Choose a side: Vinted v disabled users

[Supersimkin2]

Please say what you think. Vinted asked NDN to verify her ID, which she’s happy to do, or they won’t let her withdraw the £300 she’s made selling her stuff.

Life on disability benefits not so easy right now. Her £300 a big deal.

But she can’t do the checks - cos the only ID Vinted accepts is a passport or driver’s licence, neither of which she has as she can’t travel. All the other ID proofs - she has loads - Vinted won’t accept.

We’ve appealed to Vinted three times and they won’t budge. Mangopay, their money platform, refer us to
Vinted.

So Vinted are keeping NDN’s money. They say ‘We hope you will understand’.

YABU = I’m with Vinted.
YANBU = Shame on Vinted.

There is direct and indirect discrimination - something doesn’t need to be intentionally exclusive of disabled people to be unlawful. Under the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful to put disabled people at a disadvantage because of their disability. This is what this policy does, so it could be viewed as disability discrimination. A disabled person may be medically unfit to drive because of their disability, in which case they would not be able to obtain the cheaper provisional licence, and the only option would be the more expensive passport. It may not be directly the fault of Vinted or Mangopay, but on the face of it, the limited prescribed forms of ID may be discriminatory under the Act.

You are shouting into the wind on this thread. It's unbelievable.

I read the thread, no need to assume that me disagreeing means I haven’t.
I also have a disabled son. I’m not overjoyed by the prospect that he will have to deal with people like you either.

Back to the topic. I believe that vinted is right to ask for an official photo id before allowing people to take out money. Have you received anti money laundering trainings? I did and the bottom line is that Vinted is responsible to check the identity.
Now as to why people in the UK are fighting against ID cards that would be cheaper than passports, who knows. But that is not Vinted’s fault, isn’t it?

Why do you keep ignoring the fact that Vinted is responsible to check the id of people retrieving large amounts of money?
What are you suggesting they do? Accept a document that is not an official photo id? That would put them in breach of their due diligence obligations so surly not. What then?

The point is that it’s the policy itself which could be viewed as discriminatory because it puts many disabled people at a disadvantage because of their disability. Under the Equality Act 2010 this is unlawful. Vinted ask for one of two forms of ID - driving licence and passport. Driving licence is cheaper but because many disabled people are prohibited from driving because of their disability, and also because it may be more difficult for a disabled person to be issued with a provisional licence (medical evidence or examination is often required), they are effectively only left with one choice - the more expensive passport option. This means they are being treated differently than non disabled people because of their disability, so on the surface of it, this is what seems to be indirect discrimination.

It’s the due diligence obligations that are presenting the problem, so I would think any action in respect of discrimination would be taken up with the regulatory body responsible. It’s an example of the kind of indirect discrimination disabled people face in many areas.

You are not overjoyed that your son will have to deal with people who understand the disability discrimination act? As opposed to having a Mum who clearly doesn't understand?
It's been explained many times on this thread, the law is quite clear in what constitutes discrimination, it's not a "personal opinion"

Asking for photo ID is not the issue. It's the discriminatory access to photo ID that is the problem.

Years ago, there was a proposal for UK ID cards that would provide a gold standard for identity verification & citizen entitlements (NHS treatment, voting, etc) without requiring people to be travellers or drivers. It was lobbied against due to fears the government would have too much information about people before it really started.

This situation is one of the unexpected consequences of relying on "proxy services" to supply U.K. ID.

There were tales of it having to be carried at all times and it would be an offence to be found without one. Losing it would be a nightmare etc. I have no idea if these were scare stories, although I assumed they were at the time.

It’s an example of the kind of indirect discrimination disabled people face in many areas yes… but not from Vinted! They are only doing what they are supposed to.

I’m not overjoyed that he will deal with people who lack the basic understanding that a single company (Vinted) is not responsible for the fact that the only official forms of photo id in the UK are passport or driving licence.

Your suggestion that Vinted’s insistence to perform id checks diligently is discrimination is shocking.

That’s been my experience too.

But this isn't discriminatory access to ID. Disability does not stop anyone from applying for a passport. Some of us even drive too! Fancy that.

If you're going to bring money into it, many disabled people work. We aren't all "poor".

This definitely reeks of when people accuse us of "playing the disability card" when we can't get our own way. It's insulting to us.

That’s the issue isn’t it. It’s not a vinted policy it’s a requirement for banking purposes to follow and adhere to the laws set for such online money companies it needs to be a offical government issued photo Id.

We as the U.K. only have two, a drivers licence or a passport. Other countries have those plus a national Id card which is presumably cheaper than a passport or drivers license.

Have I received anti-money-laundering training?

No. Neither has disabled NDN. Do we need it to use Vinted - really?

Banking policies have to be legal or they’re invalid. Banks who try it on occasionally get a smackdown in court, as we often see from the newspapers.

Disability discrimination is unlawful.

I’ve emailed Vinted with this link - might be interesting to see if they’ve got anything else to say than Gimme Passport.

I think the issue the OP is raising is that in question is physically unable to work or travel. It seems to me (although the disability hasn't been disclosed) that this particular person is completely housebound. They're physically unable to drive, so a provisional driving licence is out of the question and they aren't able to travel to the in person interview for a passport. I didn't realise this was necessary for a first adult passport, it wasn't when I applied for mine, but apparently it is now. So its quite a tricky situation.

Thanks, that’s right - and that there’s loads of other government ID that she can supply.

This isn’t discrimination against disabilities, it’s simply accepting only these valid forms of ID. (That many disabled people do own)

That's why l withdraw my money as soon as l get it released.. all small amounts... don't let it mount up.

She can still get a passport though...

Edited to add just saw she can't travel to get a passport. Perhaps you could cite the Equality Act to get them to reconsider?

And are any of those Id’s generally accepted in other countries.

They cost £100! It's why I haven't got one.

I am excluded from certain things by not having a passport or driving licence. It pisses me off no end. You can get a student-type ID card, I think it's called PASS (?) for about £20 but fewer & fewer providers accept them now.

@OhmygodDont, that's why I'm in favour of government-issued ID cards. I don't understand why Brits are so opposed to them. The way things are, you are excluded from loads of things unless you fork out for a passport. Govt ID is free in most countries.