If a buyer claims your item is counterfeit, Vinted's own policy lets them get a full refund without returning the item when it finds strong evidence of fakeness (help article 1471) — and that rule is exactly what the "it's fake" scam exploits. Sellers on r/vinted and r/vintedUK describe being given 24–48 hours to prove authenticity or request a return, and losing the item and the money even when they had receipts. Here's exactly what to do the moment the claim lands.
The pattern is consistent across r/vinted, r/vintedUK and the Facebook seller groups. A buyer purchases a branded item — usually trainers, designer clothing or accessories — and shortly after delivery opens a dispute claiming it's counterfeit. The "evidence" is often subjective: one buyer of a pair of trainers cited "the smell" of the shoes; another claimed Crocs bought directly from the brand were fake "based on how the back strap moves". The order gets suspended, and the seller suddenly has a deadline.
The most recent case on r/vinted (August 2026) is typical: a seller who had shipped a pair of LV skate sneakers was told by Vinted to "request a return within 48 hours or the buyer gets a refund and the shoes". Another seller on r/vintedUK was given 24 hours to prove the authenticity of their trainers — and when they couldn't produce the original receipt, the order was cancelled and the buyer refunded.
Sellers describe the outcome in near-identical words: "they keep the item AND get their money back". One seller of a Supreme cap, who had a genuine receipt and close-up photos of tags and stitching, ended up with "no cap, no money". A commenter on a separate thread summed up the size of the problem: "I have seen lots of examples where the buyer claims it's fake and they get a full refund and get to keep the item."
The scam works because of Vinted's own rules. In its help article "Item seems to be counterfeit" (help 1471), Vinted states: "If there's strong evidence that the item is counterfeit, we'll cancel the order and issue you a refund. You won't have to return this item." A buyer who successfully claims "fake" is refunded in full — item price, Buyer Protection fee and shipping — and keeps the item. The seller gets nothing.
Commenters point out that buyers lean on this deliberately. If Vinted asks for a return, buyers refuse, saying it's illegal to ship counterfeit goods — and Vinted often lets them keep the item rather than force the return. One reseller described a friend's case: the buyer claimed the trainers were fake, refused to send them back, "got a refund and kept the shoes". Others say the items are then resold on other marketplaces, meaning the scammer profits twice.
There's a second risk sellers don't expect: Vinted's authenticity policy (help 307) says listings of counterfeit items are permanently removed and the seller's account suspended, and help 1471 adds that Vinted "will also take action against sellers who repeatedly sell counterfeit items". A false claim isn't just a lost sale — if Vinted sides with the buyer, you can end up fighting to keep your account too.
Sellers describe the same sequence: the buyer's claim suspends the order, then Vinted steps in with a deadline. In the August 2026 LV sneakers case, the message said the seller should request a return within 48 hours "or the buyer gets a refund and the shoes". In the trainers case, Vinted said the order would be cancelled and the buyer refunded if proof of authenticity wasn't provided within 24 hours.
Treat any deadline as real and respond the same day. Two things matter most: (1) request the return immediately — sellers report the refund is not released until the return is completed, so a buyer who never sends the item back doesn't get the money; and (2) upload your proof of authenticity into the order chat in one calm, factual message. Don't argue with the buyer in chat — everything you write becomes part of the case file.
Vinted's help article 307 lists what it accepts as proof of authenticity: a receipt or invoice, a certificate of authenticity, tags and care labels, logos, patterns and stitching, original packaging, and date/authenticity codes. For electronics: the device serial number, warranty card and the barcode on the box. The same article tells sellers to "keep copies of proof of authenticity (such as invoices, certificates) for items you sell — we may ask for them".
The burden of proof sits with the seller, and sellers report that photos alone rarely win. One seller submitted 25+ detailed photos of their trainers — soles, insoles, stitching, branding, even a comparison with the same model bought from the brand — and still lost without a receipt. Another sent an invoice, order confirmation and delivery receipt for Crocs bought directly from the brand, and Vinted still approved the return. Receipts and invoices carry weight; photos, however thorough, are treated as self-reported.
If you have any receipt, order confirmation email, bank statement entry or gift receipt, screenshot it and upload it. If the item came with tags, date codes or serial numbers, photograph those clearly in natural light — the photo requirements Vinted lists in help 1471 for the buyer's proof apply to yours too: the whole item, the suspicious parts, the care label on all pages, and the serial number.
Step 1 — reply inside the order within hours. Request the return yourself and upload all your evidence in one message: proof of purchase, authenticity photos, your original listing photos, and the packing video if you have one.
Step 2 — if Vinted still sides with the buyer, escalate. Open any help article roughly related to the issue and use the "Contact us" / "I still need help" button at the bottom — that opens the support form without needing a new order. For legal and regulatory issues the normal form can't resolve, Vinted lists legal@vinted.com on its contacts for dispute resolution page (help 1253).
Step 3 — if the buyer returns a swapped, damaged or empty parcel, dispute it in the order chat immediately with your unboxing video and photos, and refuse to let the case close until a human reviews it. If the buyer never returns the item, the refund should stay frozen — sellers report the money not being released in that situation.
Step 4 — if you're out of options, escalate formally. Multiple sellers report being compensated only after sending a formal legal notice / letter before action and stating they would file at small claims court. One r/vinted seller who lost a €265 jacket got the full amount back 18 days after a formal notice; a seller who lost a £195 item recovered it the same way. A commenter who had done it twice put it bluntly: "As soon as you send the letter before claim they'll respond and you'll get your refund."
Prevention is the only reliable defence, because once the claim lands the odds are against you. The habits sellers recommend after getting burned:
Keep proof of purchase for anything branded. Receipts, order confirmation emails and invoices are the single strongest piece of evidence — Vinted explicitly asks sellers to keep copies (help 307). If you bought the item second-hand, screenshot the original listing and your purchase confirmation.
Photograph the details Vinted actually checks: serial numbers, date codes, tags, care labels, stitching and original packaging. One commenter's advice after losing a case: "Don't sell anything branded on Vinted unless you have clear evidence it's genuine."
Film the item and the packing process for anything valuable, and keep the video until the buyer confirms the order.
Vet the buyer. In the August 2026 LV case, the buyer had zero reviews and bought the item outright without haggling — a combination sellers now treat as a red flag on high-value items.
For genuinely valuable items, consider Vinted's optional Item Verification / Electronics Verification (mentioned in help 307). It shifts the authentication burden away from you — and some sellers now refuse to sell high-value items unless the buyer opts in. If you can't afford to lose it, don't ship it on Vinted without either proof of purchase or verification.
Per Vinted's help article 1471, if there's "strong evidence" the item is counterfeit, Vinted cancels the order, refunds the buyer in full, and the buyer does not have to return the item. That policy is what makes false "it's fake" claims so dangerous — sellers report losing both the item and the money.
Sellers report being given 24–48 hours to request a return or provide proof of authenticity, with the warning that otherwise the order is cancelled and the buyer refunded. Miss it and the buyer keeps the item — respond the same day, request the return, and upload your evidence.
Vinted's help article 307 lists: receipt or invoice, certificate of authenticity, tags and care labels, logos/patterns/stitching, original packaging, and date or authenticity codes; for electronics, the serial number, warranty card and box barcode. Sellers report that receipts and invoices carry far more weight than photos of the item alone.
Refusing usually means the buyer gets the refund and keeps the item. Request the return instead: sellers report the refund is only released once the return is completed, so a buyer who never sends it back doesn't get the money.
Dispute it in the order chat immediately with your unboxing video, photos and proof of purchase, and escalate through the help centre. If Vinted still won't review it, sellers report recovering their money by emailing legal@vinted.com and, as a last resort, sending a letter before action.