Please can anyone give me an idiots guide to vinted?

[JacknDiane]

I have lots to sell and I keep putting it off. I downloaded the app but I dont think I created an account yet. Im not sure.
Ive never sold stuff before but finances are that I need to bite the bullet and get on with it.
My questions are

1. How do I know what I should be asking for stuff?
2. Do I just write a description of the items or is there a code to follow?
3. How will I know how much to charge for postage?
4. Is the postage added into what im selling it for?
5. Is there a specific way you should send item?
6. I have no clue about sending, who should I use, I dont have a printer to print labels, how is sending organised?

The charging for postage and sending stuff is the most confusing for me.

1. Do I pay for insurance?
2. Is stuff returnable to me (like a shop?)
3. What should I buy before I get started eg. Posting stuff, tissue paper etc?

I realise this is a lot of questions and im really grateful for anyone who takes the time to help me out.

Im honestly not dim but I have no experience of this and I've googled but id just really appreciate people who have sold on vinted to help me out.

Thanks again.

The postage is calculated for you and the buyer pays. You just select whether the parcel is small, medium or large. You can choose what sending options you can use. I use Evri and the InPost lockers, the shop where I drop parcels prints labels for me. I usually reuse other plastic bag packaging.

Yes people can return if something is not as described or is faulty. Not just because it doesn't fit. This has only happened to me once.

Description - no need for War and Peace, nobody will read it. Clear photos of item and all labels much more useful.

Make sure to adjust your postage settings to the services you can actually access. People get caught out by this. My mum sold something and the buyer selected inpost. My mum didn’t realise and there was no inpost anywhere near her, she ended up driving miles away. You can turn off the ones you don’t want to use.

Be realistic with your pricing. I only sell things I can afford to lose, so a few quid per item. There are a lot of scammers on there who typically target more expensive items.

I think there’s a guide to within the app to get you started.

Description: as a buyer I appreciate a comment about sizing eg “label says 12 but it’s a roomy fit” or vice versa. Lots of pictures including clear image of the labels including the care label.

Price - the app shows you similar items and what they typically go for. I always add £1 to whatever I think it’s worth so that if someone favourites the item I can offer for a “discount” of £1 and still get what I wanted. If nothing sells within a month I reduce the price - this helps the algorithm too. The top thing about price is to not be unrealistic. Vinted is basically a virtual jumble sale. You cannot expect to get back more than 50% of the price even if brand new, there’s just too much competition.

You can buy packs of plastic postage bags and tissue paper on Amazon.

Most postage systems have an in store label printer- make sure you only accept postage systems that are convenient for you. The buyer chooses so if it’s a pain to get to an impost locker for example deselect that option in your settings.

And it's actually really easy to use. Decide today to upload just one thing. Don't be overwhelmed by having too much that you can't get started. Just do one and it'll be easy

1. How do I know what I should be asking for stuff?

You can search for similar items to see what other people are asking for. For highstreet stuff I charge around £5 to £15. Primark, Shein, supermarket stuff less than £5

1. Do I just write a description of the items or is there a code to follow?

Describe the thing fully, people search in different ways. A maxi dress is also a long dress, a midaxi dress, a summer dress, it has a v neck, sleeveless, it's a boho dress, it's a solid colour, etc. Put the size in the title. List any flaws. Say it's from a pet/smoke free home if it is.

1. How will I know how much to charge for postage?

You pick the size when listing the item. Small, medium or large

1. Is the postage added into what im selling it for?

Postage is on top of your price. The buyer pays both. You get every penny of what you sell for

1. Is there a specific way you should send item?

No. I reuse mailing bags. Sometimes I use a bag for life! So long as it's clean and study and well taped up

1. I have no clue about sending, who should I use, I dont have a printer to print labels, how is sending organised?

You pick who you want to use in your postage settings on the app. Only choose options which are convenient for you. If you don't have a printer, after you sell something you can request a qr code which you scan at the post office/parcel locker and the courier deals with adding the physical label

The charging for postage and sending stuff is the most confusing for me.

1. Do I pay for insurance?

No. The buyer pays for the postage and Vinted fees which cover basic insurance - sometimes!

1. Is stuff returnable to me (like a shop?)

Yes, but only if the thing is damaged or not as described. Not if it doesn't fit or they don't like it. You can either accept a return (buyer pays return postage) or refund without them returning. Sometimes if the item was damaged in the post, Vinted will step in and refund. Mostly Vinted is rubbish at being fair in disputes, so I don't sell anything for more than £20 on there, because of the risk of loosing the money. Hasn't happened to me yet and I've sold thousands of things

1. What should I buy before I get started eg. Posting stuff, tissue paper etc?

I don't bother with tissue paper. I reuse mailing bags/amazon boxes from my own online shopping habit. But some mailing bags if you need to from ebay

Also, iron the thing and take some decent photos!

I think most of your questions have already been answered but I if you’re selling clothes, I think it’s really important to make sure that you take good quality photos, including the fabric composition label and size, and thst you iron everything before taking your pictures. When I’m getting ready to list a number of things, I never re-use packaging for clothing, and buy a bulk supply of nice coloured mailing bags and tissue paper from eBay, and take care to fold and wrap all clothes really well. I always keep a supply of little thank you cards, which I get very cheaply from eBay, and put one in with everything I sell. I take as much care packing something I sell for £5 as £50. I think most people appreciate receiving their items well packed and it’s definitely reflected in my feedback. I know that Im always disappointed when I receive something that’s been screwed up in an old mailing bag and whilst I would never mark a seller’s star rating down for this, I usually let Vinted leave auto feedback rather than leaving my own.

Thank you everyone

1. How do I know what I should be asking for stuff? - look at what others are selling similar items for. People can make you an offer for a price lower than you list it for which you can choose to accept or reject.
2. Do I just write a description of the items or is there a code to follow? - some things are fairly self explanatory from the photos but I would tend to include the make, size, condition, materials (for clothing), for smarter items like work trousers I usually include if they're machine washable, that it's from a pet and smoke free home, include photos of the front/back/ any particular features etc.
3. How will I know how much to charge for postage? - you don't need to know, the buyer sees that depending on which delivery service they choose.
4. Is the postage added into what im selling it for? - no, you only need to consider the cost of the item.
5. Is there a specific way you should send item? - there's a range of delivery services under your profile - settings - postage. You can select or unselect the ones you want to use so check what's available to you locally. Package your item safely and securely.
6. I have no clue about sending, who should I use, I dont have a printer to print labels, how is sending organised? - many of the sending options can be done using "print in store" labels or even no label at the parcel lockers. You can a QR code to scan and then the store either prints the label for you or you just leave it in a locker like magic!

As a buyer... I want to be able to see how long something is. So I need to see a full length photo. If it's a top, I need to know whether it's going to cover my tummy, and I judge that by seeing where the sleeves finish on the body, so I want to see the sleeves down by the body. Also I frequently look for things by the brand, so I need the first photo to be of the whole garment so I don't have to click on something to find out what it is. And, for goodness sake... Iron your items before photographing them!
make sure you put it in the correct size category. A teeny weeny extra large which is really a 14/16 is NOT a Vinted XL.

When I have bought something I do NOT want it to arrive stinking of Febreze/unstoppables/fabric softener and I definitely do NOT want it to arrive with a stinky fabric softener sheet tucked lovingly into its folds.

I do want things to arrive properly and securely packaged. I had something arrive last week in a flimsy supermarket carrier bag. No - that is not acceptable. My DH and I sold a lot of things last year and we bought a lot of proper sturdy sealable plastic postage bags.

I sell a lot on Vinted - the one piece of advice I’d give you is don’t necessarily list your item for the price Vinted is suggesting. I’ve been caught out (twice!) listing items for their recommended amount, then discovering after said items sold almost instantly, that they were actually sought after / no longer available and I’d drastically underpriced them. My daughter still harps on about the hoodie I sold for £4.50, which the buyer promptly relisted and sold for £35. Ouch.