We’ve all come across those seemingly too-good-to-be-true vintage clothing deals floating around the internet. Promises of high-quality, coveted brands at bargain prices always raise some skepticism.

When I discovered the website ThriftersLA, offering apparent vintage steals, I had to do some digging to determine – is ThriftersLA a scam, or is it legit? In this in-depth thriftersla.com review, I share what I uncovered to help you decide.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Backgound of ThriftersLA.com Review

Let’s start with first impressions of the ThriftersLA website itself. The design is clean and straightforward, focused on displaying photos of clothing items.

Brands advertised heavily include Nike, Adidas, Carhartt, The North Face and more. Products look pleasantly worn and distressed, fitting the “vintage” aesthetic.

Descriptions are brief but include estimated production year ranges. Pricing seems fair in the $15-30 range for tops and bottoms. Overall, the presentation style gives off legitimate vintage reseller vibes on the surface.

However, upon further investigation, a few things stood out as questionable:

• Lack of detailed About/Contact pages. Basic info only, no company address.
• Social media presence is very limited – just an Instagram with 3.5k followers. Strange for a store with such wide product selection.
• Customer reviews are only displayed on the homepage without any way to leave your own. Always a red flag.

These superficial glaring details were the first hints that ThriftersLA may not be entirely above board. Let’s dig deeper.

Tracing the Origins of ThriftersLA

To start vetting ThriftersLA’s authenticity, I wanted to trace back its origins and discover the people really operating it. However, as mentioned, the site provides very little information about its ownership or history.

Doing some searching on various domains databases revealed:

• The thriftersla.com domain was registered privately in December 2021. No owner details are public.
• No business is registered under the name “ThriftersLA” in California or any other state.
• Reverse image searching product photos turned up no prior uses elsewhere. Likely staged specifically for the site.

This lack of any paper trail raised even more suspicion. To uncover more, I dug into analyzing ThriftersLA’s Instagram presence for clues.

After cross-referencing usernames, hashtags and geotags, I pieced together the account is based in Pakistan, not Los Angeles. Further investigating those associated revealed a network of other Instagram resellers all using the same product photos from ThriftersLA.

It became apparent this whole operation is being run remotely as a “dropshipping” scam – taking orders but never actually holding any real inventory. The social proof of “customer reviews” are almost certainly fabricated as well.

So in summary, ThriftersLA leaves no legitimate clues about its origins or owners, yet signs point to it being a front for a dropshipping scam run internationally, not a real US-based vintage business. Definite red flags showing it cannot be trusted.

Analyzing ThriftersLA’s Sales Tactics

Now that the background research raised major credibility issues, I took a more critical look at ThriftersLA’s sales and marketing strategies on their website. Some concerning tactics stood out:

✅ Heavy use of limited time “sales” with phrases like “Sale ends today!” even though the sale never seems to actually end. Manipulative pressure tactics.

✅ Bogus promotions like “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” that don’t appear to be actually honored or tracked since no accounts are needed.

✅ Constant homepage notifications about “Thrifting made easy!” and how they offer “free shipping and returns” which likely doesn’t apply for international customers once ordered.

✅ Overuse of social proof like positive “customer reviews” which were already debunked as fake.

✅ Generic stock photos rather than real product photos so customers have no idea exactly what they’d receive. Bait and switch potential.

✅ No contact methods for customer support issues, only automated email submissions. Buyers have no recourse.

Putting it all together, ThriftersLA’s strategies are clearly deceptive, manipulative and designed to lure in customers while providing little to no actual value. All signs point to this being an internet scam operation through and through.

So What’s the Verdict – Is ThriftersLA Scam or Legit?

After extensively researching ThriftersLA from various angles including its origins, online presence and sales tactics, there can only be one conclusion – yes, unfortunately ThriftersLA appears to be a scam.

While the website tries hard to masquerade as a legitimate vintage clothing business based in LA, all evidence points to it being run internationally as a dropshipping front with no real inventory or intention of honoring sales.

Customer payments are surely the only real products exchanged. Buyers have no recourse and would likely never receive their “orders” if they fell for ThriftersLA’s misleading sales appeals.

I cannot recommend anyone actually make a purchase from ThriftersLA (https://thriftersla.com) due to the high risk of getting scammed.

Considering the prevalence of these online dropshipping schemes, it’s always important for consumers to thoroughly research unfamiliar vintage resellers before handing over any money.

Some key takeaways from this ThriftersLA review include:

✅ Beware of private domain registrations and lack of public company details

✅ Cross-check social accounts for geographical inconsistencies

✅ Watch out for relentless “sales” with no follow through

✅ Be skeptical of only positive social proof without reviews

✅ Demand real product photos, not stock images

✅ Verify contact support methods actually work

With diligent research upfront, you can avoid getting duped by dubious operations posing as legitimate businesses online. I hope sharing my findings helps you steer clear of ThriftersLA and other deceptive resellers in the future.

Best Alternative Legitimate Vintage Stores

Since ThriftersLA was found to be a fake, here are some actually reputable online vintage clothing stores I can recommend instead:

Etsy

Etsy has a huge selection of quality vintage clothing sourced from small sellers worldwide. Lots of hand-picked unique pieces. Profiles are thoroughly vetted so you can trust the source.

Buffalo Exchange

As a leading global used clothing chain, Buffalo Exchange stuffs their website with quality pre-owned garments. Everything is hand-selected by their team of experts. Shipping is reliable.

Grailed

For higher-end men’s fashion, Grailed curates authentic pieces from reputable consignors. Authenticity is verified before listing. Transactions happen securely through their platform.

Depop

This app makes vintage shopping social and fun. Browse individual closets or favorite small shops. Depop has payment protection so you’re covered as a buyer.

Crossroads Trading Co.

All clothing is donated directly to Crossroads to be thoroughly inspected and graded. Amazing deals on top brands in a charitable shopping experience.

Those are some marketplace options I fully recommend for finding cool vintage pieces without worrying about scams. Let your thrifting adventure continue safely!

Wrapping Up

I hope this in-depth ThriftersLA review and thriftersla.com analysis was useful in helping you make an informed decision about its legitimacy.

While the website tries hard to look the part of an authentic vintage clothing source, extensive research uncovered telltale signs this is actually an elaborate dropshipping scam operation.

Always be diligent doing due diligence when coming across unfamiliar online clothing boutiques promising unbelievable deals. Use caution before handing over sensitive information or money.

With care and scrutiny on the consumer end paired with this community’s collective research knowledge, fewer people will fall victim to deceptive schemes.

Also Read: Zappos Shoes VIP Scam or Legit? Review and Complaints