Poles are having fun on Vinted. “Food was taken from the defenseless”

It is known that this is unethical and immoral, but there are cases where this type of advertisements appear on reputable websites. We decided to take a closer look at the matter and ask what amounts of food are donated to shelters annually and how it is done. And also find out how it is possible that private individuals come into possession of this type of products.

It is known that the mentioned Dolina Noteci has been cooperating with shelters since 2017, so fraudsters have been trying to cheat the system and make money on something that is free for several years. And yet the food should go to those who need it the most, in line with the donors’ intentions.

In response to a question asked by Telepolis.pl, Dolina Noteci confirmed that every year it donates several tons of shelter food exclusively to organizations that care for animals. In 2025 alone, there were over 15 tons of donated products. The company emphasizes that this food is not intended for sale or trade. This is also clearly marked and there is no doubt about this fact.

Some time ago, in order to prevent situations such as the one that occurred in recent days, we introduced a special label “For shelters” with the information “The product is not intended for sale”.

These types of markings apparently work, although not 100 percent. It is much more difficult to sell goods with such a label. It is encouraging that at the moment Dolina Noteci has only one offer to sell such food on Vinted. Of course, even this one report is worth publicizing and taking the matter seriously, according to the manufacturer. How did this happen? Arrangements and legal consultations are underway to prevent such situations in the future.

We are in the process of investigating. Until then, we would not like to formulate clear conclusions.

We also asked Vinted what their verification procedure is like and whether this type of announcements are common. The platform responded quickly, explaining that has a number of tools and procedures enabling the identification of infringing advertisements and taking appropriate actions, including permanent blocking of the account of a person who violates the terms of use of our platform. You can therefore guess that it reacts quickly and effectively in such cases.

Additionally, any Vinted user who identifies an ad that violates our policies or attempts to sell prohibited items can report it to us. This is also possible for organizations and rights holders.

What seems most interesting, however, is that offering this type of products, such as food, is simply prohibited on Vinted.

In accordance with the Vinted Directory Rules (which are part of our Terms and Conditions), the sale of any type of beverages and food, including pet food, is not permitted and members are not permitted to offer them on Vinted.

Pursuing the matter, we decided to ask there as well. Can this be treated as a type of marketing of donated goods? What can the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection do in this matter? What possible steps can, or even should, be taken in this particular case?

The commercial sale of products intended for charity may constitute unfair conduct. Consumers who encounter such a practice should report it to the website administrators and law enforcement agencies.

The issue of fighting for animal rights is now in the spotlight. Largely due to the emotional speeches of Doda, who was involved in publicizing the issue of “patho-shelters”. She appealed for a common fight for animal welfare and the need to tighten regulations. All this is intended to improve the treatment of animals that depend on humans. By reporting this type of unfair advertisements, we make a contribution to the campaign for animals, which will reduce the suffering of dogs and cats from shelters.

Like the Noteci Valley, we hope that this was an isolated incident and similar situations will not be repeated in the future.