Acceptable or unacceptable – when is a product not suitable for sale on Emmy?

“Roughness/wear on the knees.”
“Some washing/wear marks on the surface of the fabric.”

“A faint stain on the front, will likely come out in the wash.”

At Emmy, we sell many products that are no longer in like-new condition, but can still bring joy for a long time.

According to Emmy’s condition classification, products rated as satisfactory are those with some noticeable flaws. A small stain or normal wear from use does not necessarily lead to rejection.

The most important thing is what kind of product it is and how much the flaw affects the product’s usability or appearance. For example, light roughness on the knees of an overall bought for daycare playground use doesn’t matter, but roughness on the surface of a neat wool coat is not acceptable.

The product’s condition does not have to be flawless, but where is the line between sellable and unsellable? What kind of product ends up in textile recycling instead of the online store—and why?

Holes

A hole is almost always a reason to reject a garment, both for indoor and outdoor clothing. In indoor clothing, a hole, unraveled seam, or worn-through knee is primarily a cosmetic flaw, but in outdoor clothing, they also affect the garment’s functionality.

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Rejection reasons: unraveled seam and small holes in the knees

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Rejection reason: unraveled stitching at the sleeve cuff

Holes in outerwear

• The purpose of technical outerwear is to keep moisture and wind out. Even a small hole lets moisture inside the garment.
• A small amount of wear at the cuffs or, for example, on the knees is not a problem, but if the surface is worn through, the product is no longer usable.
• The most common wear that affects usability occurs next to taped seams. The taped seams in technical clothing are in areas where the garment’s moisture resistance is most important, such as at the legs and sleeves. If the garment leaks at the seam, it no longer meets the required quality standards, and we cannot accept it for sale.
• Outerwear can be repaired, for example, with a waterproof adhesive patch. A neatly and carefully repaired outer garment is usable and can be sold. If a product has been patched, we always mention it in the product’s additional information.
• Rainwear and rubber boots are always inspected extra carefully, and rainwear for sale must be completely intact. Even a small surface break, roughness, or hole leads to rejection.
• The most common reason for rejecting rain mittens is brittleness at the junction between the thumb and the rest of the mitten, which allows moisture to get inside.
• We accept carefully and waterproofly repaired rainwear for sale, but we do not repair them at Emmy. Rainwear can be repaired yourself, for example, with an adhesive patch.

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Stains

• As a rule, we assume that clothes arriving for sale are washed and clean.
• However, on a case-by-case basis, we may accept products for sale with a small stain or slight staining. In these cases, the product’s condition must otherwise be good or excellent, and the stain must not significantly affect the product’s usability. The stain must also be such that it can be expected to come out in the wash.
• Large or hard-to-remove stains, as well as heavy or persistent soiling, always lead to the product being rejected.
• Stains are always mentioned in the product’s additional information, and stains also lower the product’s price. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to cleanliness before putting items up for sale.
• Yellowing on a white shirt or persistent soiling on the shirt collar leads to rejection. The same goes for stains in the armpits.

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Rejection reasons: yellowing on the collar and a stain in the armpit

Odors and scents

• Odors are one of the most common reasons why buyers return products to Emmy.
• A strong or disturbing scent (for example, tobacco or mold) is always a reason for rejection, but a mildly scented product (for example, perfume or detergent) can be put up for sale. In this case, the scent will be mentioned in the product information.
• Tip! Do not pack products while damp when putting them up for sale. Even a little moisture causes a musty smell in clothes.
• Tip! Even if you personally like the scent of detergent in clothes, wash clothes for sale with a fragrance-free, sensitive-skin detergent.

Wrinkling

• Thousands of products arrive at Emmy for sale every week. It benefits both sellers and buyers that products are listed in the online store as quickly as possible. That’s why we have decided not to iron products before photographing and listing them for sale.
• Wrinkling is not a barrier to sale, but it may significantly affect how well the product sells. Therefore, it’s worth considering whether to iron clothes yourself before putting them up for sale.
• Clothes for sale are delivered to Emmy packed in plastic bags, often via a collection box and truck transport. Clothes may therefore get wrinkled during transit, no matter how well they were ironed before packing.
• Some materials wrinkle more easily than others. Likewise, some clothes are easier to pack neatly than others. For example, sweatshirts and jeans folded tightly in a stack will likely stay smooth and neat all the way, while a synthetic, easily wrinkled dress or shirt will not.

Brand

Often, the reason for rejecting products is that the brand or type of product is not part of Emmy’s selection. For example, we do not accept supermarket brands or promotional shirts for sale. You can check the brands suitable for sale and those not accepted here.

In order for the brand of the garment to be identifiable, the garment must have a neck or care label indicating the brand in place. The exception, of course, is homemade clothes. Also, naming children’s clothes is not a barrier to selling.

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Rejection reason: event logo on the shirt