Is Mercari Legit? Here’s a Detailed Review of Mercari for Buyers and Sellers

Are you trying to get started with the online reselling platform Mercari, but held back by the doubt is Mercari legit? 

Scams in online marketplaces, say Zelle and DealDash pose suspicions on the legitimacy of other platforms including Mercari, and raise questions – is Mercari a legit site? 

In this detailed review, we will make you familiar with what Mercari is and some common scams happening on this platform. Furthermore, we’ll also assist you with some ways to avoid online scams and grab authentic deals on Mercari without fail.

What is Mercari?

Before you glide to explore – Is Mercari legit, you must hold the knowledge of what is Mercari and how this platform works.  

It is an online marketplace to buy and sell anything. Here, you can purchase nearly new products or sell something that you don’t need anymore. 

It’s a product reselling platform provided for buyers and sellers to connect directly. The goods available on the site range from electronics to pet supplies and much more. You’ll get almost everything that you may need on a daily basis, seriously, you name it and they have it. 

Mercari site offers extensive features that make it easy to use, for example, the inbuilt messaging app makes conversation between the buyer and seller convenient. Moreover, the best feature is Mercari Authenticate, which ensures a genuine product is being sold and bought on the site. We have discussed the same in detail later. 

Is Mercari a Legit Site or Scam?

Mercari is a 100% legitimate site and is accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau). With 50 million+ downloads of the Mercari app, it is soaring high with an app store rating of 4.9, and 4.8 on the Google Play Store.

You can get more information about the site by reading Mercari’s terms and services.

However, scams are possible everywhere online, hence you must stay cautious to get the tricks of scammers and stay ahead of them when dealing with buyers or sellers on the platform.

Mercari is concerned about its users and takes measures to provide a fraud-free environment for a fair and secure shopping experience.

You can report any sour transaction, objectionable product, or bad conduct on the Mercari website to get help from the team which remarks that Mercari is legit.

We found some astonishing features that could help you ascertain “is Mercari trustworthy”:

• Seller and buyer protection against any scam and refund if scammed.
• User verification badges that advantage both buyers and sellers for the authentic shopping experience.
• Mercari Authenticate for luxury items, restricting counterfeit selling chances.

What is Mercari Authenticate? 

Mercari Authenticate is a service for sellers who want to resell luxury products, costing $5 which eases the doubt about whether is Mercari legit.

Authentication is done with the help of third-party authenticators via the snaps of the products. It is available for certain products like eyewear, wallets, shoes, and handbags. Other than jewelry and watches, all other luxury goods get a certificate after authentication. 

This process is completed within 48 hours and a diamond badge is given to the approved product. This way, the buyers will be confident and know the product they are buying is authentic.

Benefits of Mercari Authenticate:  

The third-party expert’s involvement proves that the authentication is bias-free and done through the verification of tags and logos. Check the table to know the benefits of Authentication and diamond badge:

Sellers	Buyers
Authenticated products are more likely to sell.	Ease of mind as experts approve products.
Helps increase buyer’s visibility.	Easy negotiations for the best price deal.
Transparent pricing and easy listing of articles.	There’s a new listing of authenticated products to buy.

Common Scams on Mercari

Scams are unfortunate, but they can push you to think – is Mercari reliable? If you are not careful enough, you can get scammed on the Mercari website. Here are some of the most prominent seller and buyer scams happening on this platform:

Common Sellers Scams

Scam sellers on Mercari are often seen stealing money from buyers using below tricks:

• Fake Products – Counterfeit items are sent instead of genuine products, and this mostly happens in the case of luxury items such as designer goods, handbags, and eyewear. Those who enter transactions with such scams end up questioning the credibility of the entire platform and wonder whether Mercari is a scam. 

• Drop-shipping scams – Sellers buy products from Amazon and send them to the buyer’s address, charging a high amount of shipping expenses. 

• Switching Shipment Address – To deceive, a shipment from the seller carries a bogus article, whereby you get the tracking. But before the product reaches you, the seller changes the delivery address by contacting the shipment’s company.

Common Buyers Scams

Below are the scenarios that will help you get insights on some of the ways you can be cheated on your money or product by a buyer. Keep in mind that not all the buyers are genuine. 

• Bargaining for a lower price – Some buyers bargain for a lower price quote, usually much lower than the established price, but back out from the deal after wasting the seller’s time.

• No Payment Scams – When sellers ask for payments, fake buyers request payment after the product gets delivered to them. Never fall prey to such scams because no payments will be made by these buyers once they get the product. 

• Fake returns – Some clever buyers come across a product they already own, they buy the product and when the product is received they file for a refund stating that they received a damaged or defective article. This is where Mercari Authenticate helps sellers. The product will get checked before refund. 

No online market is free from scammers, but a few ways to avoid scams can make you overcome the speculation of whether is Mercari legit.

Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed by Sellers on Mercari

Mercari is safe to buy from, but it doesn’t harm to tread with caution and look out for signs of scammers. Here’s what all you can do to avoid scams:

1. Check for seller verification – Mercari provided verification badges to the seller to create a safe and fraud-free environment. Before you head to buy and make payments, always check the seller’s profile for badges and reviews.

2. No off-platform transaction – The scammer will want to take you off the platform to trick you. Make sure to do all the conversation on the built-in messaging system. 

3. Return quickly if unsatisfied with the product received – If you have a product that is different from the listing or is counterfeit or defective, then file for return as soon as you can. The return duration is within 3 days of the product being delivered to you.

4. Avoid sellers with no reviews – Never go for a seller with no reviews as it’s a certain sign of getting into trouble, and you may get scammed. 

By keeping in mind all these points when dealing with sellers for a product, you can smartly get over any scammer. Fake seller’s accounts do not have badges and reviews, you must not make any offers and waste your time in any trade with them. But it’s not the sellers all the time who do the scams, check the next section to know how a buyer could scam you. 

How to Avoid Mercari Buyer Scams?

Some buyers can be crafty and create trouble for the seller. Here are a few things that could save you from the buyer’s scams:

• Check the buyer’s Mercari profile – Go to the buyer’s profile and check for the buyer reviews along with verification badges. The badges next to the profile icon are green signals that you are dealing with a Mercaris-verified buyer.
• Ignore pay-on delivery requests – In some cases when buyers contact you for payments after the product reaches them, do not entertain such requests as it is a sign of a scam from the buyer.
• Always do in-app communication – To keep Mercari in the loop for any unfortunate event, in-app communications are the best option instead of communication out of the platform. Usually, scam buyers try to appeal to you for communication outside the app. 
• Signature confirmation –  Opt to take the buyer’s signature on receiving a product, this will be a voucher in case buyers try to deny the delivery.
• Reporting suspicious activity –  If by any chance you come across any issue then make sure to report it to the Mercari team so that they can fix the loophole to keep the platform safe and secure.

Can I Get a Refund on the Mercari Website If Scammed?

Yes, just ensure to make a return request within 3 days of product delivery. Your money is safe with Mercari, and this proves the legitimacy of the site as well. 

You can request a money refund in the following scenarios: 

• Canceled orders
• Product returns
• Faulty products delivery

Our Take on Is Mercari Safe

We found that Mercari is a BBB-accredited business with an A rating, which again confirms its legitimacy. So we recommend you go ahead with Mercari and join the fun while saving on some bucks. 

Although Mercari is legit, caution is important because online scams are quite prevalent nowadays. The platform attempts to safeguard you from getting scammed, but you should be careful too.