‘The wire began to smoke’: how to avoid counterfeit scams on Vinted and other resale sites

From scrutinising sellers' profiles and reviews to secure payments, ensure you avoid buying a fake item

When Maheen found a brand-new Dyson Airwrap for the bargain price of 260 on the resale website Vinted, she was thrilled. The seller's reviews were all five-star, and she trusted in the buyer-protection policy should something go wrong.

Sold new, an Airwrap costs between 400 and 480, but Maheen did not suspect anything was amiss. I had used Vinted many times and it was simple and straightforward. Nothing had ever gone wrong," she says.