Vinted, a major secondhand goods marketplace operating across 26 markets, has faced mounting complaints from sellers who say they face account suspensions and financial losses with limited recourse. The platform processed €10.8bn in trades during 2025, a 47% increase from the prior year, and generated €1.1bn in revenue while expanding into categories beyond clothing and developing its own shipping and payments services.
Multiple sellers have reported concerning experiences with the platform’s dispute resolution system. One user was refunded after claiming a parcel arrived empty, despite the seller providing photographic and video evidence of posting the item. Another seller lost her account permanently after a buyer disputed authenticity of shoes she purchased from a retail chain, despite providing photographs and a bank statement as proof. A third seller operating a business reselling clothes for clients faced repeated account suspensions, including a twelve-day permanent ban for alleged fraudulent activity that was later reversed as a false alarm, causing financial damage to her operations and clients.
Consumer expert Martyn James reports receiving numerous complaints from users banned for allegedly selling counterfeit goods. He identified a potential systemic issue involving automated systems making initial determinations in disputes, noting that while such technology can expedite processing, meaningful human review is essential when money is at stake. James also emphasized that users appear to lack genuine appeal mechanisms and face difficulty obtaining independent review of platform decisions.
Vinted maintains that all appeals are reviewed by human staff and states that 98% of transactions complete without support team involvement. The company emphasizes it enforces rules prohibiting counterfeit and dangerous items to protect marketplace safety, and says users can challenge decisions. However, sellers contend they receive minimal explanation for account actions and struggle to present evidence that contradicts platform determinations.
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