The UK Intellectual Property Office published its new guidance, How to spot fake fashion when shopping second-hand, on 27 May 2026 and followed it with a press release on 28 May as the resale fashion market continues to expand. Developed with support from Vinted, the guidance gives shoppers a more practical checklist for spotting suspicious pricing, seller behaviour, listing photos, verification services and payment methods. The IPO also said that one in four UK second-hand clothing buyers unknowingly bought a counterfeit online in the last year, while one in three do not check authenticity before buying and nearly 60% reported quality, durability or refund problems after receiving a fake.
This matters for more than consumer awareness. The UK is starting to push anti-counterfeiting work further into the mechanics of recommerce itself, not just traditional enforcement after the fact. As circular fashion grows, the more important question is whether platforms can improve reporting tools, authentication pathways and listing quality early enough to keep suspicious goods from circulating at scale.
