Confusion over cause of issues for IOM residents selling on Vinted

Manx users say they've not been able to use site for around a month

There's confusion over the cause of issues for Isle of Man residents trying to sell on the buy-and-sell site, Vinted.

Users here say they can no longer send packages using the company's integrated services, which cover the shipping costs and insure the parcels.

Manx Radio has seen correspondence from a customer service representative for Vinted with one user claiming the Isle of Man had been 'blacklisted'.

The message said it was a limitation imposed by the shipping providers and wasn't something Vinted could override.

However, none of the shipping providers we've heard back from say they have any issues operating here.

Evri: "We're proud to deliver to households and businesses on the Isle of Man.

"Each year we deliver more than 900 million parcels a year to 25 million households across the UK and 220 countries and territories worldwide including the Isle of Man.

"There are no changes to our delivery and collection services on the Isle of Man.

"We understand from Vinted that delivery services to the Isle of Man remain an option on their website and that the misunderstanding follows a communication sent from one of Vinted’s customer service agents which is being investigated."

Inpost: "InPost operates across the Isle of Man via its Yodel by InPost service."

DPD: "There are no issues at this end, we have been delivering and collecting as normal."

We're still waiting for a response from Royal Mail.

Manx Independent Carriers had, until recently, been handling Vinted packages for Isle of Man residents.

In a post online, it says: "We are aware of the current issues surrounding Vinted parcels, Yodel & Collect+.

"As there has been a technical error on the Vinted website, the Isle of Man is no longer shown as a delivery option.

"This is a situation completely out of our control but we made Yodel aware that this has happened and they are looking to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

"We have had multiple enquires regarding this situation, and we understand how frustrating this can be, however it is completely out of our control."

Natasha is a mum here on the Island and was a regular user of Vinted.

But she says it seemed to stop working for her overnight:

Manx Radio has also contacted Vinted directly to try and understand the issues it's been having.

A spokesperson says: "We want to clarify that the Isle of Man is certainly not 'blacklisted'.

"At the moment, we have only one carrier - Royal Mail for deliveries going into the Isle of Man, which means we don't have a carrier option for parcels leaving the island just yet. 

"Because of this, shipping services are currently unavailable for sellers based there. 

"However, buyers in the Isle of Man can still checkout and select their preferred shipping method as usual.

"We are always reviewing our shipping options and hope to be able to expand our services in the future, but we do not have a specific timeline for this at the moment."

We still had some questions though after that response: why were its customer services representatives saying the Isle of Man was blacklisted if it wasn't? Why is it saying its shipping providers aren't available here when they are? And, as this was a service that had been used previously, when would it be reinstated?

In response, the Vinted spokesperson said: "The term 'blacklisted' refers to a technical setting for regions where shipping is currently (partially) unavailable; it is absolutely not a status applied to specific members or a policy decision to ban residents.

"While providers like DPD, Evri, and Yodel do deliver to the island, our specific outbound integration with them (which allows sellers to drop off and scan parcels at a network of locations) is not currently enabled for the Isle of Man. 

"Without access to these integrated drop-off points or an integration with the local independent Post Office, we cannot support the selling workflow at this time.

"I can confirm this setup has not changed for at least a year. 

"We certainly hope to expand these services in the future, but we do not have a fixed timeline for this yet."

This issue raises the wider topic of accessibility of services here on the Isle of Man.

Anecdotally, more and more UK businesses won't deliver to the Island or, if they do, will charge more for their standard shipping option to do so.

It's something Natasha's noticed too:

Manx Radio has asked both the Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) and the Department for Enterprise (DfE) for more information about this.

The IOMPO says: "We’re aware that some UK carriers apply different terms for deliveries to locations such as the Isle of Man, where the geography does result in additional transport and handling costs. 

"This can sometimes lead to higher charges or limited service availability, but it’s not a case of being 'blacklisted' as such.

"At Isle of Man Post Office, we work hard to ensure customers have reliable options for sending and receiving items. 

"We actively monitor changes in carrier services and take steps to address challenges so that customers continue to have practical solutions.

"We’re currently working on measures to support customers using platforms like Vinted and we will share updates as soon as we’re able."

The DfE says: "The Department for Enterprise would like to thank those who have brought this matter to our attention.

"The Global Digital Access initiative, led by Digital Isle of Man and Business Isle of Man, aims to understand and help remove barriers faced by residents and businesses when accessing goods and services from major digital platforms. 

"The team gathers information on reported issues to assess their scale and engages with relevant platforms as part of ongoing work to identify potential solutions.

"In relation to Vinted, following notification of this issue, officers are working to understand the cause of the issue and to identify the appropriate contacts to support resolution. 

"Alongside this, the Department continues to liaise with local partners of UK courier companies and the Isle of Man Post Office to better understand current shipping arrangements and costs affecting deliveries to the Island.

"To find out more about the Global Digital Access initiative, or to report an issue, click here."