Woman asks people to research well before buying on luxury resale site The RealReal to avoid fraud

People might have scoffed at Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde" for always showing off her insane knowledge of fashion and its actual costs. But, judging from today's market, it is better to have an arsenal of wisdom if you do not want to get cheated. Nicole Best - who goes on TikTok by @nicoleebest - put her insight on full display when she compared the prices between two popular shopping websites. The comparison clearly reflected that if people approach shopping with a trusting attitude, there is a huge chance they will bear a loss.

The whole thing started when Best was scrolling through The RealReal website for some cute outfits. On The RealReal, people can buy used outfits and accessory pieces for lower prices. At least, that is what the expectation is. But what she realized afterward made her say, "Someone at The RealReal is delusional." While shopping, she stopped at a stunning Rat & Boa dress priced at $372. They mentioned on the website that the dress was being sold off at 20% off and the original price was $465. Her first reaction was, "This must be a rare style." Fortunately, she decided to check out the details about the dress on everyone's best friend, the internet.

Best went to the Rat & Boa website, where she came across the same dress priced at just $175. It was the price of a new piece, less than almost half of what The RealReal was advertising on their platform. Before the viewers jumped to obvious reasons for defending the site, she immediately shared, "And no, they're not selling it at that price because it's almost sold out and they need to get rid of stock." She pointed out the section of the site which showed availability for every size.

Best then went on to showcase the irony of the situation, "So you can order this stunning Rat & Boa dress for $175 and get it brand new from the website. Or, you could go to The RealReal and get a used Rat & Boa dress for $372." The fact that the site was trying to sell the dress for something close to $500 was mindblowing to her. Best concludes by asking people to put in more time researching when they shop at the platform, "Just another reason to do your research before buying on The RealReal."

The comment section shared how this is not an isolated incident, and many of them have experienced loss due to shopping at the said site. @oh.my.sosh wrote, "They do the SAME thing with the Staud beaded handbags!! It's absolutely ridiculous." It prompted Best to make another video. She went to check the price of a Staud beaded handbag on The RealReal site, which was $255, while on the official site, it was $250. 

"So you could essentially spend 5 extra dollars for a used bag or 5 fewer dollars for a brand new bag," she shared. Then, she showcased her findings on a Rat & Boa blouse. Also, the price difference was huge, with the official website selling for $180 while RealReal gave it at $355. She checked out an Orseund Iris dress, which also had a difference of $40. Best believes it is a 'scam' that RealReal is running across all the platforms.

@a.lly.s.a shared her insights in the comments section, "They do this with Orseund Iris all the time. Selling $150-300 pieces for $500." @lindseyylauren explained how she approaches the site, "I always see if the item is available somewhere else first!"