The RealReal - Palo Alto (CA)

1 /5 Marjack: The RealReal presents itself as a professional luxury resale platform, but the process can be unnecessarily restrictive and inefficient. Despite marketing convenience and expertise, sellers are still subject to rigid corporate procedures that often delay straightforward transactions. In my case, I attempted to sell a high-value jewelry piece (approximately $50,000). However, due to minor administrative issues involving duplicate emails and account discrepancies, I was prevented from completing a direct sale. Instead of resolving the matter promptly, I was told I had to wait several days for accounts to merge. For a transaction of this size, delays like that are unacceptable. Rather than wait, I sold the piece independently to a trusted buyer and received significantly more than what The RealReal likely would have offered. Based on typical consignment margins, their payout may have been closer to $25,000 — far below fair market value. While I understand businesses have procedures, excessive bureaucracy should never obstruct serious transactions or cost clients money. If you need to sell luxury items, especially high-value jewelry, consider exploring alternatives first: reputable jewelers you already know, private buyers, auctions, or even pawn shops for faster liquidity. Building direct relationships often results in better pricing and fewer complications. Proceed cautiously and compare offers before committing. Fun fact: Most luxury resale platforms take 30–50% commission on fine jewelry, which is why independent or relationship-based sales often return dramatically higher payouts to the seller.

5 /5 Ulisses Nunes: I stopped by the store just to take a peek, as I was already a loyal customer of the online shop. Reagan, who was sweet, courteous, and highly professional, treated me as if I were the most important customer in the room. She took her time, thoughtfully showing me the jewelry pieces without any rush. Long story short, I walked out with a six-carat emerald necklace. The store itself is stunning, but what truly stood out was how Reagan made me feel like a million bucks. Thank you, Reagan!

1 /5 Aaron Wine: Bought an expensive item in their store and was told returns are easy with in 14 days of purchase. We ended up liking another item we saw better and returned the original item and bought the new item - again in store. They would not issue a refund though and said the item had to be re-authenticated - ok I guess this is understandable given their business - tags were not removed from the item. We bought the new item thinking a few days maximum for the returned item to be refunded. After 3 weeks no refund - creating a credit card statement headache. I contacted TRR and they apologized and said would look into the situation. At 4 weeks after return I get a notice of refund but it is ~$50 less than paid for the item originally - now past credit card statement close. I do not have a reason other than a $6.95 return fee. I bought the item in store and returned to the store so not sure why any fee would exist but where is the other missing $$. This is a hassle and headache to deal with. I bought an equally priced expensive item from them so a return fee is really nitpicking. Maybe the count on people not having the time to track down their refunds. This feels like a scam or maybe this company is not doing well. To bad as Ive bought from them occasionally over the years. Ill update the review if they remedy the situation quickly.

2 /5 Deborah Hoffman: I came in to return an item. There was only one other customer in the store, who was being helped with a purchase. Several workers were standing around and did not appear to be doing anything, but nonetheless I was asked to wait for the person helping the customer. After 7-10 minutes she was free, and did my return without delay. The other workers were still standing around throughout this time. Why couldn’t they help me? And then I was told there is no restroom available for customers. Poor customer service, quite unlike their store in San Rafael!