Hi all, looking for some advice as this situation doesn’t seem right.
I sold a pair of Adidas Predator Elite boots on Vinted. They were given to me by a friend (whose friend is an Adidas-sponsored athlete), but they were too small for me, so I sold them to buy a pair in my size.
The boots are 100% genuine and legit, but I don’t have a purchase receipt as they weren’t bought through retail, and supplied to the athlete directly from player services. They are the wrong colorway now, so he isn’t contractually able to wear them, so passed them on.
I also can’t take any further photos now as I no longer have the item.
The buyer received them and initially said they were too small. This is clearly shown in the chat. After that, they changed their claim to “not as described,” and then to “counterfeit when that failed.
I provided:
Detailed photos (labels, QR codes, construction, etc.)
A clear explanation of where the boots came from
Supporting context to show they are legitimate
Despite this, Vinted has declared the boots counterfeit and blocked my account
I have lots of positive feedback and rarely sell items, so I appealed. Vinted rejected my first appeal (I’ve submitted another)
I even report obvious counterfeit items to Vinted when I see them to try and stop others from ending up receiving fakes (as I have had to return in the past).
I’ve also asked for:
The boots to be sent to Vinted’s own authentication service (I’m happy to pay for it), or
The boots to be returned to me so I can get them authenticated independently
At the moment, it looks like:
I’m out of pocket
The buyer could keep both the boots (worth ~£240) and receive a refund
I genuinely don’t understand how this is possible or fair, especially when:
1/. There’s no actual proof they’re counterfeit. They are 100% genuine authentic boots.
2/.The buyer admitted they didn’t fit
Has anyone dealt with something like this before?
Is there any way to force authentication or recover the item/money?
Appreciate any help or similar experiences.