Thrifting and buying second hand can be a great way to reduce waste, stop contributing to overconsumption, and give "pre-loved" things and clothes a second life. One of the platforms where you can do that is Vinted with over 65 million registered users.
However, when you sell something, there's the dilemma of packaging. Some people want to be as planet-friendly as possible, perhaps, so, they opt for some unorthodox mailing decisions. Here we have a list of the most ridiculous, over-the-top, and creative ways Vinted sellers have packaged their goods. Who knew a pizza box could be such a good container to send a dress?
#1 Genius Or Just Wrong?
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#2 My Vinted Frozen Pizza Has Arrived. The Dress I Ordered Arrived In This Packaging, Otherwise In Perfectly Good Condition, I Just Found It Very Funny
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#3 Vinted Packaging Never Disappoints
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A thought might pop into your head while scrolling through this list: "How does the platform allow these ridiculous packages?" Well, Vinted doesn't excplicitly say that you can't send some earrings in a plastic coke bottle. They do have some packaging rules, however.
According to their website, the most ideal form of packing an order is using a cardboard box. Not regular paper bags though – those can get wet pretty quickly and can damage the goods for the buyer. "The box should be in good condition to protect the item from dirt and moisture during transit," Vinted writes on their website.
#4 Wonder What That Is
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#5 This Is Crazy
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#6 I Got A Package From Vinted In A Garbage Bag
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If the box or a bag is too big for the item, you need to fill in the empty space. Some people, like the ones on this list, choose to use 10-litre juice bags. To each their own, of course, but Vinted recommends using "bubble wrap, foam, paper, newspaper or corrugated material."
Generally, the company claims that the best option for a package is to use the one your nearest carrier provides. In some cases, it's also possible that a carrier may refuse to ship an item, as different carriers have different requirements.
#7 Great Recycling
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#8 Vinted Is A State Of Mind
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#9 I Ordered A Hat On Vinted. Look At This Packaging
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Vinted is an online marketplace to sell or exchange second-hand items, founded in 2008 in Lithuania. It all started when the co-founder Milda Mitkutė was moving house and was looking for a way to sell her old clothes. Some of them were brand new, with the tags still on, so chucking them in the bin didn't make sense.
#10 Cowboy Boots Bought On Vinted. I Can't Do This Anymore
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#11 Certainly An Interesting Way To Make Sure The Item Being Delivered Is Protected
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#12 This Wrapping Of A Baby Bouncer Is Straight Out Of A Horror Movie
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A few days later, she met developer Justas Janauskas at a houseparty and floated the idea of a website for an online marketplace by him at 2 a.m. He agreed to make a website, where Milda uploaded her clothes, invited some friends to do the same, and that was basically the official launch.
#13 Genius
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#14 They're Not Even Trying Anymore
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#15 Never Seen Anything Like It
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Now, it's a platform that operates throughout Europe and North America for people who are looking to earn some extra cash, authenticity, unique clothes, and consuming more sustainably. Milda is no longer so involved with Vinted, but remains a shareholder. The company's estimated valued was last $3.8 billion.
#16 That’s A New One. I’ve Received Parcels Wrapped In Some Dodgy Ways But Tin Foil And Tape?
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#17 I Bought A LEGO Set On Vinted. The Seller Shipped It To Me With A LEGO Eternals Box Turned Inside Out And Also Used Crumpled-Up Instructions As Packaging Material. I Was Shocked
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#18 That’s Some Creative Shipping
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Vinted, of course, has some competitors in the online second-hand market. Depop and Poshmark are perhaps the most similar. Depop, for example, strongly encourages their users to reuse packaging materials. The best option, according to them, is to save the packaging you receive from other sellers.
#19 I Had A Book "Packed" Like That And The Chick Got Mad Because I Reported It To Vinted. Basically, According To Her, It Was My Fault Because I Didn't Peel Off The Label Properly
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#20 This Is How Someone Mailed My Vinted Order. It Really Is The Wild West Of Packages
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#21 They Could’ve At Least Turned It Inside Out To Look Tidier
Image credits: Adult Problems
They do caution against using feeble packaging materials. "Sending an item out in a bag from the supermarket doesn't give your customer the best possible experience, and can lead to damage in transit," they write. If the materials original intent was commercial shipping, you can be suree it will withstand at least one more journey.
#22 Doesn't Seem Very Secure
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#23 Honestly, A For Effort
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#24 I Mean, Really? Just Received It This Morning And Even The Delivery Guy Was Shocked
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Poshmark, on the other hand, has a partnership with USPS. Their sellers can get a free boxes and mailers which can even get shipped to the sellers' door. Depop, too, offers eco-friendly packaging: they have partnered with EcoEnclose, an eco-friendly packaging supply store. It's made from 100% recycled materials, are water-resistant, and can be padded, with tissue paper or Greenwrap (a paper alternative to bubble wrap).
#25 Honestly, Love The Creativity From Them
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#26 Got Sent These Packages. I Personally Would Never Pack My Orders Into Something Like This
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#27 As A Seller On Vinted Who Buys Fancy Packaging And Includes A Thank-You Note And Little Gift, I'm Inspired
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Most people try to save money when they're packaging second-hand items. Others, however, like to spruce it up a bit and make the order more personal. More established sellers may want to uphold their reputation, so they opt for sturdy boxes, tissue paper, and even surprises: some fun labels, a complimentary candy, or a sticker.
#28 Reminds Me Of My Childhood
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#29 I Got The Legendary Package From Vinted - In A Food Box
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#30 Why Buy A Box When You Only Sold The Item For 3£
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I, personally, have never had a crazy Vinted experience. I've received some complimentary chocolates, a thank-you card, and even an extra sweater when I ordered a cardigan. I guess the seller wanted to empty her closet faster, so, even if I didn't consent to the second sweater, I didn't complain.
What about you, Pandas? Do you have any crazy Vinted (or any other online marketplace) stories? Share them with us below!
#31 Can't Believe My Parcel Was Wrapped Like This
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#32 My Daughter's Pyjamas Were Delivered In This
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#33 Someone Used A Greasy McDonald's Bag To Wrap My Vinted Order
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#34 When You Sell A Beauty Doll Head On Vinted And Wrap It Up Without A Box. Sorry To The Receiver If I Give Your Daughter A Heart Attack On Her Birthday
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#35 I Got This Package From Vinted
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#36 My Shoes Came Packaged In Boots Pharmacy Bags. Love That
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#37 Sustainability Is Key
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#38 Why Do Sellers Pack Things In The Most Peculiar Way
Went to pick up a package today, and the shop keeper handed over essentially a ball and yarn? Opened it up and it was double wrapped, second layer being a dog poop bag. Item itself is totally fine and unharmed, but couldn't help but laugh at the awful choice of packaging.
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#39 You Never Know What The Packaging Will Look Like When Ordering From Vinted
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#40 Well, That's Certainly Unique
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#41 At Least It Came Safely
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#42 Packaging Was Wild
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#43 I Bought Some Shorts Off Vinted, And They Sent Them In A Coco Pops Box And Duct Tape
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#44 When You Order Something From Vinted And This Is How It Arrives
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#45 Have You Performed A Successful Operation Of Opening It?
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#46 I Bought A DVD From Poland. It Arrived In Very Unique Packaging
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#47 Thought They Sent Me Their Rubbish, But It Was Just An Attempt To Save On Packing Materials
I received a massive box for a small wooden kitchen item I ordered. As soon as I started opening the box, I spotted those empty bottles, and I started filming, thinking they'd actually sent me their rubbish. Turns out my item was at the very bottom of that box, under all the bottles. I think this is the worst packaging I've ever received.
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#48 Just Got My First Trash Bag Wrapped Item
Just picked it up from a collection point. Kind of made me giggle though, I see the occasional post about it here and there, but never seen it for myself until now.
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#49 At The Beginning I Still Had Some Boxes, Poly Mailers And Illusions. After A Few Months On Vinted My Packages Started Looking Like This
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#50 Never Thought There Would Be A Day Where I Would Receive My Order In A Trash Bag
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#51 Buying On Vinted In A Nutshell
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#52 Awful Packaging
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#53 Am I The Only One Who Would Be Ashamed To Send Something Like This?
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#54 Great
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#55 I’ve Never Received A Parcel This Way Before
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#56 This Book Was Delivered Covered With Toilet Paper And In A Shein Bag With No Tape, Or Anything More Secure
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#57 Who Knew Diapers Were A Viable Packaging Material
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#58 Can't Believe It Survived Being Mailed Like This
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#59 Could This Be The Worst Vinted Packaging Ever? At Least I Got Both Shoes
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#60 Does This Beat The Ice Cream Box?
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#61 My Friend Ordered A Clown Puppet From A Vinted Seller And Was Extremely Surprised (And Quite Frankly, Horrified) That It Was Shipped In A Box From A Cremation Company
And it also has what looks like ashes in the box and on the puppet. She went on to review the purchase but the listing has since been removed.
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#62 Found A Use For All Those Empty Broken Biscuit Boxes. Vinted Special Packaging. Good Luck To The Person Who Had To Open It
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#63 Only On Vinted
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#64 I Got A Banana-Shaped Package From Vinted. The Seller Warned Me That It Would Probably Be Weirdly Packaged, But I Still Found It Funny. I Love Vinted
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#65 I Received A Package Wrapped Like This From Vinted
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#66 Vinted's Mad Men, Episode 157
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#67 How I Will Send My Vinted Orders From Now On
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#68 It Will Never Fail To Amaze Me What Some People Consider Adequate Packaging - This Thin, White, See-Through Trash Bag. Really?
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#69 Any Other Weird Packaging Experiences?
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#70 Well, My Vinted Parcel Packaging That I Received Today Has Reached A Whole New Level
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#71 Ordered Some Baby Shoes From Vinted. They Sent Them In A Cereal Box
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#72 I'm Learning From An Older Friend How To Wrap Packages On Vinted
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#73 My Vinted Package Came In A Freezer Bag
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#74 When You Need To Send A Vinted Package But You Work At The Hospital
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#75 Give Me Your Best (Worst) Tales Of How Items You’ve Bought On Vinted Have Been Packaged. I'll Start
Let me preface this by saying that I don’t expect much when it comes to buying on Vinted. You’re purchasing a second-hand item from a private seller, there’s always a risk. I’ve been buying a few video games lately, and the way that they’ve been packaged is somewhat amusing.
The first seller crudely bundled them into a used shopping bag, and you can see that it was torn open slightly while in transit. Two of the cases were cracked. This was a sale just shy of £20. Second purchase was cheaper and I sort of knew it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. It came wrapped in paper towels and the kind of shopping bag you wouldn’t trust to carry half a dozen apples.
Personally, I always hang on to envelopes and boxes to reuse them when selling my own stuff. But maybe that’s not commonplace.
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#76 Couldn’t Be More Fed Up With This
I purchased two items from Vinted recently for the first time in a while and both items arrived damaged due to really inadequate packaging. One arrived in a carrier bag and the other was collected from the post office (in this open condition) with wrapping paper! Why do people not care? When I last sent something, I wrapped it in bubble wrap, cardboard and an outer layer, then I receive things like this in return.
Also the pictured item is a baby toy which was actually filthy and scratched all over. Then I saw that I would have to pay the return postage? I’m not paying to repackage this item in the way that they should have done in the first place! Never using Vinted again. There should be stricter regulations, but it seems that no one cares or has any pride anymore.
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#77 Vinted Packaging Just Gets More And More Creative Every Day
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#78 It's Inventive, I Guess
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#79 I Ordered A Book On Vinted And Got A Balenciaga
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#80 Vinted Package From Poland
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#81 I Got Some Trainers From Vinted, Which Were Wrapped In Masking Tape As A Postage Bag
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#82 Vinted Packaging At Its Best! What Could These Be?
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#83 I'm Lovin' It
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#84 It's Gone Too Far This Time
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#85 I've Received Some Weird Vinted Packages, But This One Beats All The Records
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#86 When You Order From Vinted And It's Been Packaged Up In Christmas Wrapping Paper
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#87 I'm All For Packaging Securely And Reusing Packaging, But Come On
Bought some shoes, and they arrived inside a sturdy paper bag (fine) literally covered in packaging tape (not fine). Trying to cut the thing open was tense. Then, when I opened it up, the shoes were inside a dirty and kind of ripped Tesco bag. And the dirt was not from the shoes. I have no issues with reusing a Tesco bag like this, but when it's manky inside, please just bin it!
Image credits: oktimeforplanz
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