Merit was made to determine one's post quality.
If someone buys and sells merit it means that he abuses the system.
I can guess that Merit trading is forbidden and those who try to trade Merit will probably get their thread to be deleted.
Merit also very helpful as it gives users the option to thank other users for their posts.
An ability that wasn't available before.
I'm really trying to give it to my brother and what happened moderator has deleted some of my posts, before I did not understand what happened, when my intentions to help my sister to rank, I pity the activity she has 100 more but in can not go up rank, until now still remain "jr member" because she do not have merit.