Second-hand: when new disguises itself as already worn

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Buying secondhand clothes is often a good deal. But on resale platforms, intruders have crept in. New items, from fast fashion , are ending up in misleading ads. And it's not always easy to spot them.

Ads are being posted with photos of supposedly worn clothing, actually generated by artificial intelligence. The phenomenon is growing: sellers are adopting second-hand codes, photos in a closet, or in a messy bedroom, but all the items offered are actually new.

A quick test with a yellow cardigan found on Vinted for 37 euros. Everything seems normal. However, thanks to a reverse image search tool, surprise: the item comes from a fast fashion site, where it's selling for three times less.

To limit the risks, certain checks are necessary. According to Guillaume Saës, consultant, researcher, and data scientist: "You should not hesitate to check the seller's history, their profile, the various sales they may have made on the platform, and carefully check the photos they offer. If different people are wearing these clothes and there are different locations, this could represent a risk of use by artificial intelligence."

Last year, three out of four French people bought a second-hand product.