The Best Online Marketplaces to Buy and Sell Used Boots (and why they're still frustrating)

The ugly truth: most marketplaces optimize for volume, not trust

If you've ever sold boots online, you've probably run into at least one of these:

• Fees that take a real bite out of your sale price (sometimes on shipping and taxes too).
• "Not as described" disputes that can force a return even when you feel you listed honestly. (Platforms usually design protection around buyer confidence first.)
• Scam attempts, especially on local / off-platform payment situations.
• Time-wasters: lowballing, ghosting, no-shows (most common on local pickup platforms where there's minimal friction to message you).

Marketplace-by-marketplace: what makes them painful for boot buyers and sellers

eBay

The hook: huge audience and strong search intent.

The pain:

• Fees: eBay's final value fees vary by category and are calculated on the total amount of the sale (including shipping, sales tax, and other applicable fees).
• Disputes/returns: purchases can fall under the eBay Money Back Guarantee; "not as described" issues trigger a return workflow that sellers have to respond to.
• Seller protection exists, but it's not automatic: eBay describes scenarios like false "not as described" claims and what they may do if they determine a claim was false.

Boot-specific frustration: boots get buried in noise, and casual sellers often omit the exact details boot buyers actually need (measurements, outsole wear, width, last, etc.).

Poshmark

The hook: easy listing, easy shipping, massive fashion traffic.

The pain:

• Fees: Poshmark's commission is 20% on sales of $15+ (and a flat fee on cheaper sales).
• Buyer protection framing: Posh Protect centers refunds when an item never ships or "does not match the listing description," otherwise sales are final.

Boot-specific frustration: serious boot buyers want outsole photos, measurements, and construction details; fashion platforms often encourage "vibe listings" instead of specs.

Mercari

The hook: fast, app-first, broad audience.

The pain:

• Fees and friction moved around: starting January 6, 2025, Mercari states sellers pay a flat 10% selling fee and buyers pay a flat 3.6% Buyer Protection fee, with no additional payment processing fee.
• Returns can be platform-decided: Mercari notes that if a buyer feels the item isn't as described, they can request a return and Mercari determines whether it's accepted.
• Buyer protection window: Mercari states buyers have 72 hours to report "not as described."

Boot-specific frustration: that 72-hour "inspection window" is great for honest buyers--and a headache when sellers worry about wear, swaps, or subjective claims.

Depop

The hook: discovery-driven; great for trend boots and younger buyers.

The pain:

• Fees are confusing unless you read the fine print: Depop explains that in the US/UK there are no selling fees, but there are payment processing fees, and buyers may pay a marketplace fee at checkout (shown during checkout).
• Protection policy exists: Depop states buyers can get a refund for items that don't arrive, arrive damaged, or are "significantly not as described," if reported within a window they describe.

Boot-specific frustration: boots are fit-sensitive; "significantly not as described" can become an argument about expectations if listings are not extremely precise.

Etsy (only if the boots are truly vintage)

The hook: vintage buyers pay for uniqueness and story.

The pain:

• Fees add up: Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per listing (and additional fee components apply depending on what you use).
• Case/refund programs: Etsy describes purchase protection programs (including how some cases can be handled/refunded under program requirements).

Boot-specific frustration: if your boots aren't genuinely vintage, you're fighting the wrong audience.

Facebook Marketplace (local pickup)

The hook: no shipping, fast cash, huge local reach.

The pain:

• Scams are common enough that Meta publishes scam guidance; the FTC also warns about common tactics like fake payments and off-platform manipulation.
• Flakiness is a feature: low friction means lots of "Is this available?" messages, ghosting, and no-shows.

Boot-specific frustration: boots require trust and detail; local pickup often becomes a negotiation circus.

Why these platforms feel especially bad for boots

Boots are not like t-shirts or generic sneakers. A boot purchase depends on specifics that most marketplaces don't force sellers to provide:

• Width (D/EE/etc.)
• Measurements (insole/outsole)
• Outsole wear + heel wear
• Leather condition (creases vs cracks)
• Construction (resoleable or not)

General marketplaces are built for anything--so the buyer experience becomes "hunt and hope," and the seller experience becomes "answer the same 12 questions forever."

What Boot Brokers is being built to fix (coming soon)

Boot Brokers isn't "another place to list stuff." It's a marketplace designed around the exact failure points above: