What We Know About Vinted Blocking Looted Goods in France

Vinted has removed listings it believes were created to sell items looted from French shops during weekend riots, according to BBC News. The secondhand resale platform said sellers moved quickly to try to offload stolen merchandise once the disorder spread across several French cities.

What did Vinted say it is doing?

"Since this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting, and we have stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings," a Vinted spokesperson told the BBC. The company said the sale of stolen goods, or soliciting them, is "strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for it." Vinted said violations can lead to account bans, up to and including permanent removal from the platform. The company added it is working with French authorities and police and adapting its internal processes "to detect and counter emerging risks and malicious behaviour." France is one of Vinted's largest markets, alongside the UK and Italy, according to the BBC.

What happened in France over the weekend?

Shops across Paris, Marseille, Lille and other cities were broken into and ransacked after protests over the cost of living and public spending turned into riots, the BBC reported. Police arrested at least 1,200 people. Groups of rioters, some wearing masks and balaclavas, set fire to cars and buildings in addition to looting businesses, per the report.

How many businesses were hit, and how much damage resulted?

More than 2,000 businesses were directly affected by the weekend's violence, according to Alain Di Crescenzo, head of France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry, who told broadcaster RTL the riots caused hundreds of millions of euros in damage, the BBC reported. Reuters, cited by the BBC, said luxury boutiques at Paris's Place Vendôme were shuttered and guarded, while shopfronts belonging to Dior, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren sustained damage elsewhere in the city.

Were sports clubs affected too?

Football club Olympique de Marseille said its official store on the city's main avenue was looted and has since closed, the BBC reported. Ligue 1 rival Lille said its own club shop would stay closed until further notice.

How is eBay responding, and is it seeing the same problem?

Ebay told the BBC it has not noted any increase in listings linked to the France looting. The company said it works with law enforcement to investigate suspected stolen goods and takes action — including removing listings and penalizing sellers — once authorities confirm an item was stolen.

What comes next?

France's prime minister has called for partial curfews and condemned "thieves" and "thugs" behind the riots, according to the BBC. Vinted has not said how many listings it has removed or how many accounts have been banned. The company's statement that it is coordinating with French police suggests any criminal referrals tied to specific listings would move through law enforcement rather than the platform alone.