Nearly half of UK 18 to 24-year-olds have been sold counterfeits on Vinted and eBay

Nearly half of UK shoppers aged 18 to 24 have encountered counterfeit designer items on second-hand platforms including Vinted and eBay, new research from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has found.

The figure, 45%, is nearly double the rate reported by shoppers aged 55 to 64, of whom 23% had encountered fakes on a resale platform.

The IPO published the findings as it issued new guidance for second-hand shoppers and launched a “Second-hand, not second best” awareness campaign developed with Vinted.

Research undertaken for Barclays found that 68% of Gen Z and Millennials bought pre-loved items in the past year, with one in four shoppers aged 16 to 24 turning to resale platforms specifically to save money or to free up budget for new items on special occasions. Vinted is the most popular destination at 49%, followed by eBay at 42%.

Across all age groups, one in four UK pre-loved clothing buyers unknowingly purchased a counterfeit item online last year, the IPO research found.

Nearly 60% of those who bought fakes went on to experience poor quality, rapid deterioration, or refund disputes with the seller.

Some 34% reported frustration at being misled, 33% raised quality concerns, and 21% reported poor durability. For 14% of those affected, the experience was enough to put them off second-hand shopping altogether.

While 63% of shoppers said they were confident they could spot a fake, one in three admitted they do not check authenticity before making a purchase.

Among those who had been burned, 26% now do more research before buying, 17% restrict themselves to items they can inspect in person, and 17% only buy from authorised resellers with authentication services.

Enforcement steps up

UK enforcement bodies have intensified action against organised counterfeit sellers.

In March, Bury Trading Standards seized more than £3 million worth of luxury designer footwear, clothing, bags, watches and accessories from storage facilities as part of a multi-agency operation.

In April, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit led a raid on a warehouse in Rotheram which recovered counterfeit clothes and trainers worth more than £1.1 million, alongside an additional £1 million of suspected stolen goods that together filled four 18-tonne lorries.

“The UK’s pre-loved fashion trade is a booming market that’s good for bargain hunters and for the environment. That’s why we’re acting to help shoppers browse with confidence, and spot counterfeits before it’s too late. No one should have to gamble that a good deal might be a fake deal,” said Kanishka Narayan, Minister for Online Safety and Intellectual Property.

The new IPO guidance directs shoppers to check seller profiles and feedback before purchasing, examine listing photos for labels and swing tags, use the platform’s integrated payment method rather than transferring funds directly, and treat suspiciously low prices on designer items with caution.

Common indicators of counterfeits include misspellings on labels, uneven stitching, lightweight materials, and poorly reproduced logos.

“Trust is central to every transaction on Vinted. Tackling counterfeits is a shared challenge across online retail, which is why collaboration between platforms, government and enforcement partners is so important,” said Jessie de la Merced, VP Corporate Affairs at Vinted.

The UK pre-loved clothing market is growing at around 11% a year, the IPO said.

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