OfferUp Review: Is It Worth It to Sell Your Stuff?

This year, I’ve made it a point to minimize the stuff in my life. I thrive on simplicity, so the things I have are only what I need.

My rule is that everything must serve a purpose. Clothing must be worn regularly. If not, I sell it using an app that has given Craigslist a serious run for its money: OfferUp.

The sheer volume of people on the app makes it easy to sell your stuff—at the time of writing, the company has received millions of downloads and hundreds of millions of listings.

What is OfferUp?

OfferUp is a free app for selling unwanted furniture, books, electronics, clothing, and even cars. The app uses your phone’s location to show buyers what you’re selling.

I like that the app’s instant messaging feature makes it easy to communicate with buyers and sellers. Overall, I appreciate how simple it is to use and list items for sale. You can also utilize OfferUp to browse for good deals on used items for sale in your area.

What to Sell on OfferUp

I’ve used OfferUp over the past year to help get rid of unwanted furniture and snowboarding equipment. When you first open the app, it uses your location to show you what other people in your area are selling.

It’s image-based, so you can scroll through a Pinterest-like feed to browse for almost anything, including books, electronics, clothing, shoes, cars, furniture, sporting equipment, pet supplies, and more.

Note: OfferUp has a list of prohibited items, and if you don’t follow its terms and conditions, your listing will be taken down or will not show up. I have an iPhone, which is what the app’s homepage looks like when I first opened it.

The app automatically filters items to its main page, so the first thing you see is a list of all the things people closest to you are selling.

You can set your location to show within a certain distance from a particular ZIP code.

OfferUp allows you to communicate easily through its messaging feature to coordinate with potential buyers or sellers, rather than emailing back and forth (Craigslist).

How Does OfferUp Work?

OfferUp is excellent because it facilitates communication for buying and selling. The chat has premade responses and questions, so you can quickly message the buyer. You have two choices when viewing an item: “Ask” or “Make an offer”.

If buyers are interested in your item, they will message you, and you can communicate with them about the price. Once you agree on the price, you can discuss when and where to meet.

The app uses your phone’s GPS to find out where you are but never gives potential buyers the exact address. It only gives a general area of your item’s location based on your city and ZIP code.

What is the Signup Process Like?

First, download the free app. Once it’s on your phone, you can sign up using your Facebook account or email address. If you set it up with your email address, you’ll be asked for a password. Once you log in, go to your profile and add your photo.

I recommend you “verify” your account, telling other buyers and sellers you’re “trusted.” To do this, go to your account and then follow the instructions. According to OfferUp, your account may take several minutes to be verified. Once logged in, you can snap photos and list your item.

You can search items by clicking on categories, such as:

• Movies
• Books
• Electronics
• Music

For instance, if you’re selling your used collection of baking supplies, quickly search to see prices for similar things. Then, price your items accordingly.

Also, check on eBay to understand what a larger market (vs. your local area) would pay for your items. Case in point: when I sold my Apple Watch a few years back, I discovered it was priced way higher on eBay than on OfferUp.

Steps to List Your Items for Sale

Here are our suggested ways to get ready to list your items.

1. Take excellent photos

After you create your profile, open the app, and use your phone’s camera to take photos of your items. OfferUp will ask you for access to your camera, so accept it and snap away.

2. Be descriptive

I’ve been on OfferUp enough to know that many sellers don’t take enough photos, so it’s hard to grasp what the item looks like fully. As a buyer, I would gravitate to a listing with more information about a particular item than one entirely blank.

Many sellers skimp on the description, so use that to your advantage and write a description that tells buyers as much as possible about the item. After setting your category, be specific about size, condition, and why you’ve decided to let it go.

Here are things to think about and include when writing your description.

• When did you purchase the item?
• Does it have a specific model number?
• Where did you get it?
• How often was the item used?
• What is the overall condition?
• Are there any defects or flaws that need to be mentioned?

Take at least 4-5 photos of your item and then post it.

Be sure to check out OfferUp’s help section for tips on how to sell things faster, too.

3. Set the price

Then, give your item a price. You’ll give it a specific number and then check the box (or not check it) that says “Firm on price?” If you don’t check it, potential buyers have room to negotiate. Plus, you can check a box that will share your listing on Facebook.

4. Change the location (optional)

You can also change your item’s location by going to the “Set location” tab and tapping the edit button. Tap “location” and change it to the new location. Then tap “Save location.”

5. Wait

Once you post your item, it may take several minutes for it to go live on the app. Once it’s up, OfferUp will email you to congratulate you on your listing. Listings are sorted by factors such as distance, time, and popularity.

If someone is interested in your listing, you will receive an alert notification in the app. From there, you can negotiate with potential buyers.

6. Rating Buyers and Sellers

One cool advantage of OfferUp is that you can rate buyers and sellers after a transaction. And you’re strongly encouraged to do so. This is a safety feature of OfferUp that helps buyers and sellers feel more comfortable buying and selling to strangers.

You can look at a potential buyer or seller’s ratings to see if they’ve had good interactions in the past.

The Disadvantage of OfferUp: Getting Paid After a Sale

Payment between the buyer and seller isn’t central to the app, so you’ll have to deal with cash. While the app is excellent for communication and ease of listing your items, it (like Craigslist) lacks a way for buyers to pay sellers electronically.

If there are any problems or disputes after the sale is made, it’s out of OfferUp’s hands. They don’t have any refund policies or a way to help with disputes or payment issues. However, there is some protection for purchases that are shipped to buyers.

Most transactions between parties should go relatively smoothly. This assumes all questions have been accurately answered and the buyer understands what he/she is purchasing.

This is why it’s so important to have clear photos. If you can’t convey the item accurately in the photos, you should write that in the description and reiterate it to the buyer.

Agree On the Final Price of the Item Before Meeting

Whenever I’ve bought or sold anything on OfferUp, I’ve always given or received a final price on the item before meeting in person.

Also, if you ship the item, payment will be collected through the OfferUp app. If you’re meeting in person, you and the buyer are responsible for working out payment terms.

If You Don’t Enjoy Haggling…

Unless there are some flaws you didn’t disclose beforehand, the buyer may show up and ask for another discount or try to negotiate a lower price. Personally, I’m not the best haggler, so I always text the final price of the item and ask them to bring cash.

I will usually text the buyer: “The final price of the item is $100. Please bring cash when we meet in person. Thank you!”

My transactions have gone smoothly, and no one has tried negotiating a lower price after meeting and seeing the item in person. OfferUp advises buyers and sellers to stick to using cash to make the payment.

3 Ways to Sell Your Items Fast

Personally, I think the most important thing is to actually get rid of the item rather than trying to squeeze out a decent profit from the sale. If you’re in the same boat, here are some ways to sell your items quickly.

1. Price it competitively

Because I aim to move the item quickly, I always price it slightly lower than my competition, 10 to 20 percent lower.

2. Respond to questions quickly

I also respond as fast as possible whenever someone asks a question. Turn on your app notifications to see when people are asking you questions.

3. Take awesome photos that are way better than your competition

The most frustrating thing when shopping online is bad photos. You know what I’m talking about! Bad images are blurry, dark, and mysterious. It doesn’t give you an accurate idea of what the item looks like or how big it is.

The best way to get rid of your item is to be thorough about the photos and description so that buyers don’t skip to the next seller or repeatedly ask you the same questions.

Here are five easy tips to take better photos:

1. Take photos in the daytime

Make sure the space is brightly lit. Take photos when the sun is out, and you can clearly see the item. If you take the picture at night, ensure the room is brightly and evenly lit.

2. Cover all angles

I often wonder why many sellers stop at two photos when taking photos from your phone is easy! Take at least 4-5 pictures of each item, and make sure each photo serves a purpose. Think about taking close-ups and shots from various angles (top, side, bottom), so you’re showing the item in its entirety.

3. Use flash, if necessary

It might be hard to see details if the item is black or dark. In these instances, I turn on the flash on my phone so that you can see the details a little better. However, flash sometimes compromises the actual color of the item.

If you can’t seem to get an accurate photo, do the best you can (whether you use flash or not), but the most important thing is to give buyers a heads up in the description. (For example, if you’re selling a navy blue jacket that looks black in the photos.)

4. Give accurate sizes and measurements

Measure your items accurately. If they’re smaller, like jewelry or earrings, use something universally recognized (like a quarter or penny) and put it next to your item in the photo. It’s an easy way to give an accurate idea of the size rather than simply saying they’re “tiny.”

5. Be truthful

Highlight any defects or damaged parts of the item. Be as transparent and upfront as possible, so the buyer knows exactly what they’re getting into. The last thing you want is a surprised or unhappy customer who leaves you a negative review.

6 Ways to Stay Safe When Using OfferUp

Because the buyer and customer are responsible for the monetary transaction, there are a few things to know to stay safe.

1. Use the app’s messaging feature to talk to buyers

Keep all communication within the app. There’s no reason to give out your email, phone number, or address. When you’re ready to meet the buyer, coordinate it within the app’s chat feature.

2. Meet during the day

Meet at a secure, public location. I tend to use Starbucks or a place that’s easy to find with many people around.

3. Reiterate that the buyer needs to bring cash (unless otherwise agreed)

Cash is the easiest form of payment, so stick to cash as your payment of choice. Don’t accept checks, money orders, or wire transfers.

4. Vet the buyer

Check the buyer’s profile page to see if they have purchased or sold anything in the past with OfferUp, and check their ratings. I like to deal with verified people — they have a real photo of themselves and previous reviews from buying or selling on the app.

5. Don’t ignore red flags

Use your gut. There can be some flakes and probably scammers, too, so look out for odd messages and payment requests. If it sounds like a scam, it probably is.

6. Don’t ever give out anything personal

Never give your personal financial information, account numbers, or addresses. This is common sense when buying or selling online.

Alternatives to OfferUp

If you have a lot of stuff to get rid of, I advise using OfferUp in tandem with other apps. You can even post on good old Craigslist to ensure you’ve covered many ways to get eyeballs on your items. (However, I’m not a huge fan of Craigslist anymore because it feels so scammy. These are great alternatives to Craigslist.)

These are just a few apps and platforms you can use to help sell your stuff. Some are geared to certain items, like clothing or DVDs, while others are similar to OfferUp, where you can sell just about anything.

1. Decluttr

You can sell your old CDs and DVDs using an app called Decluttr. Decluttr uses the barcode on the back of the DVD or CD cover to determine the price.

Then, you ship your items for free, and if you choose PayPal or direct deposit, you can receive payment practically the next day.

2. eBay

Use eBay to list smallish items, so the shipping doesn’t eat into the items’ final price. eBay is great because it helps you along the selling process and tells you what other people are selling your item for.

I am very familiar with eBay, and my two biggest tips are:

• For highly desirable items (brand name clothing, rare items), list them as an auction
• Offer free shipping to entice buyers

3. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great way to get more eyeballs on your item, and Facebook Messenger makes it easy to communicate with buyers.

However, I tried listing a snowboard on Facebook and received many messages with lowball offers. You just have to take this with a grain of salt and expect it to happen.

4. Poshmark

If you have a lot of designer clothing you want to get rid of, use Poshmark to help you do it.

Unlike OfferUp, it’s not a location-based app, so once you sell your item, you need to ship it. I wrote a lengthy review about Poshmark and why it’s a solid app to use for designer clothing.

4. Trove Market

Trove Market is similar to Etsy in that it focuses on “unique treasures” related to decorating your home.

It might be a great place to list some of your vintage or antique furniture for local buyers to find. You can also ship items online (given that they are on the small side). Trove also allows buyers and sellers to make transactions with credit cards.

5. Dealo

You can use Dealo to buy and sell from your phone. The app works similarly to Craigslist, except you can sell internationally and locally.

6. Shpock

Shpock is a UK-based company that offers a free app for iPhone and Android users to buy and sell locally.

7. 5miles

The 5miles app is free and connects buyers and sellers within a 5-mile area.

8. Mercari

Mercari is great for buying and selling electronics and gadgets, and allows you to share on your social media to get more eyeballs on your listing.

9. Varage Sale

Varage Sale is another locally-focused app that lets you connect with other local people in your neighborhood.

My Experience with OfferUp Has Been Positive

I first used OfferUp last year when I bought a used (but pretty awesome) K2 snowboard. After riding it once, I realized it was too long, making turning difficult, so I put it back up on OfferUp.

After a month, I started losing hope that it would sell since spring was quickly approaching and the season was just about over. However, a buyer contacted me, and it was sold the very next day!

I also used OfferUp to sell my couch, dresser, and coffee table. I posted a few of these items in the “free” category to quickly sell them and have the buyers pick them up.

Summary

If you have a lot of stuff to get rid of, consider adding OfferUp to your phone apps and giving it a try. Listing on multiple apps casts a wider net, but try to stick to apps where communication is done directly through the app itself. This saves time and makes it much easier for buyers and sellers to talk.

Recommended Reading

• 28 Best Apps To Sell Your Stuff (Online & Locally)
• 15 Best Sites & Apps Like OfferUp
• 15 Best Sites Like Amazon
• Poshmark Review: Is It Worth It to Buy and Sell Used Clothes?
• 10+ Apps Like Mercari For Reselling Items