Vinted's attempt to streamline shipping by limiting seller choices backfired. UK sellers, many lacking printers and nearby drop-off points, forced the platform to restore the option to deselect shipping methods.
Vinted recently rolled out an update aimed at improving the buyer experience by removing the option for sellers to deselect certain shipping methods. However, this move quickly sparked a backlash. Vinted, which boasts 16M UK sellers, faced significant resistance, especially from those unable to meet the new requirements.
The update overlooked critical challenges sellers face. Many don’t own or have access to printers, making it difficult to use shipping options requiring printed labels. For those sellers, the inability to deselect such options was a major hurdle. Additionally, some sellers would need to travel significant distances, up to 30 miles, to access drop-off points, further complicating the process.
Sellers, many of whom work full-time, expressed frustration over the lack of flexibility. They prefer to manage their shipments in one go, at a single location, instead of juggling multiple drop-offs or waiting for couriers all day. This disconnect between the marketplace’s intentions and the practical needs of sellers led to widespread dissatisfaction.
In response to the backlash, Vinted quickly reversed the update, allowing sellers once again to deselect inconvenient shipping options. The incident highlights the importance of considering seller convenience in any update, especially for platforms largely dependent on consumer sellers. It's a reminder that one size doesn't fit all in e-commerce.
Do you think Vinted should have consulted sellers first?
Each week we select most important sector news and statistic
so that you can be up to speed