who do you buy from on Depop?

You buy from individual sellers and small resale shops, not from Depop itself. Depop runs the marketplace, the app and the payment, while each seller sets the price, writes the description and posts the item. That is why the seller's reviews, photos and response times matter so much.

What is Depop's refund policy?

Most refunds start with the seller, since each seller sets their own returns approach. If an item you paid for in the app does not arrive, arrives damaged or is significantly different from the listing, you can report it through Depop, and Wikipedia, citing Depop's help centre, says buyers in Australia can get a full refund when the issue is reported within 30 days. Change-of-mind returns depend on the seller.

How do I contact Depop customer service?

Start in the Depop app: open the order, message the seller, and if that does not fix it, use the help or report option on the order to reach Depop's support team. Depop's help centre has articles on orders, refunds and safety. Keeping every message inside the app gives support a full record to look at.

What do Depop reviews on Trustpilot and ProductReview say?

Review sites such as Trustpilot and ProductReview.com.au collect a mix of praise and complaints about Depop, and the complaints usually concern a single seller, postage delays or a refund dispute rather than the platform taking money. Read the most recent reviews, look for patterns, and give more weight to a seller's own Depop reviews than to a site-wide score.

How do I avoid scams on Depop?

Pay only through the Depop checkout, never by bank transfer, gift card or a payment link sent in messages. Keep conversations in the Depop app, ask for extra photos of labels and flaws, be wary of designer pieces priced far below what similar listings sell for, and check the seller has a track record of reviews.

How does ShopBack lower the price of a Depop order?

Open the Depop page on ShopBack Australia, tap through to Depop and finish the order. Part of what you pay comes back to you as cash, so it works like a discount on the price. Check the live rate on the ShopBack Depop page before you buy.

Can I use a Depop discount code and ShopBack on the same order?

No code needed for Cashback: go through the Depop page on ShopBack before you pay and part of what you spend comes back as Cashback. A seller's own price drop or bundle discount does not need a code either.

Key takeaways

• Depop is an established resale marketplace with about 56.3 million registered users and over 68 million items for sale, according to Depop, owned by eBay since July 2026.
• You buy from individual sellers, so check each seller's reviews, photos and measurements.
• Pay only in the Depop app and keep messages there; that keeps your order eligible for Depop's refund route.
• Read Trustpilot and ProductReview for patterns, but trust a seller's own Depop reviews more.
• Open the Depop page on ShopBack Australia before you check out so the effective price drops.

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Refund windows, platform policies, ShopBack rates, terms and availability are subject to change. Check details directly with Depop and the store's page on ShopBack Australia before making any decisions. This article is intended for general informational purposes only.