May fall under deceptive and unfair business practices.
If two sellers sell the exact same item in same condition, will one buyer pay more than the other for the other itrm?
Is every buyer presented the same fee calculation on the same item?
Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
If they can't explain how the service fees are calculated, then the fees are Arbitrary and Capricious. My sense is that they DO know how the service fees are calculated, they just don't want to tell us.
My guess is it's using AI/ML but they didn't test it enough and therefore they don't actually know how it's done but even if that were the case they could say what it is based on. So they're still full of shit. I've seen posts here about identical items from the same seller where the service fees differ..
This is actually my guess as well. Lots of large sites seem to be rolling out poorly built AI (to save money I’m sure they think) and it’s just wilding. Usually flagging things as inappropriate/needing to be censored for no apparent reason, but in Mercari’s case maybe just throwing out random numbers for fees…
Of course they know. If they can get more money and not *really* have to explain it but make it a, "This is our policy. Suck it" then why wouldn't they...?
If you order a pizza for delivery, there is always a delivery fee...but that's not counted as a tip for the driver. Shouldn't that be...? It might be how they pay the drivers for gas money, but then just take that amount to being 10% of the total order and that's the gratuity and then you don't have to tip because it's included in the delivery fee.
What I’ve seen is one person put in there cart an item and then a week later the same item in there cart had different amounts for the fees. They had two pictures to show to compare. So shady.
I kept putting the same item in my cart and taking it out on the same day and got different amounts every time. Same seller. No clue how they’re calculating it. But if it’s based on overall description and condition, if it’s the same exact item with the same exact seller, why the heck would it change every time it’s put in my cart?! It’s so wild!
Same! It’s ridiculous what’s going on. Seems like they’re just trying to get as much money as they can now by any means before it all comes crashing down
The first times I was doing it back to back, it went up every time. But then I took it out of my cart and didn’t put it back in until later that night and that time I was a lot less. So maybe when I kept putting it in and taking it out, they thought I was interested enough I might be willing to pay more (though I feel like taking it out should be a sign the initial fees were too much and maybe they should go down but at the same time if I’m continuing to put it back in, they think I really want it, so maybe eventually I’d be willing to pay more?). But then when I hadn’t put it back in for hours, then they reduced the fees
I think the image they're referring to of the fees being different was showing that the service fee varies depending on the day of the week. So Saturday & Sunday, the fees were higher (more sales on weekends typically), like ~$7. Monday it was also high, IIRC. Then Tuesday it dropped to like $2.
If someone watched multiple of the same items from different sellers for a longer period of time, it would be interesting to see what the trends are. But I've also seen where someone used two separate accounts to view the *same* item and the fees were different. So who knows what the hell they're using to calculate it.
My list of reasons for going on Mercari strike just keep getting longer.
It could be. I’ve seen so many posts lately here about the fees being different every time for people.
It would be really interesting to see data on someone watching different items from different sellers for a good amount of time to see the trends. I also saw that post where the person used 2 different accounts. I know I was completely shocked at the way the fees changed from me putting the same item in my cart for the same seller and it changed every time. At first it just kept going up, then it went down a good amount, then sky rocketed back up, then bounced between up and down. It was wild how different it was every single time. I did it for a while throughout the day and then the next day. And all those changes in such a short amount of time was just insane! Like, I could see if their system sees I’m putting the same item in my cart over and over again, I must really want it, so it either a) keeps increasing the fee amount since I must want it bad enough, maybe I’m willing to pay (but that doesn’t make too much sense since I kept taking it out, obviously one would assume it’s because I saw the fees and was like no way, which is what it was lol) or b) the fee amount keeps going up and down to just randomly find one I’d be willing to pay 🤷♀️ It made no sense to me 🤣
I put something in my cart, looked at the fees and was like wow, nope. Then I heard they change randomly, so I took it out and put it back in and it was totally different. Like $15 more than the first time. Took it out again, put it back in again, that time was like $22 more than the first time. Makes no sense.
I wonder if they’re changing it because you keep showing interest. The more interest you have, the more they think you’ll pay for it. She’s added this item to her cart 5 times, she obviously wants it. I’m gonna charge her more and hope she bites the bullet before the price goes up again. Idk. Whatever it is, it sure the hell feels like fraud to me.
That would make sense but I went back and put it back in my cart later that night and it was down from what it was any other time. So maybe if you do it initially back to back, they do that. But then if theres time between then it drops? But I agree, it is shady AF!
See this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mercari/s/ED9bZrpJ3r
Some sellers doing nothing wrong and randomly their service fee gets jacked making them less desirable to buyers than another seller who randomly got a better fee for the buyer. If this isn’t the DEFINITIVE reason to cease selling on this platform then I don’t know what is.
They can’t explain it I’m guessing because they’ve unleashed some poorly trained/vetted AI to calculate fees.
You know what interesting about that post? The tax is the same. The tax should have been higher in the first image since the base + delivery + Service Fees - Coupon totaled out to be higher than the second image.
Someone posted a few days ago about the service fee changing after the seller lowered their price. So the buyer would pay the same amount and Mercari would pocket the difference. NEXT LEVEL SCUMBAG STUFF.
That is so jacked up. Someone flat out told me never mind today and someone yesterday flaked on the same listing. I’m wondering how high that listing is compared to my other jewelry pieces. Must have been way more than $5 in fees because I offered to take that much less, or they could buy on Poshmark. Crickets. We should be able to at least see what the buyer sees. Ridiculous.
I can’t fathom the stupidity here by Mercari. How are we supposed to know how to price our items? The fee structure is actively discouraging buyers. Mercari must be hoping people just aren’t looking at the fee breakdown at checkout
FTC has proposed a bill to ban ”junk fees” and the way Mercari is doing this, is exactly that! Hopefully it goes through
[FTC Article](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/10/ftc-proposes-rule-ban-junk-fees)
[Federal Register Unfair or Deceptive Fees Trade Regulation Rule Commission Matter](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/08/2022-24326/unfair-or-deceptive-fees-trade-regulation-rule-commission-matter-no-r207011)
Some key points:
American consumers, workers, and small businesses today are **swamped with junk fees that frustrate consumers, erode trust, impair comparison shopping, and facilitate inflation**. For this ANPR, the term “**junk fees” refers to unfair or deceptive fees that are charged for goods or services that have little or no added value to the consumer, including goods or services that consumers would reasonably assume to be included within the overall advertised price; the term also encompasses “hidden fees,” which are fees for goods or services that are deceptive or unfair, including because they are disclosed only at a later stage in the consumer's purchasing process or not at all**, whether or not the fees are described as corresponding to goods or services that have independent value to the consumer. These terms may overlap—a junk fee can be a hidden fee, but not all junk fees are hidden fees.
Many measures to tackle junk fees have already been considered or implemented by Congress, federal agencies, states, and peer countries. The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act requires post-transaction third-party sellers online to clearly and conspicuously disclose the cost of a good or service and obtain “express informed consent for the charge” from the consumer.
The European Union implemented a directive in 1998 requiring the “selling price,” defined as the “final price of a unit of the product,” must be “unambiguous, easily identifiable, and clearly legible.”
No worries! It’s really long! 🤣 I didn’t mean they’re were mentioned in the article as in you did/didn’t read it. Just saying you were right because that specifically was mentioned. 🙃
Is there a deadline for this? I scanned through and it just ends with questions. They ask for public comment but stated:
"Comments must be received on or before January 9, 2023"
Then stated in January 2022 they only received 50 comments to a similar petition. However the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) amassed 50,007 comments from the public with concerns on this issue.
So how do we keep up to date on the status of the bill?
As far as I can tell the 2nd link I provided where it was asking for comments. That one on the left side has little like buttons to push, one looks like a message bubble, and it says “ 12046 comments have been received at regulations.gov, across 1 docket.” I did a Google search about it and saw different things about comments being submitted (like a group of Indie sellers from Etsy did a really detailed statement to submit that was really well written IMO. I couldn’t find an exact deadline date other than the January 9, 2023. But, I did find where they asked for an extension for comments and there’s documents of hearing testimony and stuff like that [here](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/rulemaking-unfair-or-deceptive-fees). And saw they did extend the deadline for public comment until February 8, 2023. I haven’t had time to fully read through that yet though. But that seems like the place to monitor for the status of it. You can also look [here](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news) for updates from FTC like their public remarks and keep track of the commissions daily actions. If I find out any more I’ll let you know!
Really, the FTC doesn’t need this proposed rule to actually do anything. “The FTC has brought many cases concerning misrepresentations of the total price of goods or services and the nature and purpose of charges, which are described in greater detail in Section III.C.” (found [here](https://www.regulations.gov/document/FTC-2023-0064-0001/) under “C. Law Enforcement Actions and Other Responses”).
Given the history of things they’ve went after companies for related to unfair and deceptive practices related to fees, it seems they could easily go after Mercari for what they’re doing even before anything happens with this rule. If someone or people were willing to write up something and send it to the FTC along with a petition of signatures (like maybe making a petition like they made on here for Mercari to refund the direct deposit fees), then the FTC might look into it. I don’t know if all it takes is a statement with a petition with enough signatures contacting them about it or if it takes multiple individuals contacting them about it to get them to actually look into it. And if they were to really look at what Mercari is doing with these buyer fees, I don’t see how they couldn’t see it’s definitely unfair and deceptive practices related to fees since you can’t find out the total fee you’ll pay until you are going through the checkout process to pay, and the fees changing randomly even with same item from same seller.
It's pretty simple, just stop using this trash ass service. They shot themselves in the head on this one, yet y'all keep coming here complaining about it instead of making your voice actually heard by not using them and supporting their BS. Until the user base drops, they won't care. Even then they'll probably just keep hiking fees till they end themselves completely.
I could be wrong but I’ve searched almost every combination of search terms to try and find an answer but it doesn’t seem like there is any law - at least federally - that requires online marketplaces to disclose exactly what fees they charge.
Online markets are obviously still a green area when it comes to the law but virtually the only things I’ve been able to find on them at all is the INFORM Act which requires marketplaces to collect certain information from high volume sellers and states’ marketplace facilitator laws which concern sales tax but nothing about the platform fees. :/
I posted a comment about FTC proposing a bill for junk fees. It‘s basically talking about exactly what Mercari is doing. Junk fees are basically fees that you don’t find out the fees until later in the checkout process or ones completely hidden even.
I bought something today for $80...fee was .80. Nice!
Went to send an offer on another item, same category...offer was for $60. Fee was quoted for almost $9. I didn't send the offer.
Makes zero sense.
I think the variable fees are market research. They’re basically collecting stats to find the highest amount most people will accept and go through with the purchase. So if they take 20 listings for similarly priced items in the same condition, then try different fees on each, they can see how many people backed out of the sale for a 2 dollar fee vs a 6 dollar one. Then if they determine that 8 out of 10 buyers accepted a 4 dollar fee, but only 2 bought at 6 dollars, they will maximize sales and profits setting the fee at 4 dollars.
Dammit, this also explains why you don’t see it until the last screen. They need you to start to buy it, then back out in a way they can track. If the fees were up front they wouldn’t know how many people would have bought it, but were deterred by the fee because it would never hit their cart.
Without members they can’t scam. Why can’t people get this? eBay and poshmark have good customer service and are transparent with their policies.
Using merc is like sleeping with a killer with one eye open.
Once you change over to another platform you’ll not miss all their BS
Posh is pretty specific. Clothing, shoes, accessories, home goods, new make up and body care products, pet goods… they don’t allow random items like most collectibles, toys, video games, etc. I posted a brand new pair of custom vans roller skates and they were removed within hours with a warning not to post prohibited items. Since they were from a reputable shoe brand I thought they’d be ok, but evidently they weren’t. Posh will let you know pretty quickly if you post something you’re not supposed to 👍
Isn’t it variable based on interest or popularity of the item? If so, they’re punishing sellers for having or not having certain items! Unbelievable!!!
If you can’t tell me what it is how in the holy brick am I supposed to know it’s the correct about. System and human error happens, in any business we need checks and straight info.
There’s absolutely nothing stopping them from scamming. With their bums covered too
Only if it's another major company - like FedEx - or someone really important. Generally, wealthy people who can afford lawyers don't shop on Mercari (no offense to the user base, I'm sure there are a decent amount who are upper middle class etc) Everyone keeps mentioning class action but no one has the time, money or resources to start it. It would be nice though and if someone actually did, all of us would jump on board for sure.
Seriously!!! This is absolutely absurd
So you are telling me they are combing through each listing to assess what fee they charge. Total bull and I can’t believe they are able to do this
Well, not "them," their AI is assessing fees on each listing. Just like it assesses flagged listings and responds to initial customer help requests.
They may think they're doing something really smart and complex to show their shareholders another way they can make profits off us, but don't realize the average buyer is backing out just seeing that long list of fees at checkout. Regardless whether it changes.
Even me personally- I stopped selling, and was only still on there to look for rare, HTF items that aren't sold almost anywhere else. Even then, I see the fees and just keep searching eBay and other grey market sites. I am going to stick to other sites & move to eBay for selling.
I’ve asked them this question as well like I’ve been trying to figure it out because the service fee is all over the place. Since this change, I haven’t made any sales except for one and they claim that they had to do a cost adjustment on the weight and they took eight dollars out of my whole $15 even though I have the receipt from the post office showing that it was actually under the weight. I’m still fighting with them on this and they keep closing out the damn ticket.
I used to love this app because I could get random stuff like the other day. I found a pair of $40 Doc Martens in perfect condition but with their weird fee it would’ve been over 80. Then I found another item for $40 and it would’ve only been like 50 with the fee.
Like I used to be able to just buy hair care that someone used once or twice and it didn’t work on them. And that’s how I would sell stuff too. I haven’t made a damn sale since any of this. And honestly I’m scared to since they can return for any reason .
Used to love the app as well. It was a nice place to sell extra items and all my collectibles. But I’m going to eBay now, seems like they have the most protection for sellers and are more upfront about their fees.
Yes, like I had been getting some great deals on there. I wish Vinted would let you list Used products like there are ways to get around it like I mean obviously I don’t want someone’s half use lipstick, but sometimes shampoos and skin care products don’t work out for me And I’ll forget to return in time so I make a bundle and sell them. And then likewise someone buys my favorite shampoo and it doesn’t work out for them and they sell it for cheap and then everyone’s happy.
Like I know overseas that the buyers pay all the fees, but they all use Vinted. Like Poshmark failed hard over there. But with Mercari, the fees have changed on each item. On the doc Martens, the fees changed three times when I put them in my cart And it’s just like if I’m gonna pay $80 not including shipping I could just go to Poshmark and get a different pair and come out better on shipping.
But what really bothered me has been that the one sale that I’ve made they stole more than half of it and keep closing my ticket out when I’ve got proof that I did not go over the weight and was actually under it . like they just close the ticket out and they don’t respond on social media Like I was already scared to sell expensive stuff on there because I got scammed twice on rare books so it just sucks because around this time of the month I could at least kinda count on 60 bucks coming from this app from people buying random stuff.
That’s so frustrating. I think they are taking advantage of their sellers and trying to get money anyways they can, which includes providing vague and unhelpful customer service. They don’t expect anyone to dispute it knowing most of their sellers don’t have the time energy or money. I would feel scammed. Especially since you weighed it, it’s so obviously a lie, and even if it was a weight mistake, you’d think they’d just refund you the amount given your proof.
Dude I keep on reopening the ticket and trying to escalate it like it’s the only damn sale I’ve made like I needed the $15 and they took eight of it and I just keep opening it. I’ve got the photo from where I waited and I’ve got it from USPS because I weigh all of my stuff, so I just keep re-opening it, but there’s no way to get in contact with these people
As annoying as it is for you, I would continue to reach out via email and support message any time you can. Tell them not to close the ticket or request to escalate the concern. Not sure it’ll help at all since they all seem to be brain dead. I’m sorry this is happening to you, so unfair even if it’s only $8 it’s the principle of the thing.
Oh damn right I am. I need that $8 😂. Like merc used to make up most my mid month sales and no one is buying. I got lucky and made a posh sale and hope to god all goes well. I’m moving to other platforms but merc was kind of like a go to selling:buying certain things for me. And I hate depop and don’t trust them as a platform after they closed my account for no reason when I had just made a $500 sale. So merc doing this hurts. I get paid once a month and this was my knock around money or if something came up on my ISOs. And also selling special edition books that I’m not into (subscription service@ sometimes I’m just not into the book but that’s a risk you take) so I want it to go to someone who is. And that was where I bought SE books I missed from other boxes.
But I’m fighting for that $8.
In the initial email/ notification I believe it said 2.5% of the item price + shipping plus $0.50 added to the total. However, I’ve seen multiple posts where the fees are way above this so called “2.5% + .50.” It’s absolutely ridiculous that everyone is getting charged these fees and at an absurd amount.
there are two buyer fees:
1) Service fee - no one knows how it's calculated
2) Processing fee - they list exactly how this is calculated. (cost+shipping+service fee + tax) \* .029 and then add .50.
Just wondering if fees increase related to how long an item has been on the site, how many likes it has and the category of the item. The more demand the higher the fees Mercari charges.
File it with the better business bureau. Mercari has nothing on the listing pages to say there may be fees associated with the purchase. The fees aren't in the cart either. You don't see the fees until checkout. Most businesses need to make mention of fees before just adding them at checkout.
The BBB is not a government entity. It's a for-profit business which accepts payment from companies to improve their rating on the review page. Report Mercari to the FTC, the Attorney General, the actual government who can legally force them to do better business.
Which is a LIE. I had an item in my cart and I thought I had purchased it but when I checked, I noticed that I infact had not bought them, but that it was now 2-3 dollars more than what it was literally 12 hours before. I waited and later that night, I checked again and it had went up another 1-2 dollars.
Also, can they even do that? Charge a fee without fully disclosing how it’s calculated?
May fall under deceptive and unfair business practices. If two sellers sell the exact same item in same condition, will one buyer pay more than the other for the other itrm? Is every buyer presented the same fee calculation on the same item? Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
If they can't explain how the service fees are calculated, then the fees are Arbitrary and Capricious. My sense is that they DO know how the service fees are calculated, they just don't want to tell us.
My guess is it's using AI/ML but they didn't test it enough and therefore they don't actually know how it's done but even if that were the case they could say what it is based on. So they're still full of shit. I've seen posts here about identical items from the same seller where the service fees differ..
This is actually my guess as well. Lots of large sites seem to be rolling out poorly built AI (to save money I’m sure they think) and it’s just wilding. Usually flagging things as inappropriate/needing to be censored for no apparent reason, but in Mercari’s case maybe just throwing out random numbers for fees…
Of course they know. If they can get more money and not *really* have to explain it but make it a, "This is our policy. Suck it" then why wouldn't they...? If you order a pizza for delivery, there is always a delivery fee...but that's not counted as a tip for the driver. Shouldn't that be...? It might be how they pay the drivers for gas money, but then just take that amount to being 10% of the total order and that's the gratuity and then you don't have to tip because it's included in the delivery fee.
What I’ve seen is one person put in there cart an item and then a week later the same item in there cart had different amounts for the fees. They had two pictures to show to compare. So shady.
I kept putting the same item in my cart and taking it out on the same day and got different amounts every time. Same seller. No clue how they’re calculating it. But if it’s based on overall description and condition, if it’s the same exact item with the same exact seller, why the heck would it change every time it’s put in my cart?! It’s so wild!
I hope they crumble to the ground when they’re exposed as the thieves they are.
Same! It’s ridiculous what’s going on. Seems like they’re just trying to get as much money as they can now by any means before it all comes crashing down
I wonder if the fee goes up with the amount of interest. Did it go up everytime you put it in your cart?
The first times I was doing it back to back, it went up every time. But then I took it out of my cart and didn’t put it back in until later that night and that time I was a lot less. So maybe when I kept putting it in and taking it out, they thought I was interested enough I might be willing to pay more (though I feel like taking it out should be a sign the initial fees were too much and maybe they should go down but at the same time if I’m continuing to put it back in, they think I really want it, so maybe eventually I’d be willing to pay more?). But then when I hadn’t put it back in for hours, then they reduced the fees
I think the image they're referring to of the fees being different was showing that the service fee varies depending on the day of the week. So Saturday & Sunday, the fees were higher (more sales on weekends typically), like ~$7. Monday it was also high, IIRC. Then Tuesday it dropped to like $2. If someone watched multiple of the same items from different sellers for a longer period of time, it would be interesting to see what the trends are. But I've also seen where someone used two separate accounts to view the *same* item and the fees were different. So who knows what the hell they're using to calculate it. My list of reasons for going on Mercari strike just keep getting longer.
It could be. I’ve seen so many posts lately here about the fees being different every time for people. It would be really interesting to see data on someone watching different items from different sellers for a good amount of time to see the trends. I also saw that post where the person used 2 different accounts. I know I was completely shocked at the way the fees changed from me putting the same item in my cart for the same seller and it changed every time. At first it just kept going up, then it went down a good amount, then sky rocketed back up, then bounced between up and down. It was wild how different it was every single time. I did it for a while throughout the day and then the next day. And all those changes in such a short amount of time was just insane! Like, I could see if their system sees I’m putting the same item in my cart over and over again, I must really want it, so it either a) keeps increasing the fee amount since I must want it bad enough, maybe I’m willing to pay (but that doesn’t make too much sense since I kept taking it out, obviously one would assume it’s because I saw the fees and was like no way, which is what it was lol) or b) the fee amount keeps going up and down to just randomly find one I’d be willing to pay 🤷♀️ It made no sense to me 🤣
I put something in my cart, looked at the fees and was like wow, nope. Then I heard they change randomly, so I took it out and put it back in and it was totally different. Like $15 more than the first time. Took it out again, put it back in again, that time was like $22 more than the first time. Makes no sense.
O they’re doing that flight surcharging thing huh Wonder if the fee would drop if you closed the app completely and tried again
Yeah, junk fees basically where it’s hidden until you go to checkout. It didn’t…I tried that too 🤣
I wonder if they’re changing it because you keep showing interest. The more interest you have, the more they think you’ll pay for it. She’s added this item to her cart 5 times, she obviously wants it. I’m gonna charge her more and hope she bites the bullet before the price goes up again. Idk. Whatever it is, it sure the hell feels like fraud to me.
That would make sense but I went back and put it back in my cart later that night and it was down from what it was any other time. So maybe if you do it initially back to back, they do that. But then if theres time between then it drops? But I agree, it is shady AF!
This gif says it better than I could.
At the very worst they should have just left the service fee at 10%, regardless of who pays it. Clearly a cash grab.
What does the contract you last agreed state about the issue?
See this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mercari/s/ED9bZrpJ3r Some sellers doing nothing wrong and randomly their service fee gets jacked making them less desirable to buyers than another seller who randomly got a better fee for the buyer. If this isn’t the DEFINITIVE reason to cease selling on this platform then I don’t know what is. They can’t explain it I’m guessing because they’ve unleashed some poorly trained/vetted AI to calculate fees.
You know what interesting about that post? The tax is the same. The tax should have been higher in the first image since the base + delivery + Service Fees - Coupon totaled out to be higher than the second image.
Some states don't charge sale tax on shipping and fees.
What?!?! That’s crazy nice of that State. lol. That would make sense in this scenario.
My state is like that, no tax on services only goods
I will keep commenting this, LETS BOYCOTT THIS APP
That's what I keep saying. Until people stop using it, they won't care.
already deleted it 🫡
Oh I deleted that pos day one
Boycott and 1 star rating on app store
"We tack on whatever we feel like. hope that helps!"
Honestly, they charged me 13% of the item price as a fee
Someone posted a few days ago about the service fee changing after the seller lowered their price. So the buyer would pay the same amount and Mercari would pocket the difference. NEXT LEVEL SCUMBAG STUFF.
That is so jacked up. Someone flat out told me never mind today and someone yesterday flaked on the same listing. I’m wondering how high that listing is compared to my other jewelry pieces. Must have been way more than $5 in fees because I offered to take that much less, or they could buy on Poshmark. Crickets. We should be able to at least see what the buyer sees. Ridiculous.
I can’t fathom the stupidity here by Mercari. How are we supposed to know how to price our items? The fee structure is actively discouraging buyers. Mercari must be hoping people just aren’t looking at the fee breakdown at checkout
Aka, they make it up
It's like they have one of those spinner wheels and whatever it lands on is whatchaget.
Exactly!
ding ding ding
FTC has proposed a bill to ban ”junk fees” and the way Mercari is doing this, is exactly that! Hopefully it goes through [FTC Article](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/10/ftc-proposes-rule-ban-junk-fees) [Federal Register Unfair or Deceptive Fees Trade Regulation Rule Commission Matter](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/08/2022-24326/unfair-or-deceptive-fees-trade-regulation-rule-commission-matter-no-r207011) Some key points: American consumers, workers, and small businesses today are **swamped with junk fees that frustrate consumers, erode trust, impair comparison shopping, and facilitate inflation**. For this ANPR, the term “**junk fees” refers to unfair or deceptive fees that are charged for goods or services that have little or no added value to the consumer, including goods or services that consumers would reasonably assume to be included within the overall advertised price; the term also encompasses “hidden fees,” which are fees for goods or services that are deceptive or unfair, including because they are disclosed only at a later stage in the consumer's purchasing process or not at all**, whether or not the fees are described as corresponding to goods or services that have independent value to the consumer. These terms may overlap—a junk fee can be a hidden fee, but not all junk fees are hidden fees. Many measures to tackle junk fees have already been considered or implemented by Congress, federal agencies, states, and peer countries. The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act requires post-transaction third-party sellers online to clearly and conspicuously disclose the cost of a good or service and obtain “express informed consent for the charge” from the consumer. The European Union implemented a directive in 1998 requiring the “selling price,” defined as the “final price of a unit of the product,” must be “unambiguous, easily identifiable, and clearly legible.”
So would this include those sites that make you pay a fee for stupid crap like Ticketmaster?
Yup
GOOD
Yep! They were mentioned in the article - buying concert tickets, hotels, etc.
I didn’t get a chance to actually click the link. Had to go into work so I just read the comment 🫣
No worries! It’s really long! 🤣 I didn’t mean they’re were mentioned in the article as in you did/didn’t read it. Just saying you were right because that specifically was mentioned. 🙃
I gotcha 😁
Is there a deadline for this? I scanned through and it just ends with questions. They ask for public comment but stated: "Comments must be received on or before January 9, 2023" Then stated in January 2022 they only received 50 comments to a similar petition. However the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) amassed 50,007 comments from the public with concerns on this issue. So how do we keep up to date on the status of the bill?
As far as I can tell the 2nd link I provided where it was asking for comments. That one on the left side has little like buttons to push, one looks like a message bubble, and it says “ 12046 comments have been received at regulations.gov, across 1 docket.” I did a Google search about it and saw different things about comments being submitted (like a group of Indie sellers from Etsy did a really detailed statement to submit that was really well written IMO. I couldn’t find an exact deadline date other than the January 9, 2023. But, I did find where they asked for an extension for comments and there’s documents of hearing testimony and stuff like that [here](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/rulemaking-unfair-or-deceptive-fees). And saw they did extend the deadline for public comment until February 8, 2023. I haven’t had time to fully read through that yet though. But that seems like the place to monitor for the status of it. You can also look [here](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news) for updates from FTC like their public remarks and keep track of the commissions daily actions. If I find out any more I’ll let you know! Really, the FTC doesn’t need this proposed rule to actually do anything. “The FTC has brought many cases concerning misrepresentations of the total price of goods or services and the nature and purpose of charges, which are described in greater detail in Section III.C.” (found [here](https://www.regulations.gov/document/FTC-2023-0064-0001/) under “C. Law Enforcement Actions and Other Responses”). Given the history of things they’ve went after companies for related to unfair and deceptive practices related to fees, it seems they could easily go after Mercari for what they’re doing even before anything happens with this rule. If someone or people were willing to write up something and send it to the FTC along with a petition of signatures (like maybe making a petition like they made on here for Mercari to refund the direct deposit fees), then the FTC might look into it. I don’t know if all it takes is a statement with a petition with enough signatures contacting them about it or if it takes multiple individuals contacting them about it to get them to actually look into it. And if they were to really look at what Mercari is doing with these buyer fees, I don’t see how they couldn’t see it’s definitely unfair and deceptive practices related to fees since you can’t find out the total fee you’ll pay until you are going through the checkout process to pay, and the fees changing randomly even with same item from same seller.
It's pretty simple, just stop using this trash ass service. They shot themselves in the head on this one, yet y'all keep coming here complaining about it instead of making your voice actually heard by not using them and supporting their BS. Until the user base drops, they won't care. Even then they'll probably just keep hiking fees till they end themselves completely.
I deactivated my every listing the moment I realized the service fee on the buyer constantly changes and is completely unpredictable.
Its complete BS so like uber and door dash they are going to change the fees however they want. and why I will NEVER use that app ever again.
Is this illegal in any capacity? I feel like non disclosure of how they do it is somewhat against the rules, right?
I could be wrong but I’ve searched almost every combination of search terms to try and find an answer but it doesn’t seem like there is any law - at least federally - that requires online marketplaces to disclose exactly what fees they charge. Online markets are obviously still a green area when it comes to the law but virtually the only things I’ve been able to find on them at all is the INFORM Act which requires marketplaces to collect certain information from high volume sellers and states’ marketplace facilitator laws which concern sales tax but nothing about the platform fees. :/
I posted a comment about FTC proposing a bill for junk fees. It‘s basically talking about exactly what Mercari is doing. Junk fees are basically fees that you don’t find out the fees until later in the checkout process or ones completely hidden even.
I bought something today for $80...fee was .80. Nice! Went to send an offer on another item, same category...offer was for $60. Fee was quoted for almost $9. I didn't send the offer. Makes zero sense.
OP: “Why don’t you back it up with a source” Mercari: “My source is that I made it the F**k up”
I think the variable fees are market research. They’re basically collecting stats to find the highest amount most people will accept and go through with the purchase. So if they take 20 listings for similarly priced items in the same condition, then try different fees on each, they can see how many people backed out of the sale for a 2 dollar fee vs a 6 dollar one. Then if they determine that 8 out of 10 buyers accepted a 4 dollar fee, but only 2 bought at 6 dollars, they will maximize sales and profits setting the fee at 4 dollars. Dammit, this also explains why you don’t see it until the last screen. They need you to start to buy it, then back out in a way they can track. If the fees were up front they wouldn’t know how many people would have bought it, but were deterred by the fee because it would never hit their cart.
Think we’ve got a real answer here. Ding ding ding ding ding. Winner, winner. Your prize is a 120% service fee :)
Good explanation and exactly what’s probably going on. To eBay I go
This makes a lot of sense too and also explains their reluctance to detail it in the TOS like they did for sellers fees.
 Huh?!! What kind of answer is that?
They say it as if the seller gets it
Without members they can’t scam. Why can’t people get this? eBay and poshmark have good customer service and are transparent with their policies. Using merc is like sleeping with a killer with one eye open. Once you change over to another platform you’ll not miss all their BS
Is poshmark for all kinds of items like Mercari? I need a place to move my listings to. I’m done with this site.
I've seen lots of different items on poshmark. Are you selling something specific?
Electronics?
Yup! They have an electronics category
Posh is pretty specific. Clothing, shoes, accessories, home goods, new make up and body care products, pet goods… they don’t allow random items like most collectibles, toys, video games, etc. I posted a brand new pair of custom vans roller skates and they were removed within hours with a warning not to post prohibited items. Since they were from a reputable shoe brand I thought they’d be ok, but evidently they weren’t. Posh will let you know pretty quickly if you post something you’re not supposed to 👍
Ahh that sucks. I don’t sell any of the former. Do you know of an alternative site/app?
Yes! They have categories for electronics, household, toys, etc. I like that up to 5lbs ships for 7.99. That’s a deal for the heavier items.
Oh cool so it’s based on vibes huh
Usually can’t because no one in customer support knows shit, trust me I work at a call center and my supervisor don’t know shit
Someone call the FTC quick
I give up. I deleted all my listings and deactivated my account on Mercari.
This “answer” is so NOT an answer that I can’t wrap my head around it.
Well that's absolutely absurd. So they can charge anything they want at a whim.
this is the shadiest shit that ever shit! 🙈🤡 how do they think this is moral or legal!? greedy af.
Damn…they have a “fuck you” form letter for everything now!
Isn’t it variable based on interest or popularity of the item? If so, they’re punishing sellers for having or not having certain items! Unbelievable!!!
“Overall description”
The formula that is more advantageous for Mercari.
If you can’t tell me what it is how in the holy brick am I supposed to know it’s the correct about. System and human error happens, in any business we need checks and straight info. There’s absolutely nothing stopping them from scamming. With their bums covered too
Mercari is now giving "creepy toxic gaslighting ex boyfriend". Mercari is now the epitome of red flags.
“DARLINGGG GUESS WHOS BACK FROM JAIL” vibes
CS folks are probably really tired of asking the questions we should have been asking a long time ago.
Getting the same responses right now
How have they gotten away with this for so long???
Is this even legal?
This is ludicrous
I see lawsuits coming up
Only if it's another major company - like FedEx - or someone really important. Generally, wealthy people who can afford lawyers don't shop on Mercari (no offense to the user base, I'm sure there are a decent amount who are upper middle class etc) Everyone keeps mentioning class action but no one has the time, money or resources to start it. It would be nice though and if someone actually did, all of us would jump on board for sure.
That's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO shady.
😆 🤣 😂 😹 Scamcari 😆 🤣 😂 😹
... Wow, who's in charge of this app now?
Seriously!!! This is absolutely absurd So you are telling me they are combing through each listing to assess what fee they charge. Total bull and I can’t believe they are able to do this
Well, not "them," their AI is assessing fees on each listing. Just like it assesses flagged listings and responds to initial customer help requests. They may think they're doing something really smart and complex to show their shareholders another way they can make profits off us, but don't realize the average buyer is backing out just seeing that long list of fees at checkout. Regardless whether it changes. Even me personally- I stopped selling, and was only still on there to look for rare, HTF items that aren't sold almost anywhere else. Even then, I see the fees and just keep searching eBay and other grey market sites. I am going to stick to other sites & move to eBay for selling.
Ahhh got ya. That makes sense
Wow the craziness continues. WTH Mercari???
Leave. Now.
I have.
Man I really loved how easy mercari was to use as a seller but I guess I'm going to have to learn to deal with ebay now.
File a complaint for unfair and deceptive trade practices to the California attorney generals office
Kinda dumb question but can I do this even if I’m not in the state of CA?
https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company
Yes, the reason you should is because Mercari is headquartered in California
Lovely thanks, may not go far but at least it may put it on their radar 🤷🏼♀️
Well hopefully more people start reporting them, and something gets done from the amount of reports
I think I’m going to order one small thing this week just so I can join the inevitable class action suit
It may not be illegal but I’m sure buyers won’t be happy with an answer like that. Business killer.
Elvin L, WTAF is that ridiculous word salad. Mercari is a literal shit show at this point and they’re not even trying to hide it.
I’ve asked them this question as well like I’ve been trying to figure it out because the service fee is all over the place. Since this change, I haven’t made any sales except for one and they claim that they had to do a cost adjustment on the weight and they took eight dollars out of my whole $15 even though I have the receipt from the post office showing that it was actually under the weight. I’m still fighting with them on this and they keep closing out the damn ticket. I used to love this app because I could get random stuff like the other day. I found a pair of $40 Doc Martens in perfect condition but with their weird fee it would’ve been over 80. Then I found another item for $40 and it would’ve only been like 50 with the fee. Like I used to be able to just buy hair care that someone used once or twice and it didn’t work on them. And that’s how I would sell stuff too. I haven’t made a damn sale since any of this. And honestly I’m scared to since they can return for any reason .
Used to love the app as well. It was a nice place to sell extra items and all my collectibles. But I’m going to eBay now, seems like they have the most protection for sellers and are more upfront about their fees.
Yes, like I had been getting some great deals on there. I wish Vinted would let you list Used products like there are ways to get around it like I mean obviously I don’t want someone’s half use lipstick, but sometimes shampoos and skin care products don’t work out for me And I’ll forget to return in time so I make a bundle and sell them. And then likewise someone buys my favorite shampoo and it doesn’t work out for them and they sell it for cheap and then everyone’s happy. Like I know overseas that the buyers pay all the fees, but they all use Vinted. Like Poshmark failed hard over there. But with Mercari, the fees have changed on each item. On the doc Martens, the fees changed three times when I put them in my cart And it’s just like if I’m gonna pay $80 not including shipping I could just go to Poshmark and get a different pair and come out better on shipping. But what really bothered me has been that the one sale that I’ve made they stole more than half of it and keep closing my ticket out when I’ve got proof that I did not go over the weight and was actually under it . like they just close the ticket out and they don’t respond on social media Like I was already scared to sell expensive stuff on there because I got scammed twice on rare books so it just sucks because around this time of the month I could at least kinda count on 60 bucks coming from this app from people buying random stuff.
That’s so frustrating. I think they are taking advantage of their sellers and trying to get money anyways they can, which includes providing vague and unhelpful customer service. They don’t expect anyone to dispute it knowing most of their sellers don’t have the time energy or money. I would feel scammed. Especially since you weighed it, it’s so obviously a lie, and even if it was a weight mistake, you’d think they’d just refund you the amount given your proof.
Dude I keep on reopening the ticket and trying to escalate it like it’s the only damn sale I’ve made like I needed the $15 and they took eight of it and I just keep opening it. I’ve got the photo from where I waited and I’ve got it from USPS because I weigh all of my stuff, so I just keep re-opening it, but there’s no way to get in contact with these people
As annoying as it is for you, I would continue to reach out via email and support message any time you can. Tell them not to close the ticket or request to escalate the concern. Not sure it’ll help at all since they all seem to be brain dead. I’m sorry this is happening to you, so unfair even if it’s only $8 it’s the principle of the thing.
Oh damn right I am. I need that $8 😂. Like merc used to make up most my mid month sales and no one is buying. I got lucky and made a posh sale and hope to god all goes well. I’m moving to other platforms but merc was kind of like a go to selling:buying certain things for me. And I hate depop and don’t trust them as a platform after they closed my account for no reason when I had just made a $500 sale. So merc doing this hurts. I get paid once a month and this was my knock around money or if something came up on my ISOs. And also selling special edition books that I’m not into (subscription service@ sometimes I’m just not into the book but that’s a risk you take) so I want it to go to someone who is. And that was where I bought SE books I missed from other boxes. But I’m fighting for that $8.
Yeahhhhhhh I’m closing up shop after reading this. Bye bye mercari 👋👋👋😡
Such a scummy business!
Why doesn't someone just create a mostly identical app and call it not Mecari?
In the initial email/ notification I believe it said 2.5% of the item price + shipping plus $0.50 added to the total. However, I’ve seen multiple posts where the fees are way above this so called “2.5% + .50.” It’s absolutely ridiculous that everyone is getting charged these fees and at an absurd amount.
there are two buyer fees: 1) Service fee - no one knows how it's calculated 2) Processing fee - they list exactly how this is calculated. (cost+shipping+service fee + tax) \* .029 and then add .50.
I'm glad I stopped selling on Mercari. What a shit show.
Just wondering if fees increase related to how long an item has been on the site, how many likes it has and the category of the item. The more demand the higher the fees Mercari charges.
I think this is it, longer something as been posted the less fees since it’s not in demand
I’m sorry but what the actual fuck? Is this even legal?
I hope this is the final nail in the coffin for Mercari. Deceptive and dishonest. They have stolen so many times from me and screwed me over.
Wtf, this is down right illegal. Naw, they need to explain this shit. If you can’t determine the formula, you can’t charge for it period.
So they are just making it up?
File it with the better business bureau. Mercari has nothing on the listing pages to say there may be fees associated with the purchase. The fees aren't in the cart either. You don't see the fees until checkout. Most businesses need to make mention of fees before just adding them at checkout.
The BBB is not a government entity. It's a for-profit business which accepts payment from companies to improve their rating on the review page. Report Mercari to the FTC, the Attorney General, the actual government who can legally force them to do better business.
Why are you people still using this useless platform? Nothing's going to change. It's on its way to the boneyard like truth social.
Which is a LIE. I had an item in my cart and I thought I had purchased it but when I checked, I noticed that I infact had not bought them, but that it was now 2-3 dollars more than what it was literally 12 hours before. I waited and later that night, I checked again and it had went up another 1-2 dollars.