This is one story, and as I have discovered not unique.
We have a choice as to where we purchase and sell online, and how we pay.
Mercari will no longer be a choice for me

Yelp

Check Reddit as well. Protect Yourself!

Mercari is far from the professional and honest buying site they claim to be online.
Instead, it appears to be a profit driven international company,
with no regard for individual issues, or case by case consideration.

I also would like to point out, that IF this was being looked at honestly and professionally,
my case would have been assigned to a single customer service representative and/or a supervisor for more input.
It would not have been passed around like a joke, with  nothing ever being  done.
As of 8/20/24 my CASE has been  handled by 16 employees, in the course of two weeks.
That alone speaks to how unimportant and ridiculous it has become,

Arham Aijaz
Abeer Hashmi
Matthew P
Vijay S.
Anton T.
Jamie
Luis J
Danica F
Princess A.
Jhaycee
Gab P.
Shubham S
Hasnain Zia
Arthur B
Cary C

along with the SIX email requests to RATE THEIR SUPPORT! IF they cared
as much about being patted on the back, as they did for honest help, sales and customers
this would NEVER have been an issue!!!

I followed the guidelines for a problem that Mercari has in place, with both phone and email contact,
as well as photographs, and was ignored,
denied and am out a sizable amount of money,
for what I believe was scamming/theft on the part of the seller.

I purchased in good faith an item on the Mercari site and paid immediately.

A very light weight Box arrived empty, poorly taped (if at all!), covered in previously used shipping labels, with pieces of
cardboard rattling inside, and no item.
Yes the carrier did scan it along with three others on his route.
I assume that just hearing these loose pieces of cardboard they thought that something
was inside, and the damage was not an issue. WRONG!
I also learned after my trip to the post office, it was a replacement carrier that had picked up an additional route,
and I think we both know sadly, they were just getting out the mail as fast as possible,
and had no consideration or respect for the job they had been assigned.
I followed Mercari  guidelines, and reported the issue  to both the seller and Mercari, as outlined on the site:

Don't rate the seller until you're confident you won't be returning the item.
Go to the order page and tell us why you would like to return the item
Provide photos of the item, highlighting any differences between the item listing and how the item was received.
(This can help the seller improve their listings)
 For damaged items, please include photos of the box, packaging materials and the damaged item
 If a product arrives damaged or defective, we offer returns and compensation. Eligible items include unintentionally purchased counterfeit goods,
items with a defect or damage not included in the description, and shipping fees for when an accident occurred with Mercari Shipping.
Mercari has strategies to ensure normal items are safely delivered to the buyer,
but in the event that a user purchases counterfeit or defective goods, they are also eligible for a return or compensation.

We've got you covered. Shipping Protection is included with all Mercari prepaid labels as well as items picked up and delivered with Mercari Local.
If your package is lost or damaged in transit by the carrier, you're covered up to $200 for standard, economy,
and Media Mail shipments or Local deliveries and up to $20 for First Class Envelopes.

For an item to be considered damaged in transit, the Buyer must contact Mercari customer support through the Mercari Help Center
and provide photos of the damaged item and packaging. Otherwise, the tracking information must state that the item was damaged in transit.
Damage to the item must have occurred during transit. Damaged items deemed hazardous by Mercari may not be returned.
If a package was damaged and then rerouted back to the sender, the seller must provide photos of the damage within 24 hours of delivery.

I also immediately went to the post office, where they informed me that what I had received,
was indeed the condition that the box was received in, and the
post master further confirmed it with photos and stickers on the box.

 I submitted that information with photos to Mercari as either tampered mail or fraud by seller

I updated all parties and waited to get a response
I then learned, that the seller sent the package via UPS (possibly NOT a Mercari label?)
UNINSURED (for a $760 item),
and that was then transferred to USPS for delivery.
BECAUSE of that, neither UPS or USPS will take liability,
and I have been told there is NOTHING
that can be done, and it is therefore up to Mercari, who has all but laughed it off.

 Regardless of this being a serious ongoing matter, the seller was automatically rated by Mercari,
and funds released to them, and I was told the matter was closed.
That alone tells me how many people handled this matter and had no concern for the outcome.

 

No matter  the event or situation, a company, must look at the full and unique details, making a case by case decision,
even though many times, it will fall into a boilerplate resolution.

However, this is NOT such a situation, and still needs resolution via a refund.
I have done nothing wrong, followed your guidelines, and was either scammed,
or at the very least the victim of poor/uninsured
shipping by a seller, that was damaged along the way.
All of which was nothing I could control and should not be penalized.