Depop seller shocked by worn knickers request on fashion app

Depop is an app used to buy and sell second-hand fashion items

A woman selling clothes on a fashion app said she was "shocked" when a male buyer asked her for worn underwear.

The woman, from Northampton, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was worried as he had her home address after she offered two bags of garments on the marketplace app Depop.

Northamptonshire Police said users of such services should "ensure personal safety is their number one priority".

Depop said it had a "zero tolerance approach for predatory behaviour".

The woman said she had agreed to sell the clothes to a man who claimed he was interested in branded goods.

"It all sounded legit so I said fine and gave him my address," she said.

"Later that night he called asking if I was interested in wearing knickers overnight and putting them in a jiffy bag for him to collect for £25 a go.

"It came from nowhere. I was shocked."

'He was so bold'

She cancelled the sale, but became worried as he had her address.

"I exercise regularly and when I go out I think about whether or not he might turn up and worry he's approaching other people," she said.

"This man is clearly targeting women selling clothes online. He was so bold."

The woman said when she told the man she had reported the incident to police, he was "quick to tell me he hadn't committed a crime, which I found really creepy."

Earlier this year, the BBC revealed how women selling clothes on online sites were being sent explicit messages with requests for worn garments.

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Digital privacy advocate Jo O'Reilly said such sites required an address to sign up and supplying a fake one was against their terms and conditions.

"Worn underwear isn't a crime, it is unpleasant though," she said.

"These apps are springing up faster than we can legislate them."

Northamptonshire Police said buying and selling items online had "become big business".

"Anyone who receives offensive or inappropriate messages on these sites should cease all contact with that user," said the force.

Fabian Koenig, Depop's vice president of trust and safety, said the company's "foremost priority" was safety, adding: "We have an absolute zero-tolerance approach for predatory or abusive behaviour of any kind."

Mr Koenig said users were encouraged to report abuse and block anyone who made them feel unsafe.

He added the sharing of photographs via direct message was not allowed "to prevent fetish mining".

A spokeswoman for Depop added: "Depop's payment and shipping systems are designed so that all interactions between buyers and sellers can be managed securely in-app, keeping users safe.

"We do not allow out-of-app meetings or interactions. Users should never share their personal information voluntarily and should never exchange items or payment in-person."