Is this a police job? Threatened by Vinted seller

[Reasonswhy]

I know I’m not, but posting for traffic as no idea what to do.
Item for Christmas arrived today and was clearly fake so applied for a refund via Vinted. I’ve had a series of threatening messages from the seller saying he needs the money, and he has my address so will come and find me. He included a photo of himself holding an air rifle. I’m not easily spooked but feel really scared now as he does have my address and seems very angry. I’ve filed a “help” through Vinted but they may not even read it for 48 hours. Do I call 111? On my own with 2 kids so feel really on edge.

I dont understand all the posters saying call 999. Thats for emergency response, the person messaging op may be 100s of miles away and likely just words. 999 is for when there is someone trying to break in, not for coming to take a statement and then investigate who the person is.

From google translate:

Chantilly. She orders on Vinted and her life turns into a nightmare.
A woman from Chantilly thought she was getting a great deal by buying a bag on Vinted. But the transaction didn't go as planned.

JUNE 11, 2023
By Jean-Jacques Manach

Among the best-known online platforms, Vinted allows users to buy, sell, or exchange secondhand clothing and accessories online. Created in 2008 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Vinted has a fairly good reputation. But some transactions don't go as expected or hoped. The chilling story of this Chantilly resident is a case in point.

"I wanted to treat myself to a Louis Vuitton bag," she recounts. "I spent €416 on it. But when I received the bag, I quickly realized it was a counterfeit." The buyer then turned to the salesperson, who refused to listen.

The receipt was not valid.

The brand confirmed that the bag was not made by them. The receipt accompanying the bag was not valid, according to Louis Vuitton, whose services attempted, unsuccessfully, to trace its origin.

The matter could have ended there if the salesperson had accepted the return of the merchandise and the refund requested by the customer, as is common practice when a customer is dissatisfied with their purchase. However, the woman from Chantilly received only threats in response to her complaint.

The exchanges between the two parties quickly took an unexpected turn. The police were notified. An investigation is reportedly underway. Indeed, the latest messages are chilling. They include photos of firearms accompanied by malicious intent. "I know where you live…" one of them reads. The woman can't sleep anymore and jumps every time the doorbell rings.

Vinted, for its part, is making no progress on the case opened a week ago, despite the guarantees the company is supposed to provide for transactions it handles with payment. The postal service has only been able to trace the package's origin, Occitanie. Nothing more.

The seller is threatening the buyer

The seller continues his harassment. He is now demanding the cancellation of the dispute (the procedure used by Vinted to block a seller while the matter is being resolved). The latest message includes a photo of an assault rifle with the following comment: "I promise your family won't be making it this weekend." Another message follows: "I have your address, you don't stand a chance."

Meanwhile, the Vinted website displays a laconic message on the buyer's page: "The Vinted support team is investigating this dispute." This does little to reassure the Chantilly resident, who is unlikely to use this shopping method again for a long time…

Here are the latest messages received by this Chantilly resident. – Photos: Oise Hebdo

RTFT now!

Just read your update OP.
What a vile man.

Tell him your husband is a police marksman and if he comes anywhere near he will be taken out

It is really awful.

I also really doubt anyone is turning up at your house tonight (apart from hopefully, the police).

But it is a very scary and horrible situation to be in.

I hope the police get out to you pretty soon

Yes, it is exactly the same.

Take heart, your loser has copied a picture-he does not have a gun. If he had, he wouldn't have had to copy one from the net.

Nonetheless, this situation still needs the immediate attention of the police-you have been sent a threat to your and your children's life and limb.

Take a little comfort that this animal is reduced to pinching pictures of the internet.

What a nightmare.
Like others, I thought this was serious? Don't people get arrested for tweets etc nowadays?!

Exactly 💯

A woman, on her own with small children, has been repeatedly sent a threat to life.

She has no idea how this will escalate and nor do you.

That is an emergency.

Unhelpful.

What an awful experience. Hoping you manage to get though to 101 soon.

I would be reassured to some extent that this loser drags out the same photo of a gun, pinched from the internet, to intimidate people into paying for his shoddy goods. He has no gun, but he needs to be stopped. The police should take this seriously as Vinted seem incapable of safeguarding those who use their site.

Looks like a couple of the finger waggers are the ones not reading OPs updates now, too busy on their little crusades.

OP, I'm glad you're getting back in touch with the police, hopefully it'll spur them on to visit you!

Good luck, OP!

@Reasonswhy

www.oisehebdo.fr/2023/06/11/chantilly-commande-vinted-cauchemar/

I have just googled searched the image of the gun and trainers and it comes up on a French website the exact same image https://www.oisehebdo.fr/2023/06/11/chantilly-commande-vinted-cauchemar/

Not that that makes it remotely okay and still keep chasing the police

Oh sorry posted same thing as you!

Absolutely. That last message was chilling.

Vinted sound terrible.

This is the translation from google translate:

Chantilly. She orders on Vinted and her life turns into a nightmare.
A woman from Chantilly thought she was getting a great deal by buying a bag on Vinted. But the transaction didn't go as planned.
JUNE 11, 2023
By Jean-Jacques Manach
Among the best-known online platforms, Vinted allows users to buy, sell, or exchange secondhand clothing and accessories online. Created in 2008 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Vinted has a fairly good reputation. But some transactions don't go as expected or hoped. The chilling story of this Chantilly resident is a case in point.
"I wanted to treat myself to a Louis Vuitton bag," she recounts. "I spent €416 on it. But when I received the bag, I quickly realized it was a counterfeit." The buyer then turned to the salesperson, who refused to listen.
The receipt was not valid.
The brand confirmed that the bag was not made by them. The receipt accompanying the bag was not valid, according to Louis Vuitton, whose services attempted, unsuccessfully, to trace its origin.
The matter could have ended there if the salesperson had accepted the return of the merchandise and the refund requested by the customer, as is common practice when a customer is dissatisfied with their purchase. However, the woman from Chantilly received only threats in response to her complaint.
The exchanges between the two parties quickly took an unexpected turn. The police were notified. An investigation is reportedly underway. Indeed, the latest messages are chilling. They include photos of firearms accompanied by malicious intent. "I know where you live…" one of them reads. The woman can't sleep anymore and jumps every time the doorbell rings.
Vinted, for its part, is making no progress on the case opened a week ago, despite the guarantees the company is supposed to provide for transactions it handles with payment. The postal service has only been able to trace the package's origin, Occitanie. Nothing more.
The seller is threatening the buyer
The seller continues his harassment. He is now demanding the cancellation of the dispute (the procedure used by Vinted to block a seller while the matter is being resolved). The latest message includes a photo of an assault rifle with the following comment: "I promise your family won't be making it this weekend." Another message follows: "I have your address, you don't stand a chance."
Meanwhile, the Vinted website displays a laconic message on the buyer's page: "The Vinted support team is investigating this dispute." This does little to reassure the Chantilly resident, who is unlikely to use this shopping method again for a long time…
Here are the latest messages received by this Chantilly resident. – Photos: Oise Hebdo

Good luck OP, how horrible for you. Hope the police turn up soon and take it very seriously

This is a loose précis except the intro in bold which is direct translation;

"A woman from Cantille thought she was getting a bargain when she bought a bag on Vinted but the transaction did no go as she expected."

Our French customer buys a supposed Louis Vuiton bag for 416 euros but when it arrives she quickly realises it's fake. The seller doesn't want to know.

She confirmed via Vuiton that the bag was fake. Things could have ended there if the seller had accepted the return & given her a refund, except the purchaser received only threats in response.

The exchanges between the two parties quickly took an unexpected turn. The police were notified & an investigation opened. It's true that the latest messages are spine-chilling. They comprise images of guns alongside threatening messages, notably; "I know where you live..". The purchaser couldn't sleep & jumped with fright whenever anyone rang her doorbell.

«Vinted»,on their part, have for a week made no progress in the case despite the guarantees that the firm is supposed to offer for the payment transactions it controls. As for the Post Office, they could only identify the region from which the parcel was sent - Occitane & nothing more.

The seller continued his bullying. He demanded that the Vinted block on his account resulting from the purchaser's complaint be lifted. One message comprised a photo of an assault rifle [their words for the same image posted by the OP] & the following comment; "I promise that your family won't get through the weekend". Another message followed: "I have your address. You won't get a chance to speak".

[Other French media reports suggest that this is a regular scam on Francophone Vinted, or at least was a couple of years ago.]

I don’t think you are going overboard calling the police. He has threatened you with violence and has your address. It’s not your business to decide if he’s actually going to do it.

Phone 999. Threat to life. Vinted are shite