Vinted introduced Pro Sellers in the UK in October 2024. I remember seeing the little Pro icon at the time and wondering what the deal was. Well, it’s not all that complicated to be honest, but there are a few things worth knowing for buyers, and obviously, sellers will want to understand whether or not it’s worth registering as a Pro Seller or not.
So let me help you out.
The site’s own explanation on all of this is pretty dry and boring, not to mention dense, so I’ve put it all together in a much easier to read way for you.
I should say from the outset though that a Pro Seller has not achieved some higher level of trust on the app. It’s not a rank or a reward, so you should still use the same caution you always do when buying on Vinted. But if you are using Vinted professionally, the company say you are supposed to declare yourself and register as a Pro Seller.
But I’ll go into more detail on all that next.
A Quick Explanation
To put it simply, a Pro Seller is someone who uses Vinted as part of their business, rather than someone who sells their old dresses and jackets on a fairly frequent basis (guilty 🙋♀️). So I’m talking about professional resellers.
These people have the Pro badge displayed next to their username so you know they are a business rather than a random Rachel from Basingstoke. To become one, you need to be a sole trader, a registered company, or a charity. Vinted will check this stuff when someone applies for a Pro account, so it’s all legit.
It’s still a free service for Pro Sellers, they don’t pay any fees to Vinted, that’s on the buyer like usual, but they do have to stick to more rules and regulations than a regular seller. There are also limitations on what they can sell and how.
For Buyers: What Buying From A Pro Seller Means For You
Since a Pro Seller has to operate as a business, you get proper consumer rights if you buy from them. They are almost the same as if you were buying from a high street shop, and they are much better than if you were buying from an ordinary Vinted seller.
The biggest benefit for me, is that you have 14 days to change your mind after receiving an item. You don’t need any specific reason, you just need to pay the return postage and you can get a refund. For more expensive buys this is so useful, because you can try stuff on and see it in real life before committing to the purchase. You don’t get that with private sellers.
Other benefits include:
- A refund if the item is faulty or significantly different from its description.
- The option of a repair or replacement in certain circumstances.
- A formal complaints process and access to the seller’s business policies and contact information.
- Legal protection that the seller cannot override with their own policies.
You’re just better protected.
Which is good, because the Pro Seller badge doesn’t guarantee a seller is trustworthy. For example, designer goods aren’t guaranteed to be authentic just because you buy them from a Pro Seller, but if one did try to rip you off, you would have more chance of getting a resolution.
For Sellers: Should You Register As a Pro Seller?
If you are selling as a business and expect to make any sort of money from it, you have to.
Vinted don’t give a number of sales or a money earned threshold or anything like that, but they say you must register as a Pro Seller if you are:
- Buying items specifically to resell them for a profit
- Regularly acquiring new stock
- Making systematic and repeated sales
- Selling through an existing business
- Operating in a way that resembles a second hand retailer
They can even ask you to change your account if they look at your activity and decide you are most likely selling professionally. If you ignore them, your account can be restricted or blocked, so it’s best to be honest.
It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t tied in with HMRC’s reporting rules. The government changed the law so that platforms have to report your details if you make at least 30 sales or earn €2,000 (about £1,700) or more in a year. That’s the point at which Vinted have to report your activity to HMRC, but not the point at which you have to become a Pro Seller. being reported doesn’t necessarily mean you owe tax, by the way, but the government like to check.
Benefits and Considerations
Pro Sellers can list an unlimited number of items, add their own policies so long as they don’t contradict the law or Vinted’s Pro Seller terms and conditions, and the Pro badge can make some buyers more comfortable buying from you.
In fact, one of my friends will only buy from Pro Sellers on Vinted. She had a few bad experiences with private sellers and refuses to buy from them anymore.
You can also have a Pro account and a private account, provided you use them for different purposes. Although you will need two different emails and phone numbers for them.
On the other hand, you will have to abide by consumer protection rights and this means extra responsibilities, but as a business, you should be ok with that anyway. Dealing with complaints or awkward customers is all part of the fun for a professional business.
There are also restrictions on what you can sell:
- Handmade items
- Cosmetics or beauty devices
- Dropshipped goods
- Low-value stock purchased in bulk
- Large quantities of brand-new products
- Made-to-order or customised items
- Rentals or other services
Most of these apply to private sellers too, but not all, and they are a definite no no for Pros. It’s mainly aimed at stopping people selling new stock on a second hand platform.
Definitely more pros than cons if you are selling as a business, anyway!
How to Register
If you want to register as a Pro Seller, you can either convert an existing account, or create a new one.
To convert an existing account you will need to complete all ongoing orders on there first, and also withdraw any money in the account.
If you are registering as a sole trader you will need to give Vinted your National Insurance number, business address and VAT number if you have one, while registered companies and charities need to provide details like their registration number, business address, and tax information. They might ask for other supporting documents too for identity and business checks. It’s all very official 📝
It’s not difficult, however you end up doing it.
Note: You might have heard worrying stories about Pro Sellers’ National Insurance numbers being shown on their profile. This was an initial error that has been corrected, it’s not going to happen to you if you decide to sign up as a Pro. National Insurance numbers are required during registration, but they are not displayed publicly.