What is Vinted
Vinted is a Lithuanian app and website that allows you to buy and sell second-hand clothing, accessories and home items. Founded in 2008, Vinted has quickly established itself as one of the leading second-hand platforms in Europe, with over 50 million registered users across 15 countries.
How Vinted works is simple: users can put their items up for sale on the app, freely setting the price. Vinted does not retain any commission on the sale, but earns through shipping costs (paid by the buyer) and advertisements displayed on the platform.
Once the sale is concluded, the seller ships the item to the buyer via the shipping service integrated with Vinted and once the payment is received it is credited to the user's Vinted account, who can withdraw it or use it to make purchases on the platform.
How Vinted works
To sell on Vinted , simply download the app, take a photo of the item you want to sell, enter a description, price and size. Vinted also offers the "Rate my item" feature which automatically suggests a price based on previous sales of similar items.
Once the item is sold, the seller will need to ship it via Vinted's shipping service, which provides a prepaid shipping label. The seller will not have to worry about anything: the buyer will pay the shipping costs directly to Vinted.
To buy on Vinted, simply search for the desired items, communicate with the seller if necessary and proceed with payment. Payment takes place directly on the Vinted platform in a secure manner. Once the seller ships, Vinted releases the payment and credits it to the user's account.
Both buyers and sellers can leave mutual feedback at the end of the transaction in order to build a reliable profile on the platform.
Vinted Italy
According to a 2023 article by LaPresse , Vinted has registered 7 million users in Italy since its launch in 2020. So a truly important success and little shared by other players. The operation and payment methods of the Italian platform are rather simple:
The buyer pays for the item using a credit, debit or prepaid card enabled for online purchases or with their Vinted balance, if they have one. Card details can be stored in your profile for your convenience.
The purchase money temporarily goes into a "suspended balance" in the seller's Vinted account.
When the buyer confirms receipt of the item by pressing "All clear", the payment changes from "pending balance" to "available balance" in the seller's account.
The available balance can be withdrawn via bank transfer when it reaches at least €0.10. It can also be used to shop on Vinted
How to contact Vinted Italia
Like many new economy companies that make little money on individual operations, Vinted makes great savings in staff , and this has repercussions in its assistance, and it lacks a toll-free number. This doesn't mean he isn't contactable. There are three roads.
To ask general questions:
Consult the Help Center, searching for keywords or topics
"General topics" section with main topics (e.g. sales)
For assistance with orders:
Via messages/conversations: Press (i) and select “Help”
From the Help Center: Select recent order for helpful items
General contacts:
"Contact us" button at the bottom of some Help Center articles
From conversation: Order details are automatically included to speed up response
Basically. For general or order-related assistance you can consult the resources made available by Vinted (Help Center, thematic sections). If you still need support, use the "Contact us" buttons or write from the order conversation.
Fraud risks and cases
Although Vinted invests heavily in security systems, no e-commerce platform is immune from risks and fraud attempts. Here are the main problems you may encounter on Vinted:
Counterfeit Items: Since items are not centrally checked by Vinted, some dishonest sellers may list counterfeit merchandise. It's a good idea to check the seller's profile and reviews before buying.
Items not shipped : in some cases, after paying the seller may not ship the goods. To protect yourself, it is important to only buy from sellers with many positive reviews.
Complicated Returns and Refunds: If there is a problem with an order, getting a refund can be complicated and time-consuming as Vinted acts as an intermediary between buyer and seller.
Scams through hacked accounts : some scammers manage to take over other people's Vinted accounts, put goods on sale at very low prices to attract buyers and collect payments, without then sending anything.
As always, common sense wins. Buyers should pay close attention to sellers' profiles, while sellers should take all necessary measures to protect their accounts from unauthorized access.
What are the opinions on Vinted? Works?
We can't deny it, there are very conflicting opinions on the web as to whether Vinted users can earn enough money on the platform.
Here is a summary of the main ideas in this regard:
Vinted generates the majority of its revenue from its buyer protection feature , which encourages more people to shop on the platform. This suggests that while Vinted itself generates revenue, it does not ensure that individual users manage to earn enough.
Making money on Vinted can be a challenge due to strong competition and low prices. Many users try to get the best deal possible.
Vinted offers good tools for online businesses to sell second-hand fashion products. However, the success of an online business depends on other factors than the platform itself.
Many users on Reddit report having limited luck making money on Vinted, despite the success others appear to have. As always, trusting those who declare large incomes with little effort is always a strategy for the deluded poor. As we have seen, prices must be extremely low to attract buyers.
A journalist who used Vinted for 4 weeks managed to earn almost £150 selling clothes, books and children's items. However, he had to keep prices very low to attract buyers. Which seems to conform to dominant opinions.
On YouTube and TikTok there are examples of people who manage to earn enough to live by selling on Vinted, but we don't advise you to trust them. They are not statistically indicative stories .
In summary, while some users manage to earn some money, competition is fierce and prices must be very low to attract buyers. Making significant money seems to be a challenge.
Frankly speaking: there are better businesses. Vinted should be used with a view to sustainability and to get rid of objects that are no longer necessary.
The alternatives to Vinted
Vinted is not the only second hand platform on the market. Here are some of the main alternatives:
Depop: very popular among under 30s, it has a social media-like interface reminiscent of Instagram. He specializes in vintage clothing and streetwear.
Wallapop: widespread in Spain and France, it has a section dedicated to clothing but also hosts other product categories, from electronics to furniture.
eBay: the online auction giant has a huge section dedicated to second-hand clothing. Compared to Vinted, the sales procedure is more complex.
Subito: popular in Italy, Subito does not specialize in clothing but has a dedicated section among the many product categories present.
Compared to these alternatives, Vinted stands out for its specific focus on second hand fashion and for the community built around the app, which makes it very engaging for users. And it is objectively infinitely easier to use.
The "second hand economy" and reuse
As we have seen, with almost 50 million users, Vinted is one of the most important players in the second hand economy , the economy based on the buying and selling of used products. It is estimated that by 2030 this market will be worth $80 billion globally.
The reasons for this rapid rise are multiple:
Growing consumer sensitivity towards environmental sustainability
Desire for more ethical and responsible consumption
Convenience in the prices of second-hand items
Feeling of belonging to a community
Satisfaction in finding unique and vintage pieces
In this scenario, reuse plays a fundamental role in reducing waste and the environmental impact of the fashion sector, responsible for huge CO2 emissions. According to a study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if each item was worn twice as often, fashion emissions could drop by 44% .
This is why the success of platforms like Vinted goes hand in hand with that of a circular economic model , which aims to maximize the life cycle of products, rather than encouraging unbridled consumption of low-cost garments.
What can we learn from Vinted as Entrepreneurs?
The success of Vinted and the second hand economy provides useful food for thought for marketers and entrepreneurs. Many of you readers belong to these groups.
First of all, these platforms allow us to understand and intercept new trends in consumer behavior, who are increasingly attentive to sustainability, responsible consumption and interested in alternative, more accessible consumption models. In the previous chapter we analyzed this aspect and we advise you to pay particular attention to it.
Secondly, Vinted attracts a transversal audience , not only very young people, but also those in their thirties, forties and beyond, who share interests such as fashion, vintage and the desire to make informed purchases. A heterogeneous target therefore, on which companies can calibrate suitable messages and products.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is insisting on niches and buyer personas that are too specific. Vinted reminds us that marketing and business growth start from clearly opposite assumptions.
Finally, the Vinted case teaches the importance of building a community around your platform, focusing on customer experience, trust and user involvement through social features, reviews, loyalty programs. The community is a valuable asset for both engagement and the acquisition of new users.
Opportunities for marketers and advertisers
For brands and advertisers, platforms like Vinted represent interesting opportunities to intercept an audience attentive to fashion and sustainable consumption.
The main possibilities are:
Tailored campaigns : you can plan display, native advertising and video campaigns targeted by demographic target, interests and purchasing behaviour
Product placement : fashion brands can make deals with influencers and users to promote their garments through organic photos and videos
Giveaways and contests : Engaging the community with sweepstakes and exclusive giveaways is a great way to increase brand awareness and desirability.
Advertising on mobile app : native advertising insertions within the app allow you to reach Vinted users when they are most engaged in the shopping experience.
Awareness campaigns : associations and bodies can carry out campaigns on social issues such as environmental sustainability, ethical consumption, the fight against waste.
Vinted and similar therefore represent an effective channel for intercepting particular segments of consumers, communicating with them through messages and products consistent with the values of the community. It's up to brands to find the right positioning and tone of voice to present themselves in a credible and never invasive way.
If you don't know where to start, contact us for a free initial conversation .