Brussels (EuroEFE) – Second-hand clothing app Vinted has committed to greater transparency on product prices, but not to the level required by the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC), which on Tuesday (June 18) threatened enforcement action if no further improvements were made.
The European Commission announced that, following a dialogue with the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities in the Member States, Vinted “has improved its pricing information” and that it is now more in line with what is required by the legislation European Union on consumer protection.
However, Vinted has not yet complied with the request to inform consumers that the prices displayed do not include shipping costs and, where appropriate, to clarify the minimum shipping costs that will be applied from the beginning of the purchase process.
The CPC network has asked Vinted to address this issue as well and warned that it may, if necessary, resort to “coercive measures”, the Commission said in a statement.
Both the EU executive and member state authorities have received “multiple complaints against Vinted in the past, in particular in relation to the automatic addition of a tax to the purchase at checkout without consumers being informed in advance” .
Following the company’s wake-up call, the platform “has now modified its website and mobile app to better inform consumers about the full price of the goods on sale and how to request a refund if the purchased product does not arrive at its destination or is counterfeit”.
The dialogue with the Lithuanian company began in 2021, through the CPC network, coordinated by the Commission.
Vinted has already made changes to versions of its website and app, including informing consumers in advance about the total price of goods offered for sale, in particular about “buyer protection” fees, which are automatically added to every purchase, or the removal of misleading advertisements that give the impression that shopping on Vinted is free.
Furthermore, the company has committed to providing more transparent and detailed information on the counterfeit control procedure and the identity verification procedure that consumers must follow when they wish to sell second-hand goods.
It also agreed to provide clearer information on its review policy, such as the difference between automated and user-generated reviews and how to report suspicious reviews.
[a cura di Sandra Municio]
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