In brief
Following overnight riots that left over two thousand French shops damaged and 1,200 arrests, Vinted swiftly removed listings of goods believed to have been looted. The company reiterated its zero‑tolerance policy on stolen items and is working with police to track offenders. While eBay reports no surge in looted listings, it also removes suspect items once verified. Vinted has increased monitoring and will ban accounts that breach its rules, underscoring a broader push to curb online resale of illegally obtained goods.
Vinted has removed listings that appear to contain goods stolen during last weekend’s riots in France.
The second‑hand marketplace said it had taken “immediate action” to identify and delete items linked to shop‑looting after protests against the cost of living turned violent in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other cities.
Sources say the unrest affected more than 2,000 businesses and led to more than 1,200 arrests, while the chambers of commerce estimate damages in the hundreds of millions of euros.
“The sale or solicitation of stolen goods is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we practice zero tolerance,” a company spokesperson said. “When rules are breached, we can permanently ban offending accounts.”
Vinted is collaborating with French law enforcement to spot emerging risks and block sellers who supply looted merchandise. eBay, which has seen no rise in such listings, also removes items once stolen‑goods status is confirmed.
Vinted has increased monitoring of suspicious posts and planned to adapt its detection processes in response to the market’s new threats.
