Everyone deserves a second chance. This applies not only to people but also to inanimate objects. This is exactly what "Once Again Store" offers. How many of us have clothes in the closet that we hold on to purely out of sentimental reasons. Or maybe that impulse buy that we just haven't gotten around to wearing because secretly we know it looks horrible on us? Me? I've been like that for ages and I think it just isn't fair! As I said previously, everything deserves some loving!


Once Again Store is a platform for people to sell their pre-owned, gently loved clothing so that they can go to someone who will truly care for them! I tried out their store a few months ago and recently they got in touch and asked me if I could review the store for them**. Of course, for something that supports recycling fashion (more on that later) I was more than happy to agree! So lets break down the review in two parts, buying and selling.

Buying:


Once Again has a very clean website which I rather like. The products are divided neatly into separate categories like Clothing, Bags, Shoes, Accessories. There's also a dropdown that offers you listings according to occasions so as to reduce your search time. The items are listed with images and there are helpful filter options on the side like usual fashion stores which again, help you narrow down your perfect match. One thing that bothers me is that the listing shows SOLD products by default unless you explicitly filter them out. I wish these would show up at the bottom because its a little disappointing when you get excited looking at the image only to then see the "SOLD" sign below it.

I ordered a Bag (check out the image below) from the store. I've recently started wishing for a red bag again so when I spotted one on the store, I was more than happy to get it. The delivery was extremely quick and takes a couple of days if everything goes smoothly. I however don't like that the site doesn't list anything about sanitation and from what I've received, it seems that the responsibility of ensuring a clean laundered product falls on the seller. I would be much more comfortable if there was a proper sanitation process done by Once Again instead of leaving it upto the seller.

While I absolutely love that the collections are quite extensive and lots of new items get listed everyday, I am a little miffed at their recent return policy change where you may not return an item that costs less than Rs. 400. I do get it's probably a logistics issue, but I still feel this limit shouldn't be imposed especially when it come to a pre-owned e-commerce portal. One other thing I've noticed is that the product doesn't come packaged in the Store's packing but depending on the delivery parter, the packaging is different each time. However, overall, I am happy with the listings and believe they do manage to offer some rather competitive prices as well as unique things. Plus with a wide range of prices there's something for every thrifter out there!

Selling:

Now, if you're a seller on Once Again, they do try and make things simple for you. You start with taking clear pictures of your product and upload them on the site. They have nine major categories of items they accept and also a list of brands they accept and its a simple interface where you can upload the images of things you wish to sell. Next, you need to price your items and the page will automatically calculate the listing item after adding the 15% commission that Once Again charges. Next, well, wait for the product to sell people!!

Once the product sells, its upto you confirm the pickup, launder and neatly pack your item. This is something that you need to ensure at your end and then package it well enough for the pickup agent to collect it. After this, once the product reachers the buyer, the store waits for 3 days to see if the buyer has issues with it and wishes to return it, and if not, you're good to go. The store transfers the money to your bank account (You need to add this when you're listing anything) and this transfer happens every Saturday. This means if your buyer receives the item on Monday, you'll end up getting your payment the following Saturday.

I find that the selling process is pretty smooth. Like I said before, I still find the fact that the seller has to manage the sanitation of the product a little problematic. However, if it doesn't bother the buyer, I don't see it being a problem for most people.


And that's the gist of it. Personally, I've bought a couple of things from the store and overall I think they try to provide a simple platform to satisfy all your fashion needs. There's nothing wrong with giving some love to something that's pre-owned in my humble opinion. Honestly, its a good idea to swap your old clothes that probably won't ever see the light of day with something that you would use today. Don't hold on to those old dresses with the tags still on people, give them life once again in the world. They deserve to be seen, not rot in the back of your closet! Don't you agree?