Many users of a shopping app are currently complaining about a particularly perfidious scam. At Vinted, goods are placed that never end up with the customer despite payment. A CHIP editor has also become a victim of the scam. The company has now commented on the facts.
Many users of the popular shopping platform Vinted are currently complaining about a new scam. As can be seen from numerous forum entries, the criminals use a perfidious trick. As soon as the victims have ordered an item from Vinted and paid for it through the system, they receive a message a few seconds later that the package has already been delivered.
When you click on the shipment tracking, you can read that the package was sent and shipped weeks ago – i.e. before the order was even placed. Entering the zip code also spits out “Not valid”.
Vinted scam: This is how shopping customers are ripped off
Basically, orders at Vinted are processed like this: The customer pays via the system and the seller then has to enter a number at Vinted. The transferred money remains with Vinted until the shipping service provider has confirmed the delivery. The buyer then has two days in which to confirm the delivery and then “activate” the money. If this deadline is not met, the money will automatically go to the seller and the buyer will no longer be able to lodge a complaint.
This is exactly where the fraudster’s trick comes in: Since the date of the alleged delivery is in the past, the buyer can no longer react with a complaint because the two-day period has been overturned, so to speak. There is usually no more feedback from the seller and the money is gone.
Shop recommendation for suitcases
Offer from BestCheck.de | Prices incl. VAT plus shipping
Also CHIP editor affected by scam
A CHIP editor has also become a victim of this scam. Afterwards she noticed that the affected articles were subsequently relisted and that other accounts also posted the same product images. The colleague wrote to Vinted directly via the two possible complaint channels on the site. However, both times she only received automated replies, according to which the deadline had already passed and she had not contacted her at the time. An objection is therefore no longer possible.
Vinted apparently reacted to a message from PayPal, as can be seen from several user reports. The trick therefore mainly affects purchases via PayPal, which is why you can write to the company here. However, the users write that they were subsequently threatened with termination by standardized email. Customers should therefore withdraw the complaint with PayPal, otherwise the account will be deleted.
Our colleague saw an e-mail to the address [email protected] as the last resort – here too, however, only a standard e-mail reply has so far come. It is unclear whether she will ever get her money or the goods (back).
Vinted comments on the scams
At the request of CHIP.de, Vinted has now commented on the scam:
“As C2C online platforms grow in popularity, so does the risk of these platforms being targeted by scammers. Platform member security has always been a top priority at Vinted, and security teams work daily to provide the community with the best possible To ensure protection, the security measures are regularly checked and improved, and new tools for secure transactions on the platform are developed in order to be able to counteract newly emerging fraud methods in a timely manner.
Vinted is aware of the mentioned scheme with expired tracking links. Work is already underway on additional security measures to contain this scam. The specifics of how to deal with this type of scam cannot be given in detail as scammers could use this information to their advantage. Requests from affected members who have used Vinted’s Buyer Protection will be reviewed by the support team.
If CS has been able to validate the above fraud scheme, appropriate refunds will be issued. Vinted points out that, according to the applicable General Terms and Conditions, inquiries should be reported via the Vinted platform so that buyer protection can take effect – regardless of which payment service provider the transaction was processed through.
In order to trade safely on online platforms, it is also advisable to follow a few general tips before making a purchase. This includes, among other things, checking the price-performance ratio offered, the ratings of the seller(s), the quality of the pictures, product descriptions and other offers, as well as contacting the member via the chat function if there are any open questions. Vinted users can help increase security on the platform by reporting suspicious content directly to customer service via the app.
Vinted also informs its members about safety tips to sell and buy safely on Vinted in the Help Center:
- https://www.vinted.de/help/552-personal-Sicherheit?access_channel=hc_topics
- https://www.vinted.de/help/15/628-fraudulent-messages-and-phishing-attempts-recognise?access_channel=hc_topicsa”
Other readers are also interested in: