Ensuring your safety when buying and selling online is essential to protect your data and money.
Mercado Livre is one of the leading marketplace platforms in Latin America, but it is still very important to always be vigilant when buying and selling.
The nature of marketplaces means that many people try to take advantage of the platform to commit scams and fraud.
That’s why reputable websites offer recommendations, precautions, and programs to ensure your safety as a customer or seller.
Check out our article below to find out if Mercado Livre is safe and learn some tips on how to use the site safely.
Is Mercado Livre safe?
As we have already explained, no marketplace platform is free from malicious users and potential scams.
Therefore, to assess whether a service is secure, it is important to check what tools and measures the company has in place to mitigate any risk to its users.
Let’s take a look at the main features that Mercado Livre offers to ensure the safety of its users.
Payments via Mercado Pago
Mercado Pago is Mercado Libre’s payment platform, which offers additional layers of protection for its users.
The tool acts as a guarantee for the customer when used, releasing the money to the seller only when the goods have been confirmed as delivered and are in accordance with the advertisement.
User ratings of sellers
The seller profile on the platform includes an indicator that shows the quality of their customer service and whether their shipments are delivered on time.
This is an important tool, as it allows customers to avoid problematic sellers and choose to buy from more reliable stores.
In addition, it is possible to check questions asked by interested customers and the answers provided by the seller.
Every product also has a space for reviews, where customers can share their experience with the product, recommending or not recommending its purchase.
Guaranteed Purchase Program
Mercado Livre has also created the Compra Garantida (Guaranteed Purchase) program to ensure greater security for its users.
The aim of this program is to guarantee that customers’ money is protected until they receive their products. If they receive the item and it is not what they expected, or if they regret their purchase, the platform will be responsible for the refund.
Using its Mercado Envios service, the company is able to ensure that this process works as smoothly as possible, from delivery to possible returns.
The program consists of:
- Guarantee reimbursement in case of contingency when receiving your purchase.
- Protect your money throughout the process.
- If the customer does not receive the product, Mercado Livre guarantees 28 days of coverage from the moment of purchase.
- In case of regret or if the product is different, defective, or incomplete, the customer has 30 calendar days to request a return.
To use this feature, simply access the Compra Garantida program page.
Identity verification
It is also important to note that the platform has features to identify sellers’ identities, adding another layer of protection to reduce the risk of scams and fake profiles.
How to shop safely on Mercado Livre?
Check out the main tips for shopping safely on Mercado Livre below.
1. Check if the seller is a MercadoLíder
It is important to always check whether the seller offers good customer service and delivers on time. This information can be found on the right-hand side of the page.
2. Ask the seller questions
As with shopping on any type of e-commerce site, reading product reviews is important.
However, Mercado Livre offers a more direct option to clarify your questions. You can leave questions for the seller.
So, when you have any questions, check to see if the seller has already answered a similar question. If not, leave your question.
3. Give preference to Full Shipping
An interesting tip is to choose products that use the Mercado Envios Full shipping method.
This shipping method is provided by Mercado Livre itself, which has a distribution center to store products and manage logistics.
It is a way to ensure greater security for both sellers and buyers.
4. Add all options for password recovery
Protecting your account is also very important, so make sure all your password recovery information is up to date in your account:
- Text message
- Alternate email
- Secret question
5. Use a security code on your cell phone
Mercado Livre is integrated with the Authy app. From there, you can set up an access code that will be sent to your cell phone when you log in to your account.
The app is only available for Android and iOS mobile devices. To install the configuration, follow these steps:
- Access My Account
- Settings
- Security
- Security code
6. Be cautious with any suspicious emails
Sending emails to steal data is a common form of internet scam. Therefore, always be aware of the messages that arrive in your inbox.
Always remember to check the sender. If the email comes from an address other than mercadolivre.com.br or @mercadopago.com.br, ignore and delete the message.
Inspect links before clicking on them. By hovering your mouse over a link without clicking on it, you can see the page it will direct you to.
If the address does not start with www.mercadolivre.com.br or www.mercadopago.com.br, do not click on it.
Always take great care with your sensitive data. Messages requesting your documents or credit card details are not genuine, as this type of request is never made via email.
Which is safer: Mercado Livre or Amazon?
There is no objective way to answer this question, as both platforms have international reach and offer various security measures for their users.
However, it is important to assess your needs and the particularities of each platform in order to choose the best option when making a purchase.
Generally, consumers looking for more options and more affordable prices prefer to buy on Mercado Livre, while those who value more comprehensive customer service and the possibility of free shipping opt for Amazon.
Find out if Mercado Livre is safe
We hope our article has helped you understand how secure Mercado Livre is and provided useful tips to avoid problems when buying on the platform.