Last Updated: January 15, 2023
Considering buying products from Lyst but aren’t sure if it is a legitimate and authentic platform?
In this post, you will know EXACTLY that as well as some key points that are CRUCIAL for you to know before making any purchases.
Let’s get started!
Is Lyst Legit?
Lyst is definitely a legit shopping platform as it is partnered with big brands and retailers such as Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Farfetch, and thousands of others. However, it does not take responsibility for orders made through its platform.
Why doesn’t it take responsibility for your orders?
To understand this, you need to know how this platform actually works.
This will also give you a better understanding of how legitimate and safe it is to buy from Lyst.
So let’s get into the details of:
How Does Lyst Work?
Lyst works as an intermediary between the customers and their partnered brands or retailers.
Basically, it helps users to discover and buy an assortment of 8 million fashion items from thousands of the world’s leading fashion brands and stores all in one place with a highly personalized approach via search and filters.
It is not an online shopping platform itself and it doesn’t sell or stock its own items.
Rather, it is a search engine to find fashion products from different fashion brands and stores that are partnered with Lyst.
With a single search, it shows you results from all their partner brands and retailers in one place that you can then sort through filters to get a personalized catalog.
And once you click on your preferred item, you’ll see the official brand or retailer selling that particular item with product details, the ability to compare prices on different retailers, and an option for either “Shop Now” or “Buy Now.”
Generally, you will have an option of “Shop Now” and by clicking on it, Lyst will take you to the official brand’s or retailer’s website and you will have to order directly with them.
But for certain items, Lyst gives you an option of “Buy Now” as well, and by clicking on it, you will be redirected to their own integrated checkout service.
Now, the question is:
What’s the difference between placing orders directly and via Lyst’s Integrated Checkout?
Here’s the difference.
If you are taken to the brand’s or retailer’s website by Lyst to place orders directly:
- Lyst’s work is finished here. From this point, you are solely responsible for your orders.
- The brand or retailer from whom you are buying will take care of everything and be responsible for your orders.
- All confirmation and emails related to your order will be sent by them, not Lyst.
And, if you place orders via Lyst’s own integrated checkout:
- Upon receiving your order, Lyst will send you an email.
- Lyst will send your order details to the retailer.
- Lyst will send you an email confirmation once the order has been placed with the retailer.
- Shipping, tracking, or other information related to your order will be sent to you by the retailer shipping your order.
Even though your order is placed via Lyst’s integrated checkout, you will need to contact the retailer in case of order cancellation, amendments, returns, etc.
The only advantage of buying products through their integrated checkout service is that Lyst claims to help you if your retailer is not responding to you within 48 hours.
Though Lyst will contact their partner retailer on your behalf, there is no 100% guarantee that your issue will be resolved.
So regardless of how your order is placed, you will have to deal directly with the retailer for any queries or issues related to products.
As you can see, Lyst clearly stated this in their Terms of Conditions:
So before you buy anything through LYST, keep in mind that Lyst doesn’t take responsibility especially for orders made directly with the brands or retailers through their platform as many customers get deceived by this misconception.
As far as its legitimacy is concerned, I would say:
Lyst is definitely legitimate and safe as long as you treat it as a search engine for finding fashion products from thousands of online brands and retailers, not as an online shopping website that will take care of your orders and any related issues.
So, Does This Mean We Shouldn’t Buy Anything Through Lyst?
Absolutely not! You should definitely place orders through Lyst.
Lyst is without a doubt a great place to find and buy an assortment of 8 million items from over 17,000 of the world’s best brands and retailers all in one place.
But since it doesn’t take responsibility for orders made through its platform, you should treat it as a search engine, not as an online shopping website that will take care of you if you encountered any issues.
Therefore, you must have to do your own research on Lyst’s partnered brand or retailer before you place any orders.
To know how to research and what to look for, I’ve explained below (2nd point) as well as some other points that are crucial for you to know.
Let’s dive into those:
4 Must-Knows Before Buying Through LYST
First of all, keep in mind that the:
1. Retailer’s Policies Will Apply to Your Orders
In case you’re asking: What are Lyst’s policies for shipping, returns, refunds, cancellations, and customs?
Please be aware of the fact that they don’t have their own policies for these since it is just an intermediary between you and their partner retailers.
All of these policies are specific to each individual retailer and will vary depending on the item you wish to purchase.
So before ordering from any of their partner retailers, be sure to know their policies.
For example, if Lyst took you to Cettire for placing your order, be fully aware of their policies before ordering anything.
Now coming to the most important point and that is:
2. Research On Lyst’s Partnered Brand or Retailer
As Lyst is neither responsible for your order nor has command over its partnered retailers’ policies, it is binding upon you to research properly about the retailer you are going to purchase an item from.
Before going into the details of how to research and what to look for, let me clarify one thing just in case you’re asking:
Why do we need to research? Aren’t Lyst’s partnered brands and retailers authentic and legitimate?
Based on my research and analysis, they are since Lyst verifies them before becoming a partner and it generally works with well-known brands and retailers such as Gucci, Off-White, Farfetch, and more.
However, each brand or retailer has its own pros and cons, and policies.
Therefore, it’s extremely important for you to research as much as you can about the brand or retailer Lyst sent you to.
To research, here’s what you should look for.
First of all, look for the reviews about that brand or retailer on the internet just like you are reading this article about Lyst.
When you have read reviews and determined that the retailer or brand seems reliable, the next important step is to:
- Carefully check the product details: Check photos from different angles, read the description thoroughly, and carefully check the size chart when buying items such as shoes or clothing.
- If available, read product reviews: If the product reviews of the actual customers are available on the brand’s or retailer’s product page, carefully read them just like when you are buying something from Amazon or eBay.
- And lastly, carefully read the policies: Since the retailer’s or brand’s policies will be applied to your order, you should carefully read their policies such as refund, returns, shipping, cancellation, taxes, or any other.
3. Product Discrepancy Might Occur
With Lyst, one of the issues is product discrepancies between the products listed on their website or app and the retailer’s website.
As Lyst takes a large variety of products with millions in numbers from its partnered retailers, product errors such as discrepancies in prices, images, and sizes may rarely occur from time to time.
Therefore, you should check the product prices, images, and other important details directly on their partner retailer’s or brand’s website.
And lastly, keep in mind that:
4. Lyst Might Cancel Your Order By Itself
Though rarely happens, another issue with ordering from Lyst is that it might cancel your order by itself without your permission if your purchase is made via their integrated checkout service.
The following are some typical scenarios in which Lyst will cancel your order:
- Since Lyst does not fulfill your orders; instead, it transmits information about your order to its partner retailers, thus your order may be cancelled if the retailer does not have the items in stock.
- Your billing address does not match the address your card is registered to.
- Your CVC or CVV card number and your personal details are entered incorrectly.
- Your start and expiry dates are not entered per your card.
However, in such cases, you will not be charged and your pending charge will be cleared within five to seven working days.
Conclusion
Lyst is definitely legit as it is backed by investors including certain funds managed by Fidelity International, LVMH, Balderton Capital, C4 Ventures, Draper Esprit, and Steadfast Financial.
Furthermore, it is partnered with well-known brands and retailers such as Balenciaga, Balmain, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Moncler, Off-White, Prada, and thousands of others.
Moreover, it has been operating since 2010 and scam companies don’t survive this long.
Taking all these factors into consideration, one can easily judge whether it is a legit platform or not.
However, you should not treat it as an online shopping platform that will take care of your orders and any issues.
Instead, you should treat it a search engine to discover items and deals from thousands of brands and retailers.
I would say, do not expect any help from Lyst in case of issues with orders.
Therefore, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for you to do your own research about the brand’s or retailer from whom you are buying by following the tips I shared above.
Hopefully, all your concerns regarding Lyst’s legitimacy and safety is resolved now.
If you still have any questions, read the FAQ section below or let me know in the comments.
Lyst FAQs
What is Lyst?
Lyst is an intermediary fashion shopping platform that helps users to discover and buy items from thousands of the world’s leading fashion brands and retailers all in one place with a highly personalized approach via search and filters.
Is Lyst authentic?
Since Lyst typically works with authentic brands and retailers, the items listed on its platform are authentic as well.
Does Lyst sell fake Items?
Lyst doesn’t sell its own items, rather lists items of their partnered brands and retailers. However, they generally work with big brands and retailers so the items listed on their platform are unlikely to be fake.
Is Lyst a trustworthy website?
Lyst is definitely a trustworthy website as it is partnered with world’s leading brands and retailers.
Where is Lyst located?
Lyst is located in London.
Is Lyst a marketplace?
Lyst is a marketplace for online brands and stores, not for individual sellers.
Is Lyst real or fake?
Lyst is definitely a real shopping platform that helps users to discover fashion items from thousands of brands and stores.
Can you sell on Lyst?
Individual sellers can’t sell on Lyst. Only, the established brands and retailers can sell products through their platform.