NewsCompaniesFlawsGuides
Get the app

Is Depop safe?

From Is it safe?, in the HARD wiki · Updated
This article is about the Depop resale marketplace. For other apps, see Is it safe?.

Safe to use with care: Depop is a real marketplace that refunds problem orders, but only if you pay with the Buy button, never directly to a seller.

Depop is a genuine second-hand fashion marketplace, now owned by eBay. Pay through the Buy button in the US, UK or Australia and you get a full refund if the item doesn’t arrive, arrives damaged or is significantly not as described, as long as you report it within 30 days of buying.

The real risk is being talked off the app. Any payment by PayPal, Venmo, Cash App or bank transfer, or a meet-up in person, loses Depop’s protection, and that is how most scams on it work.

Depop is run by Depop Limited in the UK. Etsy sold it to eBay on 30 July 2026; Depop says it keeps its own brand and accounts are not merged with eBay. Data may be stored outside the UK, EU and Australia, including with US service providers.[1][2][3][4]

The real risks

What Depop itself says it collects, what regulators and courts have found, its security record and the scams that borrow its name. Each line links to the page it comes from.

What it collects

From Depop’s own privacy policy:

  • Your name, email address, phone number, postal address and date of birth, plus ID documents if Depop can’t confirm who you are another way.[2]
  • Payment and transaction details; card and bank details are passed to its payment partners, including Stripe for Depop Payments.[2]
  • Your in-app messages, comments and item descriptions, which Depop may read to fulfil orders, settle disputes and look for fraud or rule-breaking.[2]
  • Device details such as device type, a unique device identifier or browser fingerprint, operating system, IP address and mobile network.[2]
  • What you view, like, save, search for, buy and sell, used to rank your feed and search results.[2]
  • Your location, only if you allow it in your device settings.[2]
  • Data shared with advertising partners for targeted ads; Depop says it doesn’t sell data for money, but some US state laws count this sharing as a sale.[2][5]

App store label. Depop’s Apple App Store label says purchases, location, contact info, user content, search and browsing history, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics and other data may be used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites. Purchases, financial info, contact info, contacts and more are linked to you.[6]

Changes that matter

  • : eBay completed its purchase of Depop from Etsy. Etsy said it received about US$1.4 billion in cash. Depop says its brand, policies and fees are unchanged for now and Depop and eBay accounts won’t be merged.[3][7][4]
  • : Depop announced passwordless sign-in with one-time “magic links” sent by email, AI-based fraud and phishing detection reviewed by staff, and automatic cancellation and refund in the US when a seller doesn’t ship on time.[8][9]
  • : Depop launched an online Safety Centre with guides for buyers, sellers, young people and parents, after adding optional two-factor authentication earlier in 2021.[10]
  • : Etsy completed its purchase of Depop for about US$1.625 billion and ran it as a separate marketplace.[11]

Scams that use Depop

Pay me directly and I’ll give you a discount
A seller asks for PayPal (Friends and Family or Goods and Services), bank transfer, Venmo or Cash App. Depop says none of these is covered, so if the item never comes it can’t help.[12][13]
Fake sale or payout email
An email says you’ve sold an item, or must verify your account to get paid, and links to another site. Real Depop emails come from an address ending in .depop.com. Forward fakes to [email protected].[14]
Messages by WhatsApp, text or phone call
Depop says it only contacts you by email, never by WhatsApp, SMS or phone. Anyone reaching you that way claiming to be Depop is not.[14][15]
Let’s chat somewhere else
A buyer asks for extra photos by email, your phone number or your Instagram, or writes with odd spellings and symbols to dodge Depop’s filters. Keep it in Depop chat and add photos to the listing.[15][14]
Send it to a different address
A buyer asks you to post the item somewhere other than the address on the sale receipt. Sellers lose Depop Protection if they do, even by accident or at the buyer’s request.[16][17]
Hijacked account
Signs your account has been taken over: messages or listings you didn’t make, changed personal details, or unexplained PayPal payments. Contact Depop support and turn on two-factor authentication.[15]

Shopping for a deal? How to check a shop before you pay covers fake shops and what to do if you already paid.

What to do

In order, with the place to find each one in Depop or on its site.

  1. Turn on two-factor authentication.In the app go to My Depop → My account → Two-factor authentication and toggle it on. Enter your phone number and the code texted to you.[15][18]
  2. Save your recovery code.When you set up two-factor authentication Depop gives you a 12-character recovery code. Store it in a password manager or the cloud; you can’t get a new one.[18][15]
  3. Lock down the email on your account.Depop now signs you in with a one-time link sent to your email, so anyone in your inbox can get in. Turn on two-step verification for that email account too.[9][15]
  4. Only pay with the Buy button.Check out through Depop Payments (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Klarna) in the US, UK and Australia. Report any problem within 30 days of buying.[13][12]
  5. Ship with a Depop label, to the receipt address.Sellers in the US, UK and Australia are covered for loss or damage in transit only if they use a Depop shipping label within 5 days, up to US$300, £250 or A$450.[16]
  6. Turn off personalised advertising.In the US, switch off “Personalised advertising” in your account privacy settings, or email [email protected], to stop sharing for cross-site ads.[5]

When not to use it

  • Don’t buy from a seller who will only take PayPal, bank transfer or another direct payment; in the US, UK and Australia that means no Depop Protection.[12][19]
  • Avoid meet-ups to hand over items; they aren’t covered. If you must, go with a friend or adult, meet somewhere public and get confirmation in Depop chat.[20]
  • For an expensive designer item, ask the seller for proof it’s genuine before buying; Depop counts a fake as significantly not as described, but you must report it in time.[12][21]
  • Not for children under 13. Teenagers aged 13 to 17 need a parent or guardian to verify details to use Depop Payments, and that adult is responsible for any disputes.[22][23][24]

Questions

Is Depop legit?

Yes. Depop is a real fashion resale marketplace, owned by eBay since 30 July 2026 and run by Depop Limited in the UK. Buyers in the US, UK and Australia who pay with the Buy button can get a full refund for items that don’t arrive, arrive damaged or are significantly not as described.

Is Depop safe to buy from?

Mostly, if you stay inside the app. Use the Buy button, keep messages in Depop chat and report problems within 30 days. Paying a seller by PayPal, Venmo, Cash App or bank transfer, or meeting in person, removes Depop’s protection.

Does Depop hold payment until delivery?

In the US, the seller’s money goes into their Depop Balance 2 business days after the item shows as delivered, or 10 business days after the sale if that comes first. It stays on hold if the buyer raises an issue.

Does Depop sell my data?

Depop says it doesn’t sell personal data for money. It does share data with advertising partners for targeted ads, which some US state laws treat as a sale. In the US you can switch off personalised advertising in your privacy settings.

Who owns Depop?

eBay. Etsy bought Depop in 2021 and sold it to eBay in a deal that closed on 30 July 2026. Depop says it keeps its own brand and app, and Depop and eBay accounts are not being merged.

Is Depop safe for kids?

Depop allows users from age 13, but you must be 18 to use Depop Payments or PayPal. Under-18s who want to sell need a parent or guardian to verify their details, and the account holder is responsible for disputes.

Second-hand marketplaces on HARD: Is Mercari safe?, Is Poshmark safe?. All of them: Is it safe?

References

Primary sources only: Depop’s own pages, regulators, courts and app stores. Each was checked on 7 Nov 2026.

  1. Depop. Terms of Service, 6 Oct 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  2. Depop. Privacy Policy, 6 May 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  3. Etsy, Inc. via US SEC. Etsy Completes Sale of Depop (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1), 30 Jul 2026. sec.gov, checked 7 Nov 2026
  4. Depop. eBay to acquire Depop - FAQ, 30 Jul 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  5. Depop. United States Regional Privacy Policy (US Notice), 6 May 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  6. Apple App Store. Depop - Buy & Sell Clothes (App Store listing). apps.apple.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  7. Depop. eBay completes acquisition of Depop, 30 Jul 2026. news.depop.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  8. Depop. Depop Product Release: Keeping our community safe, 30 Oct 2025. depop.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  9. Depop. How do I log in to Depop?, 7 Jan 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  10. Depop. Depop launches new Safety Centre, 20 Jul 2021. news.depop.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  11. Etsy, Inc.. Etsy completes acquisition of Depop, the global fashion resale marketplace for Gen Z, 13 Jul 2021. investors.etsy.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  12. Depop. Buying safely on Depop, 11 Sep 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  13. Depop. Depop Protection for buyers, 21 Jul 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  14. Depop. I received a suspicious message, or a suspicious email claiming to be Depop, 9 Sep 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  15. Depop. Keeping your account secure, 17 Jun 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  16. Depop. Depop Protection for sellers, 6 Oct 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  17. Depop. How do I sell safely?, 11 Sep 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  18. Depop. What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?, 31 Jul 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  19. Depop. Using PayPal on Depop, 13 Aug 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  20. Depop. Meeting in person, 12 Nov 2025. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  21. Depop. What does Depop consider ‘significantly not as described’?, 30 Jan 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  22. Depop. How old do I have to be to use Depop?, 27 May 2025. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  23. Depop. Tips for parents and guardians, 30 Jun 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026
  24. Depop. How do I get paid? - US, 2 Sep 2026. depophelp.zendesk.com, checked 7 Nov 2026