Counterfeit item on Vinted

[erinhannah]

Hey, I’m new to Vinted and bought a pair of Sorel winter boots (new without box) for £60 (RRP £125). From the listing photos they looked legit but on receiving the boots they are absolutely fake. Faux leather for starters, the sole is totally different and they just look cheap. If anyone has ever had a pair of Sorels you’ll know they’re a notoriously heavy boot but these ones are notably lightweight.

I messaged the seller who was outraged I suggested they’re fake and advised I just admit they don’t fit and they’ll accept a return (they started the returns process). They say they bought them off the Sorel website but this just can’t be true. I’m not happy to pay for postage so I’ve asked them to pay but now they’re not replying.

I hate the idea of them selling these again and duping someone else, but am I best off just sending them back and sucking up the postage fee if they don’t agree to cover it?

Or should I ask Vinted to intervene and assess whether they’re fake? My worry is from pics it’s less obvious - it was only clear when I held them and smelled and felt the plasticky thin fake leather and compared the soles to their online counterpart on Sorel’s website.

I’ll attach some pics of the item vs the true Sorel item. Does anyone think from the pics that Vinted would rule in favour of the seller? I’d hate to lose my money and be stuck with these shitty boots! Thanks all.

Definitely ask Vinted to intervene. Why should you lose money? The seller knew they're fakes, she's pulling a fast one.

Go via vinted, the seller will only fob someone else off with them if you don't

Definitely report as an issue to Vinted, and let the sort this out for you.

As already suggested, report to Vinted. Husband had similar issue last week with a counterfeit item and Vinted ruled in his favour within a day. He had to send photos of the items received. Some terrible people on there. Good luck!

Can you be sure they are counterfeit, rather than it being a change in the manufacturing?

Maybe they are not as good quality as in the past and no longer made with leather?

Seems a bit far fetched in my mind to be a counterfeiting scam- it’s a pretty niche market. Wouldn’t be as lucrative as faking sought after designer items.

Regardless- if you paid for leather boots but did not receive leather boots, then the item is not as described.

Just get Vinted involved, but do it quickly - they only have a few days for you to complain!

Could their pictures be of their real legit pair and then they have sent a scam pair? So they would have proof of being real etc then scamming anyone who buys them.

I’d open a vinted case and see what they do.

It's a very short window with vinted to raise a case, I think 24 or 48hrs of recieving the item so be quick!

I agree your photos don't look like the sorel website ones.

I honestly can't stress enough how many fakes there are on vinted. Adidas Sambas are sold out everywhere, but somehow dozens of new sellers with 0 feedback are listing them for below retail?
Lots of scammers.

The colours not even right is it? I'd expect 'buff' to be slightly lighter with a more orange tone

get your money back. Then get onto Vinted about how they are useless and driving their own site into the ground.

Just saying, there is a Sorrel legit boot with that sole -

Where are the OP's photos? I can't see any

There really isn’t a market for counterfeit sorel boots…. It’s not like they are AF1s or fake balenciega trainers

Much more likely you have a bought a boot where that particular style feels lesser quality or a bit flimsier. It happens!!!

They are on the opening post. I can see them on the app.

So did the seller use photos they lifted from a website or did they post pics of the boots you received?

They might be genuinely made by that brand but made to a lower standard for a designer outlet (lots of brands do it).

I’d let Vinted know but also send the boots back, as if you have proof of postage you should at least get your £60 back, but if you don’t return then quickly you may lose that if Vinted don’t back you up.

Can you ask the seller for proof of purchase from the legitimate website ? They must have either a paper receipt or some kind of electronic paper trail. Even a text confirming delivery!

Yes, so much this ^^ !!

I was looking for black AF1s for DD for school. There are loads of apparently new ones for around £38 from sellers with no feedback. Obvious scam!

Did the seller have feedback, OP?

Thanks for the replies everyone!

So I contacted Sorel with my query and pics and it turns out it IS a Sorel product but it’s from 2010 (!) and the model indeed was not leather and totally different from what the seller had claimed in terms of the model name and them having just bought it ‘last year’.

Going to request a refund but using ‘significantly not as described’ rather than ‘counterfeit’. Seller is annoying but he/she has not sold me a fake item so I wouldn’t want their account to be totally disabled.

Anyway thanks for all the replies!

I'm glad you contacted them direct!

Vinted suck! I bought a north face hoody that turned out to be counterfeit and they grudgingly provided a return label after I complained about paying to send someone back their shit and pointed out to them that their own terms and conditions state that I do not have to return a counterfeit item if I provide pics as proof it's counterfeit. I did, it was such an obvious fake. But Vinted still took the money out of my account, didn't pay it to the seller and didn't give it back to me!