In a marketplace built on trust between strangers, a growing number of sellers are discovering that the money they have earned can sit behind a wall of verification checks, and that the walls do not always open when asked. Mali Osmelak, who balances a chronic illness with raising a young daughter, found nearly £6,000 of sales stranded in her Vinted wallet for weeks, and Azri Mukthar has watched a similar sum stay out of reach for more than a year. Vinted and its payments partner Mangopay point to document mismatches, missing paperwork, and the legal duties that govern who may be paid, while se
Vinted sellers say they cannot access wallet funds as verification checks stall payouts
Sellers report being unable to access earnings for weeks or over a year, causing significant financial strain and stress, with one seller who manages Crohn's disease and cares for a child having taken legal action and another abandoning the platform.
Three days after the court claim was filed, the account was "magically verified"
Mark
Why does this story matter beyond two sellers?
Mimi
Because the money in question is earnings, not a dispute over an item. Mali had nearly £6,000 and Azri almost £2,500, and neither could withdraw it. For Mali, who is managing Crohn's disease and raising a four-year-old, that matters.
Luke
But it's two cases. What does the reporting actually establish?
Mimi
That these two sellers describe failed verifications and long waits. Dozens of others contacted the BBC, but we don't have their details here.
Luke
And Vinted's side?
Mimi
It says Mali's documents didn't match the name on her account, and Azri hadn't provided everything. It also says 98% of transactions go smoothly.
Mark
Is that 98% figure independently checked?
Luke
No, it's Vinted's own number. Also, it covers transactions, not sellers attempting withdrawals, so it doesn't tell us how often verification fails.
Mark
What about the timing in Mali's case?
Mimi
She says the account was verified three days after she filed the claim. That is her account of events, and Vinted hasn't addressed the timing.
Luke
Right. And the default judgement isn't a ruling on the merits. The companies didn't respond, and now they've applied to set it aside.
Mark
So what do we watch?
Mimi
The December hearing.
O Pulso
- Thousands of pounds sit frozen in seller wallets, some for weeks and others for more than a year, while the people who earned them cannot pay their bills.
- Verification checks keep failing or being rejected, and sellers say automated replies leave them trapped in a loop with no human answer.
- One seller filed a small claims case against Vinted and Mangopay, and the funds appeared within days, yet she still won a default judgement that has not been paid.
- Vinted and Mangopay have asked the court to set aside that judgement, and a December hearing will decide whether the ruling stands.
- Another seller has stopped selling altogether and plans legal action, leaving the platform to defend its claim that most transactions run smoothly.
In a marketplace built on trust between strangers, a growing number of sellers are discovering that the money they have earned can sit behind a wall of verification checks, and that the walls do not always open when asked. Mali Osmelak, who balances a chronic illness with raising a young daughter, found nearly £6,000 of sales stranded in her Vinted wallet for weeks, and Azri Mukthar has watched a similar sum stay out of reach for more than a year. Vinted and its payments partner Mangopay point to document mismatches, missing paperwork, and the legal duties that govern who may be paid, while sellers see a system that cannot explain itself. The question now moving toward a December court hearing is less about a few accounts than about how much faith people can place in digital platforms that hold their livelihoods in the meantime.
Mali Osmelak started selling secondhand gymwear on Vinted in 2024 as a way to earn money while managing Crohn's disease and caring for her four-year-old daughter. Demand grew fast, she set up a limited company with an accountant's help, and she signed up for a Vinted Pro account. Within weeks she had made almost £6,000 in sales, but when she tried to withdraw them she was told to complete verification.
Her checks kept failing. She flagged an error in her name and heard nothing back, and when she contacted Mangopay, the payments company handling wallets on the platform, she was sent back to Vinted. After eight weeks without her money, she paid £455 to take both companies to small claims court. Three days after filing, the account was verified and the funds became available, but she pressed on to recover her fees and costs.
When neither company responded, she won a default judgement in June ordering them to pay £1,207.50. She has not received that money, and the companies have asked for the judgement to be set aside at a December hearing. "It's been ridiculous and incredibly stressful," she says.
Vinted says her documents did not match her account name, and that it has since helped her update them. Mangopay says data protection and professional secrecy rules prevent it from discussing individual cases.
She is not alone. Azri Mukthar, a registered limited company and Pro seller, says he has been trying to withdraw almost £2,500 for over a year, despite repeated document submissions and rejections, including a Companies House certificate he says was declined 15 times. He has stopped selling and expects to take legal action. Vinted says he did not provide all required documents and that its support team is in contact with him.
Vinted, with 17 million UK users, says verification may be required by law and that 98% of transactions complete without help from its support team. For the sellers caught in the gap, the December hearing will be the next test of whether a disputed wallet can be resolved fairly.
Mali Osmelak began selling clothes on Vinted as a way to earn money while managing Crohn's disease and looking after her four-year-old daughter. She did not expect the venture to end with a small claims court filing to recover almost £6,000.
She joined the platform in 2024 as a side-hustle. Demand for her second-hand gymwear grew quickly, and within months she had set up a limited company to expand. This year she signed up for a Vinted Pro account, the tier designed for high-volume sellers who are registered as businesses. In a few weeks she had made almost £6,000 in sales.
When she tried to withdraw the money, she found her account restricted and was told to complete a verification process. She had set up the business with an accountant's help and expected it to be simple. Instead, she says, she noticed an error Vinted had made with her name, flagged it, and got no response while the verification kept failing. She was stuck in a loop of automated replies. She also contacted Mangopay, the payments company that at the time operated sellers' wallets and processed transactions on the platform, and was sent back to Vinted.
After eight weeks without access to her money, she took both companies to the small claims court, paying £455 in fees. Three days after the claim was filed, she says, the account was "magically verified" and she could withdraw the funds. She continued with the case to recover her fees, costs and interest. In June, neither company responded to the claim, and she obtained a default judgement ordering them to pay £1,207.50. She has not been paid. Vinted and Mangopay have applied to have the judgement set aside, with a hearing set for December. "It's been ridiculous and incredibly stressful," she says, and she intends to tell the court that the system is completely broken.
Vinted says her check failed because her documents did not match the name on her account, that it has since helped her update it, and that she is now verified. It did not answer the BBC's questions about the legal action. Mangopay said it is bound by professional secrecy and data protection obligations and cannot comment on individual cases, accounts, transactions or legal matters.
Hers is not the only account. Sportswear seller Azri Mukthar says he has been trying to withdraw almost £2,500 for over a year. Already a registered limited company, he became a Pro seller, submitted the documents requested and says Vinted gave the go-ahead. After uploading his products he made 30 to 40 sales almost immediately. But when he tried to withdraw his earnings, he was told his verification was pending.
He describes repeatedly submitting documents and receiving near-instant rejections. Customer support tells him he has not sent certain items, he says, though he believes he has supplied everything. He claims a Companies House certificate that Vinted requested has been declined 15 times. He has stopped selling on the platform and says he will have to start legal action. Vinted says his check could not be completed because he did not provide all the required documents, and that its support team is in touch with him.
The accounts came after the BBC reported on users whose accounts had been suspended or banned, when dozens of people wrote in about trouble reaching money in their Vinted wallets. Vinted, which has 17 million UK users and charges sellers no listing fee, says verification checks may be required to meet legal and regulatory requirements, and that 98% of transactions complete without help from its support team. The December hearing on whether the default judgement stands will be the next test of how the platform and its payments partner answer a disputed wallet claim.
Citações Notáveis
It's been ridiculous and incredibly stressful.— Mali Osmelak, Vinted seller
Mr Mukthar's check could not be completed because he did not provide all the required documents.— Vinted statement
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