StockX tells sellers it’s not responsible for sneakers lost during shipping

StockX has issued an update to its selling policies with a message that’s loud and clear — if something goes wrong in shipping, it is very much not StockX’s problem.

A four-point bulletin sent out to users outlines how StockX is largely offloading responsibility for whatever may happen once an item has left the seller’s hands and before it’s arrived at one of the company’s warehouses. StockX says it will no longer be liable for packages dropped off at third-party access points, picked up by third-party shipping providers, or that haven't left the drop-off location according to the tracking number.

In order to continue receiving protection from StockX, sellers will have to either drop off their package at a courier’s designated store or have it picked up directly by the courier. For example, StockX will not be liable if a package is dropped off at a UPS Access Point Drop-Off Locker but will be if it’s handed directly to a UPS store. Any issues in shipping that arise outside of StockX’s purview will have to be addressed instead with the courier.

Better hope your package isn’t delayed either — While the bulk of StockX’s policy changes urge sellers to cut out third parties, the final update shirks responsibility for delays even if a package has been dropped off at an approved outlet. If the tracking number doesn’t indicate the package has moved from its original drop-off or pickup location within 72 hours, StockX will cancel the corresponding order and sellers will have to coordinate with the courier to get back their item(s).

This fourth policy update means sellers aren’t only screwed for delays out of their control, but also if the tracking number fails to reflect the status of their package. Those who’ve shipped packages regularly have likely seen the tracking number fail to update until the very moment the item has arrived at its destination — and in that case, whatever glitch may have happened, you’ll still be out of luck despite the package traveling as expected.

StockX’s policy changes aren’t happening in a vacuum either. Instead, the less seller-friendly updates arrive from a platform with a history of poor customer service. The company took far too long to protect its user base after account information had been hacked two years ago, and complaints about StockX’s authentication process are rampant. Buyers have also been subject to higher fees since April 2020, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a major update announced by StockX that doesn’t isolate either sellers or buyers.