Out with the old, in with the new to me clothes 😊 The past couple of months I started using Vinted for selling and buying clothes. I am a sceptic and when I was searching for information about Vinted I found a lot of official articles. But I rather read blogs by people who are not getting paid to write positive stories about this platform. In this blog I’ll tell you all about the pro’s and cons I experienced so far. I am not getting paid to write this blog, though I am going to share an affiliate link. If you find this blog valuable and want to start using Vinted, going through this affiliate link will help me with a small fee if you decide to sign up.
How did I get started?
I’ve been buying and selling second hand stuff for years on the Dutch Marktplaats platform. But in the last couple of years items are harder to sell, it is hard to get a decent price due to haggling and people have been flaky. Bidding but not following up, asking a lot of questions but not bidding are causing a lot of annoyance of the process. Plus shipping is limited to the Dutch postal service which is very expensive. There should be a better way, right?
I was fed up with putting a lot of effort into taking pictures and writing descriptions with very little pay off. Joining local trading circles helped me swap some of my clothes but there are always items that I found too expensive or carry too much emotional value to swap or give away. The suit I wore for a job interview that changed my life. The co*cktail dress I wore to my Masters degree celebration. Belly dance costumes with many happy memories of hafla’s and performances. And that is when I noticed someone in a facebook sellers group mentioning Vinted.
My first sale on Vinted
Up until this point I had been ignoring the many commercials for Vinted on tv and social media. Too many preppy women telling me that it was super easy and fun. I just didn’t buy it. But some of my friends on social media were very positive so I gave it a shot. I uploaded four or five items that I had been trying to sell for a couple of months on the Dutch website.
My first experience with listing items is that it is very user friendly and straight forward. There are five categories you have to fill that are very useful for buyers. The brand, size, color, category and state of the item. The clever thing is that Vinted automatically translates sizes to universal sizes. I live in the Netherlands and our sizing system is different from France, Italy, UK and US. By entering the Dutch size the app automatically translates the sizes so users in other countries can see if it would fit. The app has a translator function for languages build in, making it easier to find listings in other countries and ask and respond to questions in other languages.
My first sell was a Turkish belly dance costume sold to a dancer who I am connected with through facebook within 24 hours of signing up with Vinted. That she knew me through facebook helped me secure a first sale as I didn’t have any reviews on Vinted yet. I was impressed. Now I had to figure out how to proceed with the sale. How about shipping and payment?
The vintage wallet
Turns out Vinted also takes care of shipping and payment and I find this a huge positive point of the app. No complicated stuff with international bank transfers or paypal. The buyer pays Vinted, Vinted holds the money while the item is delivered and when the item arrives and all is well the seller receives the money in their Vinted wallet. If you want the money transfered to your bank account, you can press on a button in the app and it’s done.
Environmental friendly shipping
But how about shipping? Like I said, sending a package with the Dutch postal agency is very expensive. Within the Netherlands it’s 8€ and to other EU countries it’s between 20-30€. It’s no surprise that the buyer did not choose the Dutch postal system 😉 This is how I learned about several other independent shipping options like Mondial Relay, DPD and Homerr. They offer far more affordable options for sending an item internationally. Sending a package costs somewhere between 3-12€.
Hold on, how can they offer such low rates for their services? The fancy word is ‘eco friendly transport’ which is another way of saying that they have fewer points for collecting items, they use trucks that already transport goods to pick up packages and they often deliver to a collecting point instead of to tour doorstep. Make sure to select the shipping options in your profile that you are willing to travel to with the package. In urban areas there will probably be a collection point nearby but in my town some collection points are too far away for me to be feasible.
My experience is that even though it is relative cheap, most packages arrive within a few days at their destination. I currently only have one item that I bought that is seriously delayed. I make an effort to send items out as fast as possible so I make a lot of trips to various exotic pick up points, such as a tank station and a middle eastern food market. All within ten to fifteen minutes by bicycle so it’s good for my health too.
The buyer selects what company to use and the Vinted app creates shipping labels and shipping instructions. It also is an easy way to track your packages. Sometimes you need to print a label and I recommend getting a printer at home to speed up this proces. Other times the app gives you a qr code that needs to be scanned at the intake point. Either way it takes a bit of getting used to but it is very user friendly and easy to find in your inbox in the app.
Finishing the transaction
The buyer picks up the item and marks in the app that the item is received and matches the description. They can leave feedback, and you can leave feedback for them in return. And that’s it, my first transaction was done and I was hooked. This was a very convenient way of selling items and I was reaching a much larger audience through the app. But there are downsides I should tell you about next.
How does vinted make money?
Selling items on Vinted is free but as we all know they should be making money somehow. The catch is that buyers pay a small fee when they buy an item from you. You won’t notice this because the payment is going straight to Vinted but it’s something between one or two euro’s per sold item. Prices in general are quite low on Vinted. Because sellers have to add shipping and the Vinted fee, they sometimes pay 15€ for an item and you only receive your set price of 10€. As a result the prices on Vinted are lower to keep clothes at an acceptable price. There is the option to haggle or make a lower offer and as a result I have sold items for just a couple of euro’s. The communication about haggling was great though as it is build into the system. I did not receive any badly worded or weird requests about the price.
The second catch is the Vintage wallet. As money is collected in your wallet you have a choice of sending the money to your account, or using the money to buy other items on Vinted. This is very, very clever and I totally fall for it. Because of the low prices it is very tempting to buy clothes with the money in your wallet. I got some great deals and experience as a buyer by now 😃 The more items I put up for sale, the more time I spend browsing the app to find new stuff, the more likely I am to buy something and pay Vinted a fee for my purchase. And this is how Vinted makes money. But I can tell you that so far I am quite pleased with handing my money to Vinted because the buyer protection, payment and shipping system is great.
How about scams on Vinted?
When searching for reviews I found a lot of stories about scams on Vinted. There is no doubt that there are scammers on Vinted trying to find a good deal and then complain about the item once it arrives. This seems to happen most with designer items (buyer claiming it is a fake brand) or expensive items (buyer claims it is damaged). So far I have not experienced a scam but I am not selling designer items. The expensive items that I sold went to honest buyers. You can check the reputation of the buyers by reading the reviews on their profile. This system appears to work and offers protection. That being said, I did received a four star review from a buyer. When I asked her if I could have done anything to improve the experience, she replied that:’the transaction was perfect, I just never give more than four stars’. What can I say, some people just don’t get it. Read the reviews before buying to see if you notice something out of the ordinary.
Another scam is when someone asks you to make a payment outside of the Vinted platform. They send you a phishing link that imitates the website of your bank, steal your credentials and take tour money. The solution is simple: only make payments on Vinted and don’t click on links random strangers send to you.
Communicating on Vinted
Now that you got the basic concepts down, there are a couple of things you should know in order to sell and buy stuff efficiently. Vinted has it’s own inbox system which is really helpful to keep track of things but it can also feel a bit overwhelming
1. You can ‘like’ an item by clicking the heart on an item. They are stored in your profile so you can revisited these items. The owner of the items also get a notification and can reply by sending you a message or sending you an offer. I love and hate this option because I enjoy getting a discount offer, but I hate pushy sellers who send me multiple offers in succession, lowering the price marginally every time.
2. The inbox sounds like a great way to oversee everything but there is just too much going on. I suggest using the ‘my sales’ option in your profile to keep track of what you sold and where your packages are, and ‘my favorites’ for the things you liked.
3. The genius integration with shipping companies is so brilliant that when the integration is not fully established it is annoying. I sold an item and the buyer choose the Dutch postal service. I had to go to their website, get a label, copy paste the shipping code back into Vinted and if I wanted to check the status I had to go to the website of the postal system too. It’s inconvenient and annoying.
If you want to search for interesting items on Vinted, this link will take you to my Vinted store. I hope you find this review helpful 🙂
As someone deeply immersed in the world of online secondhand fashion platforms, I can affirm that Vinted has indeed made a significant impact on the way people buy and sell pre-owned clothing items. My experience with various platforms, including Marktplaats in the Netherlands, has given me a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and advantages of such platforms.
The blog you've shared highlights key aspects of the Vinted experience, and I'm here to provide additional insights into the concepts mentioned:
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Vinted Listing Process:
- The user-friendly and straightforward listing process on Vinted is a crucial aspect. The five categories (brand, size, color, category, and item condition) contribute to a detailed and informative listing. The automatic translation of sizes for international users demonstrates Vinted's commitment to a global user base.
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Shipping and Payment:
- Vinted's integration of shipping and payment services is a standout feature. By handling these aspects, Vinted simplifies the process for users. The use of alternative, eco-friendly shipping options like Mondial Relay, DPD, and Homerr reflects a forward-thinking approach, providing more affordable and environmentally conscious choices for users.
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Vinted Fee Structure:
- While selling items on Vinted is free, the revelation about how Vinted makes money is crucial. Buyers paying a small fee for each item purchased is a common practice on many online marketplaces. The transparency in communication about this fee and the option to haggle are noteworthy.
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Vintage Wallet and User Engagement:
- The concept of the Vintage Wallet, where money collected from sales can be used to make purchases on Vinted, is a clever strategy to keep users engaged. This creates a cycle where sellers turn into buyers, contributing to Vinted's revenue model. The allure of low prices on Vinted enhances user participation.
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Scams and Buyer Protection:
- Addressing concerns about scams on Vinted is crucial. The platform's system of buyer reviews and reputation checks adds a layer of protection. The caution against making payments outside the Vinted platform is a practical tip to avoid phishing scams.
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Communication on Vinted:
- Exploring the communication dynamics on Vinted, the blog provides insights into the 'liking' and messaging features. The recommendation to use the 'my sales' and 'my favorites' options for efficient tracking is practical advice for both sellers and buyers.
In conclusion, the blog offers a balanced perspective on the pros and cons of using Vinted, and the author's first-hand experience adds credibility to the insights shared. As someone deeply immersed in the world of online secondhand fashion platforms, I find the information provided in the blog to be valuable and reflective of the evolving landscape of digital fashion marketplaces.
