Many of our readers will be aware of, and possibly use, the online marketplace Vinted.  Recently, Vinted agreed that it would change various aspects of its website and app to bring it (more) into line with EU consumer laws, following complaints from consumers and action by the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities.

Consumers had complained about certain practices, such as automatically adding a fee to purchases at check-out without informing consumers about it upfront. 

The key changes made by Vinted include: 

  • Informing consumers upfront about the total price of goods offered for sale on Vinted, including the so-called “buyer protection fee”, which is added automatically to every purchase. 
  • Removing misleading advertisements that create the impression that purchases on Vinted are free of any charges. 
  • Informing consumers more clearly about how to claim a refund under Vinted's “buyer protection” policy if they do not receive their purchase. 
  • More transparent and detailed information on Vinted's counterfeit review process, including the steps consumers must take to claim a refund if their purchase turns out to be counterfeit. 
  • More transparent and detailed information on the identity verification process that consumers must go through when they want to sell second-hand goods on Vinted, in particular, on the documents and information that they must submit.
  • Informing consumers more clearly about Vinted's review policy, including how average user ratings are calculated, the difference between automated reviews and user-generated reviews, and how users can report suspicious reviews.

However, Vinted did not agree with consumer authorities' views about how to tell consumers about the fact that the displayed prices do not include delivery fees, or about telling consumers about the minimum delivery fees that will be applied at the beginning of the purchase process. Vinted has been urged to address this issue and may be subject to enforcement action if it does not.

Consumer authorities will monitor Vinted's website and app. If the commitments are not implemented properly or if Vinted fails to address concerns, national consumer authorities may decide to take measures to enforce compliance.

In some member states, there are ongoing legal proceedings against Vinted - these will continue and are not affected by the EU-wide action.

UK businesses trading in the EU need to ensure that they continue to comply with EU consumer laws, as well as preparing to comply with the new provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which received Royal Assent in May.  For more information about the Act, see our client guide.