Vinted removed listings of goods believed stolen during riots that swept French cities over the weekend, the secondhand reselling platform said. The company said it took immediate action to identify and remove postings linked to looting and stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings.
Widespread looting hit Paris, Marseille, Lille and other areas after protests over cost of living and public spending descended into riots. More than 2,000 businesses faced direct impact, according to the head of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Alain Di Crescenzo told France's broadcaster RTL that damage totalled hundreds of millions of euros. Police arrested at least 1,200 people.
Rioters, some masked, set fires to cars and buildings while breaking into and ransacking shops. Luxury retailers including Dior, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Laurent had storefronts damaged. Olympique de Marseille said its official store on the city's main avenue was looted and closed. Fellow Ligue 1 club Lille also shuttered its shop.
Those who stole goods appear to be attempting resale quickly. A Vinted spokesperson told the BBC: "The sale of stolen goods, or soliciting them, is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for it." The company said it acts against accounts that breach its rules, up to permanent bans, and is working with French authorities and police while adapting processes to detect malicious behaviour.
eBay reported no noted increase in listings linked to the looting but said it works with law enforcement to investigate suspected stolen goods and removes listings when authorities confirm items are stolen.