A Vinted seller is urging others to take photos and videos of items before shipping, after falling victim to a scam involving a buyer who allegedly used AI to fake a stain on a dress and then resold it for a higher price.
Izzy, who shared her story on TikTok, said she sold a Self-Portrait polka dot dress that her sister had given her. Because it was "very small," she wanted it to go to a home where it could be appreciated. She noted the dress retails for £420 but she listed it for £55, as it had been sitting in her wardrobe for ages.
After the dress had been on Vinted for about three months, someone offered £35, and Izzy accepted the amount.
The dispute over the dress
When the buyer received the dress, they claimed there were stains on it, which Izzy said was "not true in the slightest." She said she went straight to her wardrobe and "packaged it up neatly" before sending it. The buyer then alleged they wanted to send it back, saying they wouldn't "lie about a stain" and were "upset" by the situation.
Izzy said she would look into what she could do to rectify the situation, and explained that if the dress was stained, it must have "happened in transit" as it was brand new. She asked the buyer to show what the item looked like when it arrived, and they showed "the biggest stain" over the whole middle section of the dress. In the report, they claimed the stain was "front and back."
Vinted's response
Izzy said it took Vinted a month to get back to her about the situation and claimed they had approved the buyer's return. According to Vinted, this was because Izzy hadn't taken photos or videos of the item being packaged up. The woman then resold the Self-Portrait dress for £95, which Izzy called a "p*** take."
In the comments, people shared that the buyer must have used AI to fake the stain, despite the claim that it was taken to the dry cleaners to remove it. One person wrote: "Vinted are siding with scammers, it’s getting ridiculous." Another said that if an item is worth over a certain amount, taking a video every time is crucial to avoid situations like this.
A Vinted spokesperson commented: "Using AI to mislead, whether in listings or during disputes (for example, involving falsified evidence), is not allowed, and we take appropriate action – including the removal of listings or the suspension of accounts – when we become aware of it.
"Each complaint is examined on a case-by-case basis using a combination of technical and human resources, and we recommend that members take photos of the item from all angles before shipping, to help with this.
"Overall, the misleading use of AI is in the minority, but we're constantly improving our systems to help ensure people have a safe experience on the platform."
