Is Farfetch Legit or Scam? Farfetch is undoubtedly one of the largest global marketplaces for luxury fashion. However, with its vast selection of high-end brands, some people question whether Farfetch is legit or potentially a scam.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at Farfetch from every angle to determine if it’s a trustworthy place to shop for designer clothes and accessories. We’ll analyze Farfetch’s history, business model, policies, and reputation to see if it delivers on its promises of authentic high-end products.
By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of whether Farfetch is legit or should be considered a scam site to avoid. Let’s get started!
A Brief History of Farfetch
Farfetch was founded back in 2008 by José Neves as an online luxury fashion marketplace. The initial goal was to connect buyers with independent boutiques around the world that carried a variety of high-end brands.
This allowed Farfetch to offer a huge selection of products without having to stock massive warehouses itself. Instead, boutiques from all corners of the globe send their inventory to Farfetch, which then acts as the online storefront.
This unique business model helped Farfetch gain traction rapidly. By 2011, the site was facilitating shipments to over 100 countries worldwide. Five years later in 2016, Farfetch had grown to work with over 700 boutiques and process over $500 million in annual sales.
This meteoric rise caught the attention of big-name investors. In 2018, Farfetch raised $885 million in its IPO, giving it a valuation of over $6 billion and officially making it a publicly traded company on the NYSE.
Today, Farfetch continues expanding its global reach through new boutique and brand partnerships. It also offers services like omni-channel retail tools to help boutiques better manage their online and in-store inventory.
So in summary, Farfetch has grown from a small startup into a multi-billion dollar company serving the global luxury fashion market. But is its success a sign it delivers authentic products, or does such rapid growth raise questions about its legitimacy? Let’s dig deeper.
How Farfetch’s Business Model Works
Is Farfetch Legit? Understanding Farfetch’s business model is crucial for determining whether or not it can be trusted as a legitimate luxury fashion marketplace. Here’s a quick overview:
- Inventory from Global Boutiques – Farfetch partners with over 1,000 independent boutiques around the world. These boutiques send their inventory, including products from all major luxury brands, to Farfetch to sell online.
- Authenticity Verification – Farfetch claims to verify each item’s authenticity before approving it to list on the site. This includes physically inspecting high-risk goods and matching products to brand holograms/tags.
- Secure Payments – Farfetch accepts all major credit/debit cards and PayPal for secure transactions. It also offers payment installments through affiliates like Klarna.
- Product Fulfillment – When an item is purchased, Farfetch coordinates delivery directly from the originating boutique. This allows customers to benefit from various local boutique services like custom sizes.
- Customer Support – Farfetch provides 24/7 multi-channel support in several languages to address any post-sale issues like returns, shipping delays, or authenticity questions.
By aggregating inventory through boutiques instead of holding its own stock, Farfetch avoids issues like fake or defective products that would undermine its reputation. And verifying authenticity mitigates scams while secured payments offer reassurance.
This unique model has allowed Farfetch to scale massively while still maintaining control over the buying experience. But does it address all risks and provide real value?
Is Farfetch Legit or a Scam? Analyzing the Possibilities
Now that we understand Farfetch’s background and business operations, let’s analyze the key factors that determine whether it is likely legit or potentially a scam:
Authentication Processes
Farfetch claims a rigorous authentication process to verify each item. However, fakes are getting harder to spot so there remains a chance of errors. The risk is low if proper checks are made, but not zero.
Customer Satisfaction
Looking online, most Farfetch reviews praise its large selection, smooth shopping experience and quick order fulfillment. However, some do mention authenticity or quality issues with certain orders, though Farfetch worked to resolve them. Overall customer satisfaction appears quite high.
Trustpilot Ratings
Farfetch has a Trustpilot rating of 4.6/5 based on over 65,000 reviews, a strong endorsement. While some 1-star reviews cite issues, not resolving them would hurt Trustpilot scores over time so Farfetch has an incentive to make things right.
Media and Industry Recognition
Farfetch has gained mainstream media coverage as a leader in luxury e-commerce and even partnered with prominent department stores. Industry players seem to regard it as credible, unlike an outright scam operation.
Financial Transparency
As a public company, Farfetch’s financials and operations are closely scrutinized by auditors, investors and regulators. There is far too much at stake to risk by engaging in illegitimate behavior, increasing trust in its legitimacy.
Returns/Refund Policy
Farfetch has a clear returns process and will accept unworn items within 14 days for a full refund. Additionally, it covers return shipping costs and uses major courier services, reducing buyer risk compared to less reputable outlets.
Domain and Contact Info
Farfetch.com is the primary domain and contact information on the site aligns with public records for a multi-billion dollar company located in physical offices – not the behavior of fly-by-night operations.
Legal Compliance
Farfetch would face lawsuits, fines and closure for knowingly selling inauthentic luxury goods. Given its massive global scale, it seems unlike they could maintain this model long-term while breaking major laws around intellectual property rights.
Overall Track Record
Farfetch has operated since 2008 and rapidly grown into a market leader for luxury fashion e-commerce, benefiting from positive press coverage and partnerships – unusual for a questionable business. Its continued success suggest legitimacy over illegitimacy.
BBB and Regulatory Compliance
The Better Business Bureau gives Farfetch an A rating with no public complaints on file. Regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission also have not taken any public actions, as would happen if major malpractice was present.
In summary, while nothing is guaranteed 100% in the digital age, the available evidence suggests Farfetch operates legitimately as an authentic luxury fashion e-commerce platform. With proper due diligence, most consumer risks regarding authenticity or quality issues appear low.
So the conclusion based on a thorough analysis is that Farfetch is indeed a legitimate online luxury marketplace, not a scam as some occasional skeptics have proposed. Let’s now explore some additional aspects around shopping with confidence on Farfetch.
Tips for Shopping Safely & Authentically on Farfetch
Now that we’ve determined Farfetch is a genuine operation overall, here are some tips to maximize the chances of receiving authentic goods when placing orders:
- Research boutiques thoroughly before buying from lesser known sources
- Examine pictures closely and ask for more if needed before checkout
- Consider certified pre-owned over new goods without coded tags
- Pay with a credit card for buyer protection if issues arise
- Check brand holograms/engravings when items are received
- Inspect stitching, materials, logos for inconsistencies
- Seek an authentication ifreally concerned rather than assuming
- Contact support immediately if worried and return promptly
- Read up on common replica techniques for that brand
- Use Farfetch authentication services for higher-risk orders
- Rely on vendors with good histories per customer reviews
Following sensible precautions like these helps further reduce any lingering doubt when shopping on Farfetch. But overall, the risk of inauthentic goods appears lower than most other online-only luxury marketplaces.
Pair Purchases with Due Diligence for Added Peace of Mind
Even with Farfetch’s thorough authentication process, it’s still a good idea for consumers to do their own inspection of received items for added peace of mind. Here are some specific things you can check when an order arrives:
- Inspect logos, tags, labels, and engravings for correct font size, spacing, stitching quality and positioning that matches the genuine brand standards. Replicas often get small details like this wrong.
- Feel the materials and construction – high-quality luxury goods have stitched seams, robust zips, defined hems, durable threads, and specialized fabrics that may feel subtly different to knockoffs.
- Verify serial or style numbers match what’s listed if provided by the boutique or brand. Some include hologram stickers, RFID tags, or micro-engravings too small to duplicate.
- Check for inconsistencies in color, hardware tone, accessories vs the product photos. Lighting differences are normal but mismatches could indicate non-original items.
- Measure precise details like hem lengths, pocket widths against brand size charts if available. Replicas sometimes have slightly off proportions.
- Smell new leather, suede or exteriors – luxury materials often have distinct, high-quality smells unlike replicas using cheaper alternatives.
- Verify care/content tags are securely stitched and contain official brand wording, numbers and locations not found on fakes.
Taking 10-15 minutes for a thorough self-authentication like this arms consumers with critical knowledge the item is genuine or reveals any anomalies to promptly address with Farfetch support. It can prevent payment for an counterfeit good and costly chargebacks or disputes later on.
When combined with Farfetch’s already-rigorous verification practices, these consumer sanity checks make for a belt-and-suspenders authentication process leaving little room for doubt the products are 100% authentic as advertised. Let’s dive deeper into the after-sale support consumers can expect.
Farfetch’s Top-Tier Customer Support
No e-commerce marketplace, even one as reputable as Farfetch, is perfect 100% of the time. But what truly separates the trustworthy from illegitimate is how any issues that do arise are handled. Here are a few highlights of Farfetch’s customer support:
- 24/7 live chat, email, phone and social media customer service available in multiple languages.
- Dedicated support teams for different regions, time zones and service level needs – VIP clients get priority concierge handling.
- Committed to resolving problems same-day or within 24 hours depending on complexity.
- User-friendly tracking of open cases through well-designed self-service portals or dedicated agents.
- Offers authenticity authentication services by brands like Chanel for free or a nominal fee if validity questioned.
- Full refunds, exchanges or replacements available for authenticity/quality flaws within 14 days no questions asked.
- Occasionally expedites return shipping if logistically possible to quickly make clients whole.
- Maintains detailed vendor performance and reliability ratings to identify consistent issues.
- Operates seasonal pop-up boutiques and consults with select brands on quality programs.
This focus on premium, accommodating post-sale support unmatched by lesser marketplaces builds ongoing trust among customer bases whether issues occur rarely or more often. It exemplifies a truly customer-centric experience from start to finish at Farfetch.
Should You Trust Farfetch for Luxury Brands?
Is Farfetch Legit? To summarize our findings – Yes, Farfetch is a legitimate online luxury marketplace to shop for high-end designer apparel, accessories and more. Here are the key takeaways:
- Farfetch aggregates inventory from thousands of boutiques worldwide rather than self-stocking, minimizing authenticity risks.
- It has invested heavily over a decade into verification processes and customer support, both hallmarks of credible operations.
- Financial transparency as a public company disincentivizes illegitimate behavior, increasing trust in its business model.
- Strong customer satisfaction ratings across many review sources, indicate it delivers on promises of quality and service.
- No evidence of major lawsuits, scandals or regulatory actions that would indicate systemic malpractice.
- Proper due diligence like inspecting items and using chargeback protection further mitigate remaining consumer risks.
While authenticity can never be 100% guaranteed for pre-owned goods online, the chances of receiving inauthentic luxury items from Farfetch seem quite low – lower than other marketplaces in some situations.
With its huge selection, glob spanning boutique network, secure payments and responsive support, Farfetch emerges as a trustworthy destination for online luxury fashion and meeting those desires for high-end brands.
Summary and Conclusion
So Is Farfetch Legit? In summary, after an in-depth analysis of Farfetch’s background, business model, policies, reputation and customer satisfaction levels – it’s clear that Farfetch deserves its status as one of the leading luxury fashion marketplaces online.
While nothing is guaranteed 100% in e-commerce, especially for pre-owned luxury goods, the risks of receiving an invalid or inauthentic product from Farfetch seem extremely low based on all available evidence. Between their multi-step authentication process, financial transparency as a public company, high reviews, and excellent post-sale support – Farfetch has earned the trust of discerning luxury shoppers worldwide.
Compared to lesser-known online resellers, Farfetch’s global network of boutique partners, ongoing brand relationships, and investment in verification technology and personnel sets the standard that others strive towards.
When making a high-value luxury purchase, it’s reassuring to know Farfetch has so much at stake that it simply cannot afford any systematic issues with unverified or fake goods without severe consequences. Its business model incentivizes legitimate operations at massive scale.
So in conclusion, while maintaining reasonable personal diligence, Farfetch can absolutely be trusted as a secure marketplace for anyone seeking authentic luxury apparel, shoes, handbags and accessories from top designers. For peace of mind and access to countless coveted brands under one virtual roof, Farfetch solidifies itself as a go-to retail destination both now and in the future of online luxury fashion.
