Why is there so much stuff on Vinted which is BNWT?

[SevenSistersStar]

Just that really. Are so many people really buying clothes and literally never wearing them? It's not just nice occasion dresses that may have been worn once with the tag kept in and then sold, it's lots of everyday clothes, stuff in full packaging etc that have clearly genuinely never been worn. I don't really understand it.

Kids stuff is easy enough to explain. With DD it’s been gifts that we didn’t get round to wearing for ‘best’ as I’d thought, or that didn’t end up fitting within the right season so a thick padded snowsuit but by the time winter came she’d grown out of it. I do tend to get a lot of her stuff second hand, but will often pick up stuff in the sale in next sizes, and sometimes I’ve either forgotten we had it or it doesn’t turn out to be suitable. I pass most on to my niece or friends with same age kids, if not charity shop - selling on vinted always seems like hassle but I probably should look into it.

I never assume shoplifted for adult stuff though now it’s been mentioned I shall wonder! I do sometimes thing maybe it was really cheap in a sale/ clearance or even charity shop and they’re trying to sell for a bit more. Most likely it’s people who buy more than they will ever wear, pick things up because they think they will wear them or they were a bargain or whatever then just never do. My MIL is like this - multiple wardrobes full of stuff because ‘it’s good quality and usually costs a lot more’ but in reality she wears the same 10 things. Another relative buys something new for every occasion, sometimes 2 or 3 things and then ‘doesn’t get round to’ returning them, thinking they might get worn for something else. Eventually they get passed on to family members, I’ve got some of my favourite outfits that way haha. I never buy new for e.g. a wedding now without checking what she has got stashed. She also goes up and down in sizes quite a lot so I think that adds to it.

I have things I never wore where I bought a nice dress for example, but then my weight changed between buying it and the event. Or sometimes I've sold BNWT things just to pay an unexpected large bill.

I sold a few things BNWT as during lockdown I didn't have chance to wear them and gained weight so they no longer fit!

Although it shouldn't have needed a pandemic, the events of the last two years have made me a lot more conscious of what I am buying, as well as realise I don't need as much 'stuff' (especially clothes) as I thought I did.

Thanks everyone, this is really interesting. I don't buy a huge amount of clothes online and I'm pretty organised about returning stuff. I also don't buy so much I'd never wear it all and I don't buy stuff to diet into. So none of these had occurred to me. The kids stuff I can totally understand - they grow so fast or they randomly refuse to wear certain things.

This is me. Buy two sizes and forget to return one. Buy two dresses for an event and then keep the other but never worn it. I've not got tonnes of stuff but I've sold stuff because of this. Shoes that were "ok" but I worried would be uncomfortable etc

I buy and sell on Vinted. I only buy BNWT but I sell both new and worn. For me it's things I've not got around to sending back so I assume it's the same for most, no doubt there is a chance of stolen goods though.

I have bought some lovely things at absolute bargain prices on there. I donate all my sales to my favourite charity. It all ads up!

Some people are shopaholics and buy way more than they ever wear.

DS loves fashion and will buy clothes he adores in the sales even if they are the wrong size. After a few months of admiring them in the wardrobe he realises he will never wear them and sells them on.

I've got four things in my house currently to sell that are brand new never worn, but the companies I bought them from online were rubbish with returns (one company I was going to have to pay more than £10 to return the items to them!! And another was based in Europe and nowhere would accept the return labels!)

I've sold stuff BNWT, one was a dress I couldn't send back and the other a coat that was bought for me as a gift that never really suited me. I have lots in my wardrobe with tags as I tend to buy stuff ready for the next season and don't remove tags until I wear it. I'm bad at returns too and don't bother if items are cheaper, I just give them to a friend or charity

Some people keep tags in wear once then return. I would imagine some don’t get sent back in time so get sold on.

others especially kids stuff is stuff brought as part of gifts etc which just don’t fit are not suited to child.

others will be a buy from wholesalers.

there probably is an element of shoplifting but I would hope to think that’s not the main part

Some influencers get a lot of free clothes - they put them on for the sponsored ad and sell them afterwards.

I always leave tags on clothing when I buy it. I recently lost 2 stone so had several dresses which were too big so they are on Vinted NWT.
NWT kids stuff I sell is either gifts that weren't to my taste and i didn't want to to offend anyone or clothing that has been pushed to the back of wardrobes that has been grown out off before wearing.
When Debenhams shut the store near me sold kids stuff at half price and BOGOF. I bought lots. Gifted some as presents and the kids wore a fair amount. Some stuff ended up fitting at the wrong time e.g. winter dresses fitting in summer.
I buy a lot of stuff from Vinted so its nice to keep the balance topped up.

Some commercial sellers on ebay buy up ends of lines, last seasons stocks to sell.
Most retail surveys show the majority of us wear only a percentage of the clothes we buy and keep unworn items. I definitely have items never worn. I should try ebay or Vinted I guess but that is just another time sucker!

I'm gonna say the Next sale. I don't go to Next much but it is more or less the only clothes shop in my little town and sometimes I walk past when the sale is on. It closes off it's changing rooms and I pick up a few things I like the look of. Get home. They are awful and I remember why I don't shop there. Forget they only have a 7 day return policy.

I never learn - I see the huge discount and thing it's a bargain even though Next clothes generally don't suit me. At least on vinted I get a bit back and someone else gets to wear them.

I have a friend who is addicted to buying clothes, and half of them don't get worn. I think it's not uncommon.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we see a lot of BNWT stuff too. It's often out of season - so bought maybe at the end of summer 2021 and then when summer 2022 rolls round the purchaser decides they don't want it. Or it has been bought in the sale, purchaser decided it wasn't worth trekking back into town and paying for parking to return it.

Also had a donation this week of brand new clothing which had come from a house clearance after someone had died - a whole big bag of jumpers, pyjamas, scarves and other stuff which had clearly been Christmas and birthday gifts which had been carefully put away and never used.

A symptom of mass overconsumption, endless fast fashion hauls, just buying shit you don’t need and it not even seeming worth your while to return it.

I read an article a while ago about charity shops being chock full of clothes from places like Shein/PLT/Nasty Gal all new with tags or barely worn.

read an article a while ago about charity shops being chock full of clothes from places like Shein/PLT/Nasty Gal all new with tags or barely worn.

The problem charity shops have is that the very cheap stuff is usually not worth selling. Made SO cheaply and so poorly that it's stretched or bobbled or just in such bad condition we can't sell it. Or even if it's BNWT, it's still only worth a couple of quid because it was only £5 new.

I sell a lot of bnwt it's either gifts I've been given with no gift receipt and not my style/ don't fit or stuff I've bought a while back and never worn . I'm desperately trying to declutter and make a bit of money

Yes I was avoiding getting political about it but overconsumption and fast fashion must be partly what's behind this, and I find that a bit depressing really.

How else do you think shoplifters make money? They sell on the stolen goods.

I guess I'm a bit naive, it just hadn't occurred to me

I've seen people buying up armfuls of stuff at big sales and it is clearly to resell. My friend who worked the next boxing day sale said there were quite a few people who were known to be market traders doing it regularly, but now they would sell on eBay or vinted and avoid the cost of a market stall.

Doesn't stop some charity shops. I have seen Primark stuff being sold second hand in a charity shop (or once in an antique and vintage shop!) for more than retail.

Lots of reasons. In addition to those listed, if you've bought something from a shop in person and changed your mind, ie no free return by post, sometimes the cost of travelling back to the shop actually makes it more economical to sell for a bit less than retail price on Vinted, Ebay etc. Or it works out as less faff.