Depop faces new class action over hidden marketplace fee at checkout
Plaintiff Javier Rivera filed a proposed class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 15, alleging Depop hides its mandatory Marketplace Fee until checkout, as shown in a $400 purchase. The lawsuit says Rivera was charged $472.63 for a $400 item after a $20.70 Marketplace Fee appeared only at the final checkout screen.
Depop’s own policy states the Marketplace Fee equals up to 5% of the item price plus a fixed amount of up to $1, excluding taxes and shipping. A review of a Depop listing on September 20 showed a $15 item with no fee disclosed until a shipping address was entered, at which point the fee was $1.45 and tax $1.23, bringing the total to $17.68. Neither eBay nor Depop responded to requests for comment on why the fee is not shown earlier or whether the company is testing fee‑inclusive pricing. A similar federal case was filed in California in February by Linsey Dinh after a $17 purchase triggered a $1.55 Marketplace Fee at checkout.
Two months earlier, a similar federal class action was dismissed without a ruling on the underlying claims. The earlier complaint by Linsey Dinh alleged Depop had tested showing an information icon that the displayed price already included the Marketplace Fee, though that presentation could not be reproduced.
What we know
Javier Rivera filed the complaint September 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Rivera purchased an item advertised for $400 on Depop in August 2025, with $7.99 shipping and $43.94 sales tax shown before the Marketplace Fee of $20.70 appeared on the final checkout screen, bringing his total to $472.63.
Depop's own Marketplace Fee policy says the charge is calculated as up to 5% of the item purchase price plus a fixed amount of up to $1, specifically excluding taxes and shipping costs.
A similar proposed federal class action was filed in California in February by Linsey Dinh after purchasing a $17 item and being charged an additional $1.55 Marketplace Fee at checkout.
Neither eBay nor Depop has responded to a request for comment about why the fee is not displayed earlier in the purchase process or whether the company is testing fee-inclusive pricing.