I remember a few years ago my friend Janet, who was the inspiration for a past post about the wealthiest women in the world, talked about how she was picking up mattress returns and reselling them as a side hustle. I didn’t think much of it since I figured it wasn’t an option here in the middle of nowhere, aka Nebraska. Little did I know I’d now be quoting her again in my Sharetown review.
When I was doing research for ways to make money selling mattresses, I came across Sharetown and asked Janet if that’s who she worked with and if they were legit. She immediately responded, “Yes I did it for 2 years!!! I made $$$$! Sometimes it was such amazing money that I didn’t have incentive to do anything else.”
That was enough for me to look deeper into what Sharetown was all about. And now that I’ve completed 100 days with the company and made close to $1000, I feel I can give a thorough Sharetown review.
Contents
Sharetown is an innovative organization that simplifies complex oversized product returns for both brands and their customers in a cost-saving yet sustainable manner.
Sharetown originally started with just mattresses and handles the return process for Casper, Purple, Helix, Layla, Nest Bedding, Ghostbed, Nectar and more. These mattress companies offer a “bed in a box” mattresses arrive vacuumed sealed and inflates when opened so are easy to ship out but harder to return (as they will definitely not fit back into the original box).
These mattress companies also offer “free night trials” as an incentive to customers to try before committing, and if they don’t love the mattress, they get their money back guaranteed. So when customers are not 100% satisfied, Sharetown comes in and handles the pickup.
Sharetown is now delving even deeper than mattresses with furniture returns and fitness equipment returns (although I’ve yet to receive any of those returns yet).
The Sharetown rep is the person who is responsible for representing the company and picking up returns from customers. The rep then cleans and sanitizes the return item and puts it up for resale usually via online marketplaces. Once the item sells and payment is received, the rep pays Sharetown the agreed upon amount of the sale price. Reps are required to pay Sharetown every Monday for the items they sold the week prior. What’s nice about this arrangement is that there is no upfront inventory expense.
First, you must meet these ten Sharetown requirements:
- You are over the age of 18.
- You are legally authorized to work in the United States.
- You have never been convicted of a DUI or felony.
- You have transportation and storage available.
- You are willing to drive up to 50 miles to pick up an item.
- You are able to lift more than 100 pounds with helper.
- You are someone that would be willing to help you lift heavy items.
- You are able to store a minimum of 10 large / bulky items.
- You have or am willing to create a Facebook account.
- You have a smartphone and are willing to sell items online.
If you fit that criteria, you can apply here.
After you apply, a member of the Sharetown team will review your application and then determine if they have a need for more Reps in your area. You can typically expect to hear from them within 2 weeks, but I heard back within 3 days.
After my application was accepted, Sharetown scheduled an interview call with me to see if Sharetown was a fit for both of us. Next was the onboarding process. The online onboarding process included filling out profile information, location, W-9, independent contractor agreement, driver’s license, vehicle information, auto insurance card verification, and background check consent. Yes, they do do a background check on you.
Once onboarding is complete (and you pass the background check), you will receive access to “Full Service Rep – Pick Up Training” by Sharetown University. This training course will teach you how to schedule and complete pickups.
After you go through the training, you will have another call with your Account Manager and they are the one that you can ask questions to and help with anything. The whole process took about two months before I had my first pickup so don’t expect this to be a “get rich quickly” scheme.
Apply to be a Sharetown rep now!
It depends on how much you work and what types of returns you pick up. In my 100 days, I made close to $1000 picking up mattress returns in rural Nebraska alone. If you live in or near a big city, then the income potential can be much greater. Several people (and couples) make Sharetown their full-time income.
According to my Sharetown app, I’ve made an average of $192 per sale. And in my personal calculations, the average amount earned per sale is about 12.5% of the mattress retail price (which is usually sold at 25% of retail). Therefore the higher the price of the mattress, the more you make. If you have to drive further than 50 miles, you may make a little extra for your extra time and mileage.
Apply to be a Sharetown rep now!
Now that I’ve been a Sharetown rep for officially 100 days, I can give a thorough look at the pros and cons of being a Sharetown rep. And I may have more as the days/months/years progress.
Pros
Set Your Own Schedule
Being able to schedule the pickups around your own work or school schedule is a great perk. Plus, you can make your own hours within the parameters of when customers are available to have the items picked up.
Good Money for Part Time Work
If you’re looking for a part-time job that pays well, then being a Sharetown rep is a viable option. I’ve made close to $1000 my first 100 days and the income potential is there.
Cons
Inconsistent Work Flow
Since Sharetown is based on customer returns, you may have weeks where you don’t receive any pickups, while other weeks may be jam-packed with them.
You Need Muscles
It’s no lie that mattresses are heavy! You will definitely need another person to help you pickup the mattress from the customer. In some cases, the customer has even helped us, too, in which we were thankful.
I asked Janet why she quit Sharetown and she was honest: “I had no one to help me and it was hard work. I got sick of lifting them and decided to invest in my mattress site again (that made money without heavy lifting).”
So Janet is not out of the mattress business. She runs Unbox Mattress, a mattress review site and earns money via affiliate marketing.
It’s free to become a Sharetown rep, but there are some nominal start-up costs. Here are the things that I personally invested in (and your Account Manager may recommend slightly different options):
- Clear sheeting (I recommend 3-4 mil strength for carrying mattresses out of house.)
- Kayak straps (We have found that these work better than bungee cords and exceptionally better than tape to keep mattresses folded up. They are like ratchet straps but easier to use.)
- Steri-Fab to clean and sanitize mattresses
- Mattress storage bags (4+ mil) to store mattresses in after sanitized
Also you need to keep in mind that Sharetown does not reimburse you for mileage, so you’ll want to keep track of that so you can deduct it come income tax time.
Apply to be a Sharetown rep now!
Is it legal to sell used mattresses?
It is legal to resell used mattresses as long as you follow certain guidelines. Before selling a mattress, the seller must make sure it meets all safety standards and that it has been sanitized according to state laws. It’s also important to research any local laws or regulations in your area about reselling used mattresses since they can vary from one place to another.
Several states, such as Maryland, Louisiana, Indiana, and Washington prohibit retailers from selling used mattresses, regardless of their condition or labeling. However, it’s important to note that individuals (and Sharetown reps are individuals) are still permitted to sell used mattresses in these states.
My Sharetown review is that this side hustle can be a great way to make money on the side by picking up and reselling used mattresses. If you live in an area where pickups are available, have access to reliable transportation, and don’t mind lifting heavy items – then being a Sharetown rep could be a good fit for you. You should also be aware though pickups are not always guaranteed and can vary from week-to-week. With that said, Sharetown does offer a great referral bonus if you refer someone else to become a rep and they sign up. So if it’s something that appeals to, go ahead and give it a try – you could make some great money!
Apply to be a Sharetown rep now!
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