Mercari review - Mercari App VS eBay
Mercari review - An ebay alternative that works
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We have been selling on Mercari for over a year now so we decided it was time to review the Mercari app vs eBay.
In this article we will be focusing on Mercari rather than eBay
With over TWO MILLION + downloads Mercari is the first ebay alternative selling platform that I have tried that has proven to be an eBay alternative that you can actually use to sell your new and used goods online.
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Subscribe to my youtube channel and checkout my Mercari selling tips & tricks for more information on becoming a better Mercari seller.
What is Mercari and why is it good?
Mercari is a 100% moble only application that lets you buys and sell everything from electronics, to fashion, to jewelry to handmade items. Best of all, they do not charge any commission at all right now.
Mercari is currently 100% free
Mercari is currently in beta which means that eventually they may start charging a commision, but as of right now, they do not so why not give it a shot?
One of their slogans is "Sell anything right now" and so far they have backed up their slogan.
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Mercari has high quality traffic
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How do you list on Mercari?
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Creating a listing is literally a snap or two. You simply hit the sell an item button in the lower left hand corner and you are off.
Mercari photos.
Photos are just as easier than eBay, and you can quickly edit, and add text to your photos if you so choose.
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Mercari's search algorithms
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Unlike eBay's dreaded cassini search algorithms, Mercari's search engine will read the entire title & description which means your products are much more likely to be found with minimal effort.
How to you ship on Mercari?
When it comes time to choose your method of shipping, your options are to have the buyer pay the shipping ( based on weight ) or ship the item yourself.
Once your item is listed
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Once your item is listed on Mercari, buyers have the option to like and comment on your item. If you have a good item, you may instantly start getting likes, comments and it may even sell. remember those two million + downloads? They are active users and they are looking to buy.
Shipping your item
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Shipping your item on Mercari is similar to eBay with a few exceptions. If you decide to have the buyer pay the shipping fees, you will recieve an email with the paid postage shipping label. If you decide to do the postage yourself, you have to manually fill out the label the first class labels and take it to the post office or use USPS website to print a label for priority shipping. They are dropping USPS as an option, and going to FEDEX which means if you want to use USPS you will have to ship it yourself which means offering free shipping, if you still wish to use the postal system.
Mercari's feedback system
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The feedback system consists of faces & a short description which isn't required. Recieving a sad face feedback does not affect your seller account like it does on eBay.
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How do I get paid on Mercari?
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Mercari deposits checks when you request funds from your account. Once a request is made, it will be processes the next Monday.
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Who is the target audience on Mercari?
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Many buyers are also looking for eBay alternatives to purchase their items and are looking for a more social experience. So far in our experience, they have been mobile savvy generations looking to quickly find items on their phones and be able to interact with the sellers.
What should I sell on Mercari?
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Have I talked you into trying Mercari as an eBay alternative? Here are some of the things I have found to be the best new and used goods to sell on this great new online seller site.
Keep in mind that the target audience is much younger than the eBay alternative so you have to choose items that they are looking for. Here are some of the things I have found to easily sell on Mercari.
Name brand clothing
Costume jewelry
Silver Jewelry
Gold jewelry
Perfumes
Video games
Make up
Incense
Manstream toys
The drawbacks of Mercari
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So far I am very impressed with Mercari, but there are a few drawbacks.
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Lowballers
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In our experience, the buyers on Mercari are not afraid to offer you a lower price for your item, so expect a lot of low ball offers. Check out my other Mercari article to learn how to combat this.
Lots of sellers
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As soon as your item is listed, anyone else who lists an item will end up on top of yours. While this isn't a huge problem due to their search option, it can cause you to miss a quick sale.
A bit slow to pay you, but still not as bad as Amazon
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Mercari is slow to send you your money so expect to wait about a week, and put your request to get a direct depostit in early.
Customer services
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Mercari can be slow to respond to your emails, but they are helpful once they respond.
Conclusion
Last Sunday, the traffice was so heavy on Mercari, the website was having troubles keeping up. FYI, if there are that many buyers on Mercari, they are NOT ON EBAY. Mercari is still an newer selling platform, you can absolutely sell your items there if you have sell the right ones which makes it a good eBay alternative that actually does work. The traffic is STRONGER THAN EBAY when you have the right stuff. As of writing this, I have sold more items on Mercari in the last week than I have on eBay so make sure to check this app out and let me know how it works for you.
