FAQs
Bottom Line
Who are you?
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
What exactly are you selling at Second Serve?
We sell pre-owned, donated clothing.
We have no affiliations with any brands. Trademarks are owned by their respective brand owners.
Why?
We want to offer a new way to shop and think about clothing. Our mission is to lower consumption of new clothing items by promoting the benefits of resale. We believe clothing can be maximized to benefit the individual, the community, and the environment.
Why are you different from other nonprofit resale shops?
At Second Serve you choose the nonprofit that receives 85% of the proceeds of your purchase.
Clothing
What does “as is” mean?
Everything we sell is "as is", meaning we sell each product in the current condition that it is in, including what is known about the item and what is unknown.
All of our items are pre-owned. Even if the item is "new with tags" someone else owned it before we received it. There are items that are "new with tags" that have flaws. We try very hard to be thorough in disclosing any flaws- all sales are final (see below) and we want you to be happy with your purchase.
It is important to us that we are thorough and transparent describing the clothes but we miss stuff sometimes. We are not experts in clothing or fashion, or measuring, but we try our best to research items and provide as much information as possible. In addition, the color that you see on your device may be different than how the color shows in our photos (and our photos may not exactly capture the "real" color of the item!- but again we try our best).
Where do you get your clothes?
We get clothes from our own closets, our family and friends, from neighbors and work friends. We can also receive donations from boutiques and stores who would like to be involved with Second Serve. When you donate, you will receive a donation letter from us stating we are a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
Are you affiliated with the brands you sell?
We do not have any affiliations with any brands. Trademarks are owned by their respective brand owners.
How can I donate clothing to Second Serve?
Please contact us at amy@secondserveresale.org if you have something you would like to donate. We cannot handle bags of clothing as we are a small volunteer organization. We like to showcase different items and share the "backstory" with our community. Select something from your closet that means something to you and tell us about it!
Our address is Second Serve, 100 Tom Harvey Road, #2251 Westerly, RI 02891
Another thing- we started Second Serve from the closets of three people, and those three people are small to medium sized. We need a greater variety of sizes on our site, so larger sizes are definitely appreciated!
What kind of clothing do you accept?
We accept designer clothing in clean, excellent condition. We also like to feature vintage clothing or items that are unique, and not necessarily popular or trendy. Take a look at the website to get an idea.
Do you feature all donations on your site?
Not every donation makes it to the website. Sometimes we sell donations at an in-person pop-up sale before we we have a chance to upload them to the site.
For all donations we sell on our website, or in person at a pop-up event, 85% will go to a nonprofit. Occasionally we will make offers like "buy one get one" free, or combine clothing for a package price.
From time to time we will also award an intern with a free pick from our inventory, or sell a piece as a discounted rate. We value our interns and we need them!
Finally, sometimes we receive donated clothing that is not suitable for selling on our site, or at a pop-up event, because it is damaged or stained in some way (sometimes you don't see the flaws until you actually put it on the dress form to photograph). If we cannot use the clothing we find another nonprofit or up-cycler who can.
How can I ask a question about a piece of clothing?
Please email us at amy@secondserveresale.org. We will try to answer your question.
How do you price your clothing?
We take into account what the item is selling for on the internet, the original retail value, the rarity of the item, and information of where its been ("previously owned by Rhode Island's own Viola Davis!"- I wish!!). It's not exact and if we price sometime too low then you get a deal. If it's too high we will figure that out when it doesn't sell and we will probably lower it. Or hey just buy it- it's more money that will go to your cause.
How do you measure your clothing?
The chest or bust is measured with the item lying flat and measuring the length from armpit to arm pit, and then doubled. Keep in mind the shape of the garment. If it has a lot of material or folds or is "blouse-y", the bust measurement might be high even if the tag size is a "small".
A waistline is measured with the garment lying flat and measure the waistband and doubling it. This is easy on pants or shorts. On a dress we look for the narrowest part that would be under the ribcage but above the bellybutton. Its not exact.
We measure the hips below the waist, usually the widest part of the garment. Keep in mind that the shape of the garment. If you are looking at an A-line skirt the hips will be big even on a small size because of the A-line shape.
For length (dresses) we measure (unless otherwise indicated!) from the seam at the base of the neck down the back to the hem.
Inseams are measured from the groin seam to the bottom of the pant leg hem.
Sleeve lengths are measured from the top shoulder seam to the end of the cuff.
Our measurements are approximate and we can get it wrong. We recommend googling the item to see what the original company says are the measurements, and then keep in mind that it could changed somewhat when owned (maybe shrunk a little when it was washed etc.) Contact us and we can go over any item with you if you are want something doubled checked.
Final Sale Policy
Do you accept returns?
We do not accept returns. We do not refund shipping costs or purchases. Every sale is final. We put that on every product page so you don't forget! See our Final Sale Policy here.
Shipping Information
How does shipping work?
We use flat rate shipping which goes to packaging and postage. Please refer to our complete shipping policy here
What kind of packaging do you use?
We really try to to be consistent in our environmental values. We use EcoEnclose packaging for the majority of our shipping because we think they provide the best environmental options. We also re-use boxes and shipping bags we have collected (like Amazon boxes or whatever). If we use these we put a sticker on them that indicates its Second Serve and we are re-using packaging.
Nonprofit Beneficiaries
How Do I Select A Nonprofit Beneficiary?
You indicate where you would like 85% of the product proceeds to go on the cart page. There is a "select a nonprofit beneficiary" dropdown menu. Your selected cause applies to your entire order.
Where does the 85% of the proceeds come from?
It comes from the price of the product(s). 85% is taken out before shipping is added, or any tax.
I am interested in getting more information about one of the nonprofits. How do I do that?
Contact the nonprofit and request information from them directly. There are links to our nonprofit beneficiaries on our Nonprofit Partner page.
Second Serve's 501(c)3 Status
How is Second Serve different from a for-profit corporation?
We are a company that is classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable organization. The money that is collected from our sales (proceeds) go to a charitable purpose-the funding of other nonprofits deemed charitable by the IRS. As a nonprofit, Second Serve does not pay any income tax on our proceeds like a for-profit company would pay on its earnings.
Where does the money from my purchase go?
85% of the proceeds go to the nonprofit you select on the cart page dropdown menu.
You pay Second Serve for your order, then we send a check for 85% of the purchase price (no shipping, no taxes) to your selected nonprofit.
If my selected nonprofit receives 85% of proceeds, where does the rest go?
The other 15% goes to us, and is used to run Second Serve Resale (the website, pay credit card fees, bank fees, storage fees, and to purchase environmentally-friendly packaging and things like that). If this whole thing works it would be nice to pay people to work at Second Serve but right now we are volunteers.
If you are a nonprofit why do you charge sales tax?
Second Serve must comply with sales tax law and regulations. As a nonprofit we do not pay sales tax as an organization, but must charge when we sell you something taxable, even if it is used, and remit that tax to the state of Rhode Island (the only state at present where we have a tax "nexus"). Rhode Island does not charge sales tax on items of clothing or shoes under $250. Clothing and shoe items above $250 will be charged 7% on the amount above $250. Handbags and accessories are not exempt from taxation in Rhode Island like clothing and shoes, and are taxed 7%.
Contact
How do I contact Second Serve?
Please email us at amy@secondserveresale.org. You can also contact us through the mail: Second Serve, 110 Tom Harvey Road, #2251, Westerly, RI 02891. We would love to hear from you. We are a young organization and want to listen to our community so we can get better at what we do.