Kids' Clothing Resale Site Kidizen Shuts Down, Leaving Some Sellers In the Lurch
Second-hand kids' clothing marketplace Kidizen has ceased operations without warning, leaving some sellers temporarily in the lurch on shipping labels and payouts.
The site, which launched in 2014, posted a notice on their homepage today advising users they had made the difficult decision to wind down operations.
While the announcement didn't provide details, addition FAQs filled in information about next steps and timelines for buyers and sellers and explained that Kidizen had been exploring options to keep the site going up until very recently.
Effective 10/29/2024:
Kidizen will cease all buying and selling on the marketplace (mobile apps and website) at 11 AM EDT on 10/29.
You have 10 days (until 11:59 PM EST on 11/07/2024) to cash out your Kid Bucks. Note: Kidizen Credits cannot be cashed out, and we cannot process cash outs for you.
If you have pending sales, you must ship them within 3 days of this notice (by 10 AM EST on 11/01/2024). Orders without a tracking number by this deadline will be canceled and refunded. If you've purchased a shipping label but haven’t shipped, you have until 10 AM EST on 11/04/2024 for tracking to show that the orders have shipped.
The Kidizen platform will be inaccessible starting 11:59PM EST on 11/07/2024, and we will remove the app from the App Store and Google Play. Our website will also be deactivated.
Due to a higher volume of requests, you may experience delays in customer support.
What will happen to any orders I’ve placed?
Sellers are required to ship all orders within 3 days of this notice, which is by 10 AM EST on 11/01/2024. If an order does not have a tracking number by this deadline, it will be canceled and refunded to you.For orders that have tracking numbers but have not yet shipped, tracking must show that the order has shipped by 10 AM EST on 11/04/2024. If tracking does not reflect that the order has shipped by this time, it will also be canceled and refunded to you.
What will happen to my Credits?
Kidizen Credits cannot be cashed out, and we cannot do it for you.Why weren't we given more notice?
We understand this news may feel sudden, and we’re truly sorry for any disruption it’s caused. Up until very recently, we were actively pursuing options to secure a future for Kidizen.
When it became clear that these solutions wouldn’t come to fruition, we immediately shifted our focus to supporting our sellers with transitioning their listings and ensuring a smooth close-out process for everyone. We also prioritized making sure that all buyers either received their orders or were refunded for any unshipped items.
We implemented the necessary steps to accomplish this, though we sincerely wish we had more time to support you through this change. Thank you for being a valued part of the Kidizen community, and we’re here to answer any questions as you navigate this transition.
Some sellers in the R/Flipping sub-reddit reported they were unable to purchase shipping labels or cash out earnings, with support advising that due to the high volume their servers were having a hard time keeping up and users who experience problems should try again later.
I don’t know why everyone thinks it wasn’t a working platform. I’ve both bought and sold on Kidizen with decent results. What can be found about their financial performance as a private company shows revenue growth every year. This stinks of private equity.
Still trying to get $$ out. It’s refusing to link to my PayPal or bank account to do so. It says I have 8 days. Luckily it’s not a huge amount but seriously…
Same. FYI I got this reply from customer service: Due to the volume of activity occurring due the the announcement of Kidizen's closure, actions such as creating shipping labels and cashing out are delayed until our servers catch up. Please try again later.
We appreciate your patience at this time.
Some worried that might mean buyers won't receive items and sellers won't receive payments when it is all said and done, but others were cautiously optimistic their patience will payoff and the issues will be sorted out before the final deadline.
Reddit commenters also discussed where they are moving their inventory to, offering pros and cons of other marketplaces and also reflected on whether this might be a warning sign for reselling in general or the larger economy.
New clothes are relatively cheap. Depending on which report you're looking at, eBay is the second or third largest marketplace. You must have some incredible niche to compete against Amazon, eBay and Walmart for clothing. So far, it seems only Poshmark and Whatnot seem to have some success.
Kidizen had an up road battle and it looks like it's over. I'm surprised they couldn't find some way to last through the holidays and then shut down.
Shout out to Ryan at Galaxy CDS Rocks and Flips Reseller Talk Podcast for the tip!
Have you ever bought or sold anything on Kidizen? If so, I'd love to hear about your experience and how this sudden shutdown will impact your buying and selling plans - leave a comment below or contact VAR!
