ALERT: Vinted scams "happening left, right, and centre" says buyer who was conned
A woman called Laura Burke has come forward to share her story about being scammed on Vinted, the popular second-hand buying and selling app
Laura Burke, an online fitness coach has come forward to share her experience about being scammed on the second-hand buying and selling app, Vinted.
She sold a dress on the platform for €75 to customer in France, but it wasn't until a little while later that she realised she was being scammed.
Speaking on Andrea Gilligan's Lunchtime Live programmeon Newstalk, Laura shared how she realised she was being scammed after the customer accusing her of scamming.
The buyer sent Laura a photo of a pair of shorts and instantly started to accuse her of posting the wrong item.
“I knew pretty quickly I was likely the victim of a scam. The package in the background behind the shorts was not the package I shipped the dress in. It was just so clearly a scam," she said.
The buyer instantly coming with an accusatory tone made alarm bells go off in Laura's mind.
She tried to get ahead by contacted Vinted to say she was being scammed but it was a matter of "he said, she said" and because the buyer had "proof" it has been a difficult issue to navigate.
Laura didn't take photos of her parcel before sending it to France so she had no counter-argument to tell Vinted that she did not send the incorrect item.
“It’s a really tricky situation and there seems to be nothing in place to protect the seller in this instance,” she said.
Laura has asked for her item back and the buyer has said that they will send her back the shorts - which were never hers to begin with.
After the ordeal, Laura took to her Instagram to ask her followers if they had experienced anything similar and the amount of messages she received was "overwhelming."
"This seems to be happening left, right, and centre," she said.
Laura's payment for the dress is in limbo as Vinted holds it until the buyer confirms they have received the correct parcel.
She primarily used the app for selling but this experience has put her off even buying from it.
Rosalind Lipsett, a Fashion Broadcaster with Morning Ireland also joined the show to share her advice.
“It’s very important to document the clothes… If there’s a little hole in something, document it. If there’s a little fluff on the collar, take a picture, because you are protected then as a seller,” she said.