Vinted removes riot-looted goods and warns sellers of permanent bans

Vinted has removed listings linked to goods looted during riots in France and warned that accounts violating its rules could face permanent bans. The crackdown follows government pressure on online marketplaces to stop stolen items from being sold. The company said on October 19 it had taken immediate action after a weekend of violence that saw shops ransacked in several French cities. Vinted stated it was working with French authorities to identify suspicious listings, and that the sale of stolen goods is strictly prohibited with zero tolerance. France’s small businesses minister announced a meeting with marketplace operators including Vinted, Amazon, eBay and TikTok on October 19. The unrest on October 17 led to at least 1,200 arrests and damage estimated at hundreds of millions of euros, affecting over 2,000 businesses.