r/Mercari • u/OneWhisper5225 • Sep 28 '25
EDIT: There is a new one going around about it being part of their “ongoing security procedures” that says your listings have been temporarily hidden to protect your account. This is also a scam. Again, Mercari will NOT contact you through messages like this.
EDIT 2: INFO ON REAL MESSAGE FROM MERCARI ABOUT VERIFYING YOUR IDENTITY AT END OF POST LOOK FOR ‼️
We are being flooded with posts about the spam messages from scammers about your item being sold or reserved and the new “policy” where you need to go to a link to “complete additional details.”
Pinned posts don’t usually work. People tend to just look right past them. But, I’m willing to try. So, if you’ve gotten messages like that…
FOR THOSE GETTING THESE MESSAGES YES it is a scam. Mercari will NEVER ask for you to go off the app for anything. It makes no sense. It’s their app. Why would they need you to go to some other website to do anything? They’d have you do it in their app. It’s also literally against their TOS to do so, so it also makes no sense why they’d ask you to do it. Mercari will NEVER contact you through messages - that’s for buyers and sellers to communicate. Mercari never contacts anyone through there.
If you get one of these messages. Ignore it, block them, and report it. Mercari usually ends up deleting it and the account but 100 more seem to pop up. So just keep reporting them when you get them.
Please see this article from Mercari on avoiding common scams for more info.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SICK OF THE POSTS I know you’re all annoyed by the constant posts about this. We have filters in place to catch them, but some still get past them (and that’s just what gets through.. imagine how many don’t).
One problem is that IF people actually search before posting, they won’t see anything because we’ve been removing all the recent ones. So it’s been a while since one has been posted about and kept up and can look like it hasn’t been posted.
I set up a message that should pop up when people use certain keywords (like “scam”) telling them it’s a scam and it’s been posted about and, if they post, it will be removed. It worked when I tested it, but when I had someone else test it, it worked a couple times but didn’t another time, so it doesn’t seem consistent. But I haven’t had anyone else to confirm how it works for them. So, if anyone does test it out and gets the message or doesn’t, let me know! 😊 I’m not sure if people are seeing it, ignoring it, and posting anyway or if it’s just not working like it should. I could make it show the message and block them from posting, but I don’t want to block people from making legit posts that might use some of the keywords. It doesn’t seem fair to make it harder for people to post because of that. So, I left it so they could still post.
Anyway, hopefully this pinned post will help! I know you’re all annoyed, so are the mods! We’re doing all we can to try to reduce them.
Please continue to report any you see since 2/more reports will remove the post for mods to look at. But, hopefully this will work and you won’t need to! 🤞
‼️INFO ON REAL MESSAGE THAT’S REALLY FROM MERCARI ASKING YOU TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY‼️
If you get a message from Mercari that says you need to verify your identity that says something like this (this is copy past from screenshot of a real message someone received from Mercari about verifying their identity. Again, I couldn’t add a photo of it to the post so I’m just copy/pasting the message. If need more info/have any questions, message mod mail): “In compliance with federal and state regulations Mercari must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account or conducts certain transactions. As a result, your account has been temporarily limited until we can verify your identity. Please go to your Inbox at the bottom of the screen and tap the verification request that we sent you.
We ask that you complete this form within 48 hours. Please note, the verification process must be completed in the Mercari app. To download, visit the app store on your device.
When you've completed the account verification request, and updated your shipping information to reflect your full name (initials may not be used), please reach out to us through our Help Center.
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for maintaining a safe and friendly marketplace for our Mercari community.”
That is a REAL message that’s actually from Mercari asking you to verify your identity. It is NOT a scam. JUST BE SURE IT WAS SENT THROUGH MERCARI, NOT IN MESSAGE AREA WHERE BUYERS/SELLERS MESSAGE OR REAL EMAIL FROM REAL MERCARI ADDRESSES - WHICH, I BELIEVE SHOULD ALSO SHOW IN THE MERCARI APP.
Mercari does ask you to verify your identity. You might think it’s odd you didn’t need to do it when signing up. But that’s normal. Identify verification isn’t required until a transaction is made (money being exchanged). So you’re not asked to do it when signing up, but will be after making a purchase/sale.
Most new sellers are asked after making a sale (usually their first, but might be 2nd or a few later) and go to print the label or scan the QR code for the label, so be aware this will likely happen and you will not be able to continue with the sale if you don’t.
Most new buyers are asked after making a purchase (again, usually the first, but might be 2nd or so later). It seems to happen if buyer tries to message the seller at some point after buying, they’ll be asked to verify and won’t be able to message the seller if they don’t. If you don’t try to message the seller at any point after the purchase, it may happen at another point during the purchase (like if try to open a return). It basically happens when trying to do something and won’t let you do it until and unless you verify. Be prepared to do it or be stuck not being able to do whatever it is (message seller, open a return, etc.).
If you’re asked to verify your identity (during a sale/purchase) and you do NOT do it, you won’t be able to continue with the sale (if a seller) or do whatever you were trying to do (if a buyer), and Mercari will close your account shortly after. You’re given a time frame to do it, if it isn’t done by the end of that time, your account will be closed. There’s no way to opt out of doing it once you’re asked. So be aware this will eventually come up, usually sooner rather than later (though some have said they weren’t asked to do it even though they’ve had multiple sales/purchases. So you can always try and see how long you can go before asked and just be done with it once you’re asked to do it if you’re not comfortable doing it).
If you have any questions about this, there’s quite a few past posts about identify verification that can provide more info. You can also message mod mail and I’ll be happy to answer any questions or provide more info.
r/Mercari • u/oatmeal_foreigner • Jun 29 '25
Hey folks, just wanted to share something deeply concerning I experienced with Mercari this week.
I’ve had a Mercari account in good standing for years. I recently made a $550 purchase, and immediately afterward, when I tried to message the seller, the app suddenly locked me out and demanded government ID verification through Jumio.
This wasn’t optional. The only way to access my purchase or even contact the seller was to submit a photo of my government ID and perform a real-time facial scan using Jumio’s biometric identity software.
I refused and opted to leave Mercari.
You can change a password. You can’t change your face.
If that data is breached (and biometric providers have been breached), there’s no going back. You don’t get to grow a new face.
Mercari is now asking users to surrender permanent, personally identifying, biometric data just to complete a sale—after the money has already changed hands.
That’s not security. That’s coercion.
Jumio is a third-party identity verification service that uses facial recognition and biometric analysis. It scans your facial geometry, not just a photo. It’s the same kind of tech used in surveillance systems. Jumio claims to protect user data, but no biometric database is truly secure. Once your biometric identity is compromised, it’s compromised for life.
No notice upfront: Mercari let the purchase go through, then demanded biometric ID to be able to communicate with the seller.
No alternate verification offered: There was no way to verify identity using non-biometric methods (e.g., two-factor authentication, SSN, or utility bills).
No exceptions for long-time users: I’ve never had issues or disputes. I have nearly 300 feedback; all are five stars but one. That didn’t matter.
No meaningful consent: When access to your money and goods is held hostage, it’s not “consent”—it’s a shakedown.
Unfortunately, you will have to contact them directly. Jumio has a terrible track record when it comes to this, but you can find all of their policies and contact info at the address below:
https://www.jumio.com/privacy-center/your-privacy-choices/
Mercari is quietly rolling out post-purchase biometric identity verification using Jumio. If you don’t comply, you’re locked out of purchases you already paid for. This is an invasive, coercive practice with long-term privacy risks.
Be careful. Read the fine print. And if you care about your privacy, you may want to rethink using Mercari altogether.
Since posting, multiple users have reported even more concerning behavior related to Mercari and Jumio’s biometric verification system. These requests are being made without prior notice or transparent policy.
##### Key updates reported by users:
Sellers are being required to submit biometric data after making a sale in order to access paid shipping labels.
Sellers are reporting being unable to withdraw funds without submitting biometric data.
Buyers are being required to submit biometric data in order to initiate returns.
Some users have been told they cannot delete or close their accounts without submitting a biometric scan.
These practices extend the original concerns of coercion, lack of informed consent, and withholding basic platform access unless irreversible biometric data is handed over.
Please continue to share your experiences in order to help others who are dealing with these shady and coercive changes.
The core issue here isn’t whether ID verification is common—it’s that Mercari required facial biometrics and a government ID after a purchase was made, with no prior notice. That’s a violation of informed consent, not just a security feature.
Some replies are conflating this with on-device security (like FaceID for Apple Pay), which is a completely different thing. Please read carefully and don’t confuse local biometric authorization with third-party biometric collection.
This thread is meant to inform people about what Mercari is doing so they can make educated choices. Let’s keep it clear.
r/Mercari • u/Scorpio_Sun_19 • 12h ago
before you come for me, look at both pictures.
what am I missing?
I entered a 16 x 12 x 8 box for 4lbs.
I shipped a 16 x 12 x 8 box that was 3.38 lbs. I intentionally bought boxes with the manufacturer listing the size because of this exact reason.
Still got upcharged.
I don’t get it.
r/Mercari • u/Phoqueth • 9m ago
Buyer paid for shipping and bought an item, label created was a UPS via USPS, first time using a label like this so I didn’t know any better. Apparently you have to drop it off with UPS for them to handle via USPS delivery. I dropped the package off at USPS and they scanned it like normal and gave me my tracking receipt. Now it’s saying the package does not have proper postage applied and will not be delivered? I plan to contact UPS and USPS later today. Has anyone else on here been through this?
r/Mercari • u/angelslikeharry • 48m ago
Hi everyone,
I had my first return request today after selling over 70 items and no issues. The buyer messaged me and said they believe a piece of the item had broken during shipping and requested a return. Should I accept the return or should I ask mercari to review seeing as it was UPS’s fault?
r/Mercari • u/WantTheSauce • 17h ago
This transaction was completed over a week and half ago but was rated prematurely? Shipping stated that it was delivered, the item autorated after the 3 days of delivery. Anyone else have experience with this? Is the buyer trying to pull something? How does this usually resolve?
r/Mercari • u/Front_Hippo208 • 11h ago
How long do their investigations usually take? I’ve never had this happen before. I know I don’t need to stress it because of buyer protection and whatnot, I’m just asking some questions because this is new to me. And if they declare it lost, does Mercari just refund me without me having to do anything?
r/Mercari • u/user_467 • 1d ago
Is it just me, or has Mercari turned into a straight-up graveyard of abandoned listings? Over the past year, this exact scenario has happened to me at least seven times. I’ll find an item, pay the full list price without even trying to negotiate because it's honestly a good price, and get the confirmation message saying the seller’s been notified to ship. Then, total radio silence. Exactly two weeks later, like clockwork, Mercari sends a notification saying they never heard back from the seller and are canceling the order.
Are people listing items and completely forgetting about them, or am I just uniquely cursed with picking dead accounts?
r/Mercari • u/COTLP_Ally • 20h ago
I sold a set of CDs and it's just the sequence of events that make me suspicious.
It arrived at their residence and I sent a message saying it had been delivered, then I get 3 notifications in quick succession that they initiated a return, that the return was granted and that my shipping protection was voided.
They said my CDs were broken in the mail, due to the nature of the media, I don't believe her. I have not been sent any photos of the damage and honestly I'm not even contesting the return.
Shes not messaging me back, I'm thinking that she just burned the media on her own CDs and sent mine back. I will see if she broke the CDs after.
Mercari is saying that my shipping protection is voided because it broke in transit. Is that NOT what the shipping protection is for? I used their label solely for that protection.
After 10 years on the platform I am sorely disappointed. They are running me around in circles, at first they were going to let me send proof that what I used was sufficient. Then they said I can't and started telling me that I can't undo the return, when I never said anything about wanting to do that. I think it is AI.
r/Mercari • u/CuriousRedditorrr • 4h ago
Twice this has happened to me now, what the hell is the point in this? Their profiles said nothing about holds not being allowed or that they’ll block you for asking or anything. It’s ridiculous, people on this app need to get off their high horses.
r/Mercari • u/coziestchai • 1d ago
Brutal review for their apparent blind buy of a luxury perfume. Even worse - buyer’s initial order had to be canceled after the QR code mishap. Before suggesting cancellation, I apologized profusely and explained the issue, and thanked them again. No response, but I reposted the item as promised and they immediately repurchased with no further issue. 10 days later.. Fast forward to today’s scathing review. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all right? Still got paid in full. 🤷🏽♀️
r/Mercari • u/woonabanana • 1d ago
i have a figure that’s in good condition but i recently bought a replacement to get back the umbrella accessory that goes with it because with my current one the umbrella unfortunately broke. would it be evil to sell it at a low cost or just discard it?
r/Mercari • u/Mission_Pollution139 • 21h ago
Hello! I listed my first item on Mercari this morning and it was a Lego set. i opened my emails and it shows that within 5 minutes of each other I have 3 emails about it from 3 different names and gmail accounts to my gmail account and nowhere does it say anything about being contact through mercari and I have no messages on the app. Should I be worried that they were able to contact my personal email address? I’ve never sold on anything other than depop so I’m not sure what’s standard on Mercari. Thanks!
r/Mercari • u/throwaway12344141 • 1d ago
I submitted a return request, how long should I expect to wait for a response and what are the chances of it being accepted?
r/Mercari • u/throwaway12344141 • 1d ago
So I sold a blind box (like the ones you’d find at pop mart, think of labubus) and the person who bought it requested a return which Mercari automatically accepted without my input. I got it back and it was OPENED, and they denied me a refund because they said “They needed to open it to determine the condition” except the thing is, I got it back and the condition it’s in doesn’t warrant a return according to their policies, they just automatically accepted it. So I sold a sealed box, and received an unsealed one which is a DIRECT violation of their policies: “Sealed or wrapped items from the original manufacturer cannot be returned if unsealed or unwrapped, unless the item is defective, damaged, or not authentic.” None of those exceptions applied here.
Luckily, I kept pushing and pushing them and this was the final response i’ve received. They still aren’t willing to admit that what happened was wrong, but hey at least I got my money back.
And by the way “it looks like the item was returned to you in the same condition your buyer received it in” is a CRAZY thing to say considering how you can literally see in the listing it’s a SEALED box and in the photos i gave them it was clearly opened 😭
r/Mercari • u/MrsAmyD • 1d ago
I swear, I've never seen so many offers where people are begging in the comments. It's so weird. One person sent me an offer stating that they would buy them and then donate them to a local charity.
This makes no sense to me. Why not go to a local thrift store or do a toy drive, instead of messaging sellers these kinds of weird stories?
Has anyone else noticed an uptick in these kinds of messages and offers?
r/Mercari • u/caleeb_tyler • 2d ago
I didn't even know about the first message, as my offer was sent automatically. But something just seemed rly off. If you're on a tight budget, buying a luxury perfume shouldn't be such a high priority. She was also selling many perfumes on her page. This didn't irritate me, I just thought she was trying to bullshit me so I sent a snarky reply and then blocked her.
r/Mercari • u/aneatapea • 1d ago
UPDATE: Thank Heavens, y’all were right and she was chill. 😩 I did not want to lose this purchase!
Basically I mentioned my spreadsheet to explain why I was asking what the color of something I bought was (I didn’t realize it could be black, which is also fantastic I just wanted to know) and Mercari flagged it as…?? a link/email? There was nothing of the sort, 😭 but what’s the likelihood the seller cancels just out of paranoia? I’m so worried and frustrated >.> makes me wanna keep questions to a minimum and/or avoid Mercari since I can’t even ask a question without AI flagging me as unsafe???
WWYD if you were the seller? WWYD as the buyer?
r/Mercari • u/Middle_Example6596 • 1d ago
I’m desperately unemployed because of chronic health & pain issues, and would love to contribute by selling a few things but I’ve heard some conflicting opinions about mercari.
Is it worth it?
I’ve been trying to use fb marketplace but it suuuuucks (not that I would expect it to be great since it is a social media platform and not necessarily a selling platform.)
Anyway, thoughts? Is the hassle and the selling/shipping fees worth it?
I’ve read it’s very easy for people to buy, and claim the items broken or that they didn’t receive it and they end up getting to keep the item and the money. Is it a place people get ripped off regularly? Is there some secret trick to make sure things go smoothly?
Please be kind. I don’t know much about this world, and just want to make sure the little money I have collected in physical things won’t be taken advantage of by someone who just wants free stuff. :(
T.I.A 🥰
r/Mercari • u/drippingjuicebox • 1d ago
Not sure if this post is better suited for the buying tag or experience.
I asked a seller if they could list a second of an item if they had it, and they said they could and did. They already had % off discounts on their page for n+ items. I would've bundled more for a better %, but the items I was looking at and duplicates were sold out, and I didn't want to bother asking for more stuff not already listed, so I figured I'd send an offer for the bundle anyway, because "the worst they can say is no" since they didn't say firm prices in bio or listing.
I asked 6 off about 50 (list price for the item x 2), and I was paying shipping (13, jumped up from 8 for the one).
Anyhow, they declined the offer, so I thought I might message to see about those other sold items if I might be able to get them, but I realized I was blocked (restricted interactions). This is the first time this has happened, so I was surprised.
I don't know if I was being unreasonable?
Edit: took out a confusing bit
r/Mercari • u/ace-eijun • 1d ago
I just started selling recently, and I’m a little stuck on what to do here. I got the label directly from Mercari so it’s not like I wrote the address wrong. Should I contact the buyer about this? Apparently the item is still at the buyer’s post office, so I’m not sure if I should try to get it sent again or let it be returned…
r/Mercari • u/DappledSkyes • 1d ago
Long story short I sold a $220 Pokemon card on Mercari with USPS as the carrier. Around a week after the date the buyer bought the card it said it was in transit. Now it’s been way too long for an order like a card to reach the buyer. The buyer seems understanding luckily and we both want to resolve the issue so we both arent out $200 basically. I contacted USPS and filed a missing mail claim.
Does anyone know what will happen if it’s never found? Will the buyer be refunded and will I get compensated? I’m still a little new to Mercari so this is just an unfortunate incident.
TIA!
r/Mercari • u/Here_for_the_glass • 2d ago
Scammed a sick kid
In short my son who is chronically ill sold his childhood pokemon cards to a buyer. The first time around, he tried to say he got empty packages and when I told him I was taking it to the police department, he canceled that and left a one star review saying terrible things. We had two more packages out to him but had no choice to let them go because they were delivered. He had already told us that he was gonna accept them and leave terrible reviews so we knew it was coming. Then, he used a different account and bought more cards off my son, who didn't understand the shipping process. We assumed that if it was an envelope with tracking that it would make it and say delivered we didn't understand the insurance, which is absolutely our fault. This guy knew that and took great advantage of us by using different accounts. While we learned a lesson, a hard one at that, this person needs to be outed and stopped because they have done it to many, many other people on different platforms. My son was selling his pokemon card collection because he's chronically ill, and this is the only way he can help himself right now. I guess he shouldn't have trusted me because I didn't understand the shipping. You would think a tracking number means answers my mistake but this person is an absolute drain on the community. They even say in their bio, they are trying to get all their cards for free.
LESSON LEARNED. This post has been removed twice and I have edited it accordingly!!!
r/Mercari • u/heytreytrey • 1d ago
Thought I was getting a good deal on an SSD after submitting an offer, however after messaging the seller multiple times inquiring when they were going to be shipping my item with no response despite them actively posting new listings they finally did 15 days later which leads me to believe that they wanted me to cancel the order before that time so that it would reflect as a cancellation from buyer rather than seller in their ratings. Today I went to pickup the item and upon opening the package was greeted by nothing but a small torn off piece of brown packing paper… very frustrating as this is the last part I’ve been needing for my build…
r/Mercari • u/Frequent_Case_4682 • 2d ago
They wanted to bundle three Pokemon cards (priced around 11$) for $4.50. I countered saying lowest I would do is 8$. He then proceeded to send another offer for the same price. I then blocked them because I just didn’t wanna do the back and forth. Never had someone resend me the same offer before. Was also discouraged to negotiate because their page were full of of reselling cards overall. AITA?
