‘I followed their rules and was hit anyway’: Poshmark sellers voice frustrations with new excessive listing policy

For instance, Poshmark’s terms do not define what constitutes an “excessive” number of delistings and relistings, or how many listing removals are considered “mass.” What’s more, a Poshmark blog post published on April 28 says, “If your item sells elsewhere or is out of stock, you can delete it from Poshmark.” But multiple sellers say they were suspended for deleting items they ended up selling on other channels, like eBay or Depop.

It’s not uncommon for Poshmark sellers to list the same item across various platforms, then wait and see which listing receives a bite first. This tactic is how many sellers grow their sales, especially at large volumes. Now, these sellers are concerned that Poshmark’s new guidelines will punish them for selling elsewhere. While some sellers welcome the change, saying it will cut down on bots clogging up results, many agree they need more clarity on what the platform allows and doesn’t allow.

One Poshmark seller, who requested the use of her first name, Katie, told Modern Retail that she had been suspended on Thursday for deleting four items she sold on eBay. “[I] certainly didn’t delist a mass amount of listings during that time,” Katie said. “I have an email out to them [Poshmark] right now asking for clarification.” Another seller wrote on Reddit that they followed the new policy and were “hit anyway.” “The only things I delisted were items that sold elsewhere,” they said. “So overall, nothing abnormal.”

“I do find the vague rules a bit much,” a seller who requested anonymity and has sold on Poshmark for seven years told Modern Retail. “How many delists of stale inventory constitutes excessive?” they asked. “There is plenty that can be improved on, like the clunky search and deleting dead profiles where scammers hijack and muck up the works. This just seems like a push to only sell there [on Poshmark].”

When contacted by Modern Retail for comment, a Poshmark spokesperson said, “Sellers are allowed to delete items that are no longer available for sale. While we can’t specify the exact number of removals, the policy is meant to only impact users who are removing listings excessively.” When asked what constitutes a “mass listing removal,” the spokesperson said, “This refers to a large number of a seller’s listings being deleted or marked unavailable for sale within a short period of time.”

Additionally, when asked whether sellers could be penalized for deleting items cross-listed (and sold) on other platforms, the spokesperson said, “For sellers worried about cross-listing, it’s advisable to space out deletions and avoid removing listings in large batches to prevent being flagged for excessive removal.” They added, “We understand refreshing listings has long been a key seller strategy, and it is still encouraged.” Sellers may frequently update a listing with small tweaks to make it more attractive, such as by editing the photo or changing the product description.

Jon Anthony, one half of the Poshmark power sellers The Posh Kings, who have more than 61,000 active listings on Poshmark, told Modern Retail that before the new rules rolled out, there was “a very unfair playing field” between sellers. “What seemed to be happening was some sellers were relisting their entire closets daily, which was sending their items to the top of the search,” Anthony said. “So, the average seller got lost in the shuffle. Also, buyers were finding that items they ‘liked’ were no longer able to be found [because they had been deleted].”

Anthony mentioned that he and his fellow Posh King, Brad Schwibner, “have not experienced any issues” under the new system. But, he said, “We have heard from some sellers that the system thus far seems hypersensitive. … The sensitivity may need to be adjusted.”

Some sellers say they wish they had more notice before being suspended by Poshmark. Brittany, a Poshmark seller since 2015 who requested use of her first name only, uses Vendoo, a cross-listing software, to post her items on Poshmark. Vendoo doesn’t automatically autoshare listings, she said, so she tends to “relist items to refresh them in lieu of autosharing.” On Thursday, Brittany said she received an email from Poshmark warning her that she could be suspended for “excessive listing removal.” After exactly one minute, she was fully suspended.

“I do think that the warning time was not appropriate,” she told Modern Retail. “It was clearly just an automated message that then was followed by a suspension.” Brittany contacted Poshmark to appeal the suspension, and “they did grant it, which I am thankful for,” she said. But, she added, “Overall, these kinds of policy changes are abrupt and destabilizing for my business.”

Katie, who has sold on Poshmark for around six years, but full-time for four, told Modern Retail that she was suspended for deleting items not long after receiving a warning from Poshmark. “I think the time from my warning to suspension was under an hour,” she said.

When asked how long this “warning period” typically lasts, a Poshmark spokesperson told Modern Retail, “Sellers at risk of violating the Excessive Listing Removal Policy are sent warnings by email and within the app. If the seller continues to delete in excess after receiving a warning, they are penalized by receiving suspended listing privileges for a minimum of six days, but they can still make sales and otherwise engage in the platform as usual.”

Not all sellers are upset about the new policy. One seller wrote on Reddit, “When I am shopping for a certain brand and the same lady keeps relisting the same wildly overpriced items, I’m over it. I’m glad they are finally doing something.” Another seller wrote, “Same. Tired of bots pushing garbage to the top.” Anthony of The Posh Kings told Modern Retail, “We think the system is a good idea, assuming the system is not hypersensitive and banning people unnecessarily.”

For many sellers, though, the excessive listing removal policy marks another frustrating switch in Poshmark’s seller rules. The new policy comes some six months after Poshmark cut fees for sellers but increased them for buyers. Poshmark hoped the move — in line with policies at other peer-to-peer resale sites — would help the platform stay competitive.

However, backlash was swift. Sellers worried they were placing a burden on shoppers by asking them to pay a 5.99% “buyer protection fee,” on top of new, additional fees that could run as high as $3. Many sellers told Modern Retail that their sales suffered under the new policy. One seller named Riley explained, “I would almost rather take on even more fees as a seller than have the buyers pay a fee.”

Sellers complained to Poshmark directly and also aired their grievances in social media posts and iOS App Store reviews. Three weeks later, Poshmark went back to its original system.

Poshmark told Modern Retail that it’s open to seller feedback on its new excessive listing removal policy. “We understand that with any new policy, there may be questions or concerns — and learnings on our side, as well,” the spokesperson said. “If sellers believe a decision was made in error, we encourage them to reach out to support@poshmark.com. Our team is committed to reviewing each inquiry thoughtfully and fairly.”