Vinted users have been left furious after receiving ‘weird’ and ‘creepy’ messages on the second-hand clothing app by people treating it like a ‘dating site’.
Taking to social media, dozens of women have shared their experiences and shared the inappropriate messages they have received – with one buyer even asking whether the woman selling the product ‘comes with it’.
A Q&A forum on the official Vinted website even reads ‘This isn’t Tinder is it?’, with a chain of users comparing their unwanted messages.
One London-based relationship expert told MailOnline that some users looking up the clothing aren’t all people who plan on wearing the items, but instead have ulterior motives.
From cheesy pick-up lines to inappropriate picture requests, women on the app unanimously agreed that it felt as though men were ‘on the prowl’.
One user wrote: ‘Anyone else getting lots of random, unwanted messages like this? Feel like people are on the prowl or something.’
From cheesy pick-up lines to inappropriate picture requests, women on the app unanimously agreed that it felt as though men were ‘on the prowl’
Vinted users have been left furious after receiving ‘weird’ and ‘creepy’ messages on the second-hand clothing app – complaining men treat it as a ‘dating site’
She continued: ‘I’m definitely on a selling unwanted items app, aren’t it?! I’ve put the one most suitable for the Forum. The rest are FAR too rude to share.
‘What’s with people treating Vinted like Tinder. I’m not offended by it, just find them boring and would rather be Asked what book I’m reading or what’s my opinion on Frederick Taylor’s theory, not “show me your t**s”‘.
Clarissa Bloom, a dating and relationship expert at The Stag warned that if users list shoes to sell, ‘most messages will be asking about your feet – whether they are still dirty and whether they have a scent’.
She explained: ‘People who are looking up the clothing aren’t all people who plan on wearing the items, but many who might have an ulterior motive.
‘The best thing to do is report the profiles. It is sad that this exists, but it is far from new.
‘It is on the platform to take greater action to ban accounts that post these types of messages and also to have it automatically detect when people post messages or comments with certain words included.’
Meanwhile, Phillippa Quigley, a relationship counselor, suggested incidents like this occur because the organically open nature of Vinted tends to be ‘interpreted’ as a romantic opportunity by some male users.
She told MailOnline: ‘In my experience as a relationship counselor, men often gravitate towards lighthearted contexts for initiating flirtation before gauging mutual receptivity for escalating intimacy.
‘The playful camaraderie around styling tips or bargain hunting psychologically fits that bill. It signals perceived commonalities and safe vulnerability conducive to testing chemistry waters.’
Taking to social media, dozens of women have shared their experiences and exposed inappropriate messages they have received
She continued: ‘However, because Vinted centers primarily around commercial exchange rather than social networking, many women users rightly feel discomfort, objectification or safety concerns being engaged intrusively there.’
Another user on X shared a incident with a man after purchasing a T-shirt off of him.
She wrote: ‘A guy started calling me babe and asked if I’m single because I’m “bang on” all because I bought a wrestling top on vinted from him. VINTED!’
Not all users were offended by the messages however, with another woman sharing her hilarious response to a man who asked her to play tennis.
She penned: ‘My grandad seems just about your age, he loves tennis. Maybe I can arrange something for you two’.
Meanwhile, another woman online complained: ‘I had a weirdo asking about a pair of shoes I was selling and if he can be my servant & worship my feet!
‘I made out I was 15 and I would pass his details to Police & report him as a paedo he soon stopped messaging me!’
Vinted arrived in the UK in 2014 and it now has eight million members ‒ up from 1.2 million in 2021.
The average age of its users is going up though, Vinted said.
‘In the early years, we had a younger 18- to 25-year-old demographic but now it’s 20 to 45 years,’ says its consumer lead Natacha Blanchard.
Vinted have been contacted for comment.
In recent years, apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge have dominated the online dating sphere, with millions of Britons using the services to find their ideal partner.
But now some savvy singletons are also turning to a very different social media platform to find love – LinkedIn.
It comes as more savvy singles have been taking to LinkedIn to find love
Traditionally used to connect professionals with other like-minded individuals, some are using the app to filter potential matches by career and education.
One London-based dating expert told MailOnline LinkedIn could be a clever and extremely efficient way of researching potential matches to see if they’d be compatible – while another said the app offers the ‘promising allure’ of connecting with someone who ticks all the boxes.
TikTok videos show swarms of people claiming to have tried dating on the career-driven app – with some even finding love.
One video shows a well-dressed couple posing to music alongside the caption: ‘Connecting with him on LinkedIn and bagging him in his final year of med school.’
But other experts and users who used the platform to find love have warned of the pitfalls – with one woman saying she got the ‘ick’ after matching with someone. Others also warn you won’t know whether a love interest is single or not – and using the careers app to date can breach professional boundaries.
Relationship and sexuality expert Courtney Boyer told MailOnline that LinkedIn offers ‘reliability’ when looking to find a compatible match.
‘Most people on Tinder don’t really care where you got your MBA from or what Fortune 500 company you’ve worked for. But individuals searching for partnership find the reliability of LinkedIn helpful when approaching someone they find attractive and compatible,’ she said.
‘Many dating apps are short-sighted and only focus on metrics like age, interests, etc… which can suffice for short-term rendezvous or those willing to sift through the Instagram-posed pics.’
She added: ‘Most people on traditional dating apps don’t disclose their profession and yet it’s a key source of information for many who are seeking partnership. Because society tends to define who someone is by the profession they have, LinkedIn offers a promising allure of connecting with someone who checks the professional/stable/educated boxes.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
