To despair of Vinted/eBay/charity shops?

[madeinmanc]

This is just a moan really, I'm so upset today all sparked by the fact that I bought a hand-knitted cardigan on Vinted which I was really looking forward to opening. I thought It would be a dainty crochet look; it was listed as a 10, but even when I got the parcel I realised that couldn't be right just from the size of the bag. Anyway it's more like a size 16 and doesn't look right on me even worn as loose, but it turns out even if I can return it I'll have to pay postage so I'll be about 10 pounds down for nothing. I can't afford that.

Plus so many things arrive smelly, sprayed with Febreeze or stinking of fabric conditioner that won't even wash out 😞 I left a skirt like that on a pile of new clothes and the smell has "infected" the other stuff! With Vinted it's more likely something will smell than not, even if listed as new 😕

I replied to someone's thread about spending 1000 on clothes and was thinking how amazing it would be to pick out clothes that didn't smell!

Went into a charity shop today picked up a jumper nothing special plain black zip neck fleece they wanted £6...I mean I've seen them brand new in the sales for that price they are currently refusing clothing because they have an excess its not making sense they are also moaning about being unable to shift some action men they again want £6/7 for them they are sharpied and chewed they are nothing special of course they are not selling

It's surprising because the furniture is so cheap £30 for a sofa (a decent one too) is dirty cheap

So random

I can't edit my post for some reason. Anyway, my point is: is all this haggling for (often) smelly clothes really worth it in the opinion of the Style and Beauty posters? Or should we save up and buy one piece from new?

Second hand online shopping is a form of gambling IMO. Mostly I win, but sometimes I lose. I buy a lot less these days as eBay prices tend to be a lot higher than they used to be, and I've not managed to get on with Vinted.
I'm now more scrupulous about only buying brands where I know the sizing, or get measurements.
Totally agree about the Febreeze/softener bleugh.

It's a shame the charity shops have got so expensive. I saw in the news that a clothing bank has opened for this very reason in one town.

I agree Vinted is like gambling; some wins, some losses but it's frustrating. I have mostly had good experiences but stick to brands I think will be ok like M&S.

It's definitely a gamble. But my wins outweigh my losses and I've got some lovely stuff that I'm really happy with. I've had a couple of total duds, and some that just haven't been quite right so I relisted them and shifted them fairly quickly. I even made a profit on one as it had been massively underpriced for the brand.

I wash things straight away, even if they smell clean!

I feel your pain op. I deleted vinted after receiving 2 stinky tops.

I have more success on Vestiaire Collective. It seems to have less idiots and less stinky clothes. And you can pay extra to have the item sent to them first to be checked for quality and authenticity, before it gets posted on to you.

Stinky Vinty! 😁

I know what you mean, my local shop had a merino wool cardigan that was moth-eaten for 7 pounds the other day.

Agree with the febreze smell! I've had items that still stink of the stuff even after washing.

Stinky Vinty 😂

Strong fabric conditioner that won't wash out is my least favourite thing about vinted. Oh -and stuff covered in hair. Both are repulsive.

I only buy 'new with tags' now.

I buy a lot of my clothes second hand but not from Vinted or Ebay. With charity shops, I can see what I'm getting and, yes definitely sniff it too before I part with my money. If I make a mistake - and I do make them, more than I care to admit - then that's on me. Buying second hand clothes without seeing and trying in advance is too big a gamble for me. I know people say they just sell on the mistakes but then you get sucked into that whole cycle of buying and reselling and I don't want to do that.

I also think it's addictive. Real charity shops are too but at least you're restricted to opening hours and you have to get dressed and leave the house.

I do appreciate that I'm lucky in still having the choice. Local charity shops are unpredictable and yes, prices have gone up, but occasionally they're inspired.

Febreeze/Fabric Conditioner is least of your worries. Poor DD has had fags, weed and BO smells. Worse still something arrives with insects on it. Never mind much of it arrives screwed up like a dishrag.

Really is gross how some people live.

I’ve started selling on Vinted and think that anyone buying my unwanted clothing should get clean clothes that have been packed nicely. They’ve parted with their hard earned cash to pay me for something I no longer use, they deserve to be treated like customers buying from a shop.

A cup full of the colourless vinegar in the wash removes most smells. I buy loads from vinted and have had a few issues but mostly all good. Anything smelly gets washed with vinegar added and it's fine. I've had a few stained items that the sellers claim weren't there when they packaged the item. These stains have magically appeared in transit through plastic packaging.

I'm always amazed at the ability of Vinted users to make clothes which I know look fantastic in real life (some of which because I own) look so awful on the website.

I've never used it to buy or sell.

Clothes are better presented on eBay.

Like someone else said, on Vinted, some you win and some you lose. If the cardigan was hand knitted, the sizing was always going to be iffy, the lady who owned it may have been a size 10 and worn it oversized / loose. I don’t think you’ve lost out as such, stick it back on there with a more accurate description. If I get something from Vinted and I don’t like it, I just repost it, you might lose out on postage but on the whole it works well.

If we get the promised bedbug invasion I suspect Vinted will die off quite quickly.

I already won’t buy second hand wool or cashmere due to a bad experience with clothes moths.

I wouldn't buy anything second hand from Vinted or eBay, you don't know how it's been kept and could bring a musty smell or bedbugs into your house, at least in a charity shop you can see it hanging there so can make an informed choice about it.

Gosh I've bought so many pairs of jeans on vinted that smell like formaldehyde! Takes absolutely weeks to wash out

So yes I agree OP, I do think that they could mention the smell etc in the listing!

I almost always am pleased with children's clothes from Vinted but it's too much of a gamble to buy things for myself. Most stuff doesn't fit as I expect, it's not even that cheap and so by the time I've paid postage as well it's too expensive to risk.

I can't get my head round Vinted at all. I am in between sizes and I just end up with mistakes. I also can't tell what any of the clothes look like because they are so badly presented.

I have had very good luck with charity shops . Though prices have gone up.

Charity shops all the way for me, I CBA with postal returns and I like the thrill of the chase. The only reason I'd tangle with Vinted/EBay would be if I wanted to replace a specific garment and I know the exact size, make and model.

Vinted is brilliant for kids clothes but I’ve never seen anything on there for me that I’m even a little bit tempted by. It all looks like a load of rags.