Very bad experience with Vinted customer service – sellers, go elsewhere

Vinted Problems
1

I want to share a very bad experience with Vinted, to prevent other sellers from falling into the same trap.

I sold a board game in like-new condition on Vinted.
The shipping was done with the utmost care:

  • very thick cardboard box (Bruneau box)
  • game wrapped in cellophane
  • bubble wrap for protection
    Despite this, the package arrived dented, and the game box inside as well. Clearly a problem related to transport.

The buyer (who is absolutely not at fault, and whom I perfectly understand) refused to keep the item.
So I contacted Vinted customer service for the carrier to assume its responsibility, or at least for the insurance to play its role.

Vinted’s response:
« If the game is damaged, it’s because the packaging was insufficient. »
Regardless of the evidence, photos, or the fact that the box itself arrived crushed.
I was asked to accept the return if I wanted to get my game back, which I did out of respect for the buyer.

Once the package was returned, I reopened a customer service request with:

  • photos of the game before shipping
  • photos upon receipt
  • photos of the protections used

And then, another bizarre response:
« The buyer had already reported the problem when you accepted the return.
The transaction has been canceled and the buyer refunded.
We cannot help you further. »

In short:

  • the buyer is refunded (understandable)
  • the game is returned to me damaged
  • no compensation
  • no responsibility taken
  • case closed, despite several follow-ups

With every message, the same automated response:
« We understand your frustration »
« We follow strict procedures »
« We maintain our decision »
Translation: move along, nothing to see here.

I am disgusted by this management, totally unbalanced and unfavorable to sellers, even when everything is done according to the rules.

Sincere advice:
If you sell valuable or fragile items, avoid Vinted.
Personally, I will now sell on Leboncoin, where customer service and dispute management seem much more serious and responsible to me.

Vinted systematically shifts the blame to the seller, even when the problem clearly comes from transport.

Food for thought.

2

It’s sad, but when you sell on a third-party platform, you have no choice but to comply with their rules… the only way to avoid this problem, in my opinion, is to state clearly and in writing that if your items arrive aesthetically damaged due to the carrier, no claim will be possible. If you are a professional, the buyer can still withdraw, and you won’t be able to do anything about it.

3

If your packages arrive damaged, it’s because they are not suitable.

« If the item is damaged, it’s because the packaging was insufficient. »

There’s not much more to say. The main thing is to learn and make better packaging; it has happened to all of us.

Vinted does not absolve you; you are legally responsible for the delivery, even when the carrier doesn’t do their job. Unfair? Perhaps.

4

Hello

Almost everything is the same!

I send 2 beautiful identical cups, thick cardboard, crumpled kraft paper, confetti…

And I take pictures!

One handle was broken by the carrier. The buyer sends me photos of the clearly smashed box. Of course, she reports the problem.

In short, she is refunded for the 2 items which are strictly identical. Yet only one is broken.

I send a multitude of messages with photos… nothing works.

We are sorry… blah blah blah.

In short, I tell them it’s a jackpot for the buyer! She keeps a perfect cup and even tells me she glued the handle back on.

I send a message to Vinted legal… they can’t find me on Vinted and invite me to contact support again via the app.

Uh, I’ve done that 3 times… and nothing works.

But I would like to know if Vinted is compensated anyway and keeps the « loot » for themselves.

I have almost 300 reviews. 5 stars and always glowing comments about my packages.

In short, Vinted is a mafia! I hope it will be dethroned by another marketplace.

Happy Holidays

5

A similar experience but from the buyer’s side. I ordered an origami set and received… a family photo album. I contacted them the same day, with photos as proof, and Vinted’s customer service asked me to peel off the label on the packaging and send them a photo of what was underneath. It was around Christmas, and I didn’t have the packaging with me. The next day, customer service marked my order as « order accepted » because I didn’t respond within 24 hours :joy: (I want to note that our exchanges took less than a week and that this is completely illegal).

Anyway, if I had done it, there would have been other excuses not to deal with my problem. Since I am not a seller, I simply plan to stop using Vinted, which clearly charges for buyer protection without protecting us and profits handsomely. Their actions are truly mafia-like.

6

yes, well, it does happen that it’s the carrier’s fault :sweat_smile: at some point you can put all the protection you want, if the delivery person decides to be rough, you can’t do anything about it anymore. We’re not going to send a game to a military canteen either. Having witnessed a locker being emptied live, it’s scary.

that might dissuade the buyer from starting a dispute, but the platform won’t care. It used to work on eBay 15 years ago, I doubt it today.
It’s funny to see these kinds of notices on professional listings because they are completely illegal (obligation of result for a professional who remains responsible for the successful delivery of an order).

2 Likes
7

Transport law is specific and deviates from common law in certain aspects. Everything depends on the bill of lading and therefore on the carrier and the means of transport, on who chooses and pays for the transport, and on when the transfer of ownership takes place. Vinted’s terms and conditions in this regard would not hold up for two seconds in court.

8

Vinted is complicated because legally it depends on whether the buyer or the seller chooses the shipping method. If it’s the buyer, the carrier is responsible. But on Vinted, although the buyer chooses, there are significant limitations imposed by the platform and sellers (limited choice of carriers, no insurance setup, etc. ………..) unlike eBay where you can set up absolutely anything you want (even if not offered in the listing, the seller can still change the shipping method, or even use an external site to do so).

9

There are still quite a few little things with them that are at the very least « annoying, » I’m even surprised there haven’t been any lawsuits (consumer associations or FEVAD, for example)

10

This is essentially what I explain :grinning_face: The question is « the moment of transfer of ownership » of the transported goods. One day I will look into the details of the conditions on Vinted. I no longer send anything worth more than a few dozen euros with carriers like Mondial Relay or others on Vinted. I miss sales but so be it. There is Vestiaire Collective, eBay, Joli Closet, LBC. Less visibility but more security.