Jesus H. Christ!  $28 for a single merit?  That's like the black market rate for a Suboxone strip, a similar crazy-ass markup (and no, I don't participate in either black market).  I'm stunned.

OP, there are trusted users here who can see pretty easily when merits are not being given in good faith, i.e., are being bought or exchanged between alt accounts, and these users (like actmyname & Lauda, and I'm sure there are more) are tagging these morons.  As long as it takes a clean trust score to participate in campaigns, all is well with the world.  These jizzbags think they're going to get away with it, but they're wrong.  They're not going to get away with it, just like they don't get away with copy/pasting.  Big brother is watching, homies, and this time here it ain't the government.  DT folks are on pa-TROLL.  *Slips back from Huge Black Woman Mode*

I'm curious as to who is offering to sell merit here.  I know all the idiot noobs are willing to buy it, but I'm wondering if we've got old-timers here who are selling merit points in bad faith, against the spirit of what the merit system is about.
A loser with more money than brains or morals--and there are quite a few on bitcointalk from what I've seen.