Vinted is the latest business to fall foul of critical influencer reviews and call-outs due to poor customer service and being blocked by the brand on social media when they have tried to report issues.
The success of preloved marketplace can partially be attributed to its 75 million-strong community. Case in point: #Vinted has 3.5 billion TikTok views, which is nearly one billion more than #Depop (2.6 billion). Social content has been crucial in its ascent but in the past three months, this has taken a distinctively negative tone.
In June, drag performer Divina De Campo noted they did not enjoy Vinted and had lost money through using it. In August, photographer Beatrice Granados shared on Instagram Stories that she had been permanently blocked since the app thought she had committed fraud, though it did not investigate this.
You may also like
People who are unable to resolve issues with Vinted’s customer service are now flooding the comments section on its Instagram account. These include messages such as “disgraceful customer service” and about being blocked without warning or reason. People are also calling the company a scam.
Lifestyle creator and entrepreneur Zanna Van Dijk commented on one of its posts from August after having repeated issues with her account. She asked: “Please can you help resolve the ongoing problems I’m facing? Otherwise, I’m going to have to escalate this since you’re holding my money and refusing to pay it out.”
Journalist and lifestyle creator Alice Lucy Bradley noted on one Instagram, “I’m selling legitimate items and you’ve still not unblocked my account. I raved for this platform, now I’m not so sure.”
On the subreddit Vinted, there are countless posts from people sharing that their accounts have been blocked or they have not received payment. Redditors have discussed being banished from the app and how Vinted’s customer service is been unhelpful.
Vinted told CORQ that there are a variety of reasons why accounts could be temporarily or permanently blocked, such as contradicting its policies. Vinted said: “No matter the issue, our Member Support team is always available to all members directly via the app. Where members have contacted us, we would have been in touch directly to help them resolve any issues.”
According to Vinted’s website, accounts may be either temporarily or definitely blocked for reasons such as fraud, scams, selling counterfeit items, offensive behaviour or having multiple accounts.
Vinted is far from the only company creating issues for users. In August, designer and illustrator Kim Lawler’s Etsy shop was suspended without warning and remained suspended without an update. It is now back up and running.
Influencers can make or break a company – this has been proved time and time again. Vinted has many pros, such as zero seller fees, easy shipping options and an accurate algorithm, but having good customer service and an open feedback loop is essential. Not to mention, paying people what they’re owed in a timely manner is key.
With a handful of secondhand fashion apps like Poshmark, FINDS, eBay and Depop readily available in the UK, could the complaints about Vinted signal its downfall? If accounts continue to get blocked without warning and users aren’t receiving payments, Vinted will continue to lose support.
By Caroline Edwards, news and features writer for CORQ.
Prada using a virtual influencer to front its campaign is a missed opportunity to address the lack of diversity in luxury fashion