Review of Faire – The Wholesale Marketplace Platform

Lela Barker

It’s the platform every maker and buyer is talking about, and I’m here to share my final review of Faire. Over the last few months, I’ve been exploring the Faire wholesale marketplace (formerly Indigo Fair) to help my community determine if they should apply to sell on the platform. The blog series has grown in size and scope as I dug deeper and deeper into the review of Indigo Fair/ Faire and analyzed the pros and cons of this emerging wholesale marketplace.

Review of Faire

I’m back with the seventh (!) and final installment of this series to share community reactions and my final thoughts regarding selling on Faire.

HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT FAIRE?

Over four weeks, I invited both artisans and buyers who had experience with Faire to take part in a survey to collect feedback from this community and measure the results makers see on the platform. I received 91 responses: 83% of those were from artisans, 9% were from retailers, and 8% of respondents both bought and sold on Faire. You’ll note that I’ve summarized the findings of this survey in an infographic at the end of this post.

The majority of respondents have been selling on Faire for less than three months (39%). Another 34% have been on the wholesale marketplace for between 3-6 months, and just 3% have been on Faire for eighteen months or more.  I asked those who completed the survey two key questions…

  1. On a scale of 1-100, how pleased are you with your experience with Faire? The average answer was 72.
  2. On a scale of 1-100, how would you rate Faire’s responsiveness and customer service? The average score was 79.
QUOTE2

I was keenly interested in hearing directly from brand owners about the volume of orders on Faire. The vast majority (47%) receive between 1-4 orders per month. Another 29% of respondents receive between 5-9 orders per month, which means that 76% of all artisans on Faire receive nine orders or less per month. Interestingly, 1% of respondents receive 50+ orders per month!

Exactly half of all respondents (50%) received their first order on Faire within one week of going live on the platform.  That’s quite impressive, and it’s easy to see why makers get hooked on Faire/ Indigo Fair so quickly. In total, 88% of Faire sellers closed an order within their first month, and just 2% are still waiting on their first order. That healthy dose of instant gratification makes me wonder if Faire tinkers with their algorithms to quickly deliver orders to new brands for the benefit of “seeding” the relationship.

QUOTE7

As I mentioned in a previous blog about Indigo Fair, the Faire commission structure has evolved with the platform. Makers who are onboarding at present pay a 25% commission on first orders from any buyer, 15% commission on reorders from the same buyer, and an optional 3% fee for immediate payment (as opposed to waiting 30 days for invoice settlement).  When I polled the Lucky Break community, 64% of respondents affirmed that they were under the current Faire fee structure, while 36% are grandfathered in under older (and more favorable) fee structures.

CRITICISM OF FAIRE

But not everyone is jumping on the Faire bandwagon, and even some who have hopped on have done so reluctantly. The majority of artisans that I spoke with had some reservations about Faire. Chief among those concerns is a mistrust of the constant tweaks and evolutions, a distaste for the expensive fee structure, and an uneasiness about how Faire handles returns. Several makers recalled how Faire initially sold their products without notifying them or requesting permission, and there was plenty of moaning about a lack of transparency or a dearth of information about how Faire works.

QUOTE4

On the flipside, some makers heaped praise on Faire. They were grateful to have access to an additional revenue stream, pleased by Max Rhodes’ (CEO of Faire) willingness to listen to the Faire community, and encouraged by the results they’re seeing.

I can affirm that I’ve rarely seen my inbox as full as it’s been while working on this study of Faire. It seems that our community is as divided in their opinion of Faire as they are about modern politics, Thin Mints versus Samoas, and Jay-Z versus Kanye. (Jay-Z, duh) 

QUOTE9

SHOULD YOU SELL ON FAIRE?

Having combed through Google for information about Faire, read everything publicly available from Max Rhodes’ writing about the Faire/ Indigo platform, spoken with more than 100 retailers and artisans, and having interviewed the moderators of Faire’s unofficial Facebook community and Max himself, I wish I could neatly categorize my feelings about the platform. I’ve struggled with this for weeks, and I’m no closer to having a definitive answer about whether Faire is our savior or our nemesis than I was when I initiated my study of this wholesale marketplace.

In the end, I think Faire is both a mix of savior and nemesis. I’m excited by the results that some of my clients are seeing in the form of a steady stream of wholesale orders. And yet worried about the loss of control over their brands, the very real possibility of brand dilution, and the inherent vulnerability when we make someone’s else’s platform a primary focus of our business.

I’m thrilled that wholesale is coming into the twenty-first century and I love that retailers are being encouraged to discover new artisans. Yet I fear that many of the brands that I work with can’t sustain Faire’s high commission rates, and I wonder if those clients are cutting off their noses to spite their face.

I’m grateful that Faire makes it so easy to get started with them, but concerned because they also make it so very easy to return products. I imagine that in another couple of years, shopkeepers will expect brands to take returns, regardless of whether or not they found the products on Faire.

I’m thrilled that Faire is listening to the maker community, and simultaneously fearful that with $116 million worth of venture capital at their backs, there’s immense pressure to hit their growth targets, regardless of what’s best for local, independent designers and our community.

QUOTE10

Proceed with caution, friends.

For better or worse, we’re here now. Faire is a reality, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. If the emergence of Tundra and other “me too” wholesale marketplaces is any indication, digitizing wholesale is the wave of the future.

I feel a bit like the grumpy old man in a disheveled bathrobe with tousled hair, waving a newspaper in the air as I yell “get off my lawn, kids!” when I talk about Faire. And while I cringe at that image, I can’t shake it. I can’t get running-through-the-sprinklers-in-my-bathing-suit excited about Faire, because I’m confident that there are long-term implications for artisans that most of us won’t welcome. But in my review of Faire, I also can’t deny that it works- at least in the moment- and this moment is all many of us are capable of focusing on.

1. Don’t put all your eggs in the Faire basket (or anyone’s basket, for that matter).

2. Use every means at your disposal to cultivate strong, direct relationships with retailers.

3. If you’re engineering a luxury brand, then reach out to Faire about their beta buy-back program to regain control of your returns.

4. Keep a sharp eye on your numbers to ensure that you can afford 25%-28% commissions on your products.

5. Enable direct wholesale ordering on your website, and offer special incentives (lower minimums, faster shipping, complimentary shipping over a certain threshold) to incentivize direct orders. 

It’s not possible for me to offer a definitive “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to Faire, because each of our brands is in a different phase of growth, we have varying distribution objectives and unique profit margins. Do your research. Run your numbers. Avoid “group think” and decide what’s best for your individual brand.

No matter what you decide about Indigo Faire, I’ll be cheering you on!

FaireSurveyInfrographic

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAIRE WHOLESALE MARKETPLACE

I’ve been researching and writing about Faire (formerly Indigo Fair) for the past few months. I invite you to explore the rest of this series to learn more about Faire and determine if it’s the right opportunity for your brand!

• What is Faire wholesale?
• How to sell on Faire
• The Pros of Faire
• The Cons of Faire
• My interview with Max Rhodes, CEO of Faire

What’s your take on Faire? Are they whip-smart evolutionists of the wholesale industry, opportunists who are reinventing wholesale with little regard for artisans, or something in between? I’d love to hear your experience and opinion!  I hope you’ll drop a comment and add to the conversation.

RELATED POSTS

About the Author

Lela Barker

Lela Barker hails from the deep-and-dirty south (ATL, represent!), where she spends her days helping makers and product designers navigate the pitfalls of product pricing, brand development, and wholesale strategy. She launched her apothecary brand in 2003 and bootstrapped the hell out of that little business to cultivate a portfolio of 1500+ stockists worldwide, generating $12million in revenue and establishing successful distributorships in the Middle East, EU, Scandinavia, and South Korea. Lela is the keeper of a well-worn passport and the maker of the finest lemon meringue pie you’ve ever put in your mouth.

50 responses on “Review of Faire – The Wholesale Marketplace Platform

  1. Jeanne Metzger

    I am contemplating purchasing from the artisans on Faire and am especially interested in how Faire is doing relating to retailers. Can you provide me some information based on your research and responses from retailers in your survey?

    1. Jackie

      They are the worst! I had never heard of them before, because I am not a store nor do I have a sellers permit, yet I was deceived by one of their brands to sign-up for an account to get their donated product for an event ($100 free product when signing up) and so the brand wouldn’t have to pay for shipping from Boston to LA.

      I went to bed owing $0 and woke up with a $425 charge, meaning the vendor went into my account WITHOUT authorization and added more product to my order without my approval or asking me. They are a nightmare to deal with. After going back and forth with their customer service since October 2021, I filed a fraudulent claim on them and the brand and deleted my account.

      Save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere.

    2. Meghan

      I had the worst experience with Faire as a buyer. It took weeks for them to get back to my via customer service. And then I received and auto response that didn’t pertain. I closed my account for a while. There was an Etsy shop that brought me back to wanting to try Faire again. I emailed their customer service again regarding my concerns. No response.

    3. MBH

      I have not had a good experience. They cancel orders at their discretion and don’t even think about grouping or altering an item bc they consider that “personal use” and will cancel your order. I’ve contacted suppliers directly and ordered that way without the headache of dealing with Faire. If I were a seller and knew that Faire cancelled orders and made it so difficult to actually complete a purchase I wouldn’t be happy at all!

  2. Sharon Parker

    Sales reps beware..if you are representing companies that have opted to include Faire in their effort to increase sales, all your valuable account information, contact information becomes “faire” game! I have accounts telling me they are being aggressively pursued with offers of extended terms, free freight and product, etc.
    Faire is trying to become the “Amazon” of the wholesale world and it WILL effect you and your future! There is more to this situation than independent artisans trying to become known. The entire rep industry needs to pay attention!

  3. Colin

    Hi Lela,

    This is a well-researching piece – really appreciate the effort that went into it! I wanted to quickly point out that Tundra isn’t necessarily a copy-cat of Faire, but rather a marketplace with a different core business model. Whereas Faire charges commissions on each order, Tundra does not charge anything, regardless of whether it’s your first order or 100th. This means that the wholesale prices are lower on Tundra, which puts more money into the pockets of both stockists and brands. Tundra does not offer returns, however the vast majority of brands will have lower minimum order values on Tundra compared to Faire or wholesale marketplaces, which mitigates the risk of trying a new brand. If you are a savvy stockist and just want to buy direct from brands without the markups or commissions, give Tundra a shot.

    (Full disclosure – I work at Tundra)

    1. Suzy

      While this is true Tundra does charge advertising fees. They make it very difficult to get your store up and running without loading promotion credits. So you are paying for Tundra.

  4. Susanna Luck

    Hi Lela,

    Thank you very much for this piece. I’m just now considering joining Faire as a seller and this definitely gives me pause. Nearly 30% in commission fees isn’t manageable for my handmade goods and I’m glad to hear about some of the other negatives too, before committing.

  5. Simone

    With a 9% retailer response rate to your survey, I don’t see the relevance of your poll for me as a seller. Do buyers like using Faire as a website? What is in it for them?

    1. Lela Barker Post author

      Hi Simone,

      I’m happy to clarify. 17% of the survey respondents are storeowners. 9% of those are strictly shopkeepers while another 8% both create their own products (they’re makers/ artisans) and also keep a storefront for which they stock other products. I’m not sure if you find the survey more relevant given that approximately 1 in 5 respondents are buyers, but it might be helpful to keep in mind that my audience is primarily made of makers and artisans and I generally write for them.

      I did speak with buyers and attempt to bring their opinion of Faire to the table. You can read more about that in an earlier installment of my blog series about Faire. >> https://www.luckybreakconsulting.com/what-makers-designers-and-retail-buyers-love-about-faire/

  6. Marci Huston

    I have been using Faire as long as I have been in business which is less than 2 years. The reason I use them is because I can have access to a zillion different lines without having to set up a zillion different accounts and payment terms etc. What annoys me is they and their suppliers do not understand what a brokers function is. A broker is the middleman. So when there are problems we get to complain to the broker, and we do not want the suppliers to have direct access to us. What annoys me is all the individual emails and messages I get from the suppliers. I am using well over 500. If I want to talk to a supplier I will reach out to them. I do not want them contacting me and in fact I do not want them to have my contact information. Faire doesn’t understand how they get it, duh, it’s in their system. I also don’t want 500 different push email’s from Faire. I am only buying from the certain suppliers because they are on Faire. I don’t go direct to anyone anymore.
    When you allow direct access you are allowing the possibility of the vendor going around Faire to get another order, which is unethical. So these businesses that say they want to choose where their product goes is BS, they want the direct link, so then they do not have to pay the commission on the order. Faire generated that business relationship, they should get to keep it. Faire’s customer service sucks but I think that is because they are all inexperienced. I talk to them alot about different things that need to change especially with their accounting and order paperwork and tracking module. The actual order entry module is awesome. Better than most vendor websites. I have even offered to go there and show them on a computer what it is like from a customer s point of view. If there was another option with better back office functions I would jump. But for now I am hooked on the net 60 and all the vendors.

    1. Paul

      As a seller on Faire, it’s hard to express how frustrating, even maddening, a comment like this is … Of course, sellers would prefer to have a direct link to a buyer! For a seller, the 25% commission (and 15% reorder commission) Faire takes could be reinvested in his/her business, that’s a huge chunk of money. I would much rather have a relationship with a buyer, I mean, you’re selling my product because you think it will help you make money! What’s clear to me is that you really aren’t interested in building a mutually beneficial relationship with your suppliers and you don’t care at all about the cost to the supplier for the goods you order through Faire. What you’re “hooked on” is the fact that Faire’s system completely benefits the buyer at the expense of the seller—$100 initial order discounts, free shipping, zero-risk buying with an egregiously lopsided return policy, overly generous “net” payments, and very high commission rates. As long as you’re making a living off the backs of your suppliers, who cares if they’re getting shafted, right?

      Unless a buyer purchases from a seller via their “direct link”, Faire doesn’t allow seller’s direct access to your email if you purchase through their marketplace—They literally hide the buyer’s email address. In other words, Faire owns the relationship, not the seller.

      You are getting emails because Faire has an email management feature that allows sellers to send emails through their closed system … that’s literally what you signed up for when you opened an account with Faire—They don’t make money if their sellers can’t sell product.

  7. Martha

    I ordered from Faire for our hospital gift shop about 18 months ago- items that arrived were thrown into a gigantic box with no filler, so when we unpacked the items they looked like they had been thrown. The items had price tags on them from someone else’s store, some were dirty, (foot prints), and lastly I tried to explain why I was dissatisfied, got no where and asked to be removed from their email list and it took until this past December to be removed. Not impressed, better to go through a sales rep who will have your back. If you want artisan items, contact the artist yourself.

    1. Juli

      Hi good day… I am selling on Faire and so far so good. Faire does not pack the items, it is the artist. So if it arrived not packed well, it is from the supplier and not from Faire.
      They are not perfect…but it works for me.

  8. Rhonda Trent

    I would love to buy directly from vendors rather than a marketplace for wholesale buying, but try as I may, I can’t find them unless you know their company name, it is next to impossible to find artisans/small businesses that offer wholesale buying or they do not show up in google searches.

    1. Barbara

      Hi Rhonda, I came across your feed. I am not sure what products you are looking for.
      But I am a wholesaler. If you are interested in Waffle Shaped Wax Melts or the Wax Snaps I am here for you
      Thank you, Barbara

    2. Lisa OConnor

      Hi Rhonda,
      My company is launching on September 28, 2021 and provides wholesale buying to retailers. We work with several artisans in Haiti who create handmade wall decor made from recycled steel drums. If there is interest, please feel free to review the products on our website at http://www.tiev.life

  9. Carolyn Perry

    Thank you for this information! As a seller, it has given me so much to think about before jumping right in to something like a Faire.

  10. Rhonda Green

    Black owned businesses is also racism. I am of mixed color and I do not purchase according to race. if you are going to call attention to this, you should also show white owned, Asian owned, Mexican owned, Jewish owned., etc. Why are you showing favoritism towards a persons race ?

    1. Lela Barker Post author

      Hi Rhonda,

      I’m not sure why this comment is popping up on a blog post that has nothing to do with race, but I’m happy to address your core concern.

      Lucky Break continually features and highlights the work of artisan brand owners across the spectrum of race, nationality, and creed. We always have, and we plan to continue that effort. This Instagram post from May 28, 2020 is one recent example of Lucky Break connecting readers to brands owned by women of color, indigenous women, and Asian women, too. >> https://www.instagram.com/p/CAv1_dDnKxJ/

      I’m honored to work alongside some of the most talented, most thoughtful product-based brand owners around… and there’s a delightful amount of diversity among the Lucky Break client community. We have made a more concerted effort of late to feature BIPOC brands, and I don’t apologize for that. I believe it’s important to amplify voices that have traditionally been marginalized, and I use the platforms I’ve cultivated through my own hard work to do that. You’ll see the faces of all sorts of women on my blog, in my newsletter, and on my social media. If that’s offensive, then I understand if you choose not to consume the free media my team and I work hard to produce. There are plenty of business consultants who stay safely in their comfort zone, and they might be more your cup of tea. If so, I wish you well in your search for a business mentor that meets your needs.

  11. Etienne

    Tried Faire as a retailer buying through their site. First order: totally messed up. Second order: never received. Tried contacting the vendor, tried contacting Faire. 2 months and still nothing. Cannot cancel the order because the “order is being fulfilled” somehow for the last 2 months.

    Stay away from them. Good idea, bad execution.

    1. Jason

      I also had the same experience. Placed 3 orders, 1 from uk turned up quickly, 1 from italy where i received a butterfly broach shipped from china. Was told to mark it as received and then tell them what was missing. Order apparently got replaced but 4 weeks later nothing has arrived and the tracking is unrecognised and there is no way to mark the order as not received to open a dispute. the seller answered my sales question in 9 mins but cant reply to my delivery in 8 days. 3rd order was apparently delivered but not to me and im still waiting for a replacement to arrive.

      All in all, experience is not a very good one

  12. Sharon

    As a buyer, I see absolutely no benefit to this type of platform as it is a 3rd party inserting themselves into my workload. I want certain things from a vendor and I want direct answers, if a vendor has their act together for wholesale, regardless of their size, they will be able to deal with me direct. When I make the choice to buy from local Indy artists, it is also to benefit them, so them loosing money on the deal is not cool, I want to deal direct. One can research on Etsy, through local street fairs, festivals and art shows, etc. Show off those people that are more local to you.
    Faire already had to go through reconstruction once, they are not the only vendor to approach this type of business and other businesses did not go about it in such a predatory manner. As a buyer for a larger company, I felt like this platform gave the vendors a bad name. When they rebranded they ended up spamming our company across the board with no research as to who they should be contacting and when I finally got someone to answer my contact attempts, they basically blamed the artists. Shady and unprofessional.

  13. William Diehl

    Faire is completely UNfaire. The advertised benefits as a buyer are not as good as you think. They do make it hard to get an account and terms for some and easy as pie for others. I have them everything they wanted with pictures and licenses. I still don’t have an account. A friend opened her account got terms no questions and they are shipping too her home.

  14. Barbara Browning

    I got an email from Faire yesterday…I don’t know when or where they even got my email addy but as I scrolled down there is no place to Unsubscribe …So I hit the Contact filled in ridiculous names etc just so I could actually get in contact with them to tell them that I wanted to be taken off any and all communications from them or any of their affiliates.
    Then I get another email today saying that they want me to confirm that I want them to remove me from any list…AGAIN!
    And now after googling the names Faire and seeing all this information about what they are and how they contact other companies customers via email never mentioning of course who or how they got your email in the first place. And I can assure you that if they have taken a customers information from a online purchase you have made from another company in order to try to get your business they already have all of your banking information, or however you paid for whatever you purchased from a company that deals with Faire!
    I am LIVID!! over this scheme of theirs and I felt it was necessary to write this to just let people know what they are and why nobody should do business with this place!

  15. Mark

    Based on your survey results, it seems to me they are burning through brands. Makers are attracted by the light (orders), but then burned by it (high commission). As you mention in your blog, Faire is incentivized to have buyers consistently buy from new brands, not reorder from existing ones. Thus makers consistently loose 25% of profit margin, and that constancy will stay high in the long run, as buyers continue NOT to reorder. So, tired of being burned, makers leave the platform.

    Faire’s venture capital, demands high returns, and the venture capitalists don’t care about long term growth (i.e. keeping brands long term on the site). You will see that when the current return-on-investment strategy has, just about, run its course, they will cash-out by selling the company. Leaving the buyer of the Faire platform busted. The decreasing revenue will not support the money invested (they will sell in turn, but at a loss). The current, owner venture capitalists, will then take their winnings to the next “big thing”, for more quick money.

    Only then will Faire’s hypocrisy end, where they say they love the makers (via high customer service), but all the while they control and take what they want from them (consistent, very high commissions). After the money runs out, Faire WILL survive, but only then will it be forced to truly become “fair” for both buyers AND makers.

  16. liesbeth

    Faire is an American company but it’s registered in The Netherlands, known for its supple tax laws (read tax evasion) for large companies. Need I say more?

  17. Alexa Martha Butler

    One thing you have not mentioned is Faire Direct with no comission payment and direct deposit in my bankaccount after 3 day’s for 3%. If you do not use Faire Direct as a Wholesale seller you simply miss out. Your retailer’s get $100 off their order with you and 1 year Free Shipping new to Faire. By the way I was invited to Faire to sell my purposeful passionately made artisan jewelry and I had my first order after 1 day. Faire is not for everyone! Just like Tundra is not for everyone. No reason to badmouth them. https://alexamarthadesigns.com

  18. A Vendor

    I wish more retailers would understand what happens with Faire in the background. An absurdly high commission to the vendors, for doing what? A website, offering no real human contact, should not be taking 25-28% EVER from a maker. This is robbery. Faire is basically exactly like Amazon. They flash free shipping, discounts, free $100 credit, net terms (basically acting like a bank for vendors) etc. to the retailers to get them to stop working with sales people and brands directly. Amazon did the same thing to pull customers away from small retailers. Small independent retailers asking customers to shop small and come to their shop should NOT be buying on Faire. It is a billion dollar company that is the opposite of buying small. They are taking money away from local sales people and vendors, and often sales people are providing a service and a retailer ends up putting the order through Faire. This in turn takes money out of a small business (steals it from the local sales person and moves it to a billion dollar company). Is this what small retailers want to be doing, or even know they are doing? I wish people would start talking about this on a bigger scale and what Faire is truly doing to the industry. 25-28% commission ends up meaning higher wholesale prices, retailers need to understand this!

  19. Deb G

    Hi Lela,

    Great article. Could not have come at a more opportune time. My summation of Faire is this. We received our first order within 2 hours of going live with the site. It was a pleasant surprise. Now we are asking ourselves if it is the one hit wonder because we have not had anything since.

    My brand Hand and Paw Project Inc., which gives back from every sale we make, has been featured on QVC, live on air over 20 times, and I would expect with over 50,000 bracelets sold from just one collection, that we would create a buzz on Faire…..its more like a fizzle.
    It certainly is not a good reflection of my brand or my company as we have been able to fill this since it was placed, and they have been having issuing with the International Banking end of things, which they forgot to disclose to us.

    Very frustrating

  20. Aveyrose

    I am not in love with Faire. I feel they lead everyone on. They actually take money from the vendors by pretending the store has to be xyz. I only say this because before my launch I tried to order after months of being on the app only to deal with the verification process. I fixed what needed fixing and nothing after going back and forth with multiple agents. I wouldn’t even had been down the rabbit hole if the first agent who contacted me didn’t ask for screenshots and links to my store. She then stopped responding. I ended up going around Faire and actually building some great relationships and I let them know how I tried to buy through Faire and how it’s been a rollercoaster. Lol I think Faire makes the prices higher as well because of the commission and fees. Idk I wanted to love them but I’m kind of over it.

  21. Takhi

    I recently joined Faire. I am a buyer for my very small shop. Faire has been a great site for me. I can look through many brands to find just the right products. I have noticed however that minimum $ values, set by some brands, have precluded me from even looking at their products. Some smaller brands with low minimum $ purchase sometimes have only a few (sometimes 2) items for sale so i was not able to purchase anything from them. I do not understand how they could make a go of it. But for me, it works great. I have so far bought from three different brands of which one i ordered from twice and plan on ordering more from all of them again in the future.

  22. Ron Clabo

    LELA – I just ran across your business the for first time when this article caught my eye. I really appreciate your deep research and sharing so many insights about FAIRE in this exceptional piece. Thank you for the great work you do and for your generosity in producing articles like this.

    I hope you and your business have a blessed New Year.

  23. Jamie Bourgeois

    Your blog article was the first that came up for my Google search on reviews of this company. I’ve been getting a hard sell from Faire in attempting to get me onboard with them as a wholesaler. In my experience their tactics have been downright deceptive.

    After a week’s worth of general solicitation to join, I then began getting emails with “wholesale orders” for my product- EXCEPT they weren’t my product. I ignored this as it felt like a grab at my attention by a Nigerian Prince needing my “products” in their Bahamian store (No joke- it was an order placed
    by offshore people for their island retail store in a third country). I’m getting emails about tax forms and bank account info. I’m getting text messages thanking me for giving my bank info BUT “if you do not recall making this change contact us immediately”. 110% sleazy business techniques and makes no sense a company touting its success would need to stoop to this level.

  24. Julien

    I came to read this article because, as a seller, I’m quite disapointed by Faire and I was seeking other sellers opinions. I was also interested to find articles about comparision between FAIRE vs ANKORSTORE. Personally I’m not convinced by FAIRE, for several reasons:
    If this can help you to choose between both, here is my feedback:

    Customer service, time to get an answer:
    FAIRE: 1 day / ANKOSTORE: a few hours

    Commissions to the seller:
    FAIRE 25% and 15% / ANKORSTORE 20% and 10%

    Payment time :
    FAIRE 30 days / ANKORSTORE Inmediate

    Orders received per month
    FAIRE 0,8 / ANKORSTORE 10

    FAIRE does not display the customer email so you cannot contact directly. That’s not very clever in my opinion, and it generate more issues as transport companies always ask for the customer email.
    FAIRE is all in Dollars, not really user friendly when you are in Europe
    FAIRE staff calls you when you open your seller account, they clearly explain you that if you enter in the platofrm all your existing customers contact, they will provide exposure and you will get orders, otherwise… get lost… In my case I refused to enter all my customers details, I first wanted to see if the platform would able to give us orders, that did not happen.
    In our case, we sell cold products, that have to be sent by express 24 hours service. This kind of transport is quite expensive, so FAIRE will not reimburse the full amount. At the end, in our case, it does not worth it to be in this platform.

  25. HoS

    Beware: Faire is a HUGE spammer and they are not only bombarding small businesses luring them on their shitty paltform, but also illegally ignoring any unsubscribing. We have reported and marked them as Spammers!

  26. Amber Robbins

    I have placed an order with Faire. It has been pending for over a month now. I have messaged , looked for numbers to contact, even tried to pull up vendors….. to no avail. I am looking to launch and a lot of the outfits I want to model and advertise on my page are outfits I have ordered from Faire. Can I PLEASE get some assistance in this.

  27. Katia

    I agree Faire is UNfair. I admit I made a mistake.  I had forgotten that I had added bags and tags to the description of my small shell soaps.  Those accessories were originally meant for just my larger bar soaps.  The seller marked my items missing because of the bags and tags (though all of the 8 batches of soap were there) and Faire sent them a full refund at my expense. I offered a compromise or an option to try to fix my mistake- sending the bags and tags, which was completely ignored.
    I don’t think the lack of bags/tags means the hours and money I put into making the soaps by hand no longer hold any value whatsoever.  If the compromise cannot be considered and the retailer gets all of their money back, I feel I should get what I gave back too- the soaps.  I don’t think it’s fair to give a full refund to the retailer and absolutely nothing to the maker.  My work is not worthless.
    My recommendation: stay away from Faire.

  28. Alfira

    Thank you for your article. We are a brand on Faire and faced a very unpleasant situation. We didn’t get payout for the order we shipped to a customer. Support team is not responding. Did anyone face such a situation?

  29. Yvonne

    Thank you dear Lela and all who posted here!
    I was thinking of joining Faire, but after reading all, I clearly feel it too risky for me and my little maker’s business.
    If anyone knows a really fair online platform, I shall be happy to have a look. I make products from natural materials, art/boho jewellery, lifestyle and artwork. All pieces are unique and not so easy to reproduce, this is why I was unsure whether I could deal with an online store I do not know. But now I am certain, I would get stressed and disappointed. Thank you so much for saving me the trouble!
    Very best wishes

  30. Evelyn Mazzella

    I am currently having a hard time dealing with Faire. The customer service is terrible. They take forever to respond. I am waiting on a refund that got credited to my account after I had closed it and they seem to be having difficulty finding where they money went. I am dealing with another rep because I had a credit in my account which seems to have disappeared. It’s impossible to get in touch with anyone. I think the cost of items is too high in comparison to resale value and many vendors are on etsy or amazon, thus making it difficult to compete as an online seller.

  31. Roman

    Hello!
    Do you know what kinds of goods are most popular among the top 1% to 50% of sellers? What types of buyers are most active on Faire? It seems to me that this platform is primarily focused on goods whose end customers are women. Is this correct?

    Thank you, Roman

  32. Shelly Heck

    I am a fairly new retailer with Faire. They found my brand on the internet and invited me to join. I have been pleasantly surprised that I am reaching a lot of retailers and receiving several large orders every week. Last week I sent a large order to Sweden which was well over $600.00 in retail of my product. I received a message from Faire that the customer said she did not receive three large items. This is completely false and I am finding out now that there is no way to dispute it. Faire could have easily calculated that if these three crystal towers were missing then the shipment weight would not have been 35lbs. Without even asking my side they immediately took out $70 from my payout. With the 50 percent discount already given to this buyer, the 25 percent that Faire takes for the customer’s first order and now $70 taken out… my payout will be close to $200.00. If I continue to do business this way I will not be in business. I sell on another platform and have been on there since 2008. I have close to 6,000 sales and 2,000 five star reviews. I feel that I have more control there if a customer blatantly lies. I have now taken off all of my expensive items on Faire so that if this happens again it will not be such a loss. I will also in the future most likely cancel any large orders outside of the US.

  33. Paul

    I’ve been with Faire for a year and have a handful of sales through their platform. Faire is a double-edged sword. Their fees are astronomical, but the platform does offer sellers and easy way to enter the B2B world.

    Few things to consider:
    1. In reality, the platform really doesn’t offer all that much functionality for the cost to the seller.
    2. It’s easy, but the platform benefits buyers far more than sellers.
    3. They take 25%, then 15% for every subsequent sale.
    4. The $100 incentive for new buyers is counter productive and leads to more one-off sales than repeat sales.
    5. Per above, if a buyer finds you through the Faire marketplace, they own the client. You do not have any means to cultivate them for repeat sales beyond their closed marketing tools.
    6. Finally, the kicker and why I’m looking for alternatives to Faire—If you spend time, effort, and money to prospect wholesale customers who would be a good fit for your products, and those customers DO NOT use your “direct” Faire link, you will get nailed with a 25% fee as if Faire found those customers for you. Basically, Faire will take credit for the sale, own client, and profit from YOUR sales efforts, which increases your cost per acquisition significantly. They won’t do anything about it if you contact them either.

    Do I recommend Faire?
    • If you’re a casual seller and want a low barrier to entry for selling your products to businesses, yes.
    • If you are trying to build a wholesale business to help balance your B2C sales, hell no … Especially if you plan to do your own direct selling/marketing … Because you cannot rely on customers to use your Faire direct link to avoid service fees and Faire does not give a shit after a sale has been made.

    Per this opinion, I’d be very interested to learn how other sellers have solved the wholesale problem—My online store is on Shopify and I am researching Wholesale apps … Any suggestions or advise would be welcomed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *