Given up with vinted

[anewoutlook]

I’ll start by saying I know this was my mistake, and I'm more than willing to refund the buyer because they shouldn't be out of pocket for this.

I've recently started selling on Vinted again, mainly home accessories as I'm moving in a few weeks. I sold a photo frame for £1.50. I wrapped it in bubble wrap and put it in a parcel bag. I know it should have been in a box, but I didn't have one. Unfortunately, the item got damaged during shipping, and Vinted suspended the transaction. As I mentioned, I'll refund the buyer since it wasn't their fault. I doubt Vinted will compensate me anyway because I packaged it wrong. I've sold a few of these without any problems, so I was just unlucky this time.

What really frustrates, though, is that people want a deal but don't realise that sellers have to cover packaging costs too. If someone only pays a couple of quid for an item, how are sellers supposed to make any profit when they also have to buy packaging? I'm not blaming the buyers, but it really is a catch 22 with vinted. I think I’ll just take the stuff to the charity shop next time as it’s not really worth all the agro.

You make a profit by selling at a higher price than your costs!
If there isn't a market for that then you don't make a profit. I'd factor in the packaging costs within the sale price (or shipping costs, if you can).

This is partly why I haven't yet sold on Vinted... profit margin for bog standard stuff seems too tiny to bother with.

I never buy packaging, just re-use stuff that I have had things delivered in. I really couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of selling an item for £1.50 though. Minimum for the time and effort involved in listing, packing and posting (and potential issues like you are dealing with) is £10, otherwise its charity or tip.

You don't buy packaging, you re-use things - I've had vinted parcels show up in cereal boxes.

In any case though, not worth selling things for less than a fiver, or even a tenner. Any other junk I don't want anymore goes to the charity shop.

I'd recommend selling things that post well and don't need to be well packaged eg clothes, soft toys.

I'm only prepared to sell breakable things if they are expensive or I already have suitable packaging

I don’t buy much off vinted myself (or anywhere online really) so I don’t have packaging that I can re-use. I think I’ll just sell clothes, etc, from now on, no breakables as someone upthread mentioned. It’s not worth the risk

There is no need to buy packaging. Just reuse anything. Cereal boxes, Amazon boxes, packaging from anything you’ve had delivered. Go into the supermarket and ask for a box - they happily give them away as it costs them to dispose of them.

Vinted packaging can be anything!

I buy and sell at low prices, because the drop off is in the park where my son spends every waking hour, so no trouble doing that.

It's very easy to list, so you just need to make sure it fits with your lifestyle for postage too.

I sell loads on vinted anything and everything even things for a few quids because I find that selling stuff kind of bumps your sales. For instance I sold a hairbrush for £3 but then loads of sales came in after that and I made over £100 that day. So it’s always worth selling the small bits.

packaging can be anything buy a cheap roll of bin liners or the thing I do sometimes is ask on local fb groups if anyone is getting rid of packaging, my neighbour even brings me round all hers and my mum.

Not sure that you got unlucky this time when the fragile item broke. The way I see thing's is you got lucky the times when they did not break!

I sell quite a few old items and have never paid for any packaging other than for parcel tape. I am able to source plenty of boxes/padding/bubble wrap from incoming parcels either myself or from family members. Even cereal boxes reinforced with tougher cardboard inside will be extremely durable - You need to get a bit creative.

Local facebook groups? Ask for boxes and bubble wrap on there.

I do draw the limit at £5 sales though. Anything cheaper than that either goes to the charity shop.

I’ve had stuff come in carrier bags and bin liners. I don’t care as long as it’s clean and dry

YABU.

I'd increase your prices a bit to cover packaging. Lots of good suggestions on here but you can also just buy shipping boxes on Amazon and keep them on hand for the occasional sale (they come folded flat so they don't take up a lot of space). I keep them on hand for the very occasional sale I make and it gives me peace of mind.