EU consumer dialogue: Vinted to improve pricing information and transparency

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and the national consumer authorities of Member States, Vinted, an online marketplace for the second-hand sale of goods, has improved its pricing information to bring their practices more in line with EU consumer law. The Commission and national consumer authorities had received multiple complaints about Vinted, including on the automatic addition of a fee to the purchase at check-out without informing consumers about it upfront. The platform has now modified its website and mobile app to better inform consumers about the total price of goods offered and about how to claim a refund when the purchase doesn’t arrive or is counterfeit.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, coordinated by the Commission and led by the Lithuanian State Consumer Rights Protection Authority, started a dialogue with Vinted in December 2021. After multiple exchanges, Vinted implemented a series of changes to the versions of its website and app that are directed to EU/EEA consumers, for example:

• Informing consumers upfront about the total price of goods offered for sale on Vinted, including the so-called ‘buyer protection fee‘, which is added automatically to every purchase.
• Removing misleading advertisements that create the impression that purchases on Vinted are free of charges.
• Informing consumers more clearly on the process to claim a refund under Vinted‘s ‘buyer protection‘ policy if their purchase does not arrive at its destination.
• More transparent and detailed information on Vinted‘s counterfeit review process, including the steps consumers must take to claim a refund in case their purchase turns out to be counterfeit.
• More transparent and detailed information on the identity verification process that consumers must go through when they want to sell second-hand goods on Vinted, in particular, on the documents and information that they must submit.
• Informing consumers more clearly about Vinted‘s review policy, including how average user ratings are calculated, the difference between automated reviews and user-generated reviews, as well as how users can report suspicious reviews.

However, Vinted did not agree with the CPC Network’s request on how to inform consumers about the fact that the displayed prices do not include delivery fees, or where available inform consumers about the minimum delivery fees that will be applied, at the beginning of the purchase procedure. The CPC Network urged Vinted to address this issue and may resort to enforcement actions as necessary.

Next Steps

The CPC Network will monitor Vinted‘s website and app to make sure the implemented modifications respect the commitments made by the company. If commitments are not implemented properly or if Vinted fails to address concerns raised by the CPC Network, national consumer authorities may decide to take measures to enforce compliance, including sanctions.

In some Member States, there are ongoing legal proceedings against Vinted. The closure of the dialogue between the CPC Network and Vinted does not affect those proceedings.

Background

This CPC dialogue is based on the requirements of EU consumer protection law as set out in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD), the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD), and the Unfair Contract Terms Directive (UCTD). Under the UCPD, businesses must provide transparent and truthful information to consumers and must refrain from misleading consumers to influence their choices. The CRD further specifies the information that businesses must provide to consumers when making online purchases. The UCTD prohibits businesses from applying standard terms & conditions that are significantly imbalanced to the detriment of the consumer.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network is a network of national authorities of EU/EEA Member Sates responsible for the enforcement of EU consumer protection laws. To tackle cross-border issues, their actions are coordinated at EU level. The European Commission facilitates and, in some cases, coordinates such joint actions. CPC coordinated actions have a well-defined scope.

On 17 February 2024, the Digital Services Act (DSA) entered into application. The DSA harmonises the obligations for all online platforms in the EU to reinforce the safety and trustworthiness of the online space. Online platforms‘ obligations under the DSA are publicly enforced under the distinct and separate enforcement framework established under that regulation. The enforcement is shared between the European Commission, with jurisdiction over designated platforms with more that 45 million monthly active recipients in the EU, and national Digital Service Coordinators. Digital Service Coordinators have, among other, the power to request access to data, order inspections and impose fines on providers of intermediary services in their territory in the event of an infringement.

For More Information

• Market places and digital services – European Commission (europa.eu)
• Consumer Protection Cooperation Network
• Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
• Unfair Contract Terms Directive
• Consumer Rights Directive
• Digital Services Act