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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Mercari Review ; Hit & Miss but I Wouldn't Risk It

 I started selling on the Mercari app quite some time ago, upon selling on there I only had two problems.
 One was a buyer claimed a game in a bundle did not work, however I even had photos up that the game did work. So if you are selling on Mercari and you're selling electronics, try to upload photos proving the items work. The buyer continuously insisted the game wasn't working and Mercari told them in order to get a full refund they would have to send the entire bundle back, which they declined, however I decided to give them a partial refund. Even doing that the buyer left negative feedback which all sellers will agree, sucks.
 The second problem I've had while selling on Mercari was a seller received an item broken. I carefully packaged the item and covered the package in "fragile" stamps. I do believe the post office was too rough with the package causing the item to get crushed. Both me and the buyer messaged Mercari and Mercari refunded the buyer, understandable but they also say no refunds are given until the seller receives the item back, which I did not. They did tell me to open a case through USPS to get a refund however the shipping Mercari offered at the time did not come insured. So because of USPS being rough with the package and Mercari not offering insurance through shipping I lost money.
 Both problems were minor and I've never had any other problems selling on Mercari although I did stop selling after too many problems with Mercari's customer service when buying items.


 Now buying on Mercari is an entire different story. I've made quite a few purchases on Mercari and I've had quite a few problems with purchases on Mercari but I am just going to go over the major problems.
  One was a laptop. I needed a new laptop bad because mine was overheating, causing the digitizer to go out. So I looked around for quite some time, then I found a nice HP laptop that said it was as good as new, the seller had all positive feedbacks and I commented on their listing, asking about the battery, heating, and condition of the laptop, the seller claimed it was "as good as new". Upon receiving the laptop I noticed the serial numbers were scratched off which raised a red flag for me but I plugged it in anyways and noticed it got hot, really fast. Before 30 minutes passed I had to shut it down because it was so hot. Automatically the seller started messaging me to "rate her" once you rate someone you can not open a case, before I could even reply to her message she was commenting on my listings to rate her and if I didn't I was a scammer. So I messaged her about the flaws and she started to harass me so I told her I'd message Mercari and let them handle it. This seller continuously messaged me through out the time Mercari took to "solve" the case. They asked for pictures and I sent pictures of the laptop, the condition, plus the messages she was sending me. In the end they said they couldn't "see" it overheating so they would not let me return it for a refund.
  Now on the the another problem I had with Mercari, while the case for the laptop was open I purchased some Beats by Dre headphones, before purchasing I asked if they had nay flaws, the seller said no so I purchased them, When I got the package I found a note saying the cord is messed up and you have to hold it out to hear the beats.. I messaged the seller and she said that wasn't a flaw, although clearly it is. I went to a store to get a new cord, to only find out it wasn't the cord that was messed up but the actual jack. As soon as Mercari closed the laptop case I messaged them about the Beats and they replied saying I didn't message them within 3 days after receiving the headphones and they completed the order. Now I find this unfair considering they only let you message them with one problem at a time. Now I have a laptop that you can only use for around 25-30 minutes before having to let it rest and a pair of broken beats and I'm at a loss for $200+.


 So with that being said in my opinion Mercari is a great app to sell on but not so much on buying expensive items, like electronics. Also if you decide to take a chance on buying something expensive be sure that you don't have a case already open or purchase expensive things back to back. After the laptop and Beats incident I no longer buy or sell on Mercari because they really do not protect the buyer like they claim to.

33 comments:

  1. Hi, I have been trying to sell on PoshMark and it is very slow. Do you have any suggestions on other sites worth selling on? My items are all new with tags and I am afraid to try Mercari. Thanks!

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    1. Have you been sharing your listings on Poshmark? Share them as much as possible. I've noticed that helps me. I also share other peoples items and they share mine as well.

      I personally have only sold on Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay. I make the most sales on Mercari and all my items are preowned, so you'd probably do better on there. I might do an updated review on Mercari soon. I haven't had any major problems on there in a long time.

      I rarely make sales on Poshmark but I keep it for the possibility of making sales.

      I rarely list items on eBay because I rarely have luck on there, I just list items when they are rare / vintage and they're not popular on Mercari.

      Some people sell on Vinted and Depop but I never have. I have the Depop app to buy things on but I've never sold anything on there and I don't think I ever will sell on there because I don't like having to ship on my own.

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    2. Try amazon, only new items can be sold there

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    3. Try amazon, only new items can be sold there

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    4. Poshmark doesn't sell. I've had all my listings on bother sites and only have sold one item on posh which they take 20% and the rest sold on Mercari only taking 10%. I've only had one issue on Mercari and one on Poshmark. Poshmark wouldn't even respond beyond their "we are so busy" automated email. I will never buy again on Posh - to many high end fakes.

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  2. You should try the app Depop! They charge a 10% fee which sucks but it is the safest in terms of buying and selling in my opinion. The community on Depop is much more friendly and most sellers/buyers are very friendly and polite. I've found that the same is unfortunately not true for Mercari, I have been harassed by several random people and something about it makes me a little sketched out! Regardless I still use both I guess it's just an at your own risk type of thing! Hope this helps!!

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    1. I have Depop but I don't sell on there, I just purchase stuff :p
      I personally don't like the ship it yourself method because I walk every where. But I totally agree with the community being so much friendlier than Mercari.

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  3. You should try the app Depop! They charge a 10% fee which sucks but it is the safest in terms of buying and selling in my opinion. The community on Depop is much more friendly and most sellers/buyers are very friendly and polite. I've found that the same is unfortunately not true for Mercari, I have been harassed by several random people and something about it makes me a little sketched out! Regardless I still use both I guess it's just an at your own risk type of thing! Hope this helps!!

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    1. Yes, I have to second the random people harassing!! I am so sick of people commenting trying to challenge me on prices because of the shipping cost. I am selling something for HALF price, and they automatically include the cost of shipping as part of the PRICE of the item itself. The seller has no control over the shipping rates, and I cant afford to pay for shipping every item out. Also so sick of reading "free shipping?" In every other comment, FOR A $3 or $4 item no less, after I clearly stated in the description i dont ship free.

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    2. I gave had to delete so many comments off my items. My item is 10$ and I offer free shipping on the items....well I have people asking for 6$ on the item I am paying for shipping the leaves me with 2$ for the item......or I love when they say it's all I have well I'm sorry but that is not my problem, I am here to sell to make extra money to help my family.....not to give my stuff away.

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    3. I gave had to delete so many comments off my items. My item is 10$ and I offer free shipping on the items....well I have people asking for 6$ on the item I am paying for shipping the leaves me with 2$ for the item......or I love when they say it's all I have well I'm sorry but that is not my problem, I am here to sell to make extra money to help my family.....not to give my stuff away.

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  4. This article is SO spot on. As a buyer, I have had TWO sellers cancel my orders out of the blue, NO explamation, no message. They are just allowed to cancel claiming "cant send in the specified time frame.' These two surprise cancellations happened in the span of ONE week. One of them blocked me after cancelling so I couldnt inquire why they just pulled the rug out from under me. Whats sad is tgat other buyers deal with them and dont know what they might be getting themselves into with these unprofessional, inconsiderate sellers. As a buyer, you have to wait however many days, and provide a justifiable explanation to cancel an order. As a seller, you can just cancel at ANY point, without a second thought and without any explanation to the buyer. How unprofessional. Furthermore, customer service is a 'template' service.. Meaning they will not provide you with personal, one on one help for any issues you are having. The responses are vague, copy-paste segments of wording that make you feel like you are talking to an automated response system. When you reply saying that your issue was not resolved with that answer, you get passed off to another person with a made-up name and more copy-paste paragraphs. The commission-free selling doesnt even make putting up with their guideline flaws and sh*tty customer service in any way worth it. Im so sorry you had bad experiences tgere too, i think more people than not have at this point... :(

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    1. They have been inundated with a flood of return requests lately.....I think it won't be long before the whole service crashes or someone sues them into closure.

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    2. They have been inundated with a flood of return requests lately.....I think it won't be long before the whole service crashes or someone sues them into closure.

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  5. I'm just starting out selling on mercari app & I sell stickers... Selling has been going great! But the issue I'm running into with this app is the whole "rating for my money" deal :/ & shipping something as light as stickers only requires a stamp which is only 0.47 when mercari requires a whole tracking number that's $2! It's stupid for something as small as stickers. My question is... When I send with just a stamp & no tracking information WILL I NOT GET PAID??? -one of my buys says they can still rate me when they get them so I can get paid but I never been on the buying end so I'm not sure how that actually works without a tracking number... & mercari is NO HELP of course:/

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  6. I use Poshmark and Mercari, but buy on Merc with caution bc their customer service is horrid. So I Google a mercari press release and found an international phone # for those who need to complain!!...
    +1 650-200-3550 Ryo Ishizuka

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  7. I use Poshmark and Mercari, but buy on Merc with caution bc their customer service is horrid. So I Google a mercari press release and found an international phone # for those who need to complain!!...
    +1 650-200-3550 Ryo Ishizuka

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    1. Thank you for posting this number. Every company should have an email and phone number the fact that Mercari only processes returns through their app is enough of a red flag. After what I just went through I am not buying through them I don't need to be out money for sellers who sell junk.

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    2. Thank you for posting this number. Every company should have an email and phone number the fact that Mercari only processes returns through their app is enough of a red flag. After what I just went through I am not buying through them I don't need to be out money for sellers who sell junk.

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  8. I have made a decision to only sell on Mercari. I have had 4 horrible experiences in a row and their customer service sucks! I purchased a coach purse that had mold and mildew growing on it and smelled like it, Customer service issued the return as a one time thing because they cut prove smells and the purse was in "good" condition like the seller stated. Um no you can see the grey and white spots on the purse and mold is a huge health risk you are NOT supposed to sell items like that. I also had a women say she sent a purse and there was no tracking history for the item after 2 weeks I requested a cancelation, she never sent the purse she sends a message have you received it....no I haven't the next day she says she got it sent back to her....I had to fight Mercari for the refund. I have had someone ship incorrectly leaving me having to pay postage out of my pocket including what I already paid and a pair of Dr Martens that were missing insoles thst were described like new. I have 4 packages that I have to pick up due to being on vacation. These are my last purchases on Mercari.Poshmark is harder to sell on but I feel safer buying there and feel that their customer service is willing to stand by their buyers. I had to return jeans that smelled like urine and they automatically sent me a return label no questions asked.

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    1. I bought dr Martens brand new without insoles. that's how some of the styles come new in the sub $100 range

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  9. This article is spot on. I sell on Mercari and am quite annoyed with being harassed by random people. Ntm their awful customer service to say the least. They sent me a shipping label that in my email stated was to right buyer as I follow the tracking I realize that they changed it to some unknown person. Because since they create the labels they can change it. I've addressed them with this issue with no response. I've called FedEx and found out that Mercari the label creator changed it and I can't stop shipment and have it returned to me so I can send it to the proper person with my own label I bought out of pocket.
    I'm never selling on Mercari again.

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  10. I actually wrote a long letter to Mercari (not that it will matter to them I'm sure) this morning after getting the notice that beta was ending and fees would soon be charged after items sold. I was beginning to become fed up with the utterly atrocious customer service to the point of being able to sell for free was becoming not enough of a reason to use the app. I have had listings deactivated constantly for ridiculous reasons (thanks for the compliment on my photography skills but for the last time that isn't a stock photo!) and to answer Krysta Monet, yes they can and WILL if they notice a sale with no tracking number, regardless of whether the buyer got it and loved it and really wants to rate and pay you. I had them cancel $40 worth of items that had been sent and happily received by the buyers, even after several of the buyers complained to them that they were very pleased with the order and would very much like to rate the transaction and pay me. Mercari simply responded to us all with a rather curt canned response (even their automatons are jerks) stating that it is prohibited to sell items without valid tracking info and that the order was cancelled and the money refunded to the buyers. There are far too many other apps and sites to buy and sell stuff for me to want to now begin to pay for the privilage of being hassled by children demanding I sell them a $10 item for $3 with free shipping, choosing between charging customers a ridiculous $4 for the cheapest shipping they offer to ensure proper tracking for Mercari or paying out of pocket up to weeks before actually getting good paid for the item and still risking problems,dealing with the worst customer service since Comcast constantly with a result that either side is happy with being about 80% less likely than the chance that you'll find 20 different listings by 12 year olds selling their poop. The moment beta ends, so does my run with Mercari I believe. I doubt I'm alone in this. As I told them in my letter, without sellers posting things for buyers, they won't be very profitable. Changes, drastic ones are needed unless they want to be left with a sea of kids leaving comments of "MAKE 3$ W FREE SHIPPING" on offers for "Deez Nutz", "Real Life Poop Emoji Handmade" and "GIVE ME $$$"

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  11. I actually wrote a long letter to Mercari (not that it will matter to them I'm sure) this morning after getting the notice that beta was ending and fees would soon be charged after items sold. I was beginning to become fed up with the utterly atrocious customer service to the point of being able to sell for free was becoming not enough of a reason to use the app. I have had listings deactivated constantly for ridiculous reasons (thanks for the compliment on my photography skills but for the last time that isn't a stock photo!) and to answer Krysta Monet, yes they can and WILL if they notice a sale with no tracking number, regardless of whether the buyer got it and loved it and really wants to rate and pay you. I had them cancel $40 worth of items that had been sent and happily received by the buyers, even after several of the buyers complained to them that they were very pleased with the order and would very much like to rate the transaction and pay me. Mercari simply responded to us all with a rather curt canned response (even their automatons are jerks) stating that it is prohibited to sell items without valid tracking info and that the order was cancelled and the money refunded to the buyers. There are far too many other apps and sites to buy and sell stuff for me to want to now begin to pay for the privilage of being hassled by children demanding I sell them a $10 item for $3 with free shipping, choosing between charging customers a ridiculous $4 for the cheapest shipping they offer to ensure proper tracking for Mercari or paying out of pocket up to weeks before actually getting good paid for the item and still risking problems,dealing with the worst customer service since Comcast constantly with a result that either side is happy with being about 80% less likely than the chance that you'll find 20 different listings by 12 year olds selling their poop. The moment beta ends, so does my run with Mercari I believe. I doubt I'm alone in this. As I told them in my letter, without sellers posting things for buyers, they won't be very profitable. Changes, drastic ones are needed unless they want to be left with a sea of kids leaving comments of "MAKE 3$ W FREE SHIPPING" on offers for "Deez Nutz", "Real Life Poop Emoji Handmade" and "GIVE ME $$$"

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  12. What I saw has a huge red flag is that they supposedly protect their buyers but they do not issue refunds on prohibited items (which includes counterfeit goods). I haven't sold on mercari but in my opinion they only give lip service to buyer protection.

    And after reading some of these comments, I don't want to sell on this site at all! I have seen people asking in the comments for deep discounts on items that are already basically being given away. It is so insulting and tedious.

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  13. Its takes Mercari at least a week to transfer your money

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  14. Amazon pays out every 2 weeks. mercari has been great so far for me. sells are faster than on ebay. I have 200 ebay listings and 30 on mercari. I'm going to really ramp up efforts on mercari. their shipping for anything over 1lb is a solid deal.

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  15. I haven't had a problem yet. (Knock on wood) I try to talk to my buyers and talk about brands they love and possible discounts for being a repeat buyer.

    I did have a scare on a pair of boots I sold for $200. The buyer wasn't replying and went quiet when it was time to rate. However when I mentioned I had the rare matching hand bag for the boots and when I was ready to list would let her know before I do so and give her a discounted price. She quickly rated me and was very happy.


    I try to treat customers like friends. That way they know I'm an actual person, not a big corporation that can take a loss.
    And another tip is to price your items with offers in mind. People love a bargain. So if you list at 25.00 and it sells for 15$ when you wanted 10$ the buyer feels they've got a great deal and you've got more than you wanted to begin with.
    I've tried selling on ebay and posh, very low sales on ebay and nothing on posh. But Merc I'm doing great and I love it, I will admit on higher priced items it can be really scary selling.

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  16. I had a terrible experience with poshmark. They kept all of my earnings $200+ as they said I had sold counterfeit items. My earnings were from an authentic LV bag. The items I sold previously were bought from poshmark! Now they insist I provide proof of authenticity for all items, most of which were bought preowned. They know that this isn't possible.

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    1. Selling sites do not let you sell counterfeits because it's illegal which is understandable but if you believe the item is real you should try asking the person you purchased it from if they have proof of it being authentic or send Posh a screen shot showing where you purchased the item on their site, if it's fake you should get a refund. I also recommend not purchasing a preowned high end item without getting some proof that it's authentic, especially if you plan on reselling in the future, just to keep yourself safe in situations. Sorry this happened to you.

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  17. It was wondering if I could use this write-up on my other website, I will link it back to your website though.Great Thanks.
    Make Money On Ebay 2016

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    1. This article is majorly outdated information!

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