'Banned over a pair of £2 sandals': Why some sellers are complaining about Vinted
Several thousands of Vinted users say they have been wrongly suspended or permanently banned from the preloved app.
Emma Neil, a single mother, was a frequent user of Vinted, a platform for buying and selling preloved items. After purchasing a £3 pair of sandals that didn't fit, she relisted them for £2 only to be permanently banned. Vinted cited fraudulent activity, specifically selling counterfeit items. Neil, along with thousands of other users, is complaining about being wrongly suspended or permanently banned, often contacting Vinted's AI-generated responses for assistance.
Catherine Warrilow, a freelance marketeer, set up a website to document similar complaints. She found that over 4,000 Vinted users had experienced bans or suspensions, with 1,618 receiving permanent bans and 2,526 feeling ignored by customer service. Matthew Connor, a professional seller on Vinted, also faced a permanent ban for listing a used North Face fleece, despite having thousands of positive reviews.
He believes the platform's AI has become too aggressive in detecting fraudulent activity. Vinted maintains that it uses a combination of human moderators, member reports, and detection tools to maintain a safe marketplace, but consumer expert Helen Dewdney suggests that the rapid growth of the platform has led to a loss of the human touch, causing AI to make mistakes.
Those who believe they've been unfairly banned should follow Vinted's appeal process and consider contacting the company's legal team for access to information on the decision.
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