Designer item - not as original?

sunny241

Hi. This is a bit of an odd one. I was looking for a vintage designer coat from a brand that does not exist anymore. Managed to find one on Vinted for a fair price. Looking at photos it was a good condition, looked after etc. When it arrived, on closer inspection I have noticed that this coat does not look like the original one made by the brand. Since it was designer brand they had they logo printed on every button etc. This coat has completely different buttons. No logo. Looks like they were all replaced ( maybe due to one being lost), not sure. It was not mentioned in the description that the coat was repaired or anything. The pictures were in it's current state - so with different buttons on it. However the pictures were not close up so it was difficult to see. 

My question is, where do I stand with this - is the item considered a fake if it has been modified or does it count as a repair. It has a label on it but the part of label which has sizing is missing and some stitching is coming off. Otherwise item looks as original coat. Not sure what to do?

eskbanker

sunny241 said:

Not sure what to do?

Wear it?

Were you buying it as a coat or an investment?

Was its condition misrepresented in the advert?

How old is it likely to be?

sunny241

I was buying it to use it.  It was not really misrepresented, it is in good condition - advert said very good. It likely to be about 10-11 years old.

The only problem is that it does not look like I was expecting it to. The buttons that were replaced are cheap and look cheap, completely different style as well which changes the look of it when I have it in hand. Colour is the same so I could not tell from the photos they were not original.

sunny241

Hi. This is a bit of an odd one. I was looking for a vintage designer coat from a brand that does not exist anymore. Managed to find one on Vinted for a fair price. Looking at photos it was a good condition, looked after etc. When it arrived, on closer inspection I have noticed that this coat does not look like the original one made by the brand. Since it was designer brand they had they logo printed on every button etc. This coat has completely different buttons. No logo. Looks like they were all replaced ( maybe due to one being lost), not sure. It was not mentioned in the description that the coat was repaired or anything. The pictures were in it's current state - so with different buttons on it. However the pictures were not close up so it was difficult to see. 

My question is, where do I stand with this - is the item considered a fake if it has been modified or does it count as a repair. It has a label on it but the part of label which has sizing is missing and some stitching is coming off. Otherwise item looks as original coat. Not sure what to do?

user1977

I don't think I'd expect a vintage coat to have original buttons, or the average seller even to know whether it does or not. I would expect it to be up to you to check first if it was important for you.

eskbanker

No harm in raising your concern with the seller, but if it's just a private individual rather than a trader then I don't think you'd have much in the way of consumer rights, unless Vinted has any sort of buyer protection policy covering such scenarios?

Manxman_in_exile

sunny241 said:

...I was looking for a vintage designer coat from a brand that does not exist anymore. Managed to find one on Vinted for a fair price. Looking at photos it was a good condition, looked after etc. When it arrived, on closer inspection I have noticed that this coat does not look like the original one made by the brand...

eskbanker said:

...but if it's just a private individual rather than a trader then I don't think you'd have much in the way of consumer rights, unless Vinted has any sort of buyer protection policy covering such scenarios?

If the seller is a private individual I'm afraid that I think this is an inherent risk of buying from a platform like Vinted if you are looking for something unusual/special/designer/ or of value to you but not necessarily of value to anybody else without an opportunity to inspect it.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

According to Vinted they charge the buyer a protection fee to cover not as described including "Any other visible flaw that wasn’t detailed in the listing" but you only have 2 days to raise a claim so need to be quick if you are still in time OP  

I guess Vinted will decide whether the issue the buttons meets their requirements to be covered by their policy. 

sunny241

Thanks. Yes I have checked their policy. If the item is a fake they can look into it or if it significantly isn't as described. I don't think it fits into the second one as the item is not damaged, stained or anything. I'm just not sure if it's an original and was modified or a fake. 

I'm not expecting much help from vinted though after seeing a forum and problems people have with CS.

sunny241

Seller is private, not very responsive and dismissive. Does not answer direct questions. Just says it is what it is and was as described.

km1500

If it is an original then it is not a fake even if it has been repaired a few times.

What to do? Well either decide to keep it, or return it. If you decide to return it just follow Vinted's returns policy.