A proposed class action filed September 15 challenges when Depop buyers learn about its mandatory Marketplace fee. Plaintiff Javier Rivera alleges the advertised item price and an intermediate shopping-bag total both omit a charge that only appears later in checkout.

The case names Depop, not individual sellers. It still matters for anyone selling there, because buyers judge affordability by what they pay while sellers usually compare platforms by what gets deducted from payouts.

What the Complaint Says

The filing includes screenshots showing a $30 item with a $30 shopping-bag total and shipping listed as to be calculated. A later checkout screen shows $5.99 shipping plus a $2.20 Marketplace fee, for a $38.19 total.

Those are plaintiff exhibits, not an audit of every Depop purchase or a finding that the checkout is unlawful.

Rivera brings claims under Illinois consumer-protection law and for unjust enrichment, seeking class certification, monetary relief, and changes to the practice. The docket confirms the September 15 filing in the Northern District of Illinois. Nothing in the available materials supports announcing a settlement or refunds.

Depop Publishes the Fee, Timing Is the Dispute

Depop's Marketplace fee policy says qualifying UK and US purchases can carry up to 5% of the item price plus a fixed amount up to £1 or $1. Shipping and taxes are excluded from the calculation, and the exact amount appears during checkout.

Depop says the charge funds buyer protection, support, and platform improvements. That's the company's rationale, not a legal answer to the allegations.

A published help page and an upfront price display aren't the same thing. Whether the actual disclosure satisfies the law is what the litigation will decide.

“No Selling Fee” Doesn't Mean Free

Depop lists no selling fee for US sellers, but US payment processing runs 3.3% plus 45 cents, calculated on item price, shipping, and applicable taxes.

That's separate from the buyer's Marketplace fee. Keep the two sides distinct when comparing channels.

At the stated maximum, a $20 item adds $2 before shipping and tax: $1 from the percentage plus $1 fixed. That's 10% of the item price. On a $100 item the same formula produces $6, or 6%.

Those are upper-limit illustrations, not what every buyer pays. They show why the fixed component hits lower-priced inventory harder.

You might keep more of the item price under a buyer-funded model and still face price resistance at checkout. The lawsuit doesn't measure that conversion effect.

Audit What Your Customers See

Document representative purchase paths on both app and website. Record listed price, shipping, platform fee, tax, and final total, with date, market, and device noted.

Don't promise customers a specific all-in price unless you can verify it, and don't describe a platform charge as money your business receives.

On your own storefront, inspect every mandatory charge that appears after the product page. Identify what it funds, how it's calculated, and where customers first see it. Have counsel review the presentation for the markets you serve.

Compare completed-order contribution against checkout abandonment without assuming one caused the other. Watch for Depop's response, a substantive ruling, or a documented checkout redesign. None of those should be inferred from a complaint being filed.