Vinted targeted by the CNIL, should we be worried?

” Do you wear it more? Sell ​​it on Vinted ! This is the motto of the company founded in 2008 in Lithuania. Posing as a community online market, it allows to resell / exchange / buy all kinds of things. Initially a platform reserved only for the sale of clothing, today you will also find bags, accessories, toys, books and even furniture. With more than 17 million users and 5 million unique daily visitors in France, its application is the fourth most visited in France in the mail order sector. Knowing how tough the competition is, the performance is quite exceptional. Unfortunately for Vinted, this success could be veiled by a matter of not very regulatory compliance.

Do you have an identity card? Put her on Vinted!

The National Commission for Computing and Liberties (CNIL) has indeed announced through a press release dated November 18 the creation of a European working group to look into the case of Vinted. In the viewfinder, possible deviations from the GDPR, as explained on the CNIL website:

Following the receipt of a significant number of complaints about the online clothing sales site vinted.com, operated by the Lithuanian company Vinted UAB, the data protection authorities in France, Lithuania and Poland have decided to cooperate to monitor the site’s compliance with the GDPR.

What is singled out by dissatisfied users of the platform is this request for a scanned copy of the identity card in order to receive the money from the sales. A rare requirement which does not seem really justified and which may not comply with the regulations. The CNIL will therefore control the legality of this way of operating. Other subjects scrutinized, the procedure and the criteria which allow to block an account, as well as the time of retention of data by Vinted.

The coming weeks are therefore going to be a bit stressful for Lithuanian society, although a spokesperson for Vinted has already communicated on the full collaboration of the company with the working group :

Vinted is mobilized on a daily basis to offer an easy-to-use, reliable and transparent platform to all those who wish to buy and sell second-hand clothes among themselves. In this context, we are committed to preserving the privacy of our users and protecting their personal data. Pending formal communication from the working group, we would like to affirm our willingness to cooperate fully with the competent authorities, as we have done with the Lithuanian Data Protection Authority in the past. .

A calm way to reassure users of the platform which is nevertheless experiencing a somewhat troubled year 2021, since it is already in the sights of UFC-What to choose since the beginning of the year.

Do you want hidden costs? Pay them on Vinted!

It is indeed in May that the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir has launched a class action against Vinted for ” deceptive business practice “. In question, a commission of more or less 5% collected on sales by the company under the heading ” Buyer protection “. The problem is that it only appears when you pay and it is presented as optional. Yet despite all the world’s best efforts, it is not possible to refuse or delete it. For something optional, it looks messy.

THE’@UFCquichoisir launch today a #groupaction against the giant #ecommerce @Vinted, which despite our formal notice has maintained its position on the “buyer protection” commission unduly billed (see video #Vigilanceconso 5⬇️). More informations https://t.co/Vmtg2rw7JF pic.twitter.com/r0LS5ujgAm

– UFC-Que Choisir (@UFCquechoisir) May 18, 2021

Is it time to retrain for Vinted?