Vinted is improving safety guarantees for second-hand luxury, but Spain will have to wait.

The Vinted platform, a leader in the buying and selling of second-hand fashion, has announced the launch of a new service aimed at strengthening buyers' trust in the authenticity of branded items offered on the platform. Although counterfeits are theoretically prohibited in this app, the new product verification service provides a valuable option for those seeking additional guarantees when purchasing high-quality second-hand goods.

Now, customers from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands can order a verification service during the checkout process for an additional fee of ten euros. This guarantees the authenticity of the selected item, which must be valued at over 100 euros and belong to the categories of bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and watches. The task of verifying the legality of these items is entrusted to specialized experts. Vinted's CEO Adam Jay emphasized the importance of authenticity and trust, explaining that they have been working hard "to provide a reliable designer goods verification service at an affordable price." "Since Vinted was founded 15 years ago, our goal has always been to make second-hand fashion the first choice for everyone, and we see this new service as an important step in our ambition to ensure complete trust in our community."

Why haven't they come to Spain yet?

New features are usually tested first on a small scale to assess their viability before they are gradually rolled out. However, other factors can also influence the decision to implement or reject certain services.

The revealing data from the latest study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that Spain is the second country in the European Union (EU) that consciously purchases the most counterfeit goods, second only to Bulgaria. The study indicates that 20 percent of Spaniards, particularly those aged 15 to 24, have knowingly bought counterfeit goods in the past twelve months. This marks a record high in the country since the organization began its analysis in 2016. Clothing (17 percent) and footwear (14 percent) are the most popular counterfeit products both in Spain and in most European countries. While price is usually the main reason, the European Union emphasizes that the issue of counterfeiting is not limited to the damage to the brand's intellectual property but also has a significant impact on society, the environment, and even health, especially in the case of products like perfumes and cosmetics that do not undergo proper sanitary controls.

Logistical challenges may also influence the decision not to implement the service in Spain.