A VINTED user has taken to Reddit to share their shock at a seller's cheeky profit-making tactic.
The user, @loz4lifee, spotted a listing for a ‘Black 200s bomber faux fur puffer jacket' which the seller had liked to popular 90's brand Baby Phat and wanted to sell for £53.
But after a closer look, the user realised the item was actually a £32 jacket from bargain brand Shein.
Unimpressed, they sent the seller a message on the Vinted app, saying: “Hi babe, this is from Shein and ur selling it for £53.”
The seller quipped back: “Yes, you should do the same to get your money up love.
“Then you might have more sales…”
The shocked user replied: “That's so bad… cutting the tag off Shein clothes and saying unbranded, not everyone is here for sales, some people come to buy if you didn't already know.”
The seller shot back saying people were still buying from them, before blocking the user.
The user took to Reddit, posting the conversation to r/vinted to raise some awareness.
They wrote: “Sellers like this make me want to stop using Vinted.
“Some innocent unknowing person will buy it having no idea.”
But despite their good deed, multiple users on the forum said they were ‘wasting their time' and likened it to big clothing brands marking up prices on cheap wholesale stock.
They told the user to ‘just report it', who claimed they already had but were told they were making ‘false reports'.
One person wrote: “The seller knows what they’re doing, you’re wasting your time calling them out.”
A second person claimed: “Literally had the exact same situation happen to me. Vinted don't give a diddly f**k about fakes/scams.”
While a third chimed in: “You know what the worst part is? I got in touch with Vinted (and also Depop actually) about this issue of people selling x5 the price from SHEIN and Aliexpress, and their response to me was basically that it’s not forbidden to sell at a higher price than the original price of the product because people aren’t forced to buy it. Different wording obviously from their end but this is the ‘resolution' they had.”
And somebody else said: “You're angry at private sellers doing this to you all, but where is the same energy for all the corporations and business doing this?
“This is basically how every business in the world works and you gladly hand over your money.”
Protection on Vinted
Some resellers defend their choice to list items on the website at dramatic mark ups – considering it a form of ‘flipping' items for profit.
But Vinted's rules state that sellers are not permitted to list items that they have not purchased for their own use, but with the intent to resell them.
The online marketplace say that making sure buyers are protected while using their site is one of their top priorities.
To help implement safety for buyers, they offer Buyer Protection, where shoppers can be refunded if their item is significantly not as described.
They also carry out random checks on transactions by prompting purchase verification and have a support team on hand for customer queries.
Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted?
QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted...
- The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it.
- Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017.
- More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes
How to not get scammed on re-selling sites
1. Assess seller's profiles and reviews
Look for positive feedback and a history of successful transactions.
Pay attention to details like their profile picture, join date, and any red flags.
2. Ask questions
Don't hesitate to message sellers with questions about the item's condition, authenticity, or any concerns.
3. Question prices and offers
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
4. Cross-check the data
Does the item match the description and photo? And how much are similar items being sold for on the app or other apps?
5. Report suspicious activity
If you suspect fraud or a scam, contact the app's support and report the issue.
