One Bundle, Three Platforms: The Great British Second-Hand Selling Experiment
Photo: Babe, Ishaku, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Every household has a drawer of things too good to bin and too much hassle to shift. Ours became a bundle: a pair of nearly-new Dr Martens, a Cos wool coat, a Le Creuset casserole dish and a boxed Lego set. Same bundle, same photos, same description — listed simultaneously on Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Here's what happened.
The Fees, Laid Bare
Vinted takes nothing from the seller. Buyer pays a protection fee, you keep your asking price. Simple. eBay, post its fee shake-up, charges private sellers nothing on most listings too now — a genuine change from the old 12.5% bite. Facebook Marketplace charges nothing at all, though you're very much on your own if things go wrong.
On paper, then, all three let you keep roughly the same money. In practice, the differences showed up elsewhere.
Time to Sell and the Hassle Factor
Vinted won on speed: the coat sold within two days, with the app's built-in postage labels making dispatch a five-minute job. eBay's Lego set went in four days for slightly more than we'd hoped — auction fever is still real — but the listing process felt fiddlier. Facebook Marketplace was the slowest and the most draining. Four no-shows for collection, one person who tried to haggle to half price 'for a quick sale', and the casserole dish still unsold after two weeks.
The Verdict
For clothes and small items, Vinted is the clear winner: zero fees, effortless postage, and a buyer base that actually buys. For collectables or anything where price matters more than speed, eBay's reach justifies the extra effort. Facebook Marketplace suits bulky furniture where collection is the only option — but bring someone with you and never pre-refund a deposit.
For bargain hunters buying rather than selling, the same logic applies in reverse. Vinted for wardrobe staples, eBay for the niche stuff, and Marketplace if you don't mind a drive and a bit of small talk.
