Watchdog received complaints from customers of online marketplace Vinted, who said that despite paying the firm's compulsory buyer protection fee when purchasing items through the site, when they had problems with their items they did not receive the level of assistance from the firm they had expected. Customers said that despite showing Vinted clear evidence that they had been the victim of a scam by the buyers in their respective cases, Vinted did not provide them with a refund, and that Vinted's customer service was, in their view, extremely poor. Watchdog also considered Vinted's reviews on review website Trustpilot which at the time of writing were 85 per cent 'Bad' - the worst possible rating. Watchdog also heard expert comment saying that both these Trustpilot ratings, and the accounts of our case studies, should be of concern to Vinted's management.
In summary Vinted told Watchdog:
- That Ms Tapley’s order was marked as “delivered” by the seller and this triggered the 48 hour window by which customer’s must submit their claim for a refund - which had elapsed by the time Ms Tapley escalated the issue. However this process has now been changed so only buyers can mark items as “delivered”.
- That they made an error in recognising when Mr Lindhoffer contacted them and now recognise that he did contact them on the day his item was delivered.
- That both customers were victims of different scams, and Vinted have taken action on the sellers in both cases but are unable to say more due to privacy regulation.
- That Vinted are working closely with shipping partners to better identify and stop fraudulent parcels and implementing new measures to identify and take action against potentially fraudulent sellers.
- That they apologise to both customers.
Vinted said:
“In both Ms Tapley and Mr Lindhofer’s cases, our Buyer Protection should have ensured that both members received full refunds due to their items not arriving. However, in these specific cases, they were not correctly resolved, and the refunds that they were due were not provided quickly enough. We’ve taken this as a learning opportunity to improve our processes and the expertise of our teams. Member satisfaction is very important to us, so we track member feedback closely. As our platform has grown, so too has our member satisfaction rate, which remains strong and continues to be positively rated by members. However, we are always learning and striving to do better. In addition, regarding scam-related activity, we work hard to constantly improve our safety measures. As a result, we've been able to significantly improve our capabilities and speed in identifying different types of scams, as well as our reaction, prevention and support to our members, keeping Vinted a safe, secure and positive buying and selling platform.”
As an expert with a comprehensive understanding of online marketplaces and consumer protection, it's evident that the situation described with Vinted highlights some significant issues in the platform's buyer protection and customer service. My expertise stems from a deep knowledge of e-commerce, customer support practices, and the intricacies of online transactions.
Firstly, let's dissect the key concepts and concerns raised in the article:
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Buyer Protection Fee:
- Customers complained about not receiving the expected level of assistance despite paying Vinted's compulsory buyer protection fee.
- This fee is presumably designed to ensure a secure and trustworthy transaction environment for buyers.
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Customer Service Issues:
- The customers reported that Vinted's customer service was inadequate when they faced problems with their purchased items.
- Clear evidence of scams was presented by customers, but Vinted allegedly did not provide the expected support or refunds.
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Trustpilot Reviews:
- Watchdog considered Vinted's Trustpilot reviews, which were reported to be 85% 'Bad.'
- Trustpilot ratings are often used as an indicator of a company's reputation based on customer experiences.
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Vinted's Response:
- Vinted acknowledged errors in their processes and recognized that improvements were needed.
- The 48-hour window for submitting a claim for a refund was triggered by the seller marking the item as "delivered," but Vinted has since changed this process to only allow buyers to mark items as "delivered."
- Vinted admitted to an error in recognizing customer contacts and took action against sellers involved in scams.
- Privacy regulations limited the details they could disclose about actions taken against fraudulent sellers.
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Vinted's Measures and Apology:
- Vinted claimed to be working closely with shipping partners to identify and prevent fraudulent parcels.
- They mentioned implementing new measures to identify and take action against potentially fraudulent sellers.
- Vinted apologized to the affected customers and emphasized their commitment to learning from the situation to improve processes and team expertise.
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Continuous Improvement:
- Vinted asserted that member satisfaction is crucial to them, and they monitor feedback closely.
- They highlighted a positive trend in member satisfaction but acknowledged the need for continuous improvement.
In conclusion, Vinted acknowledged specific lapses in their buyer protection and customer service in the mentioned cases. They emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance safety measures, identify scams, and improve support. While Vinted recognized the issues and apologized, the incident underscores the challenges faced by online platforms in maintaining a secure and satisfactory experience for their users. It is imperative for Vinted to implement effective measures and learn from these situations to uphold its reputation and ensure a positive buying and selling environment for its members.
