A Vinted shopper has spoken out against sellers who spray scents onto clothing before posting, insisting the habit "needs to be stopped" after their item arrived "damp" from being doused in fabric softener. The complaint, posted to Reddit, has struck a chord with several other second-hand shoppers, reigniting a long-running debate about a practice that sellers often intend as a nice touch — but which many buyers find irritating, unhygienic, or even harmful to their health.
Buyer receives damp item
One Vinted shopper turned to Reddit to implore sellers to cease adding various fragrances to their items. "Sellers, please stop spraying everything with scents," they wrote in the caption of their post. To provide further context, they included a screenshot from a conversation with a Vinted seller, who revealed they'd sprayed fabric softener onto the clothes before posting them.
While this might seem like a thoughtful gesture, the buyer had informed the seller that it had left the clothing item "damp". The Reddit user explained: "I still gave four stars, because otherwise the item is as described. But it was so saturated with refresher its wet. Now I'm going to wash it either way, but pulling out a wet item is concerning."
Why sellers spray scents on clothes
Some Vinted sellers add scents to packages or clothing in an effort to create an upscale "boutique-like" unboxing experience, make second-hand items feel fresh, or cover up storage and musty odours. However, many buyers dislike this practice because heavy fragrances can trigger migraines, allergies, or asthma, and may make the item feel unwashed.
It appears fellow Reddit users sided with the buyer, as numerous people flocked to the comments section to voice their opinions, with one person stating: "Its so annoying because it can be a real headache to get the scent out of the clothes. Worst offenders are the sellers that douse the clothes in sickly heavy perfume."
Shoppers raise health and mould concerns
Another person commented: "Not everyone likes the same smells. I will never understand why people do this. I wash all my stuff with unscented detergent so any fragranced clothes are so strong to me and I usually have to wash them multiple times to remove the smell."
Others raised concerns about the garments potentially being damp inside sealed packaging for extended periods, creating conditions for mould to develop. Another buyer remarked: "Everyone don't like the same smell. Some have allergies, sensitivities. A wet item on arrival is unacceptable and not as described, item could have grown mould. Those four stars was more then they deserved."
