How to buy safely on Mercado Libre

Whether or not the Free market is safe represents a good part of the questions asked by those who shop online. The brand, created by the Brazilian Stellao Awning and by the Argentine Marcos Galperín in 1999 (as a way of enabling a type of eBay in Latin America), originated in the Argentina and arrived at Brazil In the same year. It is one of the most important in the world, gaining more and more space in sectors such as fashion, electronics, games, food and even automobiles.

But still, there are many doubts about the security procedures necessary to buy and avoid scams during and/or after the purchase. Check out essential tips for buying at Mercado Livre with safety:

What is Free Market?

O Mercado Livre is a technology marketplace where people and companies can buy, pay, sell, ship, advertise and manage their businesses on the internet. In simple terms, it is a store of stores, meaning that an exhibited product can be sold directly or through a registered partner, with an evaluation and scoring system for sales success and good customer service.

The company currently operates in 18 countries, bringing together millions of sellers and buyers with product offers and even special shopping lives. Products are shipped all over Brazil and can arrive as fast as less than 24 hours, depending on the location.

Present for over 20 years in Brazil, with subsidiaries such as Mercado Pago, Market Shipping e Credit Market, the company continues on a growth trajectory. In addition, it won, in 2020, the iBest award for best Marketplace in Brazil by the official jury.

Headquartered in Osasco, São Paulo, the office of Mercado Livre in Brazil represents one of the most modern concepts of corporate architecture that has been designed in recent years.

Is the free market safe?

It is possible to buy in Mercado Livre safely and the company has been, year after year, creating ways to make this purchase process increasingly safe.

Buyer protections

The platform guarantees that, if there is a problem with a seller and the seller is unable or unwilling to resolve it, the site itself will refund 100% of the purchase amount (called Guaranteed Purchase). There are 28 days of coverage for the purchase process, with the possibility of returning the product free of charge within 7 days, if the user regrets it (guaranteed by article 49 of the Consumer Protection Code), or within 30 days, if any defect is detected or if it is different from what was announced (art. 18 of the CDC).

It is important to clarify these relationships with Brazilian legislation, so that it is clear that they are not company options, but consumer rights and guarantees, which must be respected.

What does the guaranteed purchase cover:

• If the product is different, defective, incomplete or if the buyer regrets it within 30 calendar days of delivery of the product;
• If the product is different, defective, incomplete or if the buyer regrets it within 7 calendar days of delivery of the product;
• If the buyer does not receive the product. 28 calendar days from the date of purchase or expiration of the stock availability period for products without immediate stock;
• If the buyer does not receive the product purchased abroad. 60 calendar days from the date of purchase.

The Guaranteed Purchase does not cover: 

• Products damaged, repaired or modified by the buyer;
• Products paid for through money transfers or deposits made through Mercado Pago;
• Products paid with QR code through Mercado Pago;
• Products paid for through the Mercado Pago Point machine;
• Cases in which the Post Office or the carrier loses the product, unless the shipment is made through Mercado Envios;
• Any fraudulent operation or operation that violates the website's terms and conditions.

For more information, visit the page of Purchase Return Policy the platform.

Protections for Sellers

Sellers also have a number of security prerogatives. One of them is confirmation of payment: as soon as the purchase is made, the money leaves the buyer and is stored by Mercado Livre, which, once the platform requirements are met, will guarantee payment.

Even in cases of payments made with a credit card that end up being disputed. When this happens, Mercado Livre withholds the payment money until the problem is resolved and manages the case together with the card issuing institution. fulfilled the Seller Protection Program requirements, reimbursement is guaranteed by the platform.

Rating system

Another great advantage of the platform is its efficient seller rating system. As the seller or store collects successful sales (and satisfied customers), its ranking rises in Mercado Livre.

The best sellers have a maximum indicator in the green color, with ratings such as “provides good service” and “deliveries products on time”. And some even sport medals with the symbol Leading Market.

Here's a great tip: prefer to buy products from sellers with a long history of sales success. It is also worth taking a look at the question and answer history of your products page, to ensure that it is an active seller, or even send questions to make it clear to both about the content and quality of the transaction object.

How to pay for your purchase on Mercado Livre?

When choosing a product, the user will be able to buy it through the Mercado Pago, the company's payment platform, which provides several ways to pay for purchases, namely:

• Credit cards up to 10 interest-free installments
• Payment in installments up to 12 installments
• Debit cards
• Pix
• Bank slip
• Money in your Mercado Pago account
• Mercado Coin, the free market crypto

IMPORTANT: Never pay a bill sent by the seller. At the end of the purchase, only pay your own ticket issued by the Mercado Pago or directly on the platform.

Which shipping option to choose?

As with payments, the Mercado Livre offers some shipping methods. The costs and available forms can be seen in each ad.

There is also a benefit of free shipping on millions of selected products starting at R$79, which takes into account several factors, such as distance to be traveled, product weight, package size and the value of the product. To find out if the desired product has the benefit of free shipping, simply add the item to the cart and access it. The benefit of free shipping only applies to deliveries made by Shipping Market.

Agree with the seller: If the ad does not have Market Shipping, the customer can arrange delivery directly with the seller. 

Free Market Agencies

the agencies Mercado Livre they are commercial points, such as technical assistance, clothing stores or stationery stores that, in addition to offering their services, function as points of withdrawal. To use this option, simply inform at the time of purchase. Important to say that the withdrawal is not enabled in all areas. 

To withdraw your purchase, you just need to show the QR code that the platform sends you. The QR code is available in the purchase detail or in the email sent once the product is at the branch. If necessary, someone else can pick up the order for you. Just share your QR code.

If no one can pick up your purchase, after 7 days it will be returned to the seller and you will receive a refund.

International purchase at Mercado Livre

No Mercado Livre there is also the option of international purchases. It is possible to identify them precisely with the label “International Purchase” in the details of each ad, in the search filters or by selecting “Categories”.

Within the product page you will also see the shipping time intervals that vary according to the countries of origin and destination of the purchase.

It is important to note that when making an international purchase, your package is subject to import taxes, tariffs or customs fees at the sole discretion of the local government, which are not included in the product price. These charges and their related policies are neither regulated nor related to the Mercado Livre.

In some situations, the product may get detained in customs and, in this case, it will be necessary to pay the corresponding import costs:

• customs fees 
• ICMS - Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services
• postal dispatch
• approval fee

Please note that the sum of the customs fee and ICMS can increase the final purchase price from 60% to 100%.

How to return a product purchased on Mercado Livre?

Even after following all the steps to make a secure purchase on Mercado Livre, you may be required to return the purchased product. Therefore, we made a brief summary on how to proceed to carry out this process in a simple way:

To return a product, search for the “Free return” option that appears next to the purchase menu. When you do that, click on this option, and the platform will give you a return code for you to send the product back. On some occasions you will need to speak with the seller before receiving the code. The platform itself will inform you if this is necessary. 

You should also speak with the seller, if delivery has been arranged at the time of purchase. This can be done via message or opening a claim from the purchase, if they have not reached an agreement. Know that, in these cases, you will not receive a return code, but Mercado Livre will help you to send your purchase back.

How to prepare the package for return

Before packing, check that the product is in the same condition in which you received it, with no indications of misuse, and that it has all the accessories and tags:

• Store the product in the original packaging;
• Pack the product. If it is fragile, use safe packaging that protects it;
• Write the return code on the package or show the QR code when you ship it;
• Deliver the package to the Post Office or Free Market Agencyand in which it was appointed;

Refunding

Refund of merchandise will be made within 3 business days after the product arrives. However, sometimes it can be done right after you deliver the product, so you get the money faster.

Free Market Service

If even after all the tips on how to make a safe purchase with greater peace of mind in Mercado Livre you still have doubts, the company offers some customer service channels such as phone number, chat or email. Through them, it is possible to ask questions or solve problems with purchases, bills, shipping, payments, among others.

According to a page on the Abri website, the phone of Mercado Livre and other SAC channels they are not so easy to access; therefore, we recommend that you visit it so that you can quickly and easily discover the options that the platform offers to provide service to customers and sellers.

10 tips to take care of your safety

Below are 10 tips that Mercado Livre gives to avoid fraud and problems in purchases and sales:

• Make your purchase within the Free Market: carry out all your transactions through the platform and using the tools offered by Mercado Livre, such as Mercado Pago and Mercado Envios. Contacting sellers via WhatsApp, email or Facebook leaves you at the mercy of any fraud attempt. So that we can protect you, we advise you to use the channels we make available to you.
• Do not share personal data in the Q/A section. When buying or selling a product, you will have access to a chat with the buyer or seller's data and you will be able to clarify all your doubts.
• Review seller reputation: Before buying, we recommend that you read the comments at the end of each post to learn more about the quality and attention of the seller, based on the experience of other buyers.
• Do not share personal data via email, phone or text message: we will never ask for personal information such as credit card number, identification, security codes or tax identification number through these means.
• Use Mercado Envios whenever you can: this is the best way to guarantee the delivery process, but if you arrange directly with the seller, it is best to sign a delivery receipt. If you notice any irregularities, file a complaint immediately on our platform.
• Do not disclose information about your means of payment: remember that all payments on our platform are made through Mercado Pago, so you should never share your account data, your credit or debit cards via email, WhatsApp, social media or any other channel.
• Check the authenticity of the emails you receive: check the domain (url) letter by letter, verifying that it is the one of our platform (www.mercadolivre.com). Fraudulent websites often feature very subtle lettering or modifications that are not visible at first glance. If you have any questions, please contact us via the help chat.
• Online payments: check the website url when paying. Remember that it is never advisable to click on links or download files unless you have requested them or are sure who is uploading them and what they are about.
• If you detect any irregularities in your account, connect via the app or the web to get help or make a report. Do not provide personal information through other channels.

Phishing: how to identify fraudulent email

In terms of information security, one of the most frequent threats is the Phishing or identity theft, which occurs when someone sends out mass emails that pretend to correspond to a legitimate organization.

In general, these are messages that alert you to some risk in your personal accounts, asking you to confirm your identity, entering your data or changing your password. The goal is for you to click on a malicious link that will take you to a fake page where attackers can get your personal information.

be of Mercado Livre or not, any email requesting confirmation of personal information should be handled with great care. Even if it looks authentic, it could indicate that it came from an unreliable source.

answer calmly

If an email asks for urgent action, warning you that your account has been hacked, or alerts of this kind, the first thing you should do is stay calm. These emails want you to take actions without thinking. In this case, contact the company and confirm that this order has been sent to you.

Check the sender's email address

Check the domain: Criminals use a fake domain that mimics a real company. They often substitute characters to visually confuse victims (replacing, for example, the lowercase letter “L” with an uppercase “i”) or using the company's real name in the email address. For example, [email protected].

Scams by SMS

Remember that not only the mail can be a channel for fraud. There is also the smishing, which is a similar practice, but via text message (SMS). They work the same way: they include malicious links in the SMS to appear legitimate.

See also other features:

How it works or Mercado Pago e How to be a Free Market delivery person 

Sources: Mercado Livre, Shelter