VINTED went down this morning, leaving hundreds of shoppers and sellers locked out of their accounts.

Between 9am and 10.40am, over 717 users reported issues with the second-hand marketplace on DownDetector.

2

2

Advertisement

According to the website, over 78% of customers could not use the app.

Another 19% said they could not log in to their account on the website.

It soon became clear that the issue was not due to a glitch but rather “scheduled maintenance”.

Affected users received the following message when trying to log in: “Vinted is temporarily down for scheduled maintenance.

“We’re making improvements to Vinted which will take a few hours to successfully complete.

“This will delay some of the activities you may be running on the platform, but they will resume once the system is back up.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused by this. Thanks for your patience.”

People took to X (formally Twitter) to complain.

One user said: “Vinted is down are you kidding me.”

Another said: “Is there an issue with the app today? I keep getting an error.”

“The scheduled maintenance better improve the servers and add a feature to filter by price,” said a third user.

One customer told The Sun that they’re still getting notifications about sales but can’t click through to view what items have been purchased.

We’re making improvements to Vinted which will take a few hours to successfully complete

Vinted

However, others joked about the temporary outage, with one user saying: “The amount of money I’m saving right now because Vinted is down is crazy.”

Vinted last went down at the end of October when more than 1,000 users complained about being unable to use the second-hand marketplace.

Payments won’t be affected

As the issue was related to scheduled maintenance, the temporary outage should not have affected your payments.

However, if you’re struggling to get your cash from Vinted, get in touch through the app (once it’s back up) and let customer service know you haven’t received your money.

You’ll usually need to provide evidence to show you haven’t received the money, such as your latest bank statements.

This will delay some of the activities you may be running on the platform, but they will resume once the system is back up

Vinted

There is also information on Vinted’s help page for users who haven’t seen their money hit their bank account.

Visit vinted.co.uk/help/73-my-withdrawal-has-failed to find out more.

You can contact the website’s member support team directly via the app if you are still experiencing issues.

If you’re still having issues or aren’t happy with how you have been treated, you may be able to complain to a third-party dispute resolution service, such as Complain.biz.

More Vinted news

Vinted launched a “pro” version of the app last month, which allows sellers to register as sole traders and be identified as professional sellers

The upgrade is free to use and users can sell unlimited items for free.

However, The Sun revealed the second-hand seller had paused new registrations to its professional selling feature after it made some users’ National Insurance (NI) numbers available, putting them at risk of fraud.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) advises that you should not share your NI number with anyone who does not need it to prevent identity fraud.

The Sun has learned that the Independent Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is investigating the breach after several sellers reported it.

Commenting on the issue, a spokesperson for Vinted said: “For a small number of Vinted Pro members, their NI number was visible on their profile page.

“While our teams were working on fixing the issue completely, we temporarily halted the ability to upgrade accounts to Vinted Pro.

“We apologise to anyone that was affected and encourage members who have questions to reach out to our member support team.”

Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted?

QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted…

• The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it.
• Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017.
• More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes

MILLIONS of households could save money on their water bills by making just six simple changes to how they use water.

Annual water bills are set to rise by about £27.40 to £473 from next year, according to water regulator Ofwat. 

1

Between 2025 and 2030 they are forecast to rise again by an average of £19 a year.

The increases will put pressure on households already finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Around 18% of households are already struggling to pay their bills but this will climb to 40% if the changes go ahead, according to the Consumer Council for Water.

But experts at bathroom supplier Wholesale Domestic say a family of four who make small changes to their home could save more than £200 a year.

Switch to water-efficient fixtures – £50

“One of the simplest and most effective ways to save money on your energy bills is to use water-efficient fixtures,” said Brian Toward from Wholesale Domestic.

“Modern showers and taps come with aerators and flow restrictors that reduce water usage without compromising on pressure.”

The devices are very easy to install and can be fitted either inside the spout of a tap or attached to the end of it.

Prices start at around £6.50 for four.

Meanwhile, a shower head aerator is installed in the same way as a basic shower head, which means they are one of the easiest ways to reduce your water consumption.

You can pick up one of the devices for about £8.

Switching to a water-saving shower head could reduce the water you use by up to 40%.

Overall, a family of four could save around £50 a year by cutting down their water consumption with these efficient fixtures.

Lower the temperature of your water heater – £50

Your water heater temperature controls how hot water will be when it comes out of your tap or shower head.

But most households have it set far higher than needed explains Mr Toward.

“By reducing your water heater temperature to around 55°C you can still have hot showers without wasting excess energy,” he said.

“Lowering the thermostat even slightly can make a significant difference over time and save you around £45-50 a year.

Most water heaters will have a knob on the front which controls the water temperature.

Turn this to the left to reduce its flow temperature.

Do not turn your temperature down too much as this could cause harmful bacteria to grow in the water.

Take shorter showers – £20

It’s an age old tip but reducing the length of your shower can help you to save significantly on your water bills.

Heating accounts for a large part of every household’s energy consumption.

“If every member of your household reduces their shower time by just one minute, you could save hundreds of litres of water each month,” Mr Toward suggests.

“Based on a family of four this could be a saving of around £20 a year in energy bills.”

Fix dripping and leaking fixtures – £35

Although the amount of water coming out of a leaking tap may look small, it can slowly add up over the course of a year.

“A slow-dripping tap can waste up to 5,500 litres of water a year,” Mr Toward warns.

“Not only is it a waste of water but it’s a direct hit to your energy bills if it’s a hot tap.”

If you get it fixed you could save up to £35 a year based on UK water heating costs.

Leaking toilets are another culprit.

Toilets take up about 30% of the total water used in a household according to water saving organisation Save Water Save Money.

A constantly running toilet can waste over 200 litres of water a day.

Install a thermostatic mixer shower – £30

If you have an electric shower, consider changing to a thermostatic mixer shower.

These showers mix hot and cold water more precisely than an electric shower which can prevent overheating and wasted energy.

By doing so they can help to regulate water temperature more effectively and reduce the energy needed to heat the water.

Prices start from around £75.

Swapping to a thermostatic shower can shave around £30 a year off your energy bill, especially if combined with a more efficient boiler.

Use your towel dryer wisely – £20

Towel radiators and heated towel rails have become popular in many bathrooms but they can waste energy if not used wisely.

Mr Toward advises: “Limit the time you have your towel rail on as many are left running for far longer than necessary, which can eat up electricity.”

Instead, set a timer or use a programmable rail to save between £15 and £20 annually.

How else can I save on my household bills?

You could apply for a water meter to shave hundreds of pounds off your water bill every year.

Water meters charge you for the amount of water you use, so consider your household use before you get one.

If you get through a lot of water then it may not be worth getting one.

The Consumer Council for Water has a free water meter calculator which will tell you how much you could save.

Meanwhile, you could get water-saving devices from your water company. 

Get in touch with your supplier for more information or visit savewatersavemoney.co.uk.

Companies also cap the bills of households who are struggling through the WaterSure scheme.

To apply you must be on benefits and need to use lots of water for medical reasons or because your household has a certain number of children.

You must have a water meter or be waiting to get one installed.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

Financial planning is of utmost importance in the constantly evolving business landscape. Some innovative companies are engaging diagrams and other visual tools to connect complicated financial data with clear, actionable insights.

Effective utilization of diagrams allows these businesses to spot trends, optimize budgeting allocations, and forecast more accurately.

This article will elaborate on how companies can use diagrams to ensure financial success.

Visualizing Data Trends

Data trends hold lots of insight into the company’s growth trajectory, market performance, and emerging risks or opportunities. While traditional tables and spreadsheets inform, spotting trends instantly takes time.

Diagrams such as line charts, heat maps, and waterfall charts turn such numbers into easily interpretable visuals, making it easier for businesses to identify patterns and plan their strategy.

Line charts convey trends in revenue or costs over various points in time. You can choose heat maps on Miro’s diagram templates to visualize a set of performance measures over any management aspect, helping your organization put together a rough analysis of which set of departments and product lines require attention and which are thriving.

Waterfall charts are becoming increasingly popular among financial analysts to show incremental effects contributing to profit and those drawing resources from profit.

Waterfall charts let one label income and expense categories as they contribute or detract to profitability step by step. This helps set more targeted budgets and operational shifts.

Enhancing Budget Allocation

Diagrams provide a more visual way of dispersing resources based on need, performance, or return on investment (ROI).

Pie charts, tree maps, and bar graphs are examples of diagrams that make it easier for organizations to see where budget money is allocated to analyze whether it is being appropriately distributed among various projects or departments.

• Pie Chart and TreeMap Displays of Departmental Budgets: Some organizations use pie charts to allocate and overview department budgets and clearly show which departments incur the highest costs or investments.

Then, there are tree maps that visualize the nested subcategories inside significant categories so that companies can track spending from both macro and micro perspectives.

• Comparative Bar Graphs for Tracking ROI: Comparative bar graphs for ROI analysis across departments or campaigns allow finance teams to see which investments quickly deliver the most significant returns.

This attachment of value is handy for companies with multiple product lines or initiatives because such products allow for prioritizing high-ROI projects to minimize expenditure on something that does not return value.

Creating Financial Projections and Scenarios

Forecasting diagrams, like predictive graphs and sensitivity analysis charts, enable businesses to visualize different possible futures. Such visualization allows companies to make moves beforehand to remediate variances of expected value.

Sensitivity analysis diagrams allow businesses to adjust the variables and visualize the underlying financial template.

For example, through changes in sales growth rates or interest, finance teams can prepare for best-case, worst-case, and moderate cases to support an adaptive approach to budgeting.

In predicting revenue growth and cost changes over time, tech-based companies increasingly use predictive modelling and multi-line graphs based on historical data. Using such tools helps with a more precise revenue forecast, which allows for appropriate scaling of content investments or subscriber acquisition costs.

Advanced Reporting and Real-Time Dashboards

Companies increasingly turn to interactive dashboards and real-time reporting to make rapid decisions. Interactive charts allow users to easily interact with the data, making it exceedingly easy to focus on specific areas. Live and dynamic reporting helps the financial roles recognize and act upon issues as they arise, maintaining flexibility in financial planning.

Real-time dashboards allow companies to track KPIs, for example, cash flows, revenues, and expenses, with the help of dynamic bar graphs, pie charts, and gauges. Companies can update operational budgets and marketing spending in real time because the information is continuously updated based on live data.

The Role of AI in Automated Diagram Creation for Financial Planning.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing a sophisticated new dimension to financial planning by providing functions for automatic diagram creation from live data feeds. An AI algorithm can identify patterns in the data, automatically generate predictive models, and recommend the most appropriate visualizations.

AI-powered financial planning tools can analyze historical data to build automated forecasting diagrams so that businesses visualize future revenue, costs, and cash flow. For instance, AI-anchored facilitates real-time forecasting updates, furthering financial planning accuracy and freeing the finance team from other resource-consuming manual functions.

Some machine learning algorithms can spot variations from a given pattern in financial information and present this using colour-coded visuals and alerts. Companies such as Walmart employ these kinds of tools, indicating specific trends in sales data that allow finance teams to make prompt corrective changes.

Endnote

Innovative companies can leverage diagrams to turn complex financial data into easy-to-understand visuals that enhance data comprehension, budgeting accuracy, and strategic planning.

From predicting the future to tracking KPIs in real-time, these visual tools bring the financial health of organizations into clear view and permit well-informed and timely decision-making.

Introducing AI and real-time dashboards into financial planning allows for an even more sophisticated and dynamic application of diagrams, giving businesses the insight needed to thrive in a highly competitive market.

Financial advice and investment management firm One Four Nine Group has acquired Nottingham-based Castlegate Capital, marking a “crucial step” in its growth journey.

The deal is the 10th acquisition for One Four Nine Group and the first of 2024 following a significant period of focus to integrate all firms into the business fully.

The launch in late 2023 of One Four Nine Wealth was an important moment for the evolution of the business.

It provided a “robust platform” to begin uniting all regional locations under one brand identity and to ensure the delivery a consistent client service proposition across the UK.

One Four Nine Wealth is the financial planning arm of the business, operating alongside One Four Nine Portfolio Management.

Castlegate is an independent chartered financial planning business established in 2016 catering to private and corporate clients across the UK.

It will rebrand to One Four Nine Wealth upon completion of the transaction taking the group’s client assets to over £1.6bn with over 30 financial planners and around 5,000 clients.

One Four Nine Group, chief executive Gabrielle Beaumont said: “This is an exciting time of growth for One Four Nine Group.

“Investing heavily in the last 12 months in people, integration and client proposition across our regional locations has put us in a strong position to continue to attract some of the best firms in the market as part of our continued acquisition strategy.”

She said the Castlegate team was a “natural fit” for One Four Nine Group and shares its vision of building an “energetic, forward-thinking” financial planning business with a “clear focus on delivering excellent lifetime financial planning to clients”.

One Four Nine Group corporate development director Sanjay Lukka added: “The acquisition of Castlegate Capital is an important milestone for One Four Nine Group.

“Having joined the Group in August, I’m delighted that my first acquisition marks such a crucial step in our growth journey.

“This acquisition reinforces our commitment to expanding One Four Nine Group’s footprint in the Midlands and beyond.

“Castlegate Capital’s expertise and strong client focus aligns fully with our own, and I look forward to working alongside their talented team to continue to deliver more value to our clients.”

One Four Nine launched in October 2021 with the acquisition of two advisory firms – Charter Financial Planning and Rice Whatmough Crozier.

The group primarily targets accountancy firms and other professional services firms which own or have a joint venture with financial advice firms.

It also considers standalone advisory firms which reflect its “collaborative, innovative and professional values”.

This includes advice firms either already or wanting to become experienced in recommending tax efficient alternative investments.

THE chairman of Wetherspoons has issued a warning regarding impending price increases following Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget.

Tim Martin revealed that the pub chain’s tax bill is projected to rise by two-thirds next year.

1

Martin said: “Cost inflation, which had surged to high levels in 2022, gradually diminished over the subsequent two years.

“However, it has now significantly increased again following the budget.

“All hospitality businesses, we believe, plan to increase prices, as a result.

“Wetherspoon will, as always, make every attempt to stay as competitive as possible.”

Wetherspoons anticipates that tax and business costs will increase by approximately £60 million over the next fiscal year, including an estimated 67% rise in national insurance contributions.

Last week, Rachel Reeves said she was raising the headline employer rate of National Insurance (NI) from 13.8% to 15%.

She also announced a reduction to the threshold at which businesses start paying NI contributions from £9,100 to £5,000.

The group, which runs nearly 800 pubs across the UK, said its sales grew by about 6% in the 14 weeks to November 3, compared with the same period last year.