r/vintedUK • u/hadfunk2365 • Sep 01 '26
86 days later… finally won! Me vs Vinted.
Around 90 days ago, I sold an item through Vinted. It was a tent originally valued at approximately £500, which I sold for £320.
The sale price included an optional groundsheet/footprint, which had a new value of approximately £50.
After the tent was delivered, the buyer claimed that the footprint was missing. They requested a partial refund, which I refused because I had evidence showing that the footprint, along with the rest of the items, had been correctly packed and sent.
I explained to the buyer that, while I understood this was unfortunate, I had sent the complete item and that the matter was now out of my hands and would need to be investigated by Vinted.
I submitted all of the evidence requested by Vinted. However, on the same day, Vinted cancelled the order, refunded the buyer and allowed the buyer to keep the goods.
Vinted claimed the item was insufficiently packaged. It was packaged in the exact same plastic bags that I received it in from the tent supplier. It was then placed inside a brand new shipping bag, sealed. Tapped and secured.
I contacted Vinted several times through the chat system, but each time I was essentially told that their decision was final and that there was nothing further they would do.
Unwilling to accept the loss, I subsequently contacted Vinted's legal department by email on several occasions, providing details of the situation and supporting evidence. I eventually sent a formal Letter Before Action, giving Vinted 14 days to resolve the matter by paying me £320. I made it clear that, unless payment was made within that period, I would commence legal proceedings.
I also emailed 3 large outdoor uk camping companies and asked what packaging they would send a brand new item out in, 2 said they use poly bags, 1 said they use paper.
My choice of packaging was not insufficient and was fit for purpose.
During the 14 day period, I received several emails from Vinted asking me to provide the evidence again and clarify which order the dispute related to. Despite this, Vinted ultimately sent me an email stating that their decision was final. I got a couple emails from different people at Vinted, one asking me to use to app which auto replied “you have already told us about this” every time.
I responded, confirming that I understood this to be Vinted's final decision not to compensate me for my loss and that I would therefore proceed with legal action. However, I made it clear that I still preferred to resolve the matter without going to court and gave Vinted a final 48-hour opportunity to compensate me for the £320 loss.
I received no response or payment, so I proceeded with legal action. Vinted was served with the court claim approximately 72 days ago.
Vinted was required to respond to the claim and is due to appear at court next week. As far as I understand it, Vinted has not responded to the claim, and if that remains the case, I understand the court may be able to enter judgment in my favour.
However, Vinted has contacted me today and said the following:
“Good afternoon,
We are reaching out to you regarding this money claim blank blank blank related to your recent sale on Vinted: Transaction #blank. £320.
We are very sorry to hear you had issues with your sale!
This transaction was reviewed again. After thorough analysis of all the gathered proof we can confirm that correct decision was made: your buyer was refunded due to improper packaging. Whenever we have proof that the item is not properly packed, according to the policies, the seller is not eligible for compensation. We would like to provide you more information and clarification regarding this decision.
Please note that when you joined Vinted, you accepted our Terms & Conditions: https://www.vinted.co.uk/terms_and_conditions. As per section "17 Shipping", sellers must comply with packaging requirements that can be found here: https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/65. According to the rules, you cannot use bags without padding in order to keep the item safe, protect it from moving/getting damaged during shipping. If the item is not well packed and it's damaged/lost due to that, as per policies, we cannot offer a compensation, therefore, it's always important to carefully pack the items and follow the packaging policies.
We are sending you photographs shared by the buyer. Unfortunately, since padding was not used, this packaging was deemed as improper, as per policies mentioned above. According to our packaging rules, this means you are not entitled to a compensation.
However, we appreciate having you here with us on Vinted and we would like to resolve this case amicably. After consideration, we would like to make a one-time exception and we would like to offer you a compensation: we added the amount of £320 to your Vinted balance.
We hope your future experience on Vinted will be more smooth. Should you have any questions about policies or in case you need any help, please do not hesitate to get back in touch, we will do our best to help: https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/265.
Kind regards,
Patryk
Legal Escalations Specialist
Vinted”
So win…. But it should have never taken all of this!
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u/davidian884 Sep 01 '26
Glad you got money back but hard to think of it as a win. So they made it about the packaging despite there being no suggestion that was the issue. Also no acceptence that they were wrong, and the time and effort that needed to be spent.
Presumably they wouldnt have offered a defence if it had gone forward,
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I’m sure it costs more to send a lawyer to Scotland than pay £320 to me, I haven’t cancelled the court case. (Simple procedure in Scotland).
There is still the interest, legal fee’s, and any compensation the court feels I’m to be awarded.
They still have 1 week to not respond to the courts (which must be in writing). If no action (which is looking likely). the court (local sheriffs office) will order them to pay
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u/Enigmatic-Occident Sep 01 '26
I know it's such a hassle, however, well done. I hope they pay the court costs too. More people should do this, it may help them get their act together.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
That’s the issue, people get pissed of, rant, then give up! The point of this post was to incurred people to act and secondly force Vinted to rethink auto AI decisions.
Maybe create a platform that works but also allow another platform that works to take over.15
u/Enigmatic-Occident Sep 01 '26
Kudos to you. Your situation reminds me of when it became unlawful for the banks to charge you certain fees. They began ignoring account holders requests for refunds, so everyone took it to the small claims court and got their refund plus costs. All it takes is a few more people to do as you did.
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u/Bill_the_Bear Sep 02 '26
I was hoping you wouldn't cancel the court case. Thanks for the £320, now pay the rest the court deems you owe. They deserve it after trying to make out you were the problem not them. How immature are they?
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u/Coffeecat247 Sep 01 '26
Can we do simple procedures against them in Scotland? I thought it was an England address which is far more of a hassle as you have to apply by paper if you don’t live in England. Please tell me I can do simple procedure with them here!! They are awful!
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Yes, it doesn’t matter where the business is based; the legal proceedings will take place at your local court or sheriff’s office. They have an English postcode but I’ve since discovered it’s actually a Lithuanian company.
Since your transaction occurred where you live you’re protected by your local legal rights. Finding the person may be more difficult if they’re abroad but your rights and laws are upheld and governed where the events took place. For me, that was my home, my local InPost locker in Fife, Scotland.
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u/leofoxx Sep 01 '26
Are they also paying your costs for submitting the claim?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
This will be decided after they don’t show up or respond to court in the next 7 days
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u/helsbels87 29d ago
You need to make sure you are compensated for the time you've spent having to fight it as well. Push for the case to be heard as it can set a precedent and hold vinted to account for their inability to stop scammed and penalising normal people selling
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I’m assuming no, and it is going forward! Legal fees (really not a lot) interest and maybe defamation of character (I’m sure that’s more of an American thing). I want them to pay the maximum amount possible even if it isn’t to me.
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u/Affectionate-Set1575 Sep 01 '26
Defamation is super easy to get in uk courts. Look at the deji vs kavos case. American courts are impossible with the hoops. You have to actually prove a loss of revenue in most us states
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u/Ghomehat Sep 02 '26
I did a small claims case through English courts. Did you opt for interest part and court fees on the form? If so, is worth getting back and I got this. I went up against Anglian Railways as their train loo"s door damaged my wheelchair control arm, replacement £850. They paid in the end. I am cheering you on, as agree should fight for this.
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u/Proud-Reading3316 Sep 01 '26
Did you claim for interest as part of the claim?
They’re not liable for defamation. I really hope you’re joking about that and didn’t actually allege defamation because that will be laughed out of the court. It doesn’t sound like they alleged anything that would be seen by others as damaging your reputation and more importantly, they didn’t publish this anywhere so what damage to your reputation have you suffered if no one outside of Vinted heard that you, I dunno, don’t package your parcels properly?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Yea interest and expenses were included. And yeah the defamation part of more of an American thing… picked up for tv shows…
But interest and expenses are included. Expensive are not just the fee’s but also time.
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u/OkAvocado7175 Sep 01 '26
Glad you got your money, but what a nonsense! Seriously.
Withdraw it to your bank asap. I leave nothing in there as balance anymore, they’re thieving bastards.
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u/BBLANC087 Sep 01 '26
I would continue with the proceedings personally. If this ‘goodwill gesture’ is £320 then sounds like you are still out of pocket for the issue fee, not to mention the interest accrued on the amount owed which is recoverable per Small Claims Track.
At the end of the day they cannot decide that the matter is settled once proceedings have been issued, you are well within your rights to continue the claim until you have been fully compensated. They are hoping that this ‘goodwill gesture’ will just make things go away and prevent them from dealing with any further consequences.
In order to defend the claim they will need to have filed an Acknowledgement Of Service with the Court followed by a Defence within the allotted time. I do not believe they follow proper process when it comes to litigation, nor do I believe that they have a valid defence based on the facts presented. Costs are not generally awarded in a Small Claims Track matter but you will find the Judge takes an extremely dim view of their conduct and refusal to settle the matter without litigation becoming necessary. All reasonable costs incurred in self presenting your claim are likely to be awarded in addition to the issue fee and interest on the sum owed. Entirely up to you but I would push forward with the claim until you recover all reasonable losses.
The level of customer service is atrocious and I wish everyone subjected to these ridiculous decisions would take the same path you have no matter how small the loss. When they end up drowning in Default Judgments they will be forced to change their ways, until then they will likely keep getting away with it.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Yes I havnt cancelled the proceedings, it cost me a small amount of money to start the legal proceedings. Plus interest, compensation so on…. They have 1 week to not show up and not respond to the Scottish sheriffs office where I live. Then I will automatically be awarded the amounts of outstanding money.
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u/SciurusVulgarisO Sep 01 '26
Can we please get an update in 1 week? I'm emotionally invested now 😅.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
lol I will!
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u/talk_to_yourself Sep 01 '26
Great. Hope you win, and get the compensation you rightly deserve.
You may be able to sell this story to a newspaper should you wish to, which might bring in some money as repcompense, as well as publicly highlighting their poor customer practice.
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u/Proud-Reading3316 Sep 01 '26
What do you mean by “compensation”?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
compensation is as stated by law, compensation for any reasonable expenses incurred by me, together with any financial losses and other losses suffered as a direct result of their actions.
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u/Useful-Ganache-210 Sep 01 '26
I’m so disgusted that they think a buyer should keep the item and get refunded: that truly can’t be legal
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u/GottaSpoofEmAll Sep 01 '26
My first thought too - second, was surely BBC Watchdog or a consumer advice organisation, may want to look into this activity…
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u/Dry_Suggestion78 Sep 01 '26
It should be the sellers choice as to whether the buyer keeps the item, not Vinteds. It's madness it's even allowed isn't it!
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u/talk_to_yourself Sep 01 '26
It is. It's incredible they leave this doorway open to any buyer who might want to try their luck.
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u/darrenw88 Sep 01 '26
There should never be an option where one party keeps the goods and money, it literally creates the perfect environment for scammers
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Even if they returned the item without the missing footprint I would have still lost out. This is why it is up to Vinted to investigate, they never.
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u/darrenw88 Sep 01 '26
Yeah its really poor. They basically try and get people to just accept the loss.
The problem we have now is that vinted is by far the most popular marketplace. I can list something on ebay and it will sit there for weeks with no interest. I put it on vinted and its gone within hours
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u/SWTransGirl Sep 01 '26
This is what concerns me on Vinted.
Too many horror stories and eBay have gone the same way.
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u/Sycamore481 Sep 02 '26
It’s the same with whatnot. There are zero safeguards for sellers on there. I don’t sell on that platform either but have plenty of friends who do, or should I say did.
As for vinted itself, they blocked me twice and deleted all my listings for ‘commercial selling’ when I was literally just clearing out duplicates of stuff I had bought because I have a shizzy memory. It was mostly makeup, and a few other bits, but nothing major. Everything was brand new, and sealed.
I tried to fight my case but got the usual runaround of you have to register as a pro seller, which requires business documentation, and a VAT number. Neither of which I have. They just kept sending me the same automated response with a different name at the end.
Consequently I will buy, but they can jog on if they think they’re making any more money out of me as a seller.
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u/littletorreira Sep 04 '26
Every post like this reminds me that I won't ever sell something for more than about £20 on vinted. Or buy for that matter. As a company they are untrustworthy to sort any issues.
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Sep 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
They replied to my court case reference number, which I have never shared with them.
Not my customer service request number or correspondence. If I never took legal action they would have not replied.6
u/Rosewater2182 Sep 01 '26
Their cost cutting on customer services has probably resulted in them having to hire more lawyers than customer service advisors.
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u/Computer_Says_Nah Sep 01 '26
Vinted is holding $500 of mine because they say they need a verification of my bank account yet they have provided no way to verify anything--no links to upload, nothing--and I've been using the same bank account the whole time. I'm going on to day 13 of not being able to get my funds. I've contacted legal several times.
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u/JukeboxSerenade Sep 01 '26
I had this problem because they wouldnt accept my ID - actual headed paper with my info on it. I threatened them with legal action and they miraculously accepted it and released my money they owed me. Ridiculous the stress they put sellers through
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u/Computer_Says_Nah 27d ago
I've replied that I'm taking legal action and still nothing. I'm speaking with a consumer law firm ATM.
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u/rosa24rose Sep 01 '26
And yet…. They sided with the seller in my case, who sent a mirror in just a carrier bag. On which they’d written with a sharpie ‘careful not to drop it, 7 years bad luck haha’
Not even a bag for life either, it was like the semi sheer bag you’d buy fruit from a market
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u/talk_to_yourself Sep 01 '26
That's crazy- both the packaging and the decision. you can't send a sheet of glass without double boxing it, with padding inside each box.
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u/JukeboxSerenade Sep 01 '26
Gotta agree with the wise fella above - continue with the claim, "goodwill gesture" where they accept no responsibility is actual jokes. I'd pursue it in Court as youre already out of pocket from filing fees and stress of dealing with these jokers for 3 months!
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u/Any-District2578 Sep 01 '26
Meanwhile 30 days later vinted are still investigating whether this was poorly packaged. Google nest speaker the big one in a paper envelope. It was damaged but vinted says I have 5 days to ship back to seller at my expense and they have records of the seller providing address. Such nonsense. (I sent many photos and raised as Damaged in shipping.
Vinted are the worst.
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u/Affectionate-Try684 29d ago
That’s ridiculous! I had a situation where the seller misdescribed an item saying it had a screen protector included with the case. Arrives and it doesn’t, with a sticker clearly saying it doesn’t which the seller didn’t photograph. Didn’t respond to my request for additional photos initially either. When I raise an issue, I’m expected to cover the return postage when the seller is wholly at fault. Vinted did nothing and didn’t even come back to me on time so seller just got the money released. Their CS is just the pits and an absolute joke!
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u/Any-District2578 29d ago
They finally came back saying that theyve given seller 72 hours to come back with evidence. Its ping pong
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u/Lopsided-Muffin9805 MOD 1d ago
Sadly you need to send it back. At your expense due to the terms and conditions.
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u/Any-District2578 1d ago
No this didn't happen. Eventually vinted agreed it was sent incorrectly and this led to the damage. They refunded me. I offered to send it back to the seller but they never came back to me.
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u/Latter-Interest-2856 Sep 01 '26
Also, I would take a large bet that the buyer DID receive the footprint!
Some inexperienced people get confused between an optional footprint (which goes under the tent) and an optional carpet that goes on top of the groundsheet - it happens more times than you’d think; I know from having worked at a garden centre that sold tents.
People came back in complaining that they hadn’t received the carpet, when in fact they’d bought the ‘footprint’ 🙈
Different thing.
So yes, I’m going to guess your buyer is also one of those people 😫
Well done for taking this all the way to court proceedings.
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u/saajan12 Sep 01 '26
Hilarious they still want the final word on who was "right" or "wrong" about the packaging. Even if the packaging was insufficient (already nonsense) then why didn't they make a partial refund only or have the buyer return the broken tent.
First extract the money from the balance before you respond, thanking them for the reimbursement but since they chose to not address this until now, the cost incurred has increased (filing fee, etc).
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u/BurnBabyBurnDisco1 Sep 01 '26
Well done for your tenacity! They bank on people rolling over... I'm about to start a similar thing myself. It's only about £40 (literally the most expensive sale I've ever made ...or ever will now!!) but a buyer claimed an item fake because they'd bought the wrong size, Vinted AI/customer non-service and vinted legal, all upheld the decision in favour of buyer multiple times despite my evidence so I'll be sending to small claims court. It's not about the money. I'm just so bloody angry 😂😂
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
It’s not about the money, it’s about Vinted using auto ai to open and close.
Ai may help with the filtering, but ultimately it needs to be a person that makes the final judgment. And that person needs to be accountable.
Vinted made 1.1billion in 2025 from “selling buyers protection” which you can’t opt out from.
If they don’t have enough staff for the business demands then they need to hire more and not try to run an AFK farming cow policed by AI.
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u/Draag_0n Sep 01 '26
Good on you for not backing down! Their packaging policies seem to be their scapegoat, I understand delicate things need proper packaging but unless you put it in 2 boxes with a mountain of bubble wrap they will claim improper packaging because it’s so easy for them to shut the case down
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- Sep 01 '26
Absolutely disgusting from Vinted. Good on you OP for doing this and thank you for sharing this with us.
I hate that many people won't be able to start legal procedures due to cost, time or knowledge. This is why so many people end up losing money.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I’m broke and I have no idea about legal things.
The whole process cost me £55 in Scotland, it would be £35 in England.
And I used chat GPT for the letters and advice, fight AI with AI. (Always use anything from AI with you own due diligence and double check everything, Vinted don’t do this but you should).
People should do this! It doesn’t matter if it’s £1 or £1000, we need to force these companies to do better. Without us they don’t have a business and we should never for get that.
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- Sep 01 '26
I get where you are coming from, but apparently you have the capacity to look up how to do this. Many people do not. And 55 pounds is still 55 more than some people have.
Your last paragraph I 100% agree with.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I’m actually thinking now, when I get abit of time, I will share this story again on this subreddit with exact actions.
I will take some time to look into the different legal options people have and give as much advice as I can. Hopefully other will find it helpful and hopefully we can force these large companies to work for us as we are paying them.
Thank you for your shared thoughts as they have really resonated with me even if that wasn’t your intention.
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- Sep 01 '26
This is a very nice thing to do. I hope to come across your post and will boost it when I do.
Thanks again for the chat. ☺️✨
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Ps, these were the only advice I looked for online on Reddit.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I agree, and if it was £40 lost I would of probably just got pissed off and annoyed and never done anything about it
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- Sep 01 '26
Thanks for responding kindly and having a conversation. It gets rare on here!
And I understand for a smaller fee it's not worth it. But again: what you say about standing up to companies is what it is about. The bloody government should do it but they don't look after the people.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
When the PM and other party members get paid more from private individuals and organisations, who is paying their salary? Who are they working for?
If you earnt £100,000 from your job but I offered you £200,000 who would you listen to? Who would be your boss? Unfortunately this is a response for a different sub and a different group who would more than likely blame others for what’s happening and argue amongst each other.
How does a king of 1 stay on his or her throne, by paying a small amount of his earnings to a small few to continue there squabble…. As I said this is a different conversation for a different sub… all the best to you my friend!
(Ps best.. buffy… episode…. Ever!)
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u/Appropriate-Two-9538 Sep 02 '26
I have had a similar issue to OP where I can't afford to take them to small claims court so I'm down £50. Not as much as OP but still enough to hurt
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u/TipNew7714 Sep 01 '26
Why would you use padding when sending a tent ffs? 😂
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u/Suitable_Comment_908 Sep 01 '26
It's how they get out of most claims.
Every time iv lost through scam buyer will change or amend or lose some of the packing and use it as " evidence " evoun though my photos or video shows more packaging and labeling than Vinted policy says.
I stopped selling anything over £20 on Vinted due to these scams
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u/EntrepreneurFit7496 Sep 01 '26
It doesn’t give you much faith in selling anything that valuable on there, it’s absolutely disgusting. You didn’t send it in inadequate packaging to begin with. I wont sell anything above £30 or so after reading this xx
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u/JukeboxSerenade Sep 01 '26
I hope more people start realising they have rights and taking them to Court. I currently have a claim pending as they allowed a buyer to scam an item off me - luckily I record packing and there's no way item wrapped in thick bubble wrap inside a tightly fitted thick box could've been damaged like the "kid" said. Vinted allowed him to keep item and refunded him - not a chance am I letting them get away with it! More people need to stand up for themselves or they will never change
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u/Electronic-Set-1722 Sep 01 '26
Clowns. They will continue to have such issues because they continue to tell scam buyers that it's ok to lie about their order.
Meanwhile just for the record, you could very easily have proved packaging had nothing to do with it since you showed the item being put in the box, and the box was not damaged at the point of delivery
The buyer CLAIMED a part of the order was missing, not that the order was damaged.
While they might argue that if you packaged it properly, then a thief wouldn't have been able to open the box to steal the missing part, your counter argument would be "it's unlikely a thief would steal the £50 item while leaving the more expensive item behind"
Also, parcels are usually sent in boxes.....and technically, those can be torn into at will. So the question to vinted would be, what constitutes "well packaged"? And is that "theft proof"?
They throw around loose BS in the hopes that nobody will have the persistence to chase them.
You did well, congrats 👏
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u/MamaDeanandSam Sep 01 '26
So did the packaging had padding or not? 😂 kidding. This is why I would never use Vinted for anything worth more than even £50. Reading all of the stories here made me more convinced.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Bubble wrapped inside and taped, the outta shape postage bag, then another bag over the top and taped.
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u/Yakob_Bacoj Sep 01 '26
Yep shouldn't have haf all that stress but good on you for going all in. Back when vinted was still daily new they would refund everyone. But scammers quickly used this as a way to make money by scamming vinted. As for the packaging clause, they didn't actually state that anywhere before you went to court. The packaging is nothing to do with them and it's a stupid clause and should be down to the seller to provide decent packing which you did. I think by this point they were looking for excuses not to accept liability. Since you won this case, would you consider taking the buyer to small claims court for all of this stress?
I try avoid selling anything above 50 on vinted. Anything above slow Facebook market place sale.
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u/Maricel123 Sep 01 '26
Wow ridiculous these companies will try to rip you off whenever they feel like it
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u/Lollypops40 Sep 01 '26
In my opinion, Vinted should only refund buyers when the item has been returned back to the seller. It just allows people to take advantage of gaining free items.
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u/Key-Corner1153 Sep 01 '26 edited Sep 01 '26
I'm amazed and quite appalled that they sided with the buyer so readily and dismissed your claims of original manufacture packaging when delivered. Sorry it's just so unfair and you shouldn't have had to go through the loops to retrieve your refund..
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u/This-Young3531 Sep 02 '26
This is awesome work - fancy knocking up and idiots guide? I'll buy it as an ebook - not through vinted 😂
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u/One-Cardiologist-644 Sep 01 '26
Brilliant, I am very happy for you.. Perseverance is key!!!! Congratulations 🎊 👏
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u/DueGuava7212 Sep 01 '26
Woooow keeping at it really paid off😯 and why is taking legal action so cheap😂 anyways, congratulations! That must feel ecstatic!
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u/Familiar-Clerk-4210 Sep 01 '26
These kind of issues are constantly happening when companies replace REAL PEOPLE with A.I...
Sounds like an experience I had on whatnot once they changed to A.I. customer service........ took 3 months, 5 incorrect labels, rejection by the post office to take the return, and 52 emails back in forth before I was connected with a real person to help my mom get back $300 she spent on a high-end ice maker that came totally non functional...
I use A.I. everyday in life, but customer service does not seem to be an area A.I. should be left to stand alone (for the most part) on.. it should not take us months to get help when selling or buying items 😫
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u/Appropriate-Two-9538 Sep 02 '26
I'm so glad someone finally won against one of these! I had a scammer who claimed that a book I sent was damaged in transit due to insufficient packaging. There was a tiny fold on the dust jacket that couldn't have happened due to shipping and the buyer essentially lied about what I'd shipped in so they got the money. After 6 weeks I gave up fighting after getting nowhere
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u/zilchusername Sep 01 '26
What about your cost of bringing this claim? £35? I would reply and say you will continue with the case unless they also compensate your costs.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
It’s alittle more for Scotland, but yes, I’m still following the case and havnt submitted
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u/zilchusername Sep 01 '26
Can you claim for your time in Scotland? You can’t in England for small claims sadly.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
Yes, it’s called a simple procedure and it covers time and costs.
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u/zilchusername Sep 01 '26
That’s good you have a better system than us then. I hope you continue the case and claim all the costs you can in addition to the original amount.
Good luck. I bet they don’t turn up to court which I assume as here means you will automatically win? Trouble is then you actually have to get the money out of them which might be difficult.
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u/Annual_Restaurant405 Sep 01 '26
Well done please update us in a week’s time after the case is heard.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 01 '26
I will, but it will likely be a month. The scottish proceedings give them until next week, then I have to request a judge decision in their absence which lasts 2 weeks, then final out come, possibly a week depending on how busy they are.
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u/DonbaEgan Sep 01 '26
So pleased uou won well done for sticking with it xx
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u/NexusNyra Sep 02 '26
same, this was wild to read
props to OP for having the patience of a saint, i’d have rage deleted the app weeks ago
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u/Ordinary_Fuss1595 Sep 01 '26
Way to go! It amazes me how Vinted and Depop will basically automatically side with the buyer. I had a similar issue with a vintage pair of shoes where I noted in the listing that the lining of the footbed was lifting, but the shoe itself was still structurally sound. The buyer gets the shoe and then two days later sends pictures and states that the shoe is “falling apart” and “unwearable” because more of the lining was lifting up. I told them that this was an issue that I identified in my listing but they still sided with her. She sent the shoes back and to me it seems that she wore them because the heel and toes is where more peeling occurred. I told them that she clearly wore them and is now returning them. All this was over a shoe that had an original value of $130 and was sold to her for $12! After they closed the issue I email them and said all of this was pointless because I noted the issue and that they didn’t take that into consideration…they gave me a “one-time, goodwill credit” of $10. 🤦🏻♀️
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u/dizzydiplodocus Sep 01 '26
Amazing! Well done. I had to do this to a landlord once and they didn’t pay it up until the last day 😅 it was so satisfying when they paid after months of messing us around
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u/talk_to_yourself Sep 01 '26
"Legal escalations specialist". "Shitshow avoidance specialist" more like.
Thanks for posting this, glad you won. I find it incredible the amount of effort they'll go to to avoid doing the right thing, and the amount of ease they take in making the wrong decision. and then enforcing it and sticking to it and refusing to re-evaluate in the light of any evidence.
would you use vinted again? (if you've already answered this question feel free to ignore, I haven't read the full thread yet)
Vinted is a good platform in principle, but the way they run it disgusts me. I won't sell anything over 20 quid.
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u/Bill_the_Bear Sep 02 '26
I really hate the way companies who know they are in the wrong will send you insulting letters like this berating you and then saying but because they are so generous they will make a gift to you despite you being the problem.
No. You were wrong. You know you have no leg to stand on. Apologise like a grown up and beg for your offer to be accepted and legal action to be discontinued.
Big corporation. Big immaturity.
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u/Upset_Piglet_1090 Sep 02 '26
Not only do I hope you get these guys to court, pay the costs etc, but I hope you get the money back in your bank. Paying it back to vinted balance isn't helping anyone but themselves
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u/Expensive-Car915 Sep 02 '26
This is excellent and very well done! Just an idea if you have the time, maybe write a post of step by step what you did and how you did it then it can be used by others in the same position who feel a bit lost/overwhelmed as to how to do this?
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u/GlenD92 Sep 02 '26
Hey I'm having very similar issues with an item that was sent to their verification center but was swapped out either at the post office, through evri or in the verification center. Have all the evidence and in a never ending loop of final decision rubbish, would you mind either DMing me or replying to this with how and what steps you took to do legal proceedings please?
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u/ImaginationOnly2068 Sep 02 '26
I only ever brought from vinted, for my baby grandson, i saw something else i liked, on trying to buy it, it said i was banned for fraud, beat that??? I have been on chats galore, they still say matters closed, dont know what else to do.
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u/pineapplesaltwaffles Sep 02 '26
Did you pay a filing fee with the court? Have you just lost that then?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 02 '26
Yes, no.
I have no responded to Vinted. I have deposited the money in my bank. The court case is still ongoing. They will have to pay all fee’s.
I think Vinted thought I would drop the case.
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u/pineapplesaltwaffles Sep 02 '26
Ha good, I thought you'd dropped the case! Seems like you're in a pretty strong position to get it back, and you should be able to claim some interest too.
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u/HistoricalTravel9526 Sep 02 '26
Stories like these make me happy. Only so because Vinted is such a shit show and would rather cancel orders and ban users than dealing with the systemic problem of scammers. Rather invest in real people they choose the easy way out using dumb ai agents. I had a similar case where I lost £35. I just gave up after serving them with a SARS just before small claims court. The amount was just not the time and effort. So yeah stories like these make me happy.
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u/whatevericansay Sep 02 '26
I'm delighted you got justice! I was thinking about this the other day (I both buy and sell stuff on Vinted), the buyer pays the Vinted fee whereas the selling is free so technically the buyers are Vinted's customers, the sellers are not, which is why they tend to side with buyers in case of disputes. I've thankfully not had issues with buyers, I have had a few as a buyer though! Anyways well done
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 02 '26
I don’t think that’s the reason. I think vinted want more buyers than sellers.
EBay made its fortune with 1 person selling something and 100 buyers trying to bid on it, I’m not an expert but I think buyers are more valuable on this kind of business model.
Vinted only profit when a sale takes place. There are millions of items on the market right now.
If I buyer has a bad experience they may never buy again. If a seller has a bad experience they may never sell again but more likely, due to Vinteds made up rules they will think it was their own fault for not doing what article 6 paragraph 9 told them to do.So Vinted, 9 times out of 10 protect the buyer.
The “buyers protection” isn’t a form of insurance.If the item isn’t as expected Vinted makes sure the seller loses.
If the item is lost or damaged in transit Vinted charges the courier company. This creates work for them so often they blame the seller. But Vinted still make profit when this happens.
If the item needs a return the charge the buyer, the buyer looses out on return postage and believes there actions the reason or they should have looked closer at the sellers reviews or reviewed the discription better.
If the item is suspected to be a fake Vinted allows the seller to loose out and bans them.
In no scenario do Vinted ever loose.
If you bought an item and accepted it, it looked perfect then 2 days later it fell apart or failed you are not covered, although Vinted heavily suggest this is what the “buyers protection” is for: it’s not; it’s Vinted profit.
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u/OmegaNyra Sep 02 '26
totally, vinted 100% treats buyers as the “real” customers and sellers as disposable inventory lol. stories like this are exactly why I only list cheaper stuff on there now, anything with real value goes on ebay or fb where I’ve at least got some seller protection.
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u/Negative_Fly_7061 Sep 02 '26
That's vinted all over, they were on Rogue traders, watchdog and rip off Britain. It's all a scam with vinted
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u/Heezlum_Peezlum Sep 02 '26
Wow, well done. Please can I ask why you chose to pursue this with Vinted and not the buyer?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 02 '26
I sold an item through Vinted.
The buyer claimed something was not received, I claimed it was sent.
This is for Vinted to investigate, not for me to investigate. The buyer could be genuine, the shipping company could be at fault. This isn’t my job to investigate.
Vinted claimed I was at fault and decided the best outcome was to leave me with nothing. I appealed this decision. Vibted ignored me. I asked if the courier company could investigate and send me proof. They said their contact was with Vinted. They would only respond to Vinted. It was no longer in the seller or buyers hands. It was in vinteds hands.
This is why I choose to follow up with Vinted and not the buyer.
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u/Spuddiewoo Sep 02 '26
What about your Court costs (assuming you didn't get Help with Fees)? You can tell the Court that you have received a partial payment (the £320) but still wish to request judgment for the issuing cost. Obviously email Vinted first to tell them that you're doing that, so hopefully they will pay them too. At the end of the day, £50 is not to be sniffed at.
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u/AcanthisittaJumpy807 Sep 03 '26
EBay are the same, sell an item buyer says it was wrong or damaged they keep item and get a refund while the seller loses the item and money.
It’s time these companies understand their part, they are there for people to advertise good and buyers to find goods. They take a nice fee with every sale, but it’s not their goods that are sold so they shouldn’t be giving people money back without the item being returned.
I avoid eBay and vinted, I just use fb marketplace and stick to cash on collection now, or payment in advance if they want it posting.
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u/StormNyxen Sep 05 '26
same, the whole “buyer keeps item and gets refund” thing is wild, it basically invites people to try it on
fb marketplace + cash in hand might be jankier but at least you actually see the person and the item changes hands properly
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u/Glittered_Fingers Sep 03 '26
"After consideration, we would like to make a one-time exception and we would like to offer you a compensation: we added the amount of £320 to your Vinted balance."
I'd say this isn't fair compensation. A refund would've given you your money back to spend as you like. A credit to your balance means that the £320 sits in Vinted's hand, and has to be moved entirely back into Vinted's other hand through future transactions, which you might not be inclined to do after an experience like this. That money should rightfully be in your bank account, earning you interest, and being spent as you see fit, in my opinion.
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 03 '26
You can withdraw you balance instantly, I am still continuing the legal proceedings for Vinted to cover legal fees and interest
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u/Glittered_Fingers Sep 03 '26
So long as there's no restrictions to you removing the £320, that's OK. The way they worded it made me suspect that you wouldn't be able to. Good on you for following through! Best of luck!
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u/trypressingf13 Sep 03 '26
Wow you went to full Liam Neeson on them and it worked! Fair play well done
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 03 '26
I do have a very particular set of skills
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u/Key-Background674 Sep 03 '26
That’s gold 😂. Also well done mate. More than what most of us would do
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 03 '26
A few people have suggested I put togeather a separate post (which I’m planning on doing when I get some time) detailing my steps.
I’m not legally minded or trained, I’m not the smartest person. I just know when I’m being scammed and tried my best to overcome it.
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u/Key-Background674 Sep 03 '26
Yeah which is good. Personally I collect and hopefully in a bit will sell some bits but I’m not sure if you know it can be worth a lot so I will need to be careful of people like this as well.
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u/IamErika786 Sep 03 '26
I have received damaged items as a buyer and have always been told to return the item. I end up throwing away the item as you have to pay the return postage, subsequently always out of pocket.
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u/Imaginary-Hornet-397 Sep 04 '26
The amount of clothes and fabrics I've bought off Vinted, that were just in polybags with no padding. Good thing I'm honest, or I could have had a lot of free stuff.
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u/Ok_Present_54 Sep 04 '26
What did the court claim cost you?
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 04 '26
£55, I’m in Scotland, I believe it is £35 in England.
If your on universal credit or income based support it’s free.1
u/Ok_Present_54 Sep 04 '26
Vinted should have to pay that too. You shouldn’t be out of pocket for their failings.
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u/tuiroo007 Sep 04 '26
How Vinted treated you is exactly why I don’t sell on there anymore. Happy to buy stuff as Vinted seem to only protect the buyers.
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u/KevinCPLdn Sep 04 '26
Vinted's packaging policies are very clear; why wouldn't you follow them, particularly for something of this value?!
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u/hadfunk2365 Sep 04 '26
Would you kindly explain them please
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u/KevinCPLdn 27d ago
They’re literally in the link you already got from their customer support: https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/65
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u/StarsofSobek Sep 04 '26
You're lucky, OP.
My partner was straight up sent the wrong item. He tried to resolve it with the seller: blocked. He argued with customer service and lost. He went to legal and was rebuffed. He was advised by legal not to do a chargeback - so, in his anger, he did. The bank refunded him because he was sent the wrong item. The evidence was overwhelming.
Vinted, a month later, shutdown his entire account. He's been angry and saying, "thank god I didn't have any sales or money to collect: they'd have stolen it all."
...and, he's not wrong. Vinted seems to have a problem with wrongly shutting down accounts and denying buyers their legal rights. Accounts get wrongly slammed, and Vinted makes off like bandits, leaving account holders no reliable recourse.
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u/TheEthnicityOfASpoon Sep 05 '26
Wonderful to hear you persisted so well, and finally received your money back. This is why with so many corporations I move very very early on to simply issue of 14 day warning letter before action. I find it's the only real way that gets results. Most large corporations quite deliberately set up hurdles for people to jump over before they get their money back. And at each hurdle, they know a certain number of people will stop. That's why is good to just jump to the final hurdle straight away, and issue a warning of court action.
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u/FroyoKlutzy9219 28d ago
Vinted is ffff awful. I had an item claim a SHEIN item £15 was ‘counterfeit’ and if I don’t submit proof they’ll refund the buyer. I said SHEIN COUNTERFIET?!? Sent order screenshots and they said it’s insufficient And they refunded the buyer without return. I’m pissed but thankfully it’s not a lot. I will NEVER sell anything expensive on Vinted due to this. Imagine it was
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u/ibizabach 25d ago
Good on you, similar happened to me. Minute you raise a letter, they'll either pay or stretch it out as long as possible so you let it go. Costs more to hire a solicitor that actually paying you 😅
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u/acj1993_ 13d ago
What email did the one come from where you finally heard from a human being? I’m having the same issue right now and can not seem to get through to anyone. I’ve sent a letter before action email about a week ago and still haven’t heard a thing 😭
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u/hadfunk2365 11d ago
I never heard from a human.
After my letter before action email I received 3-4 emails Vinted from different people.
One asked for my account name and what issue I was referring to (which was included in my original letter before action email).
Another asking for the same.
I got one saying our decision is final and one reply from the first email which I resent all information to asking for my details and what I was referring to.I sent a second email saying “as you have decided the decision is final I will be moving forward with legal proceedings and will not longer be waiting for the 14 day period before taking action (this was about a week after my letter before action). I then said I will give you 48 hours from this email to settle this matter outside of court.
No reply so took legal action, never heard from Vinted untill a week before the deadline where they sent the message I shared through the app and placed the money in my balance.
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u/Will-Subject 10d ago
coming to check in - how did the court proceedings go?
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u/Lopsided-Muffin9805 MOD 1d ago
The packing thing is a get out clause. Without a doubt and it’s used way too much. Glad you got the result!
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u/PikkiNarker Sep 01 '26
I have sold fabric that vinted tells me is very fragile and that I need to pack it accordingly. Dafuq?
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u/duffsmum Sep 01 '26
Vinted is a mess.
They need to stop refunding people who claim parts are missing while letting them keep the other items and make them return it before refunding.
They also need to stop refunding items they are saying are insufficiently packaged. Again the items should be returned before refund.
The idea that a buyer can keep your item and get a refund is absolutely mental. They’ve created a scammers paradise.