Mercari Japan: Is That Listing Photo AI? What to Do When an Item Doesn't Match the Photos

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · 14 min read · By the PEA team (Lumina Spark)

日本語版 (Japanese version)

Short answer: Mercari Japan asks sellers not to list items with only AI-generated images or heavily edited images, and prohibits editing photos to remove scratches or stains. You can spot problem photos from broken lettering and logos, odd details, and missing photos of the actual item; when in doubt, ask the seller for more photos before you buy. If what arrives doesn't match the photos, don't rate the transaction yet. Photograph the unboxing and the problem, tell the seller in the transaction messages, and if that doesn't resolve it, contact Mercari support within 14 days of delivery. You can report listings that have no photo of the actual item. This article is based on the official help pages of Mercari, Yahoo! Flea Market and Rakuma as of October 2026, and is general information, not legal advice.

Mercari Japan's rules on AI images and real photos

On March 25, 2026 (updated April 30), Mercari Japan published an official notice on listing photos made with generative AI or heavy editing. In our translation, the key points are:

  • "Do not list items using only images created with generative AI or images with heavy editing."
  • "Even when you use an illustrative image, always include a photo of the actual item."
  • "Editing images to remove scratches or stains that are really there is prohibited."
  • "Using edited images that don't reflect the facts in transaction messages or messages to Mercari support is prohibited." This applies to messages from buyers as well as sellers.

Mercari's seller guidelines (revised December 15, 2025) and related pages also say:

  • Post photos of the item you actually have; avoid listings with only catalog-style photos of something other than the item in hand.
  • Listing-photo violations include "no photo of the actual item", "only reposted images" and images too rough to understand the item.
  • Using photos taken by other members, or images and text from outside Mercari, without permission is prohibited, although Mercari only accepts infringement complaints from the rights holder.

The seller guidelines and the list of prohibited conduct don't use the word "AI". AI images are covered by the notice above and by the rules requiring real photos.

Spotting AI, edited or reused photos

No method tells you for certain from the image alone. Combine the clues below, and if something looks off, ask the seller before you buy. For AI images in general, see how to check if a photo is AI-generated.

Signs of an AI-generated image

  • Lettering and logos: Is the brand logo, model label or packaging text distorted or unreadable?
  • Details: Are stitches, buttons, zips, ports or screw holes the wrong number or shape? Do left and right sides disagree?
  • Light and shadow: Do shadows and reflections on metal, glass or screens match the surroundings?
  • Background: No sense of a real room, an unnaturally blurred background, repeating patterns, or edges melting into the background.
  • Number and angles: Listings of real items usually include different angles, accessories and close-ups of wear. A single perfect image, or every image from the same angle, is worth checking.

Finding nothing odd doesn't prove the photo is real. The latest generators rarely leave obvious errors, and genuine photos can look odd after heavy compression or retouching. Treat these clues as a reason to ask, not a verdict.

Signs of editing that hides wear or changes color

  • Areas that should show wear (corners, handles, screen edges) look unnaturally smooth.
  • The color in the photo doesn't match the description; whites look blue, or something that should have yellowed is pure white.
  • Every photo has the background cut out to white, so you can't see the item's real condition.

See also how to tell if a photo is edited.

Checking whether a photo was taken from somewhere else

Japan's National Police Agency advises buyers, before purchasing, to check that the photos were taken by the other party and that the same image isn't used in other listings (our translation). Save the listing image and search it with Google Lens or a similar tool. If it matches an official product photo or someone else's listing, it probably isn't a photo of the item in hand. Not finding a match doesn't prove anything either way. Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center also warned on June 17, 2026 about fraudulent shopping sites that reuse images and text from flea-market listings; don't follow a seller to another site.

Before you buy

  1. Ask for more photos: other angles, accessories, close-ups of wear, the model or serial number label. If the seller won't, or only has catalog-style images, walking away is reasonable.
  2. Ask about mismatches in the comments before buying: color, size, model number, condition. The exchange becomes part of the record.
  3. Save the listing: screenshot the images, description, price and seller name. Once 2 weeks have passed since the last transaction message, the seller can delete the listing completely, and it can't be restored.
  4. Line up the compensation conditions: Mercari's Full Compensation Support Program requires app-based ID verification (eKYC) and a Mercari shipping service (メルカリ便), among other conditions (see below). The buyer guidelines also say purchases of items whose details can't be confirmed from the description or images are not covered. A listing with no photo of the actual item is a weaker purchase from a compensation point of view too.

When the item doesn't match the photos: before you rate

Mercari's help says that if there's a problem with an item, don't rate the transaction; contact the seller about the item's condition first (our translation). Rating the transaction (受取評価) completes it, and a completed transaction can't be canceled.

Even if you don't rate, transactions complete automatically after a while: for らくらくメルカリ便, from 1 p.m. two days after delivery; for ゆうゆうメルカリ便 and other methods, from 1 p.m. nine days after the shipping notice (this can be extended while you are in contact with the seller or support). Check the item as soon as it arrives.

1. Record the unboxing and the problem

  • Photograph the box and label before opening, then video the unboxing without stopping until the problem is in view.
  • Photograph the problem from the same angle as the listing photo. For color differences, natural light with white paper beside the item helps.
  • Don't edit these files. Mercari prohibits edited images that don't reflect the facts in messages to support, and even cropping or brightening can invite claims that you altered them. Edit copies only.
  • Don't use the item; keep the box, packing and label. Support may ask you to send the item to its returns inspection center.

2. Tell the seller in the transaction messages

Explain specifically what differs, with photos. A reply within 24 hours is the guideline. State facts and what you want (return, refund) without accusations. Transaction messages close 2 weeks after the last message, so screenshot the exchange.

3. Contact Mercari support, or return the item

  • If talking doesn't resolve it, contact support within 14 days of the item arriving, from the help center by choosing the transaction and using the contact link at the bottom of the guide.
  • For transactions shipped with Mercari's shipping services, you'll be asked to send images of the problem, send the actual item to the returns inspection center, and verify your identity. For damage in transit with other shipping methods, Mercari can't investigate; contact the carrier.
  • Returns: the seller requests a cancellation, you agree, then ship the item back. When the seller marks the return as received, the cancellation completes and your payment is refunded. For transactions shipped with らくらく, ゆうゆう or エコメルカリ便, the free anonymous return service (since March 2, 2026) is available.

Full Compensation Support Program

Since July 1, 2025, Mercari has run a Full Compensation Support Program. For buyers it covers the amount paid (excluding discount coupons), with no upper limit. All five conditions must be met:

  1. App-based ID verification (eKYC) completed
  2. Shipped with a Mercari shipping service (メルカリ便)
  3. Contacted support within 14 days from the day after delivery
  4. Followed the buyer guidelines
  5. Followed the rules and terms of use, including in past transactions

You apply with images of the problem attached. If it's accepted, you'll be asked to send the item to the returns inspection center by a deadline; miss it and you're not covered. Support decides whether to compensate after reviewing the situation.

"Not what I imagined" vs "not as described"

Mercari's buyer guidelines treat "the item isn't what I imagined" as the buyer's own reason, which can't be returned unless both sides agree. Scratches or stains that weren't in the photos or description, or a different color or model number, are a mismatch with the listing, which you can raise with the seller and support.

What arrivedRough treatment
Different feel from what you pictured, looks smaller than in photosBuyer's own reason; no return without both sides agreeing
Scratches, stains or damage not shown in the photosNot as described; message the seller, then support if unresolved
Color, size or model number differs from the description or photosNot as described; photograph it side by side and be specific
A different item, or a suspected fakeDon't rate; contact support. The item may be checked at the inspection center

Reporting a suspicious listing

On Mercari, tap the "…" menu at the top right of the item screen, then 通報 (Report) → この商品を事務局に報告する (report this item to support), choose a reason and tap 事務局に報告する. The reasons include 実物画像がない商品 (no photo of the actual item), counterfeit or infringing items, and attempts to move the deal to another service. A report doesn't guarantee removal or restrictions. For a problem with something you've already bought, contact support from the transaction screen rather than reporting.

Yahoo! Flea Market and Rakuma

Yahoo! Flea MarketRakuma
Photo rulesProhibits "displays that differ from the facts", where the color, size, model or condition (scratches, stains) differ between the description or images and the item (guideline details, revised August 27, 2026); prohibits listing items you don't have"Always photograph the item you have yourself." Prohibits images that hide part of the item, and images you didn't take yourself unless the rights holder allows it
When an item doesn't matchDon't press 受け取り連絡 (confirm receipt); tell the seller in the transaction messages. Extending the payment hold delays the seller's payout to 29 days after purchase (the extension button is available until 12 days after purchase)Check the item against the listing images before rating; a rating can't be withdrawn. Before rating, buyers can file a trouble report (トラブル報告)
Compensation and similar商品満足サポート (product satisfaction support): apply within 45 days of purchase with photos of the item and ID; PayPay points equal to the purchase price, up to ¥10,000, once a year. Images from the seller's listing can't be used"Not what I imagined" is hard to return; items that are clearly different can be returned (official guide)
Reporting a listing違反報告 below the description (app only, items currently for sale)"…" on the item page → 問題を報告 (iOS) / 問題のある商品を報告 (Android)

We didn't find rules naming AI-generated product images on Yahoo! Flea Market or Rakuma (Rakuma does prohibit listing deepfake content itself). Conditions change, so check each service's help pages.

Suspect a fake or a scam? Where to get help

  • Start with the platform's support. Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center (September 2, 2025) advises telling the operator what happened and asking whether its authentication service, compensation scheme or investigation can help. Its March 5, 2026 newsletter describes a case where an item turned out to be fake after the buyer had already rated the transaction.
  • Consumer hotline 188: connects you to your local consumer affairs center (in Japanese).
  • Houterasu Multilingual Information Service: 0570-078377 (weekdays 9:00–17:00, English and nine other languages): free information on the legal system and where to consult; call charges apply.
  • Police: if you think money was taken by fraud, go to your local police station or call #9110, the police consultation line. The National Police Agency advises keeping the listing URL and images, the other party's details, the purchase date and time, payment records, and a timeline of your messages.

Don'ts

  • Don't rate the transaction before checking. Once completed, it can't be canceled.
  • Don't send edited photos. Even boosting the damage or cropping may be treated as an edited image that doesn't reflect the facts. Send the originals; add enhanced copies only alongside.
  • Don't trade or take refunds outside the app. You may lose compensation, and Mercari prohibits steering deals to other services and direct trades.
  • Don't name and shame the seller in reviews or on social media. Calling someone a scammer without solid grounds can lead to defamation and other trouble.
  • Don't decide "it's AI" from a detector result alone. Images saved from the app are resized and recompressed, which makes every tool less reliable.

What PEA can and can't do

PEA (Professional Evidence Authenticator), from Lumina Spark in Japan, checks an image for signs of AI generation or editing with several independent analyses and shows a grade from 1 to 10 with its reasons. It does not authenticate whether a product is genuine.

  • Check a listing photo. Save the image and run one free check in English, no account needed. Images saved from apps are resized and recompressed, so results often come back as "Not assessed" or a middle grade. Use the result as a reason to ask the seller, not as proof against them.
  • Seal your own arrival photos. Checking the original files you took at unboxing records each file's SHA-256 hash and seals it with an Ed25519 signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp. Turn a result into a certificate within 7 days (¥1,000 per image, charged in yen, international cards accepted), and support or a lawyer can check the issue time, hash and timestamp by certificate number on PEA's public verification page. If someone suggests your photo was edited, the analysis is part of your answer.
  • Pick the one or few photos that show the problem clearly; you don't need a certificate for all of them.
  • Photos only (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, up to 25 MB); keep unboxing videos as original files.

PEA can't prove whether a product is genuine, whether the item in the photos is the same unit you received, who took a photo, or when. It shows that the file existed at the time of the check and hasn't changed since, plus the analysis results. The timestamp is not one accredited by Japan's Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and we can't promise how support or the police will weigh it. If you sell on Mercari, see also Mercari Japan return fraud and item swaps. The account and certificate screens are in Japanese; browser translation works on them.

This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Does Mercari Japan prohibit AI-generated listing photos?

Mercari Japan's official notice of March 25, 2026 asks sellers not to list items using only images created with generative AI or heavily edited images, and to always include a photo of the actual item even when using an illustrative image. Editing photos to remove scratches or stains is prohibited. The seller guidelines also ask for photos of the item you actually have.

What should I do if the item doesn't match the photos?

Don't rate the transaction. Record the unboxing and the problem in photos or video, and tell the seller specifically in the transaction messages. If that doesn't resolve it, contact Mercari support within 14 days of delivery. Completed transactions can't be canceled, and transactions complete automatically after a while even without a rating (for らくらくメルカリ便, from 1 p.m. two days after delivery), so check the item as soon as it arrives.

Can I return an item because it isn't what I imagined?

Under Mercari's buyer guidelines, "not what I imagined" is the buyer's own reason and can't be returned unless both sides agree. If there are scratches or stains not shown in the photos or description, or the color or model number differs, you can raise it with the seller and support as an item not as described.

Can I report a listing that only has AI images?

Yes. From the "…" menu at the top right of the item screen, choose 通報 (Report) → この商品を事務局に報告する, select a reason such as 実物画像がない商品 (no photo of the actual item), and submit. A report doesn't guarantee removal. Before buying, you can also ask the seller for more photos of the actual item.

What are the conditions for Mercari's Full Compensation Support Program?

The program has applied since July 1, 2025. For buyers it covers the amount paid (excluding discount coupons). All of these must apply: app-based ID verification (eKYC), shipping with a Mercari shipping service, contacting support within 14 days from the day after delivery, and following the buyer guidelines and terms of use. The buyer guidelines exclude purchases of items whose details can't be confirmed from the description or images.

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