With the Christmas break nearly over, many of us are buckling under an endless mountain of new things – gifts, however well meant, that we neither asked for nor need.
The temptation is simply to shrug and start loading up the ‘regift’ drawer at home.
But there’s an easy, and lucrative, way to get rid of these unwanted presents without offending the person who gave them to you.
From clothes that don’t fit to Secret Santa gifts you hate, there’s demand for them all on Vinted.
If you’re not already on the online pre-loved marketplace, it’s not too late to start – but you’ll have to act fast to make money from your post-Christmas clear-out.
‘Most people jump on Vinted between Boxing Day and early January,’ explains expert seller Bianca Alleyne, a personal stylist and editor-in-chief of the podcast Sustainably Influenced, who has made thousands on the site.
‘If you list unwanted presents straight-away, you’ll catch the traffic surge and sell faster.’
Launched by two twentysomethings in Lithuania in 2008, Vinted reached the UK in 2014 and it has boomed in popularity since 2021.
‘Most people jump on Vinted between Boxing Day and early January,’ explains expert seller Bianca Alleyne, a personal stylist and editor-in-chief of the podcast Sustainably Influenced
Today, it has 18million British users and is worth a staggering £4.4billion worldwide.
And while most Vinted fans are women aged 25 to 34, there has been a recent surge among those aged 65 to 74, with some making hundreds of thousands of pounds a year from the site.
Free to use (buyers, not sellers, pay postage, plus a small fee – 3 to 8 per cent of the purchase price – to Vinted), downloadable via an app on your phone and open to everyone, it’s no wonder the platform has seen such meteoric success.
But what are the hidden pitfalls, and the best ways to make the biggest profit? Here is the experts’ guide to making a mint on Vinted (and a few tips for buyers, too)…
PUT ITEMS UP FOR SALE DURING THE ‘GOLDEN HOUR’
‘Posting at the right time can make a huge difference,’ says Jessica Appleyard, 33, from Leicester, who makes up to £20,000 a year on Vinted through her business Off The Rails Pre-Loved Clothing.
‘I find that after 7pm is the golden hour – it’s when most people are relaxing and scrolling online.
‘I usually upload at least five items during this time to push my listings higher in the search feed.’
Other peak times include after 12pm on a weekend, and the last Friday of every month – payday.
Like the property platform Rightmove, the Vinted app lists newer items at the top. So the more recent your posting, the more people will see it.
‘Post regularly, ideally daily, even two to three times daily,’ says Polly Arrowsmith, 58, from London, who’s been on Vinted for just over a year and has made £6,000 from more than 500 sales.
Many of us have been left with unwanted, and rather saleable, gifts following Christmas Day
You can also make old listings look new by editing the title or description. ‘Even something as small as adding an emoji or full stop can push your listing back up the algorithm,’ Jessica explains.
Sharan Sammi, 44, a money mentor and Vinted expert from Wolverhampton, says this is crucial if you want to stay visible – as is keeping a stock of bin bags labelled ‘Vinted’ handy at home, so you can add to them as you find things you want to sell.
‘As soon as my kids, who are eight and 11, say, “Mummy, it doesn’t fit!”, I list the items straight away,’ she says.
PRESENTATION IS KEY – BUT DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE
Chief among the experts’ tricks to attract buyers is: keep it simple.
‘You never have to spell out that something was an unwanted gift,’ says Bianca.
‘Phrases like, “Brand new, never used”, “Duplicate item”, or “Not my shade/style” are completely acceptable and very common on Vinted.
‘Buyers care about condition, not the backstory.’
To describe your item, use keywords that include the item type, colour, size and condition, and be specific (say ‘maxi dress’; not just ‘dress’).
You can also add tags for the season, as well as trend-based keywords: phrases such as ‘vintage’ and brand names like ‘Nike’ and ‘Jellycat’ will appear in more searches.
In terms of pictures, ‘presentation is everything’, says Sam Lucker, a vintage reseller who uses Vinted and the platform Fleek to connect with buyers.
‘Items should be washed and steamed so they look and feel fresh,’ he adds.
When taking photographs, Bianca recommends shooting from multiple angles, including one ‘styled’ picture – such as clothing on a hanger, or homewares in situ.
‘Bright, clear photos on a neutral background can raise the selling price by 20 to 30 per cent,’ she adds.
SET THE PRICE HIGHER THAN YOU WANT
‘I list items for £1 to £5 more than I think they’re worth,’ says Hayley Reed, 42, founder of the London-based decluttering service Chaos Calmed.
She makes around £10,000 – split between herself and her clients – from Vinted every few months by selling on behalf of her customers.
‘I list items for £1 to £5 more than I think they’re worth,’ says Hayley Reed, 42, founder of the London-based decluttering service Chaos Calmed
‘Then, when someone “favourites” it, message them with a lower offer – the amount you wanted all along – and you’ve got an instant sale.’
Sellers who message potential buyers can increase sales by between 30 and 50 per cent, according to the data.
But remember to keep tabs on your earnings from Vinted. If you make over £1,000 from the site in a year, new rules from HMRC mean you’ll have to pay tax on it.
Once you sell something, make-up artist and Vinted expert Ariane Young, 30, from London, recommends transferring the money out of your Vinted account (where it stays, as a ‘credit’ to spend on the platform) immediately. ‘Otherwise you’ll be tempted to buy something else,’ she adds.
KEEP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF BUYERS
The most successful Vinted sellers nurture a relationship with their buyers.
‘Be polite,’ says Polly. This applies even if you get rude or abrupt comments, or someone makes an offer that’s insultingly low. ‘Rather than reacting, just laugh.’
Respond to questions promptly, and post sold items quickly, preferably within 24 hours – this will earn you a ‘Speedy Shipping’ badge on your profile.
When sending out packages, wrap them nicely and always ask buyers for a positive review.
While it can be tempting to scrimp on packaging (some sellers use old carrier bags or envelopes patched up with sticky tape), this won’t serve you well in the long run. Buyers might complain and you won’t get repeat sales.
‘I use silver padded envelopes,’ says Polly. ‘It looks good, and you can get 100 on Amazon from £15. I also pop in a bag of treat-size Haribo.’
Sharan uses wrapping paper, themed to match the item she’s selling, or patterned wallpaper offcuts. ‘The buyers love it; I get so many comments about my gift wrap,’ she says.
And Sam puts a business card with his details inside every parcel. ‘Presentation, communication and consistency all encourage repeat sales,’ he adds.
As you’re communicating with strangers on the site, expect the unexpected. Sellers sometimes get accused of photoshopping images or are asked to provide proof of purchase (tricky if the item was a gift)
KEEP RECEIPTS IN CASE ITEMS GET LOST
Although most Vinted sales run like clockwork, sometimes things go wrong. ‘Around 1 per cent of items go missing with couriers, so keep your receipts,’ advises Polly. This way, you can prove that you posted it as agreed; any monetary claims lie with the courier – not you.
As you’re communicating with strangers on the site, expect the unexpected. Sellers sometimes get accused of photoshopping images or are asked to provide proof of purchase (tricky if the item was a gift).
And sometimes, they spend hours responding to messages from potential buyers – only for them to vanish into thin air. Buyers have a two-day window to report issues once they’ve received the item, so be aware of this.
Their money is held on the platform, and it is not released to you, until they click a button to confirm that they are happy.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO HAGGLE WHEN BUYING
Vinted buyers can make up to 25 offers a day (where you click a button to suggest a price less than the one listed), but this doesn’t have to limit you.
Get around the restriction by sending sellers a courteous message asking if they’ll consider a lower price.
‘Most people will accept a reasonable offer,’ says Gemma Poolman, 37, a mum of one and Vinted expert from Suffolk.
‘As a seller, I almost always say yes. Sometimes the first offer is the best one.’
To keep costs low, make sure you review all the delivery options; Vinted often auto-selects a more expensive courier by default.
First-time buyers get free delivery, and you’ll occasionally find sellers who cover the costs – or Vinted promotions on specific items.
KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR BARGAIN BUNDLE DEALS
Sellers tend to upload batches of items at a time – and if you’re on the ball, you get the pick of the best bits
When searching for a particular type of item, keep an eye out for ‘bundles’ from sellers you like.
‘There are lots of deals going on,’ says Gemma. ‘If you buy more than one item from someone, it can get you between five and 20 per cent off the total.
‘It also feels like you’re getting more for your postage.’
If you ‘favourite’ items, you’ll also get alerted when the price drops, and you can ‘follow’ sellers so you know when they’ve uploaded new items you might like.
‘Sellers tend to upload batches of items at a time – and if you’re on the ball, you get the pick of the best bits,’ says Hayley.
But remember to act quickly and check back throughout the day, as premium items go at breakneck speed.
TRY TO FIND ITEMS THAT ARE OUT OF SEASON
Consider shopping on Vinted for next season – or even the one after that.
January is a prime time to buy swimwear, beach accessories and summer shoes, for example.
And you should consider shopping for your Halloween decorations during Easter and your Christmas gifts from mid-summer.
Sellers often boost prices when items are in season, as demand for them is higher, so it’s worth going against the grain.
‘Stay ahead of what’s trending,’ advises Jessica. ‘This year, we pushed Christmas fashion as early as October.’
DON’T ASSUME EVERY PIECE IS A BARGAIN
Before going in with an offer, make sure you shop around.
Use online search engines and other resale platforms (such as Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace) to find out if the price is really as good as it seems.
Weed out sellers with red flags – poor (or no) reviews, no profile picture or very few items for sale – and, if buying clothing, double-check the sizing.
A recent change in Vinted regulations caused uproar among users, as the site updated UK clothing sizes (‘L’, for example, used to be size 12, but is now 16-18).
Buyers have less protection on Vinted than on other reselling platforms, and you’ll have to pay return postage if you’re unhappy with your purchase.
On this basis, experts recommend avoiding pre-loved tech items and expensive jewellery. You might be bagging a bargain, but the old saying ‘caveat emptor’ (buyer beware) still applies.
But beware the ‘empty package’ scam that tricks buyers
Our Vinted delivery arrived in a Royal Mail tracked envelope – flat, grey and obviously not containing the £65 football boots my husband Chris had bought our son, Felix, 13.
Inside was a handwritten letter from the seller that read: ‘Sorry for the delay your package will arrive to you in 2+ days or earlier.’
Huh? Neither of us had used the online marketplace app before – Felix persuaded Chris to download it as he’s convinced it’s a mecca for bargains: these boots ordinarily sell for £144.
But why a tracked letter to notify us of a delay? ‘To stall us,’ said Chris, who discovered Vinted buyers have two days after an item is recorded as delivered to raise an objection. After this the money, held by Vinted, is transferred to the seller. ‘It’s a scam.’
Last year, a survey by Experian plc found 37 per cent of Britons who shopped on online marketplaces have been scammed.
Chris messaged the seller, who admitted he had sent the letter, albeit with an unintelligible explanation. ‘Yes, that cause it will happened [sic] with my other customer’, he wrote, implying, if there was an issue, Chris should return the delivery.
Chris contacted Vinted customer support requesting it freeze payment to the seller, sending screenshots of the message, the letter and the envelope with his report.
He received replies from five people at ‘Team Vinted’ who said they were ‘investigating’ but refused to answer Chris’ specific questions.
He was fobbed off at every turn. ‘I am deeply sorry for this unpleasant situation. It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances for all involved,’ wrote Adsi.
Ten days on, Adsi’s colleague Rayan announced ‘the seller has received the funds for their sale’.
When I put what happened to Vinted’s Press office, a spokesman said we were entitled to a refund and added: ‘When we become aware an error has occurred, we will take action to rectify the situation.’
