European Union: Announced Vinted commitments to ensure compliance with consumer law following dialogue with European Commission and national consumer authorities

On 18 June 2024, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, coordinated by the European Commission and led by the Lithuanian State Consumer Rights Protection Authority, announced that following dialogues, Vinted, an e-commerce platform for second-hand goods, agreed to adopt measures to improve its pricing information and transparency practices. The action was in response to concerns raised regarding the lack of upfront fee disclosures and misleading advertising practices on the platform. In particular, Vinted committed to include the upfront disclosure of total prices, including the “buyer protection fee”, the elimination of misleading advertisements suggesting charge-free purchases, and more transparent information on refund claims for undelivered or counterfeit items. The Commission noted that despite the made commitments, Vinted has not complied with requests to inform consumers about delivery fees at the start of the purchase process, a matter the CPC Network will continue to address. The CPC Network, led by the Lithuanian State Consumer Rights Protection Authority and coordinated by the Commission, will closely monitor Vinted's adherence to these commitments, with potential enforcement actions by national consumer authorities if necessary.