All you need to know to start selling
If you want to make a little extra cash or just declutter your wardrobe, then Vinted is a great platform to sell your unwanted things.
It could also be a way to nab a bargain, picking up what you want for less than brand new.
With over eight million registered members in the UK, it’s a growing place for pre-loved fashion and is expanding into many other categories.
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How does Vinted work?
Vinted is an online marketplace for buying and selling second hand clothing and accessories. It differs from the likes of eBay in that it’s fee free for the seller.
The seller simply lists an item and chooses a selling price and parcel size.
Once a purchase is made, Vinted adds the postage cost to the buying price, the buyer pays and vinted holds the money whilst the seller posts the item within seven days.
Once the item is received, Vinted checks with the buyer that the item is as described and they are happy with it, then it releases the money to the seller.
The model is simple and clear for the buyer and quick and easy for the seller.
Download the Vinted app to start selling
Once you have downloaded the app, you can start selling straight away.
Upload photos of the item you want to sell, add the particulars and parcel size and set your price. Put your item live and wait for the views.
Just to be aware of, Vinted sizing is a little rigid so ensure you put the ‘real’ size in the title or description and include a photo of the label too. For example, a ladies size 12 is a size L (large) on Vinted.
What is the buyer protection fee?
When a buyer clicks on your item, they will see the price you are charging plus a buyer protection fee just underneath. The buyer protection fee is just what it says it is. The cost is 3 to 8% of the item price (before postage) plus an additional 30p to 80p.
It means the order is protected and the buyer will get a refund if the item doesn’t arrive, is damaged in transit, or is not as described. The buyer must let Vinted know within 2 days of delivery if there is a problem. Just to note, the buyer has to cover the return cost.
Who pays the shipping cost?
The buyer pays the shipping cost so it’s one less thing for the seller to deal with.
As a seller, all you have to do is pack up and drop the parcel at the buyer’s selected parcel courier, having already selected the parcel size when you uploaded your item to the app.
Buyers can select either Evri, Yodel, InPost or Royal Mail. Since it’s the buyer who selects the courier, it can mean that you may have several parcel drop offs to do if you are selling multiple items. But for most, it’s a simple scan of a code at the parcel shop or locker with no need to print a label (apart from Royal Mail).
The tracking is all done by Vinted taking the stress out of posting for the seller.
Choosing the correct postage for your items
Vinted gives you the option to select your parcel size.
- Small is described as under 500g and is for items like scarves, t-shirts, belts etc.
- Medium is under 1kg and is for items like jumpers, jeans, dresses, handbags etc.
- Large is under 2kg and is for items like shoes, backpacks, heavy jumpers etc.
If you select the wrong postage size, the buyer may incur extra shipping costs rather than the seller, but you could end up with a bad review.
Using the Wardrobe Spotlight
Wardrobe Spotlight is a paid feature that can boost the visibility of your items or your wardrobe as Vinted calls it. Once purchased, Vinted will promote and match your listings to members who are more likely to buy them.
The current cost is £6.95 for seven days of increased visibility. This is a revenue stream for Vinted and although it does guarantee to increase your item views, it doesn’t guarantee a sale.
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Bump your items for more views
For a small charge, you can opt to ‘bump’ individual items for 3 or 7 days. The cost depends on the price of the item and the duration you select.
Bumping an item means it will be displayed higher in the newsfeed and search results, so it’s more visible to potential buyers. This is a good addition if you have an item that just isn’t getting views.
Is selling on Vinted subject to tax?
Selling on Vinted is subject to a side hustle tax if you make more than £1,000 profit a year, but since you are probably selling your unwanted clothes, you’re probably selling them at a loss on what you paid for them originally and therefore unlikely to make this kind of profit. You can learn more about this in our useful side hustle tax article.
Buying from Vinted
There is an easy to use search tool on Vinted to find just what you’re looking for amongst the millions of pre-loved items for sale. If you find something you’d like to purchase, you can go ahead and buy it at the listed price or offer a price you want to pay. It is up to the seller to either accept this price, respond with a counter offer or decline.
If you buy at the listed price, or your offer is accepted, you pay the price plus the buyer protection fee and postage and select your parcel carrier.
You can save money selecting the postage that delivers your parcel to a local drop-off or locker rather than your home address.
And don’t forget, when paying, you can opt to use your balance if you have any profits from selling in your Vinted account.
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Vinted Vs eBay
When it comes time to decide which selling platform to list your items, it does all depend on what you are selling.
Cheaper items that are worth only a few pounds are much better suited to selling on Vinted, since the fees on eBay could swallow up the profit.
Higher priced items and collectibles, on the other hand, are much better suited to selling on eBay with its bigger audience and greater number of selling categories.
Here’s a little summary of the main differences between the two.
| Vinted | eBay |
| No selling fees | No selling fees for clothes For all other items, 12.8% of the total amount of the sale plus a fixed charge of 30p per order and a new regulatory operating fee of an additional 0.35% from April 8, 2024 |
| 8 million users in the UK | 22 million active users in the UK |
| Simple to use app | Not as easy to use as Vinted |
| Focused on second hand clothing | Covers all kinds of everything |
| Buyer pays postage with free tracking | Seller pays postage (included in buying price unless otherwise stated) |
| Buyer chooses courier and therefore where to drop parcel | Seller chooses courier – can select the most convenient |
| Buyer pays for returns | Seller pays for returns |
My experience of selling on Vinted
I find Vinted so easy to use and it’s really quick to list items. Once sold, I simply pack up the item, download a code or print a label and drop it at a parcel shop.
It’s great for decluttering and I’ve sold clothes, handbags and shoes on the app with very little effort.
Some items take longer to sell than others, so be warned you may have to store your items once you’ve listed them, but there are lots of ways to increase your sales such as bumping the items (including occasional free bumps) or highlighting your wardrobe, which I’ve used with some success.
Do I prefer it to eBay? Yes, I do, since it’s so much easier to list and to send items, but don’t expect to rake in huge amounts of money as you have to list at a reasonable price to encourage sales and you don’t have any bidding wars pushing up the price like you do on eBay.
Be careful in Vinted. I was scammed out of £200 on my first time trying to sell something. I was new to it and followed a link inside the app to a scammer.