I increasingly refuse outlandish offers

Vinted Tips/Questions
1

Hello everyone

I remind you that I am selling as a private individual, which may change things. I’m trying to clear out what’s been in my closets for decades, so there’s a bit of everything.

All the latest offers I’ve received are at the maximum (minus 40%). I’m going to change my approach. Until now, I was offering a price that suited me so that it was worth packaging the item, printing a label, and going to the drop-off point, but enough is enough.

I’m going to increase all my prices. I refuse a lot of offers (most of them under 5 euros), but maybe the algorithm doesn’t like it and will punish me!!!

Selling for 1, 2, or 3 euros is called the sharing economy, but is it good for the carbon footprint??

What do you think?

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2

The best thing to do is to sell at a higher price and set a minimum acceptance threshold for offers, and for low-priced products, frankly, selling in lots is fine, but individually, you have to be careful about the cost of packaging… (On my end, I use a grey tear-proof/waterproof envelope, a small cardboard box, a personalized sticker, and an organza bag) I put quality into the package, so that also has a cost to calculate.

For example, I put items at €5 (some) which I estimate is a bit high, but at least I can accept offers down to a minimum of €3 (for items that cost me between €0.50/€1).

3

Hello,

I am also a private closet, with the initial spirit of Vinted to resell what is no longer used by the family and that it can be reused by others. So what I resell was bought at a « normal » price, and I don’t make a « profit » but I recover a (small) part of the amount initially paid. So there is no question of « profit margin » compared to an item bought in large quantities at a low price, etc.

And it’s becoming really annoying to recover part of the purchase price, especially with offers of minus 40%. I offer discounts for bulk purchases, and I have some who make me an offer of minus 40% on the already reduced price (let’s be crazy)… from time to time a miracle happens and I have an immediate purchase without a discount request (yes, it still exists :wink:) or a reasonable offer, but the trend is to negotiate at minus 40%. I prepare for the worst when I receive an offer :sweat_smile:, and I refuse without making a counter-offer when I get the famous minus 40%, I don’t waste my time with these Vinties anymore. It’s incredible because I’ve noticed that those who make you an indecent offer for an item of such a brand, they put it at double or even five times the price in their closet :sweat_smile:, and they take you for a sucker on top of that :sweat_smile:.

As long as Vinted allows the minus 40% offer, we will have it. We are millions selling on Vinted, individuals, professional sellers, intensive dropshipping, fake private closets, etc… and people have seen shows where sellers make incredible margins with resale on Vinted. Supply exceeds demand and buyers are probably influenced by what has been publicized on Vinted. And they don’t want to pay for shipping costs either, so they negotiate for that too. And when you accept a discount, you can no longer expect a thank you, it’s becoming the exception…

Before Vinted and before Covid, I used to go to one or two flea markets a year, but I’m fed up with negotiations even when you sell an item for 1 euro :sweat_smile:. Now I prefer to give things away, and resell what can be resold, but I’m not going to spend my time on Vinted for 1 euro either.

There is an option to give feedback on Vinted, it could be the removal of this minus 40% discount option… but I’m not sure they will take it into account… so staying calm in the face of these offers seems to be the best solution (and maybe increase the initial price? but too bad for those who don’t negotiate)

Have a nice day :cherry_blossom:

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4

I second the idea of stopping the possibility of offers at -40%, which are, for a good portion of categories, too aggressive to be accepted. Or perhaps this could be configurable.

There was a study on 26 million offers on eBay showing that at -10% there was a high chance the seller would accept, and that -20% was about the best deal a buyer could hope for, meaning the probability of the seller refusing increased sharply beyond -20%. I am summarizing because the analysis of the numbers and curves requires some effort: https://www.martinschweinsberg.com/content/files/2025/03/Schweinsberg-2023-Understanding-the-first-offe.pdf

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5

eBay’s advantage was displaying successful sales, so it was quite easy to set a price that matched market reality. It’s a very practical tool, which also combines with the ability to automatically set up offers. Less so today because the sales volume no longer allows for real trends to emerge.

As long as a price was « realistic, » it became unnecessary to negotiate (a seller wouldn’t accept selling an item for €6 that regularly sold for €10).

But hey, when you’ve experienced eBay’s golden age, Vinted (which is a regression on many points) is still tough.

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6

Angeline - I completely agree with your analysis - Yes, I am also always surprised to see that those who make offers of less than 40% are also sellers.

7

Not at all surprised, it’s the same principle as at flea markets where resellers go around while individuals unpack before opening and then put the same items back on their stalls an hour later at three times the price.

Where it becomes « comical » is when they also lecture you with their « it’s the principle of Vinted to negotiate » etc… when they themselves sell the same items in their closet for twice as much.
Once, I pointed this out to someone who offered me -60% and she replied that at least you could negotiate with her, to which I retorted that even with a maximum offer of -40%, she was still more expensive than me. I still wonder how these people manage to make sales.

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8

There are also many resellers who test the lowest possible purchases and then sell them at a much higher price.

9

Yes, people lack common sense. The one who negotiates 40% off an item I sell for €15 when she sells items of the same brand for €65 in her closet probably still believes in Santa Claus :rofl:.

I also like the one who negotiates the famous 40% off on a bundle when discounts are already applied, and who is almost outraged that I refuse her EXCELLENT offer (literally)… Fortunately, I have food in my fridge :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:.

10

Let them try, they don’t intimidate me. But as a professional, seeing people show up at my store to offer me -60% with the clear intention of reselling later on their own store, I struggle to understand their approach, even if I admire their optimism.

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11

What I don’t understand is why you spend so much time, energy, thoughts, and analysis on something that is strictly useless to you?

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12

[quote=« anon90966608, post:11, topic:3090 »]I don’t understand why you spend so much time, energy, and thought, analysis, on something that is strictly useless to you?

[/quote]

Hello - no, it’s useless. It’s called an exchange with my « friends » sellers, that’s all.

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13

Okay, but the posts are almost exclusively about that now. Offers, sales temperature down, packages not arriving.

Why not open a positive post? For example, on all the tips, sales methods, protocols, sales psychology? etc.

14

Yes - we are counting on you to open a positive post, but you know very well that we never talk about trains that arrive on time.

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15

Unless I’m mistaken, Vinted doesn’t penalize you if you refuse all offers. I systematically refuse them and often leave a message explaining why.
Vinted’s algorithm favors engagement, so leaving a message or making a counter-offer is viewed favorably.

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16

And that’s why few succeed. Looking at what’s wrong, rather than what works.

Commerce, and even more so entrepreneurship, is a specific mindset.

Success is a mindset: look at what works, and make it your own, by copying, modifying, drawing inspiration from what works. It’s the mindset of an open person. If some succeed and others don’t, it’s because the system we operate in can work, and that part of failure is not correlated with the system. (Customers, bureaucracy, the website, the economic situation, war, the weather, ants, and Santa Claus)

The other mindset that floods social media, TV, etc.: everything is going wrong. Pointing out every detail that’s wrong, taking examples that go against reality.

It’s not up to me to start this discussion, but up to you to make an effort, search, exchange, look at those who make 5, 10, 15, 20 K per month, because they exist. You can also remain in your complaining mentality.
There is a list of rules to follow to sell on Vinted. Just as there is a list to follow to sell on another site, or in life, this is specific to each sector, which all differ from one another. It’s this kind of post that should be created.

Vinted is the same for everyone, we are equal in its operation, there is little room for maneuver. (Unlike many fields where we don’t all start with the same chances)
I repeat: everyone is equal with regard to the site. some succeed, others don’t.

So what do you choose? constantly look at what’s going wrong? or work, learn, research, listen to those who are succeeding to question your own way of doing things rather than always looking for external causes?
One is easy and requires no effort, the other is difficult and requires a lot of work investment.

That’s why we don’t talk about trains that are on time.

We already have the luck of a great software like clemz, without it, it would be much more difficult.

With that, I wish you good luck.

PS: If the tone continues like this, I won’t come back, it’s useless.

17

@anon90

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18

I understand. There’s already almost everything on YouTube. I spent tens of hours watching videos; every evening for 2 months, and with each video, I got an idea, something I noted down and tested, rearranged, etc. This also takes a lot of time. I approached it like preparing for an exam, relearning almost everything, redoing almost everything. (I was still using the good old postal service, where I put stamps, what a waste of time, I didn’t even know what a thermal printer was.)

It could be the Vinted algorithm, but also a well-thought-out organization that indirectly frees up time to implement the ingredients of the successful recipe.

I went from publishing 6/7 items per day to… much more, and with less fatigue.

An example: the way of storing. another: the way of taking photos, from shooting to how to store before and after. I created a photo system with bed bases and masonry trestles. I struggled with it, but once it was done, what a time saver, during and after, neatness for the photos, and no more retouching, I saved a ton of time. You also have to invest, no secret. But it’s not a lot of money, we’re not talking about a fundraising round!

Of course, some tasks are crucial, others less so. You have to start with the biggest, then little by little, go into the details, and it’s there, in the details, that the differences are made. A detail could be, for example, the way of making SKUs. And having good equipment. for example, I had the Philips depiller, then I bought the best one, what a time and comfort saver. Well, for books… not needed!

And at each stage, and there are many, test everything, validate or invalidate, start over, validate or not, optimize. I worked 3 months on this, 15 hours a day, a kind of self-training - except that the information isn’t given to you, but it’s findable for those who make the effort. I fumbled around a lot and made mistakes.

So open the post, there are « big » sellers here (in volume or revenue) who will give tips, as I just did.

19

The « problem » (and you probably know this) is that few are willing to share their recipes, exchange good tips, etc., etc., etc. … for fear of creating competitors (whereas I think it’s rather a good sign when there is competition).
Personally, everything you say is something I do, but it happens more in private messages (here or elsewhere) with other sellers, where there is mutual trust. With some, we even exchange plans for supplies. And I regret that we live in a world where everyone feels obliged to protect themselves.

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20

I’m much less convinced about that.
And I’ve already said it, I would have been totally in agreement with you at the beginning of the year. And then it happened to me. Even if now, having changed a few things, I feel like I’m starting to turn the tide a bit.

But there have been some very strange things. First of all, a collapse from one day to the next. If it had only been sales, but not even receiving offers anymore was quite strange (whereas I was bombarded every day before). And above all, this collapse did not happen on other platforms. Also to see competitors who continued to sell, even better, whereas before I was far ahead of them and nothing has really changed (but good for them, I don’t blame them).
And then there was the test of the personal account. I would really like to be explained how a not very common figurine (for which I have several boxes in stock), I could no longer sell it for 6 months on my Pro account, whereas before it sold regularly and then in October, testing on my personal account, 4 sold, dozens of views and favorites as soon as I posted the ad (whereas 3/4 views with the Pro account) and we are talking about a personal account starting from 0 compared to a Pro account with followers and a certain number of ratings.
Also cycles on sales abroad. Before, I regularly sold to Italians and Belgians, a little to Spaniards and Portuguese. And now it’s really sporadic, but even in terms of offers. Like for 3/4 days I’ll make several sales to one country, receive offers and suddenly nothing for 15 days.

But to be positive, I will therefore talk about something that I tested and the more I advance, the more I confirm that it could be a problem: photos. Since I post on several platforms, I used to put the same photos everywhere (time saving) and on eBAy or Rakuten, it is recommended to put photos with a white background, basically photos that resemble commercial photos like Amazon. So I used to bother to retouch everything by running it through software, which took me a lot of time.
And some time ago, Vinted started to delete a lot of my ads for « photos from the web ». Strange because they are really mine. And by downloading my personal data, I saw that I had dozens of reports per day for this (people really have energy to spend to annoy others).
So I tested redoing some photos, very simple ones on a wooden piece of furniture with a white wall behind and correct lighting. Well, items that hadn’t sold for months started selling again. New ads with this type of photo get more visibility than before etc. It doesn’t work for all items but little by little, the trend seems to be reversing a bit. So huge time saving on photos, fewer and fewer deletions by Vinted and I haven’t checked, but it must have calmed down the reports, which in my opinion must have led to quite a few restrictions with their checks (they don’t always warn, it had been confirmed to me by customer service on legal Vinted).

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