The UK government has introduced new guidance to help consumers shop second-hand fashion online safely, responding to a sharp rise in counterfeit goods circulating across resale platforms. Published by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the guidance forms part of a wider campaign developed alongside online marketplaces including Vinted, and addresses growing concerns around organised counterfeit operations targeting the resale market. The move comes as new IPO figures show one in four UK second-hand fashion shoppers unknowingly purchased counterfeit items online in the past year. Nearly 60 percent reported negative experiences, including poor quality products, refund disputes and rapid deterioration, while 14 percent said the experience put them off shopping pre-loved altogether. Younger consumers are particularly exposed, with almost half of 18 to 24 year olds reporting encounters with counterfeit designer goods on resale platforms.
The guidance launch follows a series of notable enforcement actions across the UK. In March, Trading Standards seized more than three million pounds worth of counterfeit luxury goods from storage facilities in Bury, while another police operation in Rotherham uncovered over 1.1 million pounds worth of fake clothing and trainers, alongside suspected stolen goods valued at a further one million pounds. In Lincolnshire, Operation Grab has also targeted unsafe, counterfeit goods on the east coast, with officers seizing thousands of fake trainers and clothing imitating global brands including Adidas, Nike, Dior, Stone Island, and North Face.
Minister for online safety and intellectual property Kanishka Narayan said the UK’s pre-loved fashion trade is a booming market that’s good for bargain hunters and for the environment, adding that the government is acting to help shoppers browse with confidence and spot counterfeits before it’s too late. The IPO has also launched a ‘Second Hand, Not Second Best’ campaign highlighting the benefits of shopping second hand, promoting pre-loved goods as an affordable and sustainable alternative to buying fakes. The campaign emphasises that second-hand provides a cost-effective alternative to fast fashion and counterfeit goods while supporting more sustainable consumption and reducing environmental impact.
Collaboration with online platforms is central to the IPO’s preventative approach. The office said it continues to develop relationships with partners like Vinted and other e-commerce platforms to share best practice on effective tools and processes to detect and prevent the online sale of counterfeit goods, thereby protecting consumers and UK businesses from harm. Vinted and government are working together to strengthen trust online, with the IPO noting that online shopping has more than doubled its share of UK retail over the past 10 years, and criminals have taken advantage by selling counterfeit products digitally.
The guidance is part of broader efforts to tackle IP crime and infringement as the second-hand market grows significantly. Research shows 24 percent of UK adults said they had knowingly made a counterfeit purchase, with younger respondents more likely to purchase counterfeits. Among those currently purchasing counterfeits, 27 percent were aged 25-34, 21 percent were aged 35-44, and 20 percent were aged 18-24. Clothing, footwear, and accessories remain among the highest categories for counterfeit purchasing at 12 percent.
