Frequently Asked Questions

What is In Style Ascot?

In Style Ascot is an independent luxury resale and consignment boutique based in Ascot, Berkshire.

We help individuals sell their pre-loved designer and contemporary fashion while giving customers the opportunity to discover authenticated, carefully selected pieces at competitive prices.

Items are sold through our Ascot boutique, website, social-media channels, live-selling events and selected online marketplaces, allowing us to reach customers across the UK.

What items do you accept for consignment?

We selectively accept pre-loved:

• Designer and contemporary clothing

• Handbags

• Shoes

• Jewellery

• Belts

• Wallets and small leather goods

• Scarves and accessories

• Selected homeware and lifestyle pieces

We regularly accept luxury brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Fendi and Hermès, alongside contemporary brands such as Ganni, Rixo, Sandro and Maje.

Current, trend-led and investment pieces generally achieve the strongest demand. We also accept selected vintage designer pieces.

Mid-range brands may only be accepted for online sale and can be subject to a longer waiting period due to the volume of items we receive. Please contact us before bringing these items into the boutique.

For watches, please contact us to discuss our specialist watch-consignment partner.

All items are accepted at our discretion and subject to condition, authenticity, demand and available space.

What items do you not accept?

We are generally unable to accept:

• Counterfeit or replica items

• Items with significant damage, staining, excessive wear or strong odours

• Items with missing components that materially affect their value

• Most fast-fashion and lower-value high-street brands

• Items for which there is limited resale demand

• Items that we cannot confidently authenticate or accurately describe

• Items that are not legally owned by the person consigning them

Acceptance at an appointment does not guarantee that an item will be listed. We reserve the right to decline or remove an item following further inspection, research or authentication.

How do I consign items with you?

Contact us before bringing or posting any items:

WhatsApp: 07444 864918
Instagram: @instyleascot
Email: info@instyleascot.co.uk

We will arrange a short consultation to learn more about your items. Photographs may be requested so we can carry out an initial assessment.

If your items appear suitable, we will arrange a drop-off appointment at our Ascot boutique or provide instructions for sending them to us.

Once received, our team will:

1. Inspect the condition and suitability of each item.

2. Arrange authentication where required.

3. Research the current resale market.

4. Confirm the proposed selling terms.

5. Prepare and photograph accepted items.

6. List and promote them through the most appropriate sales channels.

7. Manage customer enquiries, payments and delivery.

8. Pay your agreed seller return once the sale has been completed.

All pricing, commission and applicable fees will be confirmed before an item is listed.

How can I get my items to you?

Drop-off appointments

Contact us to arrange an appointment at:

In Style Ascot
17A Brockenhurst Road
Ascot
SL5 9DJ

Please do not arrive with items without arranging an appointment, as we may not be able to assess or accept them immediately.

Postal consignments

If you live further afield, you may send approved items using a tracked, insured and signed-for postal service.

Please contact us before posting anything. Items should be securely packaged, and you should retain your tracking information and proof of postage.

Courier collection

We may be able to arrange a courier collection on your behalf. Charges and additional terms may apply.

Should I bring packaging and hangers?

Please do not bring unbranded hangers, ordinary shoeboxes or dress bags, as we have limited storage space and cannot guarantee their return.

Relevant branded packaging—such as designer dust bags, boxes, authenticity cards, receipts and certificates—should be included wherever possible, as these may support authentication and improve the item’s resale value.

Unbranded or unnecessary packaging may be recycled or disposed of.

How do you determine the selling price?

Our experienced team assesses each item individually. We consider:

• Brand and style

• Age and season

• Condition

• Original retail price

• Current customer demand

• Recent comparable resale prices

• Colour, size and material

• Whether original packaging or documentation is included

• The likely sales channel

• Current fashion and seasonal trends

We welcome relevant information from sellers, including proof of purchase and their preferred price. However, pricing must remain realistic and competitive.

The initial selling price and any agreed pricing parameters will be confirmed before listing.

Can you reduce the price of my item?

Yes. To improve the likelihood of a sale, items may be reduced during the consignment period in response to market demand, customer interest, seasonality and comparable resale prices.

Price reductions will be handled in accordance with your seller agreement. Where a larger or unexpected reduction is recommended, we may contact you before proceeding.

If you do not wish to allow reductions, this must be discussed and agreed before the item is listed, as this may affect whether we can accept it.

Where will you sell my items?

Depending on the item, it may be marketed and sold through:

• Our Ascot boutique

• The In Style Ascot website

• Social media

• Live-selling events

• Selected third-party marketplaces

• Promotional events and campaigns

We choose the channels and launch timing that we believe will give each item the strongest opportunity to sell.

During busy periods, accepted items may take two weeks or longer to appear online or in-store. We may also hold an item for a more suitable seasonal, brand or category launch.

How does commission work?

Commission varies depending on the item’s brand, value, expected selling price and individual seller agreement.

Your commission rate, estimated seller return and any applicable charges will be confirmed before your item is listed.

Following a completed sale, your seller statement will show:

• The final selling price

• The agreed commission

• Any authentication or other agreed charges

• The final amount payable to you

What is the consignment period?

Our standard consignment period is 12 weeks, beginning from the date confirmed in your seller agreement.

A different period may be agreed for certain high-value, seasonal or specialist items.

Items should normally remain with us for the full agreed period. Requesting an early return may incur a processing fee.

Can I collect an item before the consignment period ends?

You may request an early collection; however, a £15 processing fee will apply.

This covers the administration involved in locating the item, removing it from our website and sales platforms, updating our records and preparing it for collection.

Please provide at least three working days’ notice. Items may be stored off-site, displayed elsewhere or allocated to an upcoming live sale, so they may not be immediately available.

The processing fee must be paid before the item is released.

What happens if my item does not sell?

If an item remains unsold at the end of its consignment period, the available options may include:

• Collecting it from our Ascot boutique

• Paying for it to be returned

• Agreeing to an additional price reduction

• Extending the consignment period by written agreement

• Donating the item to charity

It is the seller’s responsibility to contact us at the end of the agreed period and arrange collection or return.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, items must be collected within seven working days of the collection request or end-of-consignment notification.

Items that remain uncollected after the applicable period and reasonable notice may be donated to charity or responsibly disposed of in accordance with the seller agreement.

How does authentication work?

Selected designer items must be professionally authenticated before being offered for sale.

The authentication charge is £20 per item. If the item sells, this will normally be deducted from your seller payment.

If the item remains unsold, the £20 authentication charge must be paid before the item is collected or returned. Any available authentication certificate or documentation will then be provided to you.

Authentication is carried out using the provider and method we consider appropriate for the particular item.

What happens if an item is counterfeit?

It is illegal to sell counterfeit goods, and we take any attempt to consign a counterfeit item seriously.

By consigning with In Style Ascot, the seller confirms that:

• They legally own the item.

• They are entitled to offer it for sale.

• To the best of their knowledge, the item is authentic.

• All information provided about its origin is accurate.

If an item is confirmed to be counterfeit:

• It will not be listed or sold.

• The £20 authentication charge will remain payable.

• An additional £30 administration and handling fee will apply.

• The total amount payable will therefore be £50 per counterfeit item.

The item will be handled or returned in accordance with our policies and applicable legal requirements.

When will I be paid?

Items sold during a calendar month are normally paid on the 15th of the following month.

If the 15th falls on a weekend or UK bank holiday, payment will be made on the nearest working day.

Payments are made by bank transfer after:

• The customer’s payment has fully cleared.

• Any applicable cancellation or return period has ended.

• There is no open dispute, chargeback or return.

• Your correct payment details have been provided.

In Style Ascot cannot accept responsibility for delays caused by incorrect bank details or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

What happens if my item is lost or damaged?

We take reasonable care of all items while they are in our possession. However, pre-owned items may already display signs of wear, ageing or previous repair, which will be recorded where reasonably possible during intake.

If an item is lost or damaged due to circumstances for which In Style Ascot is legally responsible, any compensation will be assessed using its reasonable resale value immediately before the loss or damage—not its original retail price, replacement price or sentimental value.

Any compensation will also take account of the agreed seller return and the item’s age, condition and current resale market.

Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

Can you refuse or remove an item after accepting it?

Yes. An initial intake decision may be reconsidered if we later discover:

• Undisclosed damage or alterations

• Authenticity concerns

• Incorrect information about the item

• A lack of resale demand

• Hygiene, safety or legal concerns

• That the item does not meet our usual acceptance standards

If this happens, we will contact you to arrange collection or return. Authentication, postage or other costs already incurred may remain payable where set out in your agreement.

Can my item be used for marketing?

Yes. By consigning an item, you grant In Style Ascot permission to photograph, film, display and promote it for the purposes of selling the item and marketing our business.

Items may be:

• Photographed or filmed

• Modelled or worn for content

• Featured on our website

• Shared on social media

• Included in email marketing

• Displayed during live-selling events

• Used in other promotional materials

This is a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission. We will not normally publish the seller’s personal information alongside the item without permission.

Images and videos created before an item is withdrawn or sold may remain in previously published social-media posts, campaign content or business archives.

What is your returns policy?

Purchases made in our Ascot boutique

We do not offer returns or exchanges when a customer simply changes their mind about an item purchased in-store.

Online purchases may normally be cancelled within 14 days of delivery, subject to our Returns & Refunds Policy. Purchases completed in our Ascot boutique are final for change-of-mind purposes. This does not affect your statutory rights where an item is faulty, misdescribed, unsafe or inauthentic.

Once a live purchase or bid is confirmed, voluntary cancellations are not accepted unless required by the selling platform or applicable law. This does not affect statutory rights or any applicable distance-selling cancellation rights.

Purchases made online

For most online purchases, customers have the right to notify us that they wish to cancel within 14 days of receiving their order. They then normally have a further 14 days to return it.

Returned items must be handled carefully and returned in the condition received, with all In Style Ascot tags and security measures intact where possible. We may make a lawful deduction where handling has reduced the item’s value.

Exceptions may apply to certain goods where permitted by law. Please read our full Returns and Refunds Policy before purchasing.

Do different rules apply to live sales?

Bids and purchases made through a live-selling platform are treated as binding, subject to the platform’s rules.

Cancellation requests, delivery issues and returns must normally be raised through the relevant platform. However, platform rules do not remove any statutory consumer rights that apply to the transaction.

Customers should listen carefully to the description, review available images and ask questions before bidding or purchasing.

Which charities do you support?

We are proud to work with The Cowshed in Wokingham.

Where appropriate, unsold items may be donated to charity with the seller’s agreement. Sellers may also ask to donate some or all of their sale proceeds to a chosen charity, subject to prior arrangement.

Need more information?

If you have questions before consigning or purchasing, please contact us:

Email: info@instyleascot.co.uk
WhatsApp: 07444 864918
Instagram: @instyleascot

All consignments remain subject to acceptance, the individual seller agreement and In Style Ascot’s full terms and conditions.