Is Vinted legit? What buyers and sellers should know
Short answer
Yes. Vinted has run since 2008, is profitable, and is Europe's largest second-hand clothing marketplace, valued at about €8 billion in 2026. Purchases made with Buy now are refundable if lost, damaged or not as described. Problems almost always start when someone is persuaded to pay or chat outside the app.
Yes. Vinted is a real, profitable company that has been running since 2008 and is the largest second-hand clothing marketplace in Europe. It’s new to most Americans because its serious US push only began in January 2026. The question worth asking isn’t whether Vinted is legit, but how to use it so that a bad seller or buyer can’t cost you money.
The company behind it
- Founded in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2008. Headquartered there today.
- Reported revenue of €1.1 billion and a net profit in 2025.
- Valued at about €8 billion in April 2026.
- Operates in more than 20 countries, with tens of millions of members in Europe.
- Announced a major US expansion in January 2026, starting with New York, and US downloads passed Depop’s by spring.
More in how long Vinted has been around.
How buyers are protected
Every purchase made with the Buy now button includes a Vinted fee (usually 5% + $0.70). That fee is what funds the refund policy:
- If the item never arrives, arrives damaged, or is significantly not as described, you get a full refund: item, shipping, fee and tax.
- Confirmed counterfeits are refunded without a return.
- The seller isn’t paid until you confirm the order, or 2 days pass without a complaint.
The catch is the deadline: you have 2 calendar days after delivery to report a problem. Open parcels when they arrive. Full rules in the Vinted refund policy.
How sellers are protected
- You pay no fees, and you ship with a label Vinted provides, so there’s no “fake payment” risk as long as the sale went through Buy now.
- If a parcel is lost in transit with Vinted’s label, the loss isn’t charged to you.
- Photos of the item and the packed parcel are your evidence if a buyer claims otherwise.
Where people actually get burned
Almost every “Vinted scam” story has the same shape: someone was persuaded to leave the app. A WhatsApp chat, a link to “confirm payment”, a request to pay by bank transfer, a fake login page. None of Vinted’s protections apply outside Vinted. The rules that keep you safe:
- Only buy with Buy now. Only sell through it.
- Never pay or chat anywhere else, whatever reason you’re given.
- Never click a link to “release”, “confirm” or “verify” money. Payments arrive by themselves.
- Report anything odd to Vinted, and forward phishing to phishing@vinted.com.
See Vinted scams and how to spot them for the current tricks.
What the reviews say
Vinted’s review scores on sites like Trustpilot are mixed, as they are for every marketplace that handles millions of disputes. The recurring complaints are slow customer support, refund claims refused when the 2-day window was missed, and account bans. The recurring praise is the fee model: sellers keep everything, buyers see the total up front. If you keep your transactions inside the app and act within the deadlines, the system works as described.
Is it legit for selling?
Yes, and for casual sellers the economics are better than most US apps because there’s no selling fee. Start with how to sell on Vinted, and compare it with Poshmark, Depop and eBay.
Company facts from Wikipedia and FashionUnited; refund rules from Vinted’s refund policy.
Resell Guide is independent and is not affiliated with Vinted or any marketplace it covers. Some links may be affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.