Dutch residents use Vinted to send packages to family to save on shipping

People living in the Netherlands have come up with an inventive way to send packages for cheap using the online marketplace platform Vinted. Users sell and send large packages or personal items to themselves or family members to avoid the pricy shipping costs of parcel delivery services.

Vinted users take advantage of platform to send packages cheaply

A method widely discussed on social media and forums like Reddit, several people are now using Vinted to send packages in the Netherlands and internationally in a more affordable way. Vinted users list their items for sale on the platform at a low price, at 1 euro for example, then have a family member buy the package and pay the shipping costs.

This system allows people to send packages at a much lower price than other parcel delivery services, such as PostNL. Vinted collaborated with several courier companies, such as Mondial Relay, Vinted Go and Brenger, to give its users affordable delivery prices.

Many users even use the platform to bring an extra suitcase on holiday or to move. "Vinted is a great way to ship things very cheaply," an anonymous Dutch user told AD. "I once sent something to Spain with the FedEx courier service and it cost me 65 euros. That took forever. With Vinted, I can ship something internationally for 5 or 6 euros."

Testing this out, AD sent a parcel from Rotterdam to Milan. They listed a piece of clothing for sale at 1 euro, then purchased it with a second account. The shipping costs were just over 6 euros, with the package classified as a “large parcel”, allowing the clothing item to be sent in a bag. If the same bag were to be checked in on a flight in Europe, you would expect to pay tens of euros more.

Vinted takes measures against personal package sending

The second-hand shopping platform is aware that some are using Vinted for this reason and says that it is against the platform's rules. "Our teams are vigilant in this regard and are actively working on it," a spokesperson said.

According to Vinted, the platform is not intended for sending personal packages. "Even if it's only marginal, this kind of abuse undermines trust between members and can impact the overall quality and experience," states the spokesperson. Measures are being taken against this type of abuse, and accounts that violate the rules have been deleted and blocked.

Transport economist Roel Gevaers is not surprised that customers are using this method, but warns that it could have repercussions for everyone. "People and consumers are very inventive when it comes to cheaper shipping methods,” he told AD. “If this gets out of hand, the parcel services that have cheap B2B contracts with Vinted will raise their prices. For smaller players, who don't have contracts with Vinted, you could call it a mild form of competitive distortion."