Is GOAT Legit? [2023 Review]

Sneaker collecting has grown from a hobby to an international phenomenon over time. Sneakerheads have begun trading, purchasing, and selling shoes in addition to collecting sneakers. Many sneakerheads have turned to online marketplaces to find rare shoes since the rise of internet markets.

GOAT has slowly become one of the most popular destinations for sneakerheads around the world, since its launch. The website, which has become a go-to source for sought-after kicks, advertises a quick and convenient online shopping experience for rare and difficult-to-find sneakers.

Just with any other marketplace, there have been questions on its legitimacy and whether GOAT sell fake shoes. In this review, we are going to take a look at the GOAT marketplace, how it works and whether it is the right shoe store for you.

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GOAT Review

Table of Contents

What is GOAT?

GOAT is the world’s largest marketplace for high-end, rare and second-hand sneakers. It enables consumers to resell their sneakers using a completely monitored system that stops fake sneakers from passing through or packages from not arriving.

The marketplace accepts deadstock (new) and used shoes and gives people who missed the initial release of a pair the chance to purchase them again on the secondary market. It is unlike Amazon in that regard.

Goat was valued at $3.7 billion in the company’s latest funding round in 2021 and has over $500 million in funding, 30 million users, 600,000 sellers across the world, a large inventory of several hundred thousand pairs up for sale and more than 600 employees.

The marketplace, aside from having a website, also has a GOAT app suitable for both Android and Apple making access to its services even easier. You’re sure to discover the ideal pair on GOAT, whether you’re shopping for the newest Nike release or a unique pair of vintage Air Jordans.

The company’s corporate offices are situated at 3433 W Exposition Place in Los Angeles. In addition, it operates retail locations in Los Angeles and New York City after purchasing the renowned sneaker marketplace Flight Club in 2018.

Who founded GOAT?

GOAT was founded by Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano in 2015. It all began after Daishin’s purchase of a fake pair of Air Jordan 5 Grapes from the throwback line. Daishin, a self-described sneakerhead, was dissatisfied, made all the more so by the fact that eBay’s poor policy prevented him from getting his money back.

This is what Daishin said about the experience:

It became apparent that the industry I loved was fragmented and unsafe. Many people buying sneakers were running into the same problems. There are entire subreddits, social accounts, and blogs built around how to spot fakes.

We knew we could use technology to solve many of the existing problems and with the knowledge we already had in the space, we would have an additional edge. We also decided it was important for us to find an industry that serves a passionate and youthful generation.

He discussed with Eddy about the disappointing experience when the two made the decision to create the app with the intention of making it the most reliable marketplace in the globe. The leading sports clothing and footwear retailer, Foot Locker, which also owns Eastbay, made a $100 million investment in GOAT in February 2019.

Richard Johnson, the chairman and chief executive officer of Foot Locker, issued a statement in which he said:

We are excited to leverage GOAT Group’s technology to further innovate the sneaker-buying experience and utilize their best-in-class online marketplace to help meet the ever-increasing global demand for the latest product.

Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of GOAT, also provided a statement, stating that Foot Locker will enhance their largely digital presence with physical access points throughout the world. This would help increase the value for their community of buyers and sellers.

Additionally, he said:

As we continue to increase our operations both domestically and abroad, having Foot Locker as a key partner will also enable us to grow our business,

Their efforts have clearly paid off as GOAT has currently become one of the largest online marketplaces for shoes.

How does GOAT work?

GOAT offers a platform where high-end footwear, clothing and accessories can be purchased and sold. In addition, the website provides a resale market where customers may shop and buy items directly from sellers for products that are not offered on the primary market. They act as a middleman between both the buyer and the seller.

Buyers browse the listings as they are posted by sellers on the GOAT marketplace, including independent resellers, boutiques and shops.

Despite being able to market any pair of shoes, sellers must first send their resale items to GOAT for validation. GOAT authenticate sneakers by making sure each item is examined by the sneaker experts in their team to make sure it is genuine and in the condition that the seller has described.

Before they even reach the experts, GOAT uses an AI-assisted procedure to identify fakes. It’s challenging to visit every one of the thousands of various models and styles that are stored there at any given time. A huge collection of signals that can trigger fraud detection has been used to train the system.

To determine if the shoe is genuine or not, they employ a variety of different heuristics and data points. In the world, they are the company that sees the most footwear. Additionally, they are on the forefront of data collection for sneakers. As a result, they are gathering all the relevant data for each shoe that is received.

The merchandise is mailed to the buyer after being validated. However, GOAT will not ship the merchandise and will provide the customer a full refund if it turns out that they are not authentic sneakers or otherwise not what was advertised.

On their marketplace, shoes marked “Instant Ship” are also pre-verified and prepared to be dispatched to customers from GOAT facilities.

GOAT’S shipping policy

Shipping fees are high and are usually determined by a number of elements, such as the item’s weight, destination, value, customs and tariffs, and carrier rates.

At GOAT, a company with headquarters in Culver City, California, domestic shipping to the 48 contiguous US states is $14.50, while it costs $15 to send to Hawaii and Alaska. Buyers are responsible for the $25 shipping charge for items with the Insta Ship label and Next Day delivery.

Shipping costs are $25 to addresses in the People’s Republic of China, $30 to addresses in Canada, and $40 to addresses in the majority of other foreign nations. For many or large items, additional fees can be incurred.

When clients in specific states and nations order taxable goods from GOAT, GOAT collects sales tax and sends the money to the appropriate taxing authorities.

Applicable Sales Tax rates vary depending on the buyer’s shipping address. Some states may also include shipping fees in the Sales Tax, while some may not.

How to buy shoes on GOAT

From a user’s point of view, purchasing from GOAT is a rather easy process. You must first choose the style of sneakers you want to purchase from the wide selection offered before deciding whether you want new or used pairs.

In contrast to used pairs, which can vary in condition and are always accompanied by pictures, new pairs will arrive just as you’d receive them from a retail establishment.

Next, choose your size, where the price will also be shown. There are frequently a variety of alternatives, such as “pre-verified” sneakers that are already in stock at GOAT’s warehouse and ready to ship, or “need to be confirmed” sneakers that the seller must ship to GOAT for authentication first.

The price shown at the checkout includes all taxes and import charges, so there are no unforeseen costs before delivery. After making your payment option selection and completing the transaction, your new sneakers should be delivered to your door shortly.

How to sell on GOAT

To ensure that they are selling authentic sneakers and to prevent any type of scam from happening, GOAT has strict seller policies in place. To sell on GOAT, one must first apply to be an approved seller. This procedure entails verifying identity and responding to a series of application questions in an effort to weed out any scammers in advance.

Naturally, it would be hard to completely eliminate this, but GOAT does an excellent job of identifying fake accounts from the start. The selling sneakers and other accessories is quite straightforward once your identity has been confirmed.

If you’re selling used sneakers, it’s crucial to take clear pictures that show any imperfections, but with new sneakers, you only need to mention any that are present in the pair or box.

Then, you can decide whether to retain your sneakers in-hand and ship them as soon as they sell, or to ship them to GOAT’s warehouse so they can become “pre-verified” (and possibly sell faster). You’ll get paid after the footwear have been examined and verified.

How to join GOAT?

To create an account with GOAT so as to have access to their services, all you have to do is visit their website. On their front page, click ‘Account’ on the top right corner.

Next, click the ‘create account’ option where you’ll be prompted to enter your names, email address and password. Once that is done, your free account is ready for use!

GOAT reviews

GOAT has an excellent rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. However, the company has 1.1 stars on the Better Business Bureau and 1 star on Sitejabber. Here is some people’s experience with GOAT:

I want to give a Big shout out to GOAT I’ve had nothing but great experiences with Buying shoes with them. From the ordering process to looking at inventory to the customer service. They get back to you in a reasonable amount of time with the solution or answers for you. I suggest if you are looking for a place to buy or sell shoes more so buying shoes for me. That GOAT is where you need to shop. The authentication process is in place so you can feel comfortable that you are getting a brand new pair. Please check out GOAT today I promise you will not be disappointed.

Stephen Ebersole

I used this platform for the first time a month ago. I ordered some shoes for my son. I was very hesitant on using this type of platform for fear of being ripped off. I had the shoes sent to goat first to be authenticated because that was safest. Well my fears were valid. After placing my order I received an email approximately 7 days after placing the order saying that the shoes were authenticated by goat and were on there way to me. However upon arrival all I received was an empty shoe box. Goat lied to me about the shoes. I followed there claims process and I still do not have the shoes or a refund and it’s been a month of going back and forth. Now they tell me that because I reached out to my credit card that they cannot really do anything. There customer service is the worst I have ever experienced I will never use them again or recommend them to anyone. They will steal your money from you stay away from this company.

-Shane

Good company if all goes well. But horrible when your shipment goes wrong. I have sent shoes with DPD in The Netherlands. The box got lost. Now DPD started a case and concluded that the boxx was lost and wants to refund the damage to Goat, so they can eventually give my money back. Goat does not want to reply on DPD with the information without a police report. The Worse online business. Don’t buy from them. They have NO customer service. It’s non-existent. They steal your money and refuse to send your products. I honestly feel they’re a Ponzi scheme. I ordered sneakers. They sent the wrong ones. I ask for refund which they refused. They gave me store credit and charged me shipping when they shipped wrong shoes. So I’m out on their error. Months later, I tried to use the GOAT credit on another pair. And somehow my acct was hacked & they are unresponsive on my order status. Someone need to do something about them.

-Lost Shoes

I bought 2 pair of Jordan 11s from goat and both pair were replicas

First pair the red was peeling in various areas, glue stains and stitching was off. Smell was off and fit tighter than other 11s I have.

I Sold them back to goat since they wouldn’t honor the return because of an early release.

Bought another pair after they officially dropped.
They were better but stickers were wrong, didn’t feel the same as the authentic pair and the bottom of the shoe was off.
I compared them to a retail pair and l notice the second pair were replicas because the blue at the Bottom was also a different shade of blue and The weight of the was different.

I was refunded for the second pair. I took a loss on shipping but at least they offered a refund.

Customer service isn’t bad just slow.
Just feel like they should decline defects or at least update the customer about them before sending them.

Date of experience: December 30, 2022

-Chuck B

I ordered a Versace bag from the website and I couldn’t be more happy! The delivery time was extremely fast, and the authentication process as well! The price for the bag was also very good!! The bag arrived very well packed, and it was a dream come true! I am very thankful for GOAT, for making this experience happen! I had ordered other items in the past from the website ( including some gorgeous nike dunks and an essentials hoodie) and all of them I experienced great costumer service and amazing pieces!

-Sophia Braga

Frequently asked questions

How long does GOAT take to process a delivery?

For the shipping process, the product will be dispatched to GOAT in three to four business days, authenticated by them in one to two business days and then shipped to the buyer in another three to four business days.

In conclusion, the delivery of the order to the buyer’s address in the United States will take between seven and ten business days.

Additionally, GOAT offers Next Day shipping, but only for Insta Ship items with delivery addresses in the neighborhood states. The delivery of the goods to the buyer typically takes between one and two days.

However, military bases and Post Office Boxes are not eligible for this shipping option. Delivery of clothing and accessories ordered by US clients normally takes four to eight business days.

However, owing to customs, shipping timeframes for foreign orders may differ. Emergency events like bad weather can delay product deliveries, just as normal shipments.

How do I cancel an order on GOAT?

Order cancellation is permitted by customers up to three hours after placing their order or before the seller confirms it, whichever occurs first.

Orders are automatically confirmed and cannot be canceled for pre-verified and authenticated items that are dispatched through their retail and boutique partners.

What are the GOAT payment methods?

For domestic purchases, GOAT takes American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa, Afterpay and Affirm. Additionally, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Alipay are accepted.

Does goat accept returns?

As long as the merchandise is in the same condition as when it was sent, GOAT accepts returns of items bought on New In Box, New No Box, apparel and accessory purchases.

Used items, special items such as Vintage, Sample, ID, Custom, Defect and Pre-Release, as well as special items marked Special, Final Sale and GOAT Storage are final and cannot be returned or exchanged.

A freight forwarder or a delivery address in China are two more destinations for which GOAT does not accept returns, refunds or exchanges.

Pros of GOAT

It is easy to use. When you find a product you want, you can decide whether to buy it new or used thanks to its user-friendly layout. You can use the app to view a list of merchants along with their asking pricing.
There are vendor reviews. Users have rated every seller on GOAT, letting you know who to do business with and who to avoid.
Flat-rate shipping is available. No matter what kind of sneakers you buy or sell, there is a fixed $5 delivery price that is subtracted as a seller’s fee. When you pick your price for sneakers, you can immediately see your anticipated profit after costs as well.
They have a skilled group of specialists who have a proven track record of identifying fakes and removing them from the pipeline.

Cons of GOAT

They have received a number of negative reviews and low ratings on Better Business Bureau and Sitejabber
There have been complaints on their customer service and technicalities in their return policy.

Conclusion: Is it legit?

GOAT is a legit online marketplace for all types of pairs of shoes, from a rare pair to a used pair. The website strives to provide the best quality available and has become quite well known amongst the sneakerheads.

GOAT uses a strict authentication process on both the product and the sellers and this assures you of the level of their quality. I would highly recommend purchasing your shoes from them if you are looking for an authentic pair of shoes.

Before you leave

If you’re tired of scams and want a real solution for making money online check out my no.1 recommendation.

It’s helped me earn over $300,000 in the last 12 months alone:

Go here to see my no.1 recommendation for making money online

(This is a 100% free training)

David Fortune

David Fortune has been the editor NoBSIMReviews.com since 2019. He is an expert at writing content on stock advisory services, side hustles, reviewing online business opportunities and many more topics. You can learn more about David on our about us page.

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