Vinted makes prices more transparent after complaints

Vinted is displaying the final price for consumers more clearly, after the second-hand platform was reprimanded by the European Commission.

Misleading

Following complaints about the second-hand platform’s opaque price calculation, the European Commission and national consumer authorities started negotiations with Vinted in December 2021. Among other things, the platform automatically charges customers a surcharge for buyer protection, without notifying them in advance.

That practice is misleading and contrary to European consumer protection legislation, the European Commission believes. Vinted has now agreed to inform consumers in advance of the total price, including the automatically added buyer protection.

The marketplace has also removed ads that gave the impression that purchases on Vinted are free. Consumers will also be given clearer information on how to claim a refund if their purchase does not arrive or turns out to be fake. There will also be more clarity on identity verification and how ratings are calculated.

More clarity needed

Still, the Commission is not completely satisfied: Vinted did not respond to the request to clearly state that the prices displayed do not include shipping costs, or to state where possible the minimum shipping costs at the beginning of the purchase procedure. Consumers’ association have therefore urged Vinted to address this issue and may take further steps.

“Second-hand sales of goods between consumers are becoming increasingly popular and both sellers and buyers need to understand how online marketplaces work and what their rights are if things do not go as expected,” said Věra Jourová, European vice-president for Values and Transparency, on the importance of the issue.