Is Farfetch a legit site for buying designer clothes and accessories?
If you’re looking to purchase designer handbags, clothing, and other fashion pieces, you may have come across a company called Farfetch and have wondered if it’s a safe shopping site.
Farfetch is an online retail platform where you can purchase fashion pieces and clothes from designers and emerging brands.
But is Farfetch legit? Do they sell authentic and real designer fashion items or are they just fake? Should you give it a miss?
In today’s Fartfetch review, I’ll cover how it works, and whether or not it’s a safe and legit site to use.
Table of Contents
What is Farfetch?
Farfetch is a British-Portuguese online luxury fashion retail platform. It sells products from luxury boutiques around the world. Farfetch connects customers in more than 190 countries and territories with items from more than 50 countries and more than 1,400 brands.
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The company was founded in 2007 by José Neves and launched in 2008. It gives shoppers around the world access to an extensive selection of luxury items on a single platform.
How Does Farfetch Work?
Farfetch isn’t its own store. It’s a marketplace that works with other stores, brands, and boutiques. So, Farfetch partners with stores and brands, and then you can shop for items at these places from one platform.
Here’s how it works:
Step One: Browse the Farfetch website
First, head on over to the Farfetch website.
On the homepage, from the top navigation menu, you’ll be able to select a category. Options include:
- Women
- Men
- Kids
- Beauty
Once you’ve done that, you will get more categories underneath.
For example, when you click on the “Women” category, you’ll be able to view subcategories, like:
- New In
- Brands
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Jewelry
- Preowned
When you click on the “Men” category for example, you’ll be able to view subcategories, like:
- New In
- Brands
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Sneakers
- Bags
- Accessories
- Watches
Or, you can use the search bar on the website to search for a specific type of item or brand.
Step Two: Select the item you want
You can find clothing, shoes, accessories, and other fashion items from a range of brands.
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Some of the brands you will find on Farfetch include:
- Balenciaga
- Burberry
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Gucci
- Philipp Plein
- Versace
- Balmain
- Prada
- Saint Laurent
- Valentino Garavani
Once you have found the item you like, select it and click “Add To Bag.” Add all of the items that you want to purchase to your bag.
Step Three: Checkout
Once you have added all items you plan to buy, you will need to check out.
You do not need an account to place an order. You can simply use the guest checkout option. All you need to place and track orders is an email address.
While an account on Farfetch is not required, the site recommends setting one up because you can check out faster and access your wishlist and order updates.
Also, when you create a Farfetch account and place an order, you will automatically be enrolled in the site’s loyalty program, called Access. With every piece you purchase, you get one step closer to unlocking exclusive rewards.
At checkout, you will need to sign into your account, or if you haven’t created one, then continue via guest checkout.
You will need to enter your address, payment method, and delivery details to place your order. The site will then confirm your order, and it will be prepared and sent to you. You will get updates about your order.
Delivery costs vary depending on the service selected, where your item is coming from, and its destination. Sometimes, you can get a lower delivery fee or free shipping. Visit this page to learn more about delivery fees on Farfetch.
Is Farfetch Legit?
Farfetch is a legit company with headquarters in London. That doesn’t mean that customers have a good experience with it though.
The reviews of Farfetch are mixed, with many customers complaining about the difficulty they have with returns, poor customer service, and other issues.
Looking at customer reviews can give you a good idea of whether or not a company is safe to use or whether you should give it a miss.
Here’s how the company is rated across multiple platforms:
- Trustpilot: 3.7 stars (Average)
- The Better Business Bureau (BBB): 1 star from customers on the BBB. F rating from the BBB.
- Sitejabber: 3.1 stars
- Reviews.io: 1.7 stars
So, the reviews of Farfetch are average to poor.
Positive Farfetch Reviews
Here are some positive reviews of the company:
- “This bag is beautiful…and the quality is top notch!! Great service, fast shipping! Couldn’t ask for more.” (Review from Trustpilot)
- “I use Farfetch because it’s where I can buy the best quality products and all of my favorite brands in one place. It offers great deals and there are always items on sale from the world known brands for half a price. My recent purchase was Marc Jacobs Boho Grind Mini Bag with a 40% discount, which means a lot for Mark Jacobs! I wanted to buy this bag for a long time and was pleasantly surprised to see a way cheaper option. Delivery was super fast as well! Highly recommend :)” (Review from Sitejabber)
- “Absolutely seamless transaction. Ordered and the order was processed and fulfilled almost instantaneously. Delivery to Australia from Europe in days seems miraculous with most businesses experiencing significant delays currently. Great work Farfetch!” (Review from Sitejabber)
Negative Farfetch Reviews
Here are some of the negative reviews of Farfetch:
- “I ordered $230 Boston Birkenstocks, these shoes already being marked up in price, and was sent a broken pair. The button on the shoe had completely been broken off and was laying in the box upon opening. Customer service was not helpful and replies were long awaited, I am losing money now that I have to make a return due to their negligence. I unable to find these shoes anywhere now or order a replacement from Farfetch as they are now out of stock. So dissatisfied, this does not capture the virtues of luxury retail.” (Review from Sitejabber)
- “Farfetch has been falsely accusing me of returning worn shoes! I tried on one shoe and it never even touched the ground. They have no proof and cannot provide an image of the original condition they sent the shoe. Their customer is beyond awful. They are dismissive and take absolutely 0 accountability. They also charge about 20-25% on brands that you can buy elsewhere and cheaper. Overall this has been the absolute worst customer service I have dealt with.” (Review from Sitejabber)
- “I ordered a Versace polo from this company and couldn’t fit it so I returned it and then they said they couldn’t refund me because the shirt was damaged in which it must’ve gotten damaged along the way to the store overseas which isn’t their store. They do business with several third party companies overseas which I didn’t know but however the shirt wasn’t damaged when I returned it and they said it was stained and had perfume on it in which I had never worn it I only to tried it on and couldn’t fit it. These people are a rip off and they will try everything in their power not to refund customers their money.” (Review from the BBB)
Farfetch Pros and Cons
Here are some pros and cons to help you decide whether the site is for you.
Pros
Let’s take a look at the pros first.
Huge range of brands to choose from
Farfetch features TONs of different brands you can shop all through one platform. This is so convenient.
Free delivery is available on some orders
Depending on your country and how much you spend, you may be able to get free delivery on orders.
Cons
Here are the cons of Farfetch:
Poor customer service
There were lots of complaints about customer service. According to many reviews, if a customer didn’t receive an item, the item was damaged when it arrived, or a customer just wanted to return something, customer service wasn’t helpful.
Returning items can be an issue
One of the most common complaints I saw about Farfetch was that returning something to the company was difficult. Many users said they never got a refund.
Items arrive damaged
Another common complaint I saw about the company was that items arrived damaged.
Farfetch partners with lots of brands and stores. This is a good thing in the sense that it enables you to shop multiple brands from one place. However, it’s also a bad thing as Farfetch isn’t going to be able to ensure quality from every company it’s partnered with.
I saw a lot of users complaining that they received items that were broken, stained, or damaged in some way. When they tried to return these products, they often didn’t get a refund, as I mentioned above.
Products are sometimes more expensive on Farfetch than they are elsewhere
Products on Farfetch can be more expensive than they are on other sites.
Overall Verdict
Overall, Farfetch is a legit company that’s headquartered in London, but it has many issues, such as poor customer service and a reluctance to refund customers. Some customers have a positive experience with the site and use it to purchase goods from designers and boutiques around the world. Others though describe receiving damaged items and poor treatment from the company’s customer service.
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