Vinted permanently banned a single mother over a pair of sandals listed for £2, according to the BBC, as more than 4,000 users log complaints about suspected AI moderation errors on the second-hand marketplace.
Emma Neil, a single mum who used Vinted most days to sell old items and buy clothes for her children, was banned after she bought a pair of sandals for £3, found they did not fit and relisted them for £2, the BBC reported. Vinted said the ban was due to "fraudulent activity, such as selling counterfeit items". Neil said she "did feel like a criminal" and that her appeal failed. "I'm absolutely devastated because I love Vinted and I used it for so long and for so many different things... but now obviously that's all ended."
Thousands log complaints on sadvintedfaces.com
The BBC reported that Vinted's preloved community has grown rapidly, with 17 million UK users, and that the platform says the "overwhelming majority" have a positive experience. However, more than 4,000 users have logged experiences on sadvintedfaces.com, a website set up by freelance marketer Catherine Warrilow after she became frustrated with the platform.
Warrilow logged the following figures, according to the BBC:
| Issue logged by users | Number of users |
|---|---|
| Banned or suspended | 2,609 |
| Permanent ban | 1,618 |
| Ignored by customer service | 2,526 |
It was the number of hours I was spending sending irate messages back to Vinted and getting what felt like automated responses, copy and paste... I was going round in circles, and I was the one losing out.
Warrilow told the BBC she believes the automation is not working properly: "It's detecting fraud if you change the price of something. It's detecting a counterfeit item for a second hand pair of Zara jeans."
Professional seller's ban lifted after appeal
Matthew Connor, one of the biggest professional sellers on Vinted, relies on the platform for his livelihood and holds around ten thousand top reviews, the BBC reported. He was permanently banned last month after listing a used North Face fleece, also over "fraudulent activity, such as selling counterfeit items".
"I wouldn't jeopardise my business by selling a fake. This is my livelihood," Connor said. He described the ban as someone having "walked into my business and sacked me, removed my business from the internet with no prior warning". Two weeks later, Vinted lifted the ban after he appealed, saying it was a mistake. Connor said he lost thousands of pounds of potential sales during that period.
Connor told the BBC he noticed many fake items on Vinted at the start of the year and believed the platform "panicked, rightly so... and they've reacted with AI".
Vinted's response
Vinted said it does not comment on individual cases, according to the BBC. In a statement, the company said its teams work hard every day to maintain a safe and trusted marketplace using a combination of trained moderation teams, member reports and detection tools to identify potential breaches of its catalogue rules.
What sellers need to do
- Sellers who believe they have been wrongly banned can appeal: Connor had his ban overturned after two weeks; Neil's appeal failed.
- Complaints have been collected on sadvintedfaces.com, where 2,526 users said they were ignored by Vinted customer service.
- Vinted says it uses moderation teams, member reports and detection tools; Neil said her sandals were not "specifically branded" and compared them to a "Shoe Zone make" when disputing the counterfeit claim.
- Sellers should ensure listings comply with Vinted's catalogue rules, since the platform says it actively detects potential breaches.
The BBC's reporting shows that Vinted's automated moderation system is flagging price changes and used-brand items as potential counterfeit activity, and that both amateur and professional sellers say they have been caught up in the process.
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