The latest Vinted information

See Vinted Customer Service troubles drive users off the once-popular platform for more on the issues, what is going wrong, what people are doing and what more you can do there!

Update – August 2026: As concerns about Vinted continue to grow, I was interviewed by BBC News for its report, Is Vinted’s AI Making Too Many Mistakes?, discussing the consumer rights issues affecting buyers and sellers on the platform. If you’re using Vinted, the practical tips in this guide will help you reduce the risk of problems and understand your rights if something goes wrong. Watch the BBC News report below. For more examples of my television, radio and press appearances, and details of how to contact me for interviews, expert commentary or speaking engagements, visit my Media page.

Vinted – the marketplace

Vinted is one of the UK’s most popular second-hand marketplaces in the UK, but many consumers are unsure about their rights when things go wrong. As a consumer expert I regularly hear issues about Vinted. Whether your item hasn’t arrived, is damaged or not as described, Vinted’s buyer protection can help — but only if you follow the correct process. Here I explain your Vinted consumer rights when buying and selling and how to protect yourself from being left out of pocket.

How to get a refund from Vinted (quick steps)

• • Report the problem through Vinted within the required time limit
  • Use buyer protection to open a dispute
  • Provide clear evidence (photos, messages, receipts)
  • Escalate the issue if the seller does not respond
  • Request a full refund or partial compensation
  • Consider a chargeback if Vinted does not resolve it

Vinted is an online platform for buying and selling second-hand clothes and accessories that is becoming more popular by the day. It was founded in 2008 in Lithuania and now has more than 65 million users. According to Vinted it is “… the largest online international C2C [consumer-to-consumer] marketplace in Europe dedicated to second-hand fashion…”

But with increasing numbers of users, the quantity of problems with Vinted rise, too. Your rights are more complicated than when buying directly from a retailer. Vinted hosts a mix of private and business sellers and is a selling platform, not the retailer. UK customers will be dealing with Vinted Platform Limited, based in London.

Vinted refund policy UK: what you’re entitled to

So, just what are your rights and how can you protect yourself as either a buyer or seller?

@thecomplainingcow

Vinted is growing fast, but I’m hearing more and more complaints about scams, missing items and difficult disputes. I get asked about Vinted at least once a week — here’s what buyers and sellers need to know. #vinted #marketplace #vintedscam #consumerrights #onlineshopping

♬ original sound – Helen Dewdney

Vinted business sellers

A business seller is a registered entity that sells items through the company’s Vinted Pro programme. This enables companies, charities and self-employed individuals to sell a high volume of items on the platform.

Your rights when buying from a Vinted business

If you buy from a business seller, you have the same rights as buying from any other online retailer. So, under The Consumer Rights Act 2015, (CRA) goods must be of satisfactory quality, free from defects, match the description and last a reasonable length of time. If not, you are entitled to a full refund within 30 days from purchase and a repair or replacement after that time. Whilst the Act does cover second-hand items, criteria such as “lasting a reasonable length of time” are open to interpretation. For example, you can’t expect a 2-year-old Jumper to last for another 5 years if a new one only lasts for 5.

You can also change your mind with a Vinted business seller. You have up to 14 days in which you can inform the seller that you wish to change your mind and you have another 14 days to return the item(s). The seller will decide if they want the items returned and it will depend on their terms and conditions as to whether you pay the return postage. For the majority of cases you will need to pay.

Here is step-by-step guide for returning an item purchased on Vinted:

https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/272-returning-an-item

Vinted Buyer Protection Pro

If you are purchasing an item from a business seller, you are protected by Vinted’s “Business Protection Pro” policy. Your money is held by Vinted and released to the seller once the “Pro Refund” time expires or any dispute has been resolved. You automatically pay this fee and the amount varies depending on how much you spend.

How Vinted buyer protection works

This is where it becomes more problematic. Private sellers are not covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. However, items must be “as described”. Under Vinted’s Buyer Protection policy, you have two days from when the item is marked as delivered to contact Vinted with “I have an issue”, so act quickly. This protection covers you if an item doesn’t arrive, is damaged or isn’t as described. If you do not act within the two days the payment will be released and you will not be able to do anything further. Buyer Protection on Vinted mainly protects your payment, not your costs such as return postage. Even if you are completely in the right, you will usually still have to pay to return the item. Downright unfair!

Buyers automatically pay the Vinted Buyer Protection fee.

How to protect yourself as a Vinted seller

I often hear stories from both sellers and buyers where they have had difficulties. Some sellers report that decisions made by Vinted can appear inconsistent, sometimes attributing this to automated or AI-based decisions. All you can do is protect yourself as much as feasible.

• Take as many photos and videos as possible from all angles, showing any flaws and describing them in detail when listing your item.
• Film yourself packaging up the item and putting on the label, clearly showing the address. Keep the receipt for postage.
• Use tracking for the parcel so that you have evidence of the delivery. If the item is not delivered and you used Vinted’s integrated shipping (prepaid Vinted-generated shipping label), you may need to raise the issue through Vinted.
• Do not agree to change the shipping address. If a scammer, the buyer will ask for proof of postage which they use to cancel the order and block you. The Vinted system doesn’t register the item as “sent.” Because the system doesn’t register and track this, Vinted assumes the item was never shipped, cancels the order after a few days and automatically refunds the buyer.
• Be really careful with the labelling of items and keeping records of where they are sent. Take a photo of the weight on the label.
• You can also use “tamper-evident packaging” with a serial number.
• Use an invisible ink pen on items as evidence, if a different item is returned to you.

What to do if you’re a Vinted seller and something goes wrong

Many sellers say that Vinted often sides with the buyer. Make sure you have protected yourself, as shown above, and use all this evidence to appeal the decision in writing.

If a buyer says items were missing, request a parcel scan of the item weight at drop-off and during transit from the courier company.

If a buyer returns an item to the seller the contract is usually between buyer and courier when the buyer arranges and pays for the return postage. If you arranged the courier yourself, contact them directly. If you used a Vinted integrated label, you may need to raise the issue with Vinted. Sometimes Vinted may provide a pre-paid label, so it is not clear cut. If the item gets lost or damaged in the return the responsibilities become even less clear! As a seller you can raise a case with Vinted but in many such situations it appears that they will see in favour of the buyer who receives the refund of the item and the postage.

You may have an argument that the outcome is unfair. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA), contract terms must be fair and not create a significant imbalance. If both buyer and seller are private individuals, the CRA won’t apply to the sale itself. However, as a seller, you also contract with Vinted agreeing their terms and conditions and so you could try using the CRA with them. But that has yet to be tested in court. As a private seller dealing with Vinted (a business), you may still be able to rely on these protections, although this has also yet to be tested in court. However, considering The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 may be useful. It might be relevant where platform behaviour misleads users, as it covers requirements for fair and transparent platform practices. So, as a seller, you may have a case against Vinted. The legislation says that acts of omission on online marketplaces could be considered commercial practices, including where the platform leads to misleading practices. This could be considered here. However, this is a new law and yet to be tested. So quote it when complaining to Vinted, following the Top 20 Tips for complaining effectively.

Finally your last resort is legal action through the Small Claims Court.

How to protect yourself as a Vinted buyer

• When your parcel arrives, film yourself opening it and taking out each item to show the camera.
• If you return an item, take photos and video yourself putting in the packaging and sealing.
• Only trust listings with real photos and good reviews and be wary of anything using only polished “stock” images.
• If you have a trusted seller and suddenly they have lots more or different items, they may have been hacked.
• If Vinted doesn’t see in your favour when you raise a dispute and you have evidence of the issue then you can contact your bank for a “Chargeback”.
• Research online what to look for in replicas of the item and cross reference with the photos and description, including the condition and the brand’s features. Look at stitching, seams, materials and logo placement for evenness and quality on clothes and accessories.
• If purchased, examine thoroughly, especially the labels, tags and sizes to ensure that they correspond with the real thing.
• Never pay the seller directly, keep everything on the platform using its integrated payment methods, verification and buyer protection tools.
• If it sounds to too good to be true, it probably is! Designer and highly sought after items rarely sell at lower prices!
• If Vinted doesn’t see in your favour when you raise a dispute and you have evidence of the issue then you can contact you bank for a Chargeback.

Vinted dispute resolution issues

I regularly hear about the difficulty with contacting Vinted, arbitrary decisions that often appear to be made by AI rather than a human, and ridiculously long timescales for resolving matters.

There is no independent dispute resolution provider for the online marketplace. The EU are looking at this area for possible solutions.

Vinted and Trading Standards – What to know

Vinted’s UK office is registered in the City of London. Trading Standards offices are responsible for monitoring the activities of companies whose head office is in their home area. So, the City of London Trading Standards department has been receiving and collating reports it has received about the online marketplace from the Citizen Advice Consumer Service.

City of London Trading Standards has produced a Factsheet on Vinted. The latest is version 3, published in March 2026.

The most common complaints it has seen include:

• “ faulty/damaged goods
• sale of fake or counterfeit goods which has continued to be a problem in 2025 and into 2026
• that buyers of misdescribed/unsatisfactory/fake goods have to pay for the return to the seller
• the “2-day rule” to raise a problem is too short
• “buyer protection” not what customers expect and potentially a misleading statement
• delivery problems”

It finds that:

• the term “Buyer Protection Fee” is potentially misleading because in their experience, “there is no real buyer protection”;
• requiring buyers to pay return postage for significantly misdescribed goods is, in their opinion, an unfair term;
• the “2-day rule” for reporting an issue and requesting a refund is unfair because it is too short.

Trading Standards has met with Vinted to raise and discuss these concerns but Vinted has stated that it will not be making any significant changes to its platform or policies.

So, for the meantime, unless Trading Standards or the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) take action, nothing will change.

Whilst it is Trading Standards’ job to enforce consumer law, including unfair contract terms and unfair commercial practices, it may not currently have the resources to bring a case to court.

However, since the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act came into force, the CMA also has stronger direct enforcement powers, including the ability to impose penalties without first going to court.

Contacting City of London Trading Standards about Vinted

You can contact City of London Trading Standards about policy issues by the following means:

Telephone: 020 7332 3406

Email: tradingstandards@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Postal Mail:

Trading Standards
City of London
PO Box 270
Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ

Alternatively, you can contact the CEO of City of the City of London Corporation using CEOemail.com

Please refer complaints about Vinted to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.

Whilst Trading Standards will not be able to take on your case, it is worth reporting your issue to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. This will help to build an understanding of how serious the issues are, in the hope that Trading Standards or the CMA can then take enforcement action.

You and Yours Vinted

26 February 2025 discussing various issues with Vinted, buyer and seller rights, scams and how to protect yourself including my input!

From 30.10:

I regularly talk about consumer issues in the media see Consumer Rights Expert & Media Commentator

Related help for buying and selling online

Buying and selling online? – Know your obligations and rights

Consumer Champion and Cyber Security expert provide advice on avoiding online fraud I joined forces with James Bore from cyber security firm Bores Consultancy to provide some tips on what to look out for to stay safe shopping online.

What are my rights when shopping on an online marketplace?

Watch out for scam texts and emails!

Further help with complaining effectively

If you’re struggling to get a response or escalate your complaints, the books explain exactly how to complain effectively and get better at complaining.

 

For more advice, tips, information and template letters covering holidays and more: GET THE BOOK! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!

 

 

 

 

Want to get better at complaining? See 101 Habits of an Effective Complainer