Vinted Counterfeit Rules for Sellers: What to Keep to Prove an Item Is Genuine in 48 Hours

What do the new terms say about counterfeits?

The 48 hours sit in the refund policy. A buyer has 2 calendar days after Vinted's delivery notice to press the "I have an issue" button. If the buyer says the item is a counterfeit, the UK terms say Vinted may investigate and ask both sides for information. There are three outcomes in the text.

If Vinted has no doubt about authenticity, the order completes and the money in escrow goes to the seller minus Vinted's fees. If there is not enough information either way, Vinted treats the case as ambiguous and cancels the order. The buyer is refunded and has to send the item back to the seller, paying the return shipping unless you agree otherwise. If there is strong evidence of a counterfeit, Vinted tells the seller, who then has 48 hours to give evidence that the item is authentic. Without it, the order is cancelled and the buyer gets a refund without returning the item.

What does the six-week retention clause cover?

Section 17 of the terms, in the part headed "What Sellers need to know" under Vinted's verification services, adds a clause called Retention and destruction of counterfeit Items. It applies to an item that Vinted has verified as counterfeit and holds itself: Vinted keeps it for six weeks from the date of its notification, so the seller can challenge the outcome. It is not a general six-week hold on every suspected counterfeit.

If the seller gives no satisfactory proof of authenticity and no formal objection in those six weeks, the clause lets Vinted dispose of the item as soon as the period ends. The seller waives any right to claim it back, and Vinted may dispose of, recycle or destroy it without further notice or compensation. The French terms carry the same clause ("six (6) semaines").

The clause sits in the item verification section, next to the rules for items that fail verification and the rule for items lost or damaged while Vinted examines them. The text does not say whether Vinted applies the same retention to a normal refund case, where the item is with the buyer or in transit. If you get a notification, ask Support in the order thread which route applies and which date the six weeks count from, and keep the answer.

What should I keep so I can prove an item is genuine?

Vinted's own authenticity page lists what it asks sellers to show: a receipt or invoice, a certificate of authenticity, tags and care labels, logos, patterns and stitching, the original packaging, and date or authenticity codes. For electronics it adds the device serial number, the warranty card and the barcode on the box. Vinted may ask for proof even on non-luxury items from brands that counterfeiters copy a lot.

On the buyer side, Vinted's "Item seems to be counterfeit" page asks for photos of the whole item, the suspicious parts, the care label (every page and side) and the serial number, in good natural light with all text readable. Take the same photos of your own item before you ship, since you may have to match them.

A folder per branded item makes 48 hours enough: one screenshot of the purchase receipt or order confirmation, photos of the tag, care label and any code, the item as shipped, and the packing photo. Keep the folder until the order has completed and the refund window has passed. For a second-hand buy with no receipt, Vinted's page does not say what else it accepts, so keep what you do have: the original listing you bought from, and the seller's messages.

What do I do in the 48 hours?

Reply in the order thread with the files in one go and name each one ("receipt", "care label", "serial"). Vinted decides on what it receives, and the terms say both sides agree to respect its final decision. If the notification says the item is already verified as counterfeit and you disagree, send a formal objection in writing before the six weeks end.

If the item is genuine but you have no proof, send what you do have and say so. The terms say that failing to provide evidence leads to a cancelled order. For the next listing, buy branded stock with a receipt in your name, and check what the Vinted fee does to your margin before you price it.

Listings are a separate risk. Vinted's page says a listing that offers a counterfeit is permanently removed and the account suspended. If that has happened, read what to do when a Vinted listing is hidden or removed and what to do when an account is banned.

Where are the terms for my country?

Each country has its own terms page, and the effective dates differ. Trade press gives 5 October for the EU and 8 October for the UK, US and Australia. We read the two marked below and not the others, so check your own country's page before you rely on this.