Vinted or eBay?

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My wardrobe is full to bursting, so I need to have a clear out.

I haven't sold clothes before. If I am selling brands like jigsaw, whistles, Boden, me+em, is it better to use vinted or eBay? Or are they much of a muchness?

Vinted FAQs seems to suggest that I should pack everything in cardboard boxes. Really? Can't I use poly envelope things?

I will of course take lots of photos and include measurements etc, and make sure everything is cleaned and not creased!

Everything I’ve bought from Vinted has arrived in a plastic bag or brown paper envelope.

Vinted all the way. Very simple to upload pics and description. Of course you can use plastic envelopes unless you are sending a coat in which case a box is preferable. You are guided as to the size of packaging when you list. My tip on pricing is to search for items/brands like the ones you want to sell to get an idea of pricing.

Great, thank you both!

I prefer vinted it is sooo much easier and no fees.
Although I find people are after a complete bargain on there a lot of the time so if it isn’t selling for the price you want then try eBay.

Ive sold some clothes on vinted. I use plastic bags which I bought off eBay (a pack of different sizes) and tissue paper from the works as I don't like the clothes going straight into the bags. I previously sold some things on eBay but its far less straight forward than Vinted in my view.

Make sure you choose the right postal options for you.

I also just did a big clear out and listed items on both Vinted and eBay, and would recommend Vinted more.

Anything I've uploaded on Vinted has received much more interest than eBay. I also like the way that whatever you list it as is what you get, rather than them taking a cut from that.

One thing I'd say is that Vinted is full of people looking for a bargain. You need to price things pretty low for them to sell. There have been a few times when I'm trekking to the Evri drop off in the cold and dark to sell something for £2, that I've wondered if I should just drop everything at the charity shop instead.

Be prepared for some lowball offers and plenty of annoying questions, but on the whole it's a good platform to sell on

Vinted for me.

I save packaging and as @Lilsoph has suggested, double wrap, either tissue, a free tote bag from a show, or a poly bag you received with online shopping, then an outer bag or box.

Vinted seems to be the clear winner!

If everyone is after a bargain, am I better off pricing higher than what I really want, then reducing it or offering a lower price to interested people if it's not selling?

I have heard stories of inpost deliveries going horribly wrong, presumably because you have to trust the courier to stick the right label on the right parcel. So I'm thinking I would not allow that as a postage option - is that likely to put people off?

This is all really helpful, thank you to all the PPs.

Yes price higher and then you can lower the price (which will notify people who've favourited the item) or you can accept offers. Don't be swayed by the suggested pricing which is usually £2 for everything and expect some silly offers. If you can be bothered you can list on both Vinted and eBay then take down one listing when something sells but Vinted is way easier.

I only offer Yodel or Evri and I don't think not using other options puts people off. Most of the things I've bought have been through Evri. For selling I use the option to print the label at a shop or have the shopkeeper print it

Vinted for cheap stuff, eBay for more expensive. I wouldn't sell anything for more than about a tenner on Vinted. People are on there looking for bargains. Their service I'd things go wrong is not good. The cardboard box thing just means you basically have no right to complain if it's damaged in transit. If there is damage to the packaging and it's in plastic then it's your 'fault' as seller. I use it anyway and take the risk with plastic envelopes. Another reason to only use it for cheap stuff.

Though Vinted doesn’t have sellers fees it does charge a fee to the buyer.

When pricing an item it’s a matter of working out the overall cost that someone might pay, (including both fees and postage) and then how much of it ends up in your bank account

Standard eBay fees are in the region of 13% overall - and also cover the postage whereas Vinted only charge the buyer postage
(That means heavy or bulky items with higher postage push up the fee charges further and go to eBay)

Vinted fees are cheaper (in the region of 3% to 8%) which means it should be a better market (if the item categories are suitable such as clothes)

But once an eBay seller has been on for some time 70% or 80% fee discounts start to be offered which can bring the fee down to the region of 3% making it the same or less than Vinted

As a new seller and for clothes Vinted is probably the best option, but do test the market to see if there is a different trend between Vinted & eBay for your items

With Vinted you set the price, and can choose to accept a lower offer. This means you should make some judgement on
the right price to list at
With eBay you can have auctions, buy now, offers etc. If you aren’t sure about judging the right price if your item might be unique/desirable then start an auction at a fair price and see if it gets bidded higher (avoid going too low in case you get only one bidder)

I’ll tend to put clothes on Vinted and other items on eBay

For packaging my main go to is plastic bag/envelopes, they are convenient and light - provided the item is suitable - primarily for clothes they would be folded / rolled then either flat in a plastic envelope or compressed once packed.
This only works if that’s not going to ruin the clothes (delicate etc) otherwise fold/roll then box them or perhaps a card envelope

I reuse packaging that I have received and get boxes from a friends shop.

Judge the folded size and the weight of your item, add on for packaging and then look at the size/weights of the postage options.
On Vinted they give a small/medium/large option - the specifics can vary by category, so when listed click to see the additional information on each of them

More than once when Ive boxed an item the overall weight has been slightly tipped over the 500gram or 1kg limit etc for the method - mostly I’ll cut down a box to fit just the right size but on occasion I’ve also cut away some of the flaps to tip the weight back down a few grams into the weight limit.

Consider which postage methods you can use as Vinted offer various carriers. Make sure that you disable any that are unsuitable for you to avoid getting caught out when a buyer selects one that you will have difficulty in accessing a drop off point.
For Royal Mail Vinted provide you with the payment and you then buy the postage - note that Royal Mail prices vary in ranges and that Vinted will charge the buyer and and pay you the lowest of that range, so you can find yourself topping up the postage from your item price - either take that into account in your prices or disable Royal Mail