Vinted wants to become the new “Le Bon Coin” for electronic devices
You are planning to buy the PS5 Pro? Why not take the opportunity to sell your old console… On Vinted? The Lithuanian peer-to-peer resale platform recently made room among its old jeans and t-shirts to accommodate your electronic gadgets of all kinds.
Whether on the website or on the application, you now just have to choose the small tab “Electronic » to see hair dryers, phone chargers or game consoles offered. While these types of devices had already been flourishing for some time in the site's listings, they did not yet have their own dedicated section. This is now a done deal.
Computer equipment is missing
“This new category now improves the visibility of second-hand electronic devices, thus facilitating their resale.“, Vinted said in a statement. Concretely, after several forays into the world of interior decoration, entertainment and pet accessories, Vinted is increasingly assuming the role of becoming a direct competitor to the French platform “Le Bon Coin”. No more simple site for buying and reselling second-hand clothing.
Oddly enough, though, while the site seems to cast a wide net for the opening of its new vertical, some product categories are absent, and not the least. All computer hardware (computers, mice, keyboards) as well as audio and video equipment (TVs, home speakers, video projectors) and household appliances (washing machines, irons, dishwashers) are not allowed on the platform. The same goes for smartphones, even if they are not mentioned.
A still cluttered offer
The differentiation between what is allowed to be sold or not in the category seems quite arbitrary, however since headphones, game consoles, connected bracelets or VR devices are allowed. The full list of devices accepted on the platform is available on the Vinted websitebut overall the company simply sums up the situation: “If your item does not match any category in the catalog, you probably do not have the right to sell it on Vinted“.
A warning that does not prevent some members from launching into the adventure anyway since by rummaging a little in the clutter of this new category we can find Razer mice, Bluetooth keyboards or monitors. Let's bet that these teething problems will be corrected in the coming weeks.
While having more choice when selling your electronic devices is undeniably a good thing, be careful not to use the excuse of second-hand goods to continue consuming as before. As summarized by Ademe in a study published in 2023“There is a challenge in increasing the share of second-hand purchases in habits… while avoiding overconsumption“To preserve the planet, why not go through Vinted, but, as for reconditioned goods, be sober in your purchasing strategies. The planet will thank you.
