ILoveToQuilt

Has anyone ordered anything through Mercari? Are they legit? Saw something I like, but since I've never heard of this platform, I hesitated. I assume it is something like Poshmark, but am not sure.

Thanks for your help!

ILoveToQuilt

Ordered items from eBay instead.

KalamaQuilts

I ordered a small train case, it is very much like buy it now on Ebay or Etsy. zero problems, but use the same wariness you'd just on any online site, scammer and fake merchidise are everywhere.

ILoveToQuilt

Thanks. I ended up ordering the product from eBay for less money.

kittyboxers

Realize I'm a little late to the party, but MERCARI is legit. Scammers are everywhere, on eBay too. I've sold stuff on Mercari. As a seller, they have treated me fairly. When you make a purchase, Mercari puts a hold on your credit card but the seller doesn't get paid until you've verifiably received the item & have 3 days to check it out. Only then, does the seller get paid.

Mercari is different from eBay in that the great majority of people are small-time sellers trying to make a couple of extra bucks. Some do it as a quasi-biz, sourcing stuff from thrift shops but for others, a lot is from their personal possessions. If you "heart" an item on Mercari, expect to (almost always) receive an offer for a lower price. If you don't respond to that, you'll probably receive another offer or two for an even lower price, unlike the offers on eBay where they think offering $1.50 off is a big deal. Especially this time of year. Remember, you can make offers, too. There are Facebook groups specifically for Mercari buyers. You can find more info there. eBay is OK for some things, but it's not the be-all & end-all it used to be.

I've cross-posted the same items on Mercari, Etsy, Posh, dePop & others at the same time. Because of outrageous fees to the sellers on the not-Mercari platforms, I have to ask higher prices for my stuff to cover them. If the buyer had searched my item on Mercari, they would have found the identical item for cheap because their seller fees are more reasonable. I've bought numerous items on Mercari without incident. I would recommend them. I've found some real bargains there. Like any internet commerce platform, do your due diligence. Study the photos, ask questions, check seller feedback. Since most of the items you see on Mercari are actually in the seller's hands (or should be), you're not going to get hit with tariffs & long wait times. Also, eBay sellers, in some circumstances, can jack up the shipping fees with hidden "other" fees. Mercari keeps the shipping closer to reality.

KalamaQuilts

thank you for the insiders view kitty.