My favourite app for selling clothes is Vinted. I’ve written quite a bit about it on this site already.
The company has done really well because its platform is so user-friendly and the model works for everyone, but in order to grow and become more successful they started allowing other items to be sold on the app too.
They are going to have to be careful here if you ask me. I love the app because it’s specifically targeted at the fashion world. If it gets too bloated with other products it will just be another ebay and will become more complicated to use.
Anyway, the point of telling you this is that a lot of new people are signing up to sell things but aren’t entirely sure what they can and can’t sell. See! It’s already causing problems.
So let me help you out here.
I know the app well and I use it often, so I’m clued up on what is and is not allowed on the platform. I thought I would share this expert knowledge with my readers (God, I’m such a loser…), point out any prohibited items and let you know what you can’t sell on Vinted.
Restricted Items
The easiest way to do this is to break it down into categories, and the first few restricted items have actually been on the list since the app launched in the UK. So I’ll start with the fashion based restrictions then move on to the other stuff.
Bear in mind you agree to abide by Vinted’s terms and conditions when you sign up, and all of this stuff is covered within those terms. I know hardly anybody reads them, but my point is Vinted are within their rights to restrict your access to the app if you break the rules, and there’s not really anything you can do about it.
(Obviously anything illegal is not allowed, so I won’t cover that stuff)
Counterfeits and Reproductions
Yes, sorry about that.
If you’ve got some dodgy Chanel bag or a reproduction football shirt they are not welcome on Vinted. I’m not judging you, I rock an amazing pair of fake Dolce & Gabbana sunnies when the weather allows, but I couldn’t sell them on Vinted.
They take this seriously and have automated systems in place to find listings that are potentially breaking their terms, as well as doing random manual checks.
They ask you demonstrate an item’s authenticity by showing close up images of tags or labels, and any other identifying features such as stitching, original packaging, receipts if you have them, etc.
Don’t get too hung up on this, no one is expecting the receipt from a pair of Jack&Jones denim pants your husband bought 2 years ago, just do your best with it.
That said, plenty of knock off items are listed on Vinted, especially football shirts. They can’t catch everything. So if you are a buyer you should check tags and codes for authenticity. There are lots of sites where you can do this for free.
Real Fur and Exotic Skins
This is not a legal requirement, but trading in real fur and exotic skins is frowned upon in the UK by most people, and there are continued calls for it to be banned. Vinted certainly don’t allow it.
It’s all about stopping the killing of endangered species for profit, and this includes natural shells and ivory, as well as any product containing even the tiniest amounts of ostrich, camel, karakul or reptile skin.
Real leather is alright, as are other animal products like wool and cashmere, but anything ‘exotic’ is against the rules to sell.
Works of Art and Photographs (Commercial)
I’m not sure what the problem is with this, but Vinted won’t let you sell artwork (paintings or drawings) or photographs. Not commercially at least. You can’t use Vinted as a shop front for your own art work.
If you have an old painting that’s been up on your wall for ages, or a framed poster from the 1990s you can sell those sorts of things. You just can’t sell handmade goods of your own or paintings you painted yourself.
You can sell frames for them though!
Food and Drink
This seems obvious doesn’t it, but people are strange.
Remember when everyone was camping outside Asda during the Prime draught, then filling their trolleys and reselling it on ebay for £10 a bottle? Like I said, people are strange.
I wouldn’t buy anything edible from a platform like this anyway, I wouldn’t trust the seller. For Vinted, it would be a disaster if people started getting poorly after eating something they bought on the platform, so I totally get why it’s not allowed.
Used Underwear and Other Hygiene
This is just gross.
I imagine there are sites on the dark web where used underwear goes for a pretty penny, but Vinted is not that kind of place. New underwear can be sold but it must have the tags attached. The same goes for bed clothes, corsets and reusable nappies too.
Used bras, bathing suits, tights and socks can be sold, but you would have to be mad to buy them if you ask me. Used piercings are not allowed.
This is about hygiene. Even after a 60°C wash, I wouldn’t be using duvets or pillows I had bought from someone else. I understand that this is essentially what we do when we stay at a hotel, we share bedding with strangers, but they are industrially cleaned between uses.
Even if you think I’m being a bit of a germaphobe or clean freak, Vinted won’t let you sell duvets or pillows so there.
However, that hasn’t stopped people finding a way around the rules when it comes to their used knickers. Selling under the radar undies does occur #iykyk – seriously, people are gross.
Opened Cosmetics
Why would anyone want to buy cosmetics that had been used? This is another one that Vinted are very strict on. Thank goodness.
While you can sell cosmetics, they have to be brand new, sealed, and in date. If they are out of the packaging, the seal is broken, or they have expired then they are prohibited.
To be clear, this includes perishable products like cleanser, make-up and hair care, but it also includes things like brushes, sponges and applicators, so don’t get caught out.
Oh, and you can’t sell products intended for professional or medical use only (so a prescription dermatological cream, for example) even if it is brand new and sealed.
Medical and Health Related
Another category you might think is blindingly obvious, but there are some corners of this category that I hadn’t thought of.
Things like veterinary products, food supplements, or vitamins. People buy these all the time, and they aren’t cheap, so you can see why someone might want to buy them at a discount.
Well, you can’t. Not on Vinted anyway.
This even includes things like:
- Pregnancy tests
- Ovulation tests
- DNA tests
- Covid-19 tests
- Other medical tests
- Needles
- Contact lenses on prescription
- Laser devices
- Lipolysis devices
- Plasma pens
- TENS machines
- Electrotherapy devices
- Fetal heartbeat detectors
- Baby ultrasound machines
- Respiratory sensors
- Inhalation devices
- Aerosol therapy devices
- Teeth descaler devices
- Sleeping aid devices
- Mercury thermometers
It’s a pretty exhaustive list. It’s just too risky, for the platform and for you.
Restricted Tech and Electronics
This is probably the most confusing area because Vinted do have an Electronics section, but specific items that would fit into that category are still not allowed.
For example, pet grooming appliances are not allowed, neither are movie cameras. However you can sell grooming appliances for humans and digital cameras. SIM cards and unsealed or used memory cards are a no no, but phones, consoles and video games are fine.
Here is a list of some of the electronics and tech that you cannot sell:
- Greylisted devices
- Finance-blocked devices
- GSMA blacklisted devices (lost, stolen, unpaid)
- Account-locked devices (e.g. activation lock, no login access)
- Jailbroken or rooted devices
- Software keys
- Digital games, eBooks, and audiobooks
- SIM cards
- Devices with batteries over 100 watt-hours
- Devices with swollen batteries
- Used or unsealed batteries and power banks
- Used memory cards, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, USB sticks (must be new and sealed)
- Radio devices outside permitted frequency limits
- Radar or frequency jamming devices
- Pet grooming electronics
- Pet cameras and monitors
- Aquarium and terrarium electrical equipment
- Movie/TV cameras
- Electronics modified so they no longer match the original product or safety standards
That’s not an exhaustive list but it covers the main restricted items people might try to list.
Gift Cards and Digital Products
You know that £20 John Lewis gift card you got for Christmas (when the nearest shop is about 100 miles away…) well Vinted is not the place to offload it.
You can’t sell anything digital on Vinted, and that includes subscriptions, keys for downloads, discount codes, ebooks, or even event tickets. Most events have digital tickets these days, which makes it harder to sell them on, and Vinted is not going to make it any easier for you.
Pets and Plants
You would have to be mad to buy a gerbil on Vinted. Slightly less mad to buy a bunch of flowers or a potted cactus, but still not quite all there.
It’s not allowed anyway, so even if you fit the description, you won’t be able to buy your pets or your plants here.
Adult, 18+ and Fetish Items
Stop giggling you.
If you are looking for a bargain dildo, gimp mask, or porn magazine, I am sorry to tell you that Vinted will not be the place for you. We’ll have none of that here, thank you very much!
This applies to new and used (eww…) products, so even if you have a sealed, brand new in the box never used Fleshlight or BlowMotion, you can’t sell it on Vinted.
Vapes and tobacco products fall into this category too.
What Happens If You Break the Rules?
You might think it would be impossible to get caught selling the odd fake clutch purse or a lipstick that had been opened but never used, but you would be wrong.
Vinted have their own systems and processes in place to scan the marketplace for listings that break the rules, but they also have an army of spies working for them. The buyers.
Yes, buyers can report listings they don’t like the look of, and no one likes being ripped off so people aren’t shy about reporting items that break the rules.
Vinted reserve the right to suspend the account of anyone selling items they should not be selling, as well as removing the listing of course. In serious cases, or cases where the person is a repeat offender, they can even close your account completely and stop you using the platform as a seller or a buyer.
They do work in partnership with law enforcement where necessary too, so if you were trying to sell something illegal it could get you in trouble with the police.
It’s not worth it, so just stick to the items you are allowed to sell.
How Can You Tell What Is Not Allowed?
This is a fair question. Who has time to memorise the list of restricted items on every resale platform they use?
Me neither.
If you are worrying about getting it wrong, I would say it’s really not that big of a deal. You’re unlikely to be selling anything that will get you into serious trouble, so if you did unknowingly make a mistake and got suspended you could talk with customer services and get things straightened out.
Even that is unlikely though, because everything has to be listed in a category.
The reason this is useful is because if you can’t find an appropriate category for the item you want to sell, there’s a good chance it’s not allowed on Vinted. So at this point you could check their catalog rules page and see if your item is prohibited.
So it’s kind of built into the listing system that items which aren’t allowed will stand out.
If you can find a specific category for the thing you want to sell then by definition it must be allowed, right? Simple 😉