ONLINE shopper Sarah Yates* was devastated when she realised the designer Dior handbag she had bought for £315 on Vinted wasn't genuine.
When she opened the bag, she could only find a strange receipt inside.
The authenticity card that proved it was genuine was nowhere to be found.
Sarah, a customer relationship manager from London, politely messaged the seller asking what had happened, and when she didn't hear back, she reported it to Vinted and requested a refund.
The 38-year-old never got a reply from Vinted.
But within hours, she had received a barrage of threatening messages from the seller, including a photograph of them holding a handgun.
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"Cancel the dispute immediately and don't make me angry or I guarantee you won't survive this Saturday," the seller said in one message.
The next day, they said: "Don't let me catch you, I will make your whole family pay the price."
While she didn't really believe the death threats at first, Sarah felt increasingly uneasy as the "insane" messages continued because she knew the seller had her address.
"When I contacted Vinted asking them to get involved and send the police the abuser's details, I just got radio silence, even though there was a clear danger to my life," she said.
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Online marketplaces such as Vinted and Depop work slightly differently to regular online shops.
Rather than selling goods directly to customers, they provide a platform for users to buy, sell or exchange items with one another and communicate via an in-app chat.
When someone buys an item on the platform, the seller is given their address in order to post it to them.
However, this setup puts buyers at risk if any issues arise, while the largely un-monitored in-app chats leave users vulnerable to verbal abuse.
But going forward, The Sun has learned online marketplaces will come under new government rules requiring them to protect users – or face huge fines.
It comes amid a rise in threatening messages sent via in-app chats on these platforms, with some users left fearing for their lives after sellers have threatened to show up at their homes.
Business strategist Emily Smith*, 36, was also sent a photograph of a gun after reporting a fake designer handbag to Vinted.
The mum, from Birmingham, said: "The police said Vinted's co-operation was really hard to keep up with, and in the end no one was punished for the hell I was put through."
Another user posted on the Reddit thread r/Vinted in November this year that they reported death threats and a photograph of a seller holding a gun to Vinted and never received any response.
Ashley Jones*, from London, was verbally abused and threatened on Vinted by a buyer who wasn't happy with the item she received.
Ashley, 25, said: "I reached out four separate times to Vinted's customer services team, but they just responded with automated links that had nothing to do with what I was trying to report."
Some Depop users have reported similar experiences of sellers threatening to turn up at their homes or sending abusive messages.
Posting on forum Reddit, one Depop user shared a message they had received from a seller after reporting a fake item, which said: "Your full name, home address, phone number etc is at my will, I certainly would not like to take a trip to see you, as I'm sure you would not be too fond of it either."
Tom Blok, who runs Complain.Biz, a website for reporting poor customer service, told The Sun he has seen a "worrisome trend" of buyers receiving threatening messages over the last few months.
"We've seen several users reporting receiving death threats after disputes with sellers, and the complaints from many Vinted users suggest a common feeling of being ignored and sidelined by automated messages," he said.
"When someone sends threats to harm a family, accompanied by photos of firearms and their address, the warning bells should be deafening.
"Platforms meeting genuine concerns with silence or automated apathy is unacceptable."
A spokesperson for Vinted said: "We would like to reassure members that they can report any concerns to us via the app quickly and easily for us to act on as soon as possible.
"In some cases, we also encourage members to reach out to law enforcement and we remain ready to support all police enquiries when they contact us."
Responding to Sarah's case, the spokesperson added: "In this case, we didn’t provide the level of personal support the member deserved and we sincerely apologise for that.
"We would like to confirm that we have taken the necessary actions and we will cooperate with all police enquiries when they contact us."
A spokesperson for Depop added: "Depop has a zero tolerance approach to predatory or abusive behaviour of any kind.
"We encourage users to report any situations that make them feel unsafe, via the easy-to-use reporting function in-app – the three dots in the top right hand corner."
*Names have been changed to protect users' identities.
What are the new rules to protect online shoppers?
Amid a rise in abuse online, the government recently introduced new rules which will force tech platforms to better protect users or face huge fines going forward.
The Online Safety Bill, which was passed into law at the end of October, covers all online platforms where customers can interact – including online marketplaces, The Sun understands.
The bill will require these firms to take more responsibility for the content posted on their platforms, including by removing harmful messages.
Users should also expect to receive a swift and appropriate response if they raise concerns.
Any company which fails to take reports seriously or remove harmful content could face an investigation and enforcement action of up to £18million, or 10% of its annual revenue – whichever is higher.
This means that in the future, these websites will have to deal with threats made on their platforms swiftly and effectively – or risk a hefty bill.
A government spokesperson told The Sun: "The Online Safety Bill will hold social media platforms to account to proactively remove the most harmful illegal content, including harassment and death threats.
“Platforms will be required to identify and take down online criminal threats promptly and effectively, or face huge fines that could reach billions of pounds.”
What should I do if I receive a death threat?
Sending death threats is already illegal, so you should report any threatening messages to the police.
You can call your local police force on 101 if you're being harassed or threatened online. Call 999 if you feel you're in immediate danger.
If you don't feel comfortable making a phone call, you can fill in a crime incident form online here.
Also notify the platform that you are using, as the police will need them to co-operate during any investigations.
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The platform should also remove the content and take steps to help protect you from further abuse.
Make sure to keep a paper trail of any messages you receive, and take screenshots if possible so you can show them to the police.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
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