Buyer Protection on Depop, Mercari and Poshmark: What You Need to Know

Learn the extent of buyer protection for each platform.

Key points on buyer protection 

• Depop offers the longest time for processing returns.
• Poshmark has no buyer protection fee among three platforms.
• All three platforms issue full refunds once criteria is met for refunds/returns.
• Wrong size and fit are not eligible for returns or refund.

Introduction

If you buy and sell from different online platforms, buyer protection is something you shouldn’t ignore. It’s an important part of making safe transactions, allowing you to return items or secure a refund. Buyer protection should make transactions smooth for both the seller and buyer; it should encourage buyers to trust the platform, leading to more sales.

In this blog, we will discuss what buyer protection is like for three popular reselling platforms: Depop, Mercari and Poshmark. While these platforms are a different league of its own, they ensure one thing: to give buyers a secure and fair buying experience. 

What is buyer protection?

Buyer protection is the guarantee trusted shops offer to their buyers. It usually covers return and refund policies, escrow services, and dispute resolution between buyers and sellers. These policies are in place to ensure buyer satisfaction. 

In-depth, buyer protection ensures that the buyers will receive the products in the best condition, and if not, provide proper action to compensate the buyer. Compensation in this context refers to replacing the item with the exact same item or a similar one, or refunding the money for the product when replacement is not possible.

It’s important for both buyers and sellers that buyer protection procedures run as smoothly as possible. Speedy processing lessens the burden of the seller having to replace or refund, ensuring customer satisfaction. From the buyer’s end, buyer’s remorse is less likely to happen when protection is efficient.

Ideal buyer protection policies: What buyers should look for

From a buyer’s point of view, buyer protection must have the following qualities:

• Fast response: Claims are processed as soon as received.
• Full refunds: Refunds for the item includes item price and shipping fee.
• 24/7 customer service: Claims can be made anytime.

Buyer protection on Depop

Depop offers buyer protection for cases meeting certain criteria.  In a nutshell, Depop Protection covers the following:

• Damaged items
• Wrong items sent
• Item did not arrive

Depop issues a full refund provided the issue gets reported to them within 30 days of receipt.

Depop protection does not apply for the following conditions:

• The buyer claims the item is damaged or broken, but the item is no longer at hand
• The buyer and seller met in person to make the sale.
• The payments were made outside Depop (e.g., a bank transfer or PayPal payment made outside the platform)
• Your parcel is marked as delivered (with proof)

Some points to consider:

• Received the wrong item? If you have received an item that’s different from the photos and listing, you may need to return them. Raise an issue with Depop ASAP, and it back to the seller within 7 days of informing them to receive a refund.
• Lost items after delivery is marked as completed is not covered by Depop buyer protection. 

Depop has a disclaimer, though: they have the right to decide whether a claim is under buyer protection and eligible for refund.

Depop Buyer Protection Fee

For every purchase made on Depop, buyers are charged either 5% of the total price or $1. This is called the Marketplace fee and also cover customer support, improvements and community growth.

Read more about Depop buyer protection here.

Buyer Protection on Mercari 

Mercari’s buyer protection program also covers refund and return policies. For refunds, claims must meet the following conditions:

• Must be rated and reported within 72 hours of delivery
• Approved claims will be provided a free return label to the seller.
• Items must be shipped back to the seller within 3 days. 

Items that eligible for return are the following:

• Damaged items during shipping
• Wrong item received
• When an item hardly matched the listing photo and description

What’s not eligible for refund or return?

• Not the right size
• Not clean/smells bad
• Change of mind
• Not the right style

Mercari Buyer Protection Fee 

Mercari offers a lower buyer protection fee of 3.6 % of the price and shipping (charged to the buyer).  They also offer a full refund given the claim is found eligible. 

Read more about Mercari buyer protection here.

Poshmark Buyer Protection

Poshmark has its own buyer protection policy called Posh Protect. Full refunds are issued when:

• The item was never shipped
• Item does not match the listing description

The refund process happens only when:

• A claim is made in the Poshmark app or website within 3 days after delivery
• Reports must be supported with photos showing item did not match the listing
• Verified claims are sent back to the seller (with Poshmark providing a label for returns)

What’s not included? 

• Transactions made off-platform
• Change of mind
• Wrong fit/size

Posh Protect Fee

Poshmark has no buyer protection fees indicated in its website, but several articles last year have indicated they charged such fees, but then reduced it to zero due to feedback from buyers. 

See Poshmark’s buyer protection policies here.

At a Glance: Comparing Buyer Protection Among The 3 Platforms

What do these tell us about buyer protection in reselling platforms? 

Depop, Mercari and Poshmark have sound buyer protection policies in mind. Though they may differ on several aspects, the end-goal is simple: to keep buyers happy and likely to make repeated purchases on the platform.

However, because these platforms sell vintage and secondhand products, their return and refund policies may differ compared to platforms selling brand-new products. Items in reselling platforms are not always in tip-top condition, hence the lower price.

For example, Mercari does not allow returns for items that are “not clean” or have a distinctive smell. As long as the flaws in the items are properly described in the listing, refunds may not be made. Some sellers also list items on an “as is” basis, meaning the seller did clean or wash the item.

Maximizing buyer protection on reselling platforms

Depop, Mercari and Poshmark have pretty good buyer protection policies in place for the reselling business. To maximize this, here are some tips when shopping on these platforms:

• Check listing photos thoroughly. Examine photos from all angles. You might see a flaw that the seller forgot to describe. Discuss it with the seller before buying.
• Read listing descriptions. It helps to check if the descriptions match the photos.
• Never transact outside the reselling platform: Conducting in-person transactions can void your buyer protection, as well as sending money to bank accounts or online payment system that is not authorized by the platform.
• Track shipping. This part is important as platforms will only refund if items were not received by the buyer.
• Act promptly when reporting return and refund claims. This step allows the platform and the seller to respond to your concerns swiftly.
• Communicate your claim politely: While it’s annoying to receive a defective product, clear communication helps in resolving disputes faster.

What SellRaze says

Buyer protection may vary among platforms, but being familiar with them is truly an advantage for the buyer. For a safe buyer experience, always review these policies before making a purchase on any platform, be it for reselling or brand-new items.