Mercari Review – Is It Worth It To Sell On Mercari?
If you are looking to get into the side-hustle of selling your stuff, you might have heard of Mercari. And now, you are looking up Mercari reviews to see whether or not it’s legit. Before you decide whether you should use Mercari, you’ll first want to know how it works, the pros and cons of using it, and alternative options available.
Keep reading because this Mercari review has all of the information that you need to know to decide if Mercari is for you.
How Does Mercari Work?
Mercari is an e-commerce company with both a website and an app that you can use to sell your stuff. You can sell anything from clothing to home goods to electronics to collectibles and more.
To list an item, you simply have to click “list” at the bottom of the app or click “sell on Mercari” on the Mercari website. When you list your item, you will need to take photos of it and then input the necessary information which includes:
- Description
- Details (category, brand, condition, color)
- Delivery method
- Pricing
On Mercari, users are encouraged to negotiate. Therefore, buyers can counteroffer your original offer. If you accept the counteroffer, the buyer will be charged the new price.
To sign up for Mercari, you can do so on the Mercari website or via the mobile app using your email address or Facebook.
The Pros Of Using Mercari
Now that you know how Mercari works, it’s time to talk about the pros.
The Selling Process
Mercari makes the selling process convenient. Listing is simple. As long as you take photos and fill out the necessary information, you are good to go.
They even have a smart pricing option that you can enable. By using this, Mercari will gradually adjust the price based on demand, but won’t go lower than the floor price you set.
You also get to decide if you want to provide free shipping or not. If not, the buyer will have to pay for it.
Additionally, Mercari also provides a fixed rate prepaid label for packages weighing up to 150 pounds (with the longest side not exceeding 45 inches and the second-longest side not exceeding 20 inches). With the prepaid label, they also provide insurance for up to $200. That means Mercari has provisions in place to protect sellers. That’s a gold star in my book because not every company does.
The Mercari App
The Mercari app is straightforward and easy to use. The design could be a bit cleaner, but overall, it does make it easier for buyers to find your listing by categorizing things by brand and type of item.
Additionally, users are encouraged to negotiate with the “make offer” button. While this could be a negative because you might get more low-ballers, you could also take it as a positive by listing higher. Plus, negotiating with your customers will make them feel like they got a good deal when you do accept a counteroffer. That way, you’re likely to sell your item(s) quicker.
Sales Are Final
When it comes to selling on Mercari, you have to wait for a buyer to rate you before your funds are released. Once they have evaluated you, all sales are final. Not every company has this as part of its policy, and some have larger windows for returns. Mercari’s window for return is only three days.
Low Commission Fees
While the commission fees for using Mercari aren’t the lowest (some companies don’t charge any), they are still relatively competitive compared to companies like Poshmark and Tradesy. The commission fee for Mercari is a flat 10%. This fee is relatively low in comparison to Poshmark and Tradesy that charge closer to 20% in fees.
Instant Pay
What makes Mercari stand out is its “Instant Pay” feature. Not every company has this, and many times, you will have to wait a long time to receive your payment. With Instant Pay, your money is transferred to your debit card in 30 minutes. You can use this feature for up to $500 every month. There is a $2 fee for using it, though.
If you’d rather wait, you’ll have to wait for the direct deposit, which can take up to 5 business days to receive your payment. It’s nice to have options, though!
The Cons Of Using Mercari
Now you know the pros of using Mercari, but you’ll also want to know the cons. Keep reading to find out.
Customer Support Is Lacking
For those who like to have someone to talk to when things go wrong, you won’t get that with Mercari. They don’t have a number for you to call if you have a problem (which may happen as a seller). They have a help center to answer frequently asked questions and an email address, but it might take a while to get a response via email. And there is also a possibility you might not get an answer at all.
Sometimes Mercari Disregards The Return Policy
While Mercari says that all sales are final once the buyer has reviewed you, some seller reviews have shown that isn’t always the case. There have been cases where Mercari has approved returns even after the return window has closed.
Scams Can Occur
As with any buying and selling platform, scams can occur. Sometimes customers will receive an item and request a return. They will get their money back and not return the item to you. Or the item will come back in worse condition. It’s essential to be vigilant about potential scammers, but that’s the risk you take when shipping to customers that you don’t know. If this is a fear of yours, you might want to consider sticking to local sales.
To minimize your risk of scams, though, you should only work buyers with consistently good ratings.
Sales Can Be Slow
After you post a listing, over time, your listing will be pushed towards the bottom. You will have to keep relisting it to ensure it gets seen and that you secure a sale. As a seller, this does require more effort and time and sales can be slower than on other apps and websites.
Are There Other Apps Like Mercari?
There are apps like Mercari, and some of them may be better or worse options for you. If you want to sell mainly clothes, you can check out Tradesy or Poshmark. However, they do charge high commission fees.
You could also sell on Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace also offers to ship your items, and their selling fee is only 5%. If you choose to sell locally, there is no fee.
If you aren’t opposed to selling locally, you can also go with Craigslist, LetGo, and Offerup. None of which charge fees for selling your items.
Is Selling On Mercari Worth It?
A lot of sellers have positive experiences on Mercari, but many also do not.
On Sitejabber, Mercari has a consumer rating of 1.53 stars with 962 reviews. Additionally, Mercari only ranks 190th among Marketplace sites.
Is that to say you definitely shouldn’t use Mercari? No.
Mercari has its place in the marketplace space, and if you can sell your items at a price that offsets the fees, it might be worth it to you.
However, it’s a good idea to list in multiple places to see where you can sell your merchandise for the highest amount. If you aren’t having any luck on the other platforms mentioned, you might be able to get a sale on Mercari.
Wrapping Up: Selling Stuff On Mercari
Now you know whether Mercari is worth it to you or not. If you don’t want to sell locally, but also don’t want to get charged high commission fees, it is a good option. However, there are still others that might be better. It’s always good to sell on multiple platforms to see where you can get the highest bid. But if getting your payment as quickly as possible matters to you, Mercari’s “Instant Pay” might be reason enough to sell through them. Now, it’s time to start selling!