A US buyer perspective on UK to US purchases

I’m a U.S. buyer who’s been using Vinted for the last few months since they announced that UK and U.S. listings would be on the same app.

It’s been really great for me and I know that isn’t the popular opinion for sellers from the UK.

I’ve had probably 30 successful transactions as a buyer, 2 cancelations due to individuals not shipping to the U.S., and one package I had to have refunded because the seller sent me the wrong item (this was the most frustrating- Vinted was no help at all. If the seller hadn’t chosen to refund me I would have been out of luck).

There are a few reasons it’s particularly great to buy from Vinted UK as a U.S. buyer, and I honestly never buy from U.S. sellers now because of it:

1. I am often in search of European clothing brands that are highly marked up in the States. Maybe the conversion rate and different consumer markets also work in my favor- I find that UK listings are typically cheaper than U.S. listings

2. Vinted covers customs costs for clothing purchases under $125 in select U.S. states. My parents happen to live in one of those states so I ship all of my purchases there. This is THE hack.

3. Most times I’ve communicated with UK sellers they’ve been super friendly, responsive, down for a deal, and excited to ship to the states. I know it can be kind of a hassle for some, so I always appreciate their extra effort to send internationally. On Depop people don’t respond to you if you ask a question about measurements or something (lol). Also, bundles. Free shipping or discounts on bundles are used way more frequently than on US apps from what I’ve observed.

Most of this is obviously anecdotal and kind of specific to me but I’m curious about how other U.S. buyers have fared buying from UK Vinted, and vice versa!