What's *your* Vinted returns policy?

[Pictism]

Clearing out some space on Vinted and just had a complaint on an item. How do you handle these? Do you accept returns, and even pay for them?

I try to list everything really honestly - have had 2 returns so far which I've accepted. One item was reported as ripped and it turned out on return she'd well worn it (and i suspect ripped it - couldn't prove it though). Another bought a VGC item but wanted a perfect item as a gift. I now film higher value items before sending.

This third one is something that's 30 years old and sold for a fiver. She wants me to pay for a return - doesn't want it as it's not in as new condition.

I've already spent more than £2.90 of brain energy on how to respond. What's the done thing?

Did you list it as in new condition? There are several categories to chose from eg new with tags, new without tags, so on. If you listed and described it’s state accurately, made ut clear it was 30 years old, then no I would not accept a return.

If someone complains about a thing that is not objectively an issue (this top is a 16 but I'm a 16 and it doesn't fit me - here is a photo of my tall, broad body squeezing out of it) then I say to them I advertised it as a [x brand] size 16 because it's a size 16 on the label, so it is as described.
I definitely don't pay for the return.

All listed in appropriate condition. Helpful thank you!

I had a situation where the seam on an item was loose. I hadn’t noticed it at all, listed is VGC and obviously got it wrong. It was £4 so I refunded it and moved on.

if the buyer can show / photograph the issue and prove there’s a problem, I would personally refund because the cost of returning and then the agg of relisting just isn’t worth it. If it’s as sold then I wouldn’t take it back unless Vinted forced me too 🤣

I’ve only had one issue, which was a small rip that I genuinely hadn’t noticed, so I partially refunded after discussion with the buyer as she was happy to keep and wear the item but just wanted the rip sewn up.

I am very careful to photograph all aspects of an item and to describe it fully and exactly so that there can be no debate about condition or features.

In the case of the £5 thirty year old item, as long as you’d described it accurately I wouldn’t pay for the return. If the buyer wants to return it then she can pay for it in, as there’s nothing wrong with item as described by you.

This is maddening behaviour 😂, my sympathies. I realise it's annoying to not fit into something you bought but surely people know that's the risk of second hand

I accepted eventually a return from a buyer who said a dress I had sold her was full of marks. It went on and on as I had shown full pictures. Anyway to save my scoring I accepted it back and lo and behold there was no marks, I raised a counter claim with the photos and vinted refunded me the shipping cost I paid to return.
She obviously didn’t like the dress so could have resold instead she took pictures of goodness knows what and blamed me.

been wary ever since.

in your case if the product is as described say no and move on or make your buyer pay the return

Horrible to read these stories of pisstakers, I've bought 60+ things on Vinted and only ever returned one - boots sold as size 40 but were actually a 39 (it was stamped on the soles ffs - the seller's idiot teen had listed them wrongly).

I was thinking of listing some things to sell even though I HATE faffing with the post office but this is so off-putting.

Tbh it's maybe 3% of things I've sold! But it's annoying because i accept I'm buying used (therefore not as new) goods from members of the public for much less than it costs new.

the excellent points above make me think i should include a generic disclaimer.

Interestingly the vinted seller description of VGc is
A lightly used item that may have slight imperfections, but still looks great. Include photos and descriptions of any flaws in your listing.

And the buyer info is
Used a few times, but still looks great. It might have a few slight imperfections, which are clearly shown and mentioned in your listing.

So there might be some expectations differences if people think something VGC has been worn twice

I have had two items where a return was requested.
First I had someone tell me the jacket didn’t fit them and expect me to take it back.
I refused as it was the size as advertised and if she had been worried about squeezing into it she could have asked me to measure it.
She even got quite stroppy telling me she was a pensioner so couldn’t afford to lose the money.

The second was a top which turned out to have a very tiny hole on the back which I genuinely had not noticed.
I told her to keep it and refunded.

As a buyer I have had a range of experiences from decent people who refund and tell me to donate the item to charity instead of returning, right down to those who argue the issue even when I have taken and sent photos the moment the thing arrived showing stains or whatever and who then insist on a return and refuse to pay the postage.

One was even really rude in her messages after I asked for a refund when the item I had bought had been listed as new without tags and it arrived stained and worn out to the degree it was only fit for the bin.

Also had a couple of bizarre reviews left about colour. One person argued that duck egg was green not blue so I had misdescribed the thing even though I had written duck egg in the listing and ticked blue and green. Another said the navy top was not quite as dark as it looked in the photos when it was in fact exactly as shown.

My policy is to refund if it is my fault and unless it was over £10 I wouldn’t request a return.
If I was requesting a return and it was my fault (and I can’t see why I would agree a return if it wasn’t my fault) then I would pay postage.

Who are all these crazy people with their unreasonable demands? Is it that common when you sell things? TBF I've bought a few things that I thought weren't quiiiiiite as advertised - for example photos kind of minimised the worst bits but without actually hiding anything major - but I wouldn't ask for a refund, caveat emptor and all that.

Am now really thinking twice about selling (I've only bought up till now), I've got a beautiful camel Max Mara coat to sell and some great handbags that would get £50 or so, but this sounds like such a ballache....

I’ve never had anything returned to me but I’ve had one (unpleasant) request from a buyer. I sold a brand new, boxed and unopened glass pump bottle of Haeckels hand wash. It was a gift to me from the Haeckels team so I have no doubts about authenticity or condition. The buyer reported it as counterfeit (!!!) and said it had obviously been opened and refilled as there was some leakage around the top. They didn’t provide any photographic evidence of this.

I agreed immediately that they could return it but they needed to pay for the return as 1. It was a completely genuine hand wash, 2. I was pretty certain that were trying to pull a fast one (and/or was completely batshit) and 3. I had the photos and even the delivery note from Haeckels to prove it was genuine (and anyone who knows Haeckels would recognise the handwash as theirs as it has a very distinctive scent and colour etc).

Then Vinted told me the buyer wasn’t allowed to return it because they don’t allow returns of items that have been reported as counterfeit!! This made me even more suspicious that the buyer knew exactly what they were doing. At one point I thought the buyer was going to be refunded AND keep the handwash. But after 2 weeks of a stand-off where I kept complaining to Vinted that it was a scam, the buyer suddenly just accepted the item and I received payment. I assume it became too much hassle for them. I blocked them immediately so they can never buy from me again.

As a seller I’ve accepted one return where the buyer said there were faded patches. I couldn’t be sure there weren’t so I paid the return postage & then donated the item to a charity shop. It was arguable either way but I didn’t want to risk negative feedback.

As a buyer where items have clearly shrunk or aren’t the listed condition (or in a couple of cases were not the listed brand) I usually message to discuss. The few times this has happened the seller usually ends up refunding and then the item is usually then donated to the charity shop. If it is just on me eg I can see how the description could match although I don’t agree I usually re photograph and re sell, or donate to charity shop.

I sold a denim dress and when the buyer received she said it wasn't as thick denim as she expected so wanted a refund. I told her she could have one but she had to pay for postage. She obviously didn't send it back. She did give me a 3 star review though and said i miss sold it which I didn't.

I just sold a gorgeous, brand new pure wool cable knit cardigan.

The buyer said it had holes in it, which it most certainly didn't when I sent it to her.

If you pull at woollen garments enough, you can easily create holes, and I'm sure she did so, to get the photos she needed.

So I told her to send it back, but she'd have to pay for the postage.

She didn't return it, of course. And I got the payment.

I only buy, I don't sell. I've only ever sent 1 thing back. It was a blatant counterfeit. The seller knew this as she accepted it back immediately and paid the postage.

I had one recently that really annoyed me.

I've been selling lots of baby clothes, most are new with tags or barely worn.

It was a sleepsuits sold for £4, I took photos of the item and the size tag. Size was newborn 50-56 cm on the tag, I put this in the listing as well. Baby sizing on vinted is newborn 40cm, or 1-3 months 56cm, so whichever I selected wouldn't match with the label (hence taking a photo!)

Buyer brought it and wanted to return as it was listed as 1-3 months, not newborn. We had a bit of back and forth about the size discrepancy and I agreed to a return if they paid, and lo and behold they kept the item and said they could use it for a few weeks. The item was £4!

If it was me, items under £10 I cut my losses. I always asked for measurements of garments to check they would fit before buying.

There are always bad buyers. I check ratings before sending. If they haven't got good reviews I cancel the order. It's not worth the hassle. For occasionwear there are people who will wear the item and then raise an issue with it so they get a refund. I've seen this with retailers too. They'll buy the item, leave the tags on and wear it before returning the next day. So they get free outfits for every night out effectively. Unfortunately time wasters are everywhere on Vinted 😩

Outrageous stories! I do think it's a minority of buyers but it's such a shame.

I'm going to get my vintage item back from the buyer - i realise my returns policy is to minimise back and forth webchat, and I'd rather resell it to someone who wants it.

Don’t be put off. I have sold quite a few things and have never had a problem. However, I only ever sell things I would personally be happy to buy. Everything else goes to the charity shop. And just be very honest - e.g. an item in excellent condition should never be described as new without tags if it has been worn even once.

I am a fairly recent convert to Vinted. I have had a couple of things I think might have been a bit misdescribed but I didn't even consider contacting the seller. I have had some gems. I have joint issues and the design of a handbag is important. I bought one from a seller I thought would be ergonomic and my god it's brilliant. It was cheap and looks good too. I actually feel like going back to that seller and thanking them again. For me these wins outweigh the slightly misdescribed things.

I feel like it's a type of community where we kinda help each other. One person wants a clear out and the other person needs something. I am thinking of selling things for that reason. I only recently discovered that you can buy tech too.

Don't get me wrong. I love Vinted and I've made over a thousand pounds on it. There are CFs everywhere and Vinted is no exception.

But most people - buyers and sellers - are good human beings.

Yes do you know i bought some old fashioned children's handkerchiefs on there.

The seller had REALLY beautifully ironed them and included a little gift too. Was a small act of love and community for a complete stranger - would love to thank her again.