Returns on Vinted: who pays and how it works
A buyer wants to send an item back. What happens next depends on why. Here is who pays the postage and where your money is in the meantime.
If the item has a real problem, Buyer Protection covers the buyer and you can ask for the item back before they get a refund. If the buyer just changed their mind, a private seller does not have to accept a return. In both cases the buyer pays the return postage, unless you agree to pay it.
Two kinds of return on Vinted
The first kind is a return because something is wrong. The item never arrived, it arrived damaged, or it is very different from your listing. This is what Buyer Protection, the fee the buyer pays at checkout, is for.
The second kind is a return because the buyer does not want the item any more. It does not fit, the colour looks different on them, or they simply changed their mind. Buyer Protection does not cover this. Vinted's refund policy lists items the buyer simply does not want among the cases it does not refund. Source: Vinted Refund Policy
When the item has a problem
The buyer has 2 days to report it. The clock starts when Vinted tells them the parcel should have been delivered. They press "I have an issue", add photos and send the request to you. The order is then suspended.
You then have three choices. You can give a full refund and let them keep the item. You can offer a partial refund, so they keep the item and get part of the price back. Or you can ask for the item back, and they refund only once you have it. Source: Returning an item
A small difference does not count. Vinted does not refund an item with only minor differences from the listing, or one that was used or damaged after it was delivered. Where that line sits is covered in our post on items that are not as described.
When the buyer changed their mind
If the buyer wants to return an item because it does not fit or they do not like it, they need to discuss it with you. It is your choice whether to accept the return.
So as a private seller, you can say no. You can also say yes if you want to keep a happy buyer.
Timing matters here. Once the order is completed, Vinted says it cannot offer refunds, compensation or returns, and the money is already in your balance. Anything you agree after that is between you and the buyer only. Source: The buyer has an issue, but the order is completed
Who pays the return postage
Vinted's terms put the return postage on the buyer, unless you agree otherwise. This is true even when the item has a problem. If the buyer pays for the return label through Vinted, that cost is taken off their refund. Source: Vinted Terms and Conditions
You can choose to pay it. When you ask for the item back, Vinted lets you give the buyer a prepaid return label. If the mistake was yours, for example a stain you did not mention, paying the postage is the fair thing to do.
| Reason for the return | Do you have to accept? | Who pays the postage |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged or very different from the listing | You choose a refund or ask for the item back | The buyer, unless you offer to pay |
| Does not fit or the buyer changed their mind | No, it is your choice | Whatever you both agree |
What happens to the money
While the order is suspended, the buyer's payment is held by Vinted's payment provider. You see it under pending balance in your Vinted Wallet. It is not yours yet, and it is not back with the buyer either.
You have 14 days from the moment the order is suspended to dispute the claim if you disagree. Source: Suspended order
If the item comes back and everything is fine, the buyer gets a full refund. That covers the item price, the Buyer Protection fee and the original shipping. You get your item back, but no money from that sale.
When the item comes back to you
After you ask for the item back, the buyer has 5 business days to send it. If they miss that, their refund request is closed and the payment goes to you. They must send it tracked, unwashed and unused, with everything that came in the parcel.
Once the parcel reaches you, you have 2 days to check it. You press "Everything is OK" and the buyer gets their refund. If you do nothing, the refund goes out anyway when the 2 days end. Source: Returning an item
So open the parcel the day it arrives. If it is not the item you sent, or it has clearly been worn, do not press the button. Take photos and ask Vinted support to look at it.
How to agree a return in the messages
- Answer the same day. A quick reply keeps the order moving and the buyer calm.
- Ask for clear photos of the problem before you decide anything.
- Say in writing who pays the postage and which option you accept: a refund, a partial refund or a return.
- Ask for the tracking number once the parcel is sent.
- Keep every word inside Vinted's messages. That is what support reads if you cannot agree.
A partial refund often suits both sides. The buyer keeps the item, you avoid two trips in the post, and the order closes quickly.
Pro sellers have different rules
Everything above is for private sellers. Buyers who buy from a Vinted Pro seller have a right of withdrawal. They have 14 days from delivery to ask for a return, and then another 14 days to send the item back. The buyer usually pays the postage there too. Source: Returning an item to a Pro seller
Flogit shows each conversation with the item and the buyer side by side, so you see what was sold and to whom while you reply. If the buyer writes in another language, Flogit can translate the conversation. You can see it on the messages page.
Checked against Vinted's help centre on 29 September 2026. If Vinted changes something, tell us and we will update this page.
