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You have some crap you need to get rid of. Someone else may enjoy it, and you could use the extra cash in your pocket. You decide it is best to sell it online (no time for a yard sale). Facebook Marketplace is a great route to go, but I don’t want you to be “that person.” Let me explain who “that person” is using some “Do’s and Don’ts” of Selling on Facebook Marketplace.
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I have been using Facebook Marketplace to sell random items for quite some time now. I have found the platform to be more user-friendly than others, and it is far easier than setting up a yard sale (especially during the times we didn’t have a garage or were only allowed one yard sale…for only one specific day…once a quarter per the neighborhood rules). Facebook Marketplace has been a huge help in clearing out unneeded items, getting a little extra spending cash when money is tight, clearing some items out before a military PCS, and especially in finding great deals on items for our new house.
But it has also been a place full of a bunch of…well…pains in the you-know-what.
I want you to buy and sell on Facebook Marketplace. In fact, I think it is great that you want to! But I also don’t want you to be “that person,” so here are some “Marketplace Manners” for you to follow.
Do’s and Don’ts of Selling on Facebook Marketplace
Don’t Be Rude
I felt this was a great point to start on, because I have dealt with some very interesting people over time. Now, I’m sure I have come across as rude before. That’s one challenge with initially communicating online—you can’t see expressions and read people. I also am one who despises injustice and will call it out…
But don’t be intentionally rude. Don’t be that person who freaks out on someone because something isn’t exactly what you want. Don’t be that person who isn’t understanding when some Life complication comes up. Be kind. Be polite. Be considerate.
Don’t Talk Down to Women
I honestly shouldn’t even have to say this, but unfortunately it’s necessary. I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve had people act like I’m incapable of things because I am a woman…like when I ask about a tool I’m interested in, and they ask what project my husband is using it for (I use tools for projects too…)…or when they tell me I won’t be able to move an item without my husband before even meeting me (y’all, dressers really aren’t heavy if you remove the drawers first). I’ve also had some call me lovely names…or ask if I felt “safe” meeting (in a public location)! Don’t assume women can’t handle themselves. Just be kind in your approach.
I do know not everyone means it in an unkind way, but think about how your comments will come across first. That’s one of the beautiful things about being able to respond online…you can take a minute to think your comments through before responding, which is often harder in person when an immediate response is expected.
Don’t Assume
Don’t assume someone is bad because of their skin color, gender, etc. Be kind, and don’t preference some over others you just don’t feel like selling to. There is no reason, and it is quite rude to deny someone an item they’ve been looking for and are willing to purchase. If you are concerned for some likely-unfounded reason, don’t give out your address and meet somewhere completely public instead.
Now, there are times when you do want to look at the buyer’s (or seller’s) profile. I’m not saying not to be cautious, but do not just assume without really looking into the seller/buyer. This is why I tend to meet at public places like Walmart during the daytime. Whenever possible, I also have my husband with me.
Sometimes I receive messages in languages I cannot read or understand. I will still respond to those messages, in English (sadly the only language I’m fluent in, though I’ve studied several), but sometimes this is a challenge for me because I feel terrible not being able to clearly communicate. I do not want that person to think I am rude, but I also do not want that person thinking I can communicate when I can’t, or misunderstand something I say. In these situations, just do your best to communicate, because that person is likely very kind and can use the translate button to understand your response. I’ve had several situations like this that worked out just fine!
Do Speak Sensibly
This shouldn’t even be a thing, but I have to say it. Do not send over nonsense messages and expect responses. I have still tried to respond in situations like this, but sometimes I just cannot understand a single word the potential buyer is saying. Sometimes it’s carelessness, and some I just don’t even know the deal is. I’ve even asked my husband to help me figure some out, and he was just as confused. My husband had some message the same one-word message to him over and over, even with coherent responses back from us between each.
Do Ask Things Politely
Want to counter-offer on an item? Ask politely. “Please” and “thank you” go a long way.
Do Be Honest and Transparent (Whether You’re Buying or Selling)
Maybe I’m a little too honest sometimes, but if something crazy comes up or I struggle with something, I’ll let you know. I won’t keep you hanging.
When Buying…
If you completely forget to meet up (it’s rare, but we do forget sometimes), apologize and make sure you’re flexible for trying again. If you’re going to be a little late because your kid put his pants on backwards and had to fix it, let the seller know so they aren’t sitting around thinking you’re a no-show. Pay the full and correct amount for the item.
When Selling…
If there is something wrong with an item, for goodness sakes’, disclose it ahead of time. Don’t change the price on something without notice. Don’t sell an item to someone else when another person is actively purchasing it. Don’t sell stolen goods or items you got in “Buy Nothing” groups.
Most of this should go without saying.
Don’t Act Like People Owe You Something
The item being sold belongs to the seller. They do not have to lower their price to accommodate you. They do not need to travel to you. They do not need to give you their phone number. They do not need to answer a thousand questions (my husband had some of the most ridiculous questions when selling his 31-year-old station wagon…we said it runs and listed the main “issues”; we don’t need to list every single thing wrong with it and cannot guarantee it’ll make a several hour drive back to your house…it’s old and inexpensive; take it or leave it). They do not need to sell to you at all.
Don’t Be a Jerk When Negotiating
If someone is interested in an item and asks for a lower price, you counter, and the person kindly apologizes and says they cannot afford that and will pass, don’t be a jerk. They don’t have to say “yes” to you.
This happened to me recently. I asked for not even half off of a $40 item that I know for a fact I can purchase much cheaper elsewhere, if I’m patient. We are on a strict budget with these home renovations; the specific item was not a priority item, just something that will eventually need replacing. I discussed with my husband, made a reasonable offer to the seller, received a counter offer, and ended up passing on it, letting her know about our tight budget and that I would not be able to pay that at this time. Her counter-offer wasn’t much more than what I’d offered, but we had a specific amount we could not go over (because every little bit adds up, and boy do you see this when renovating a home!). You have to draw the line somewhere, right? She responded with such a rude comment back, implying that I was being stingy because I couldn’t afford what she counter offered! I let her know I simply can’t right now, but that she was welcome to sell it to someone else. (The listing had been on Marketplace for quite a while, which is the only reason I even offered the amount I did.)
The same goes with when you’re buying an item. If you make an offer and the seller tells you they will not go down that low or counter-offers your offer, don’t be a jerk. The seller does not owe you a price decrease. They do not owe you a reason. That is their item. If they want to sell it faster, they may lower the price for you. If they need the extra money, or the item has too much value to them, they don’t need to reduce the price to sell it.
This also happened when selling the station wagon. I cannot tell you how many people offered my husband $400/$500 for a vehicle he already had priced at $800—a perfectly running vehicle. They wanted to use it for demolition derby, but this item had more value to my husband (and we really wanted to sell it to someone who needed a running vehicle and didn’t have a huge budget). Some people were so rude when he wouldn’t reduce the price for them, especially those that said they “only wanted the body” or “only wanted the engine”. We told them “no” and were patient; finally, a teen who wanted it as his vehicle for his senior year of high school eventually gave a reasonable offer and purchased it. It had sentimental value to him, and would be driven regularly. That’s who we wanted to sell it to. Someone who would appreciate it.
Don’t Ask The Seller to Counter Their Own Price
By this, I mean that don’t ask the seller “What’s the lowest you will go?” If you don’t want to pay the full amount, make an offer. The seller can then say “no” or counter the offer. I’ve had many insist I give them a lower price, but I will instead ask them to make an offer. Obviously, I want the price I listed it for, but if they are willing to be reasonable in their offer, I’ll say yes.
Similarly, do not comment on their post publicly asking them for a lower price. If they respond “yes” to be kind to you and you don’t follow through, they are now stuck with others expecting a lower price than they would have been willing to pay.
Don’t Ask for Lower Prices If You’re Traveling
If you have to travel a long distance to purchase an item, do not tell the seller they need to lower their price because it’ll cost you money in fuel. That’s just silly. Want to make a slightly-lower offer on the item? Go ahead. But don’t ask for lower because of fuel costs. You are choosing to purchase this item, so the seller does not have to pay for you to come get it. We had this happen with a lot of items.
Similarly, do not tell a seller they need to deliver it to you or meet you near your home unless you are ready to pay for their fuel and time. I have had so many that decided I was too far away or they couldn’t drive, so I had to accommodate them. Oddly, this happens a lot on items that are popular, so I really have no need to sell to someone like this. I can’t always meet someone to sell an item, but I am far more willing if you’ll make your schedule flexible and you’ll pay a little for my fuel costs and time. I also have limits on how far I’ll go out (in case you’re a no-show).
Don’t Lower Your Offer In Person
Unless the item is completely not what you expected (very terrible condition when they said it was okay, but still useful for your needs), do not try to get a lower price in person. Lower offers should be discussed immediately when you are interested. Be open, honest, and up-front with the seller.
Don’t Try to Undercut Others
If someone tells you their item is pending pick-up, don’t undercut the other person by saying you will pay more or pick up sooner. While it is tempting for the seller, who surely wants to get rid of the item as soon as possible, this is rude and slimy. Don’t put the seller in that position (and sellers, don’t fall for this).
I’ve actually had sellers try to do this to me. They said an item I’d asked about was pending pick-up, but told me I could pay more to get it. Nope. Just nope. I’m not a jerk. I’ve also had sellers give me their address and we set up a pick-up time and I stayed in constant contact (letting them know I was on the way, how long the GPS said it would take, etc) only to find out they had told someone else to come try to pick the item up while we were on the way to buy it.
Don’t be that person. Just don’t.
Do Respond If Someone Messages You
R-E-S-P-O-N-D. This goes for buying and selling. It’s the respectful thing to do. I cannot count how many times I have requested an item not even a minute after it was posted, my message was seen, but the seller never answered. Is the item pending already? Let me know. Don’t want to sell to me? Be honest with me. If you listed it for sale, and someone is genuinely interested in buying (as soon as you want them to, and they messaged with real words and not just the “instant reply” button), acknowledge that.
I look at this as those times you’re talking to someone and you’re expecting a back-and-forth conversation where they acknowledge that you’ve said something, but they don’t say a word back to you (even when you try to coax it with questions like, “Right?“). Did they hear you? Did they see you? Do they like what you said? Do they even care? Don’t assume someone can read your mind. Actually respond.
If you’re buying an item and the seller responds to you, don’t be that person who never responds ever again. If something came up, budget got tight, you changed your mind, whatever, just be honest with them. The seller deserves to know what is up, or you put them in an uncomfortable position of being afraid they’ll undercut you if someone else comes along wanting to buy the item.
Do Respond, Even If You Message On Accident
It happens to all of us—you accidentally send one of those automatic messages saying you’re interested in an item someone has listed. I haven’t had this happen as much lately, but when Marketplace was newer, this happened a lot because of button placement and how touchy it was. It’s okay!
But don’t just leave someone hanging. Let them know right away that you are sorry, Facebook accidentally sent that message through. It only takes a few seconds to send a quick response. Own up to the accident, and the seller will be very appreciative. Facebook should really add a “my bad, I clicked that on accident” auto-response message, right?
Do Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Just communicate, k? Remember how to communicate properly by remembering the four “c-sounds” of communication: quickly, clearly, courteously, consistently.
Basically, just respond when you receive a message (no matter what, as soon as you see it), respond in a way that makes sense, respond kindly, and respond back-and-forth (don’t just drop off the face of the earth and leave the other person hanging).
Do Expect Messages Immediately
After listing an item for sale, expect to begin receiving messages immediately. More than half of the items I list end up with immediate messages. When you initially list an item, be ready for those messages. Someone may have been looking just for that item, and may respond immediately. They will expect your immediate response if the item was just listed. Give them that courtesy. This will also help you to keep things fair and go in order of who requests first.
Do Go In Order
Some items will get you many, many messages. When I listed our kitchen cabinets for sale as a “you-pull” item, I really didn’t expect an immediate response, but I had about twenty messages in less than an hour. Trying to respond in order was difficult, especially when some went to my “other” folder, but I did my best to look at the order they came in and the time stamps, and responded to everyone. It was a lot of work, but it helped me to be fair and kind. Don’t skip people just because you feel like it. It’s your item, true, but it says a lot about your character.
Do Update Listings
Have an item that is pending? There’s a button for that! Sold your item? There’s a button for that! Be sure to update your posts. If you can’t find the “mark pending” button, update your post description to reflect this.
Updating your Facebook Marketplace listings will show people that something is currently pending or no longer available, may reduce unwanted messages, and will give an easy explanation to those who have also messaged about the item listed as to why they have not received a message back yet. This also falls in the “clear communication” category.
Don’t Message a Thousand Times
One or two messages if you’re interested in an item is just fine. I will send one, even up to three if I forgot to ask something in the first messages, or if I want to send a “reminder question” when my message was seen and ignored—but no more than that unless they are direct back-and-forth responses.
My husband’s station wagon listing has just been a great pile of interesting “People of Marketplace,” so it makes for some great content for this post. He had one guy that literally sent him twenty-five messages all in a row while he was at work—his phone would not stop going off. The guy even called him a few times. He didn’t even end up buying it.
Be polite and considerate of people’s time. Don’t waste it.
Need to donate items that aren’t selling? Here’s an amazing list to donate your used items!
Do Show Up
If you plan a time to meet someone you are selling to or buying from, meet them, and meet them in a timely manner. Sometimes things come up (traffic, etc), but do your best to be on time. People have things to do and places to be. If you are running a bit late or something comes up, let the seller/buyer know as soon as possible and plan a new time that works for both of you (usually just a few minutes from that time, if possible, unless you’ve given at least a day’s notice). If you are not reliable, the seller has a right to just pick someone else for the item.
Do Pay to Hold
If you can’t pick up an item immediately but you definitely want it, you may want to ask the seller if you can put money down to hold the item, no refunds. I rarely do this, as a buyer or seller, because you can’t always trust the other person to follow through, but I did allow this with the cabinets. They came in person to see the cabinets, but they did not have a vehicle to move them until a few days later. Knowing the cabinets were a hot item, they put half of the money down to hold the item until they could pick them up, which is when they gave us the other half.
Don’t expect the seller to simply hold an item for you because you can’t get it right away. They need it sold, and most people on Marketplace don’t actually show up. This is why many listings say “no holds” on them.
Don’t Ask Stupid Questions
Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question. Do everyone a favor and read the actual listing first. If it says the full size, or color, or whatever it is you’re wanting to know, then you already have that info that you need. Don’t waste time asking again. Some questions you may need to ask to verify something in the description, if something is unclear, but many times you do not need to ask these questions if they’re already in the description.
This tip goes really well with a lot of others above, too…like not asking for crazy low prices, for someone to meet you far away, etc.
Do List Your General Location
Many sale groups already require this, but make sure you list your general location within the sale post. Do not list your address, obviously, but list a “pick up or meet in” city. You can even specify a Walmart to meet at, or say you’re I’m also available to meet in surrounding cities on certain days. You don’t need to be very specific, but give people an idea so they know ahead of time if they’ll have to travel an hour out to meet you.
Do Add a Description
Adding a clear description helps you get the most of your listings and helps buyers at the same time. Let the buyer know as much as you can about the item. Brand, full measurements (according to the package, actual assembled measurements, etc), and condition are all great things to add. If there is a scratch the buyer needs to know about, disclose it. If you know the material of the item, disclose it. This will help reach those who may be interested in buying and will help reduce a bunch of people asking the same questions. For those who ask the questions without reading the description, you can simply direct them back to the listing to read the full details.
Don’t say something is “brand new” that is very obviously not brand new. You can always use the “used-like new” tag if it fits (only if there are no flaws). I even use this for my handmade items if I used them even one time for an event or in-package items that have been sitting around my house collecting dust for years, rather than saying they are completely new. My go-to description is “used-good” if there is anything that someone could possibly say is not up to par.
Do Price Honestly
Don’t be that person who tries to lure people in with deceitful pricing. If you’re asking for several hundred dollars or you “have financing available,” don’t list it as “free.”
One guy listed a very old trumpet as free. It didn’t look like it was in amazing condition and there weren’t any crazy specifics in the description, and I’m always looking for affordable instruments for my kids to try out to peak their interest in music. In the description, he said to message him for more information. I figured he was maybe looking for a good person to pass on his old trumpet to, so I messaged asking for more info. Crazy guy wanted over $2000 for it!! Now, why didn’t he just put that in the listing initially?!
Don’t be that person who lists something at $400 then a couple of days later reduce it to $50 to make it look like you did some big discount. Everyone knows you’re just trying to lure people in for your pricing. And don’t be that person who lists something as $15 on the post as if it is the total for all items listed (say, three nesting bowls), then tell the potential buyer that the set of three matching bowls is $15 each. List them at the price for the set, then go into more detail in the description if needed.
If you have a certain price you want for an item, don’t list it as $1234, either. Just come out and say it.
I do, however, agree that Facebook should have more options to specify things like yard sales or lists of various items that may have different prices. (Be sure to add prices to each individual picture so people don’t have to ask for each item, and add the prices in a spot that won’t get cut off in the photo.)
Don’t Be Stingy
No one honestly cares if you paid $300 for an item eight years ago on Amazon and “barely used” it, so you want $290 for it. Face it—you simply can’t always get your money back. The only items that you can do this on are items that are completely brand-new (and the proverbial “they” recommends at least 33% off on “brand new” items if you aren’t an actual storefront). Make your listings fair, and go ahead and leave off the “I paid $x” nonsense. The only time I’ve added this is on a stroller that is over $300 retail and I’m only asking $20…because it is seriously the best stroller and no one is buying it. I have no room (and no babies anymore), or I’d wait to get more what it is worth (or keep it).
You would also be wise to search Marketplace for similar items to see what everyone else is selling them for, too. If you’re selling a certain tool that everyone else has for $40 in basically the same condition, comparable brand, etc, don’t even bother trying to ask for $200. If you want more, check other platforms to see if they’re selling for more there (eBay, Craigslist, etc).
Know your platform before listing. Facebook Marketplace is like an upscale yard sale site. You can’t necessarily get as much as you would on eBay (unless you offer shipping, which is a new option) and you should not try to get people to bid on Marketplace. However, you can get more than a yard sale where most expect to pay pocket change (because it has to be worthwhile for someone to travel for).
UPDATE: During the current pandemic, Nintendo Switch became difficult to get ahold of. I would like to think this was because families were buying systems and spending more time playing together, but the truth is that many bought them out and began listing items for at least two times the price on Marketplace. The one place I was able to finally purchase one for my family was through the military BX at regular price, but I saw others purchasing them that way too then trying to resell an item they bought for $300 for $600. While I understand this can be a clever way to make money, I do believe there are certain times to use discretion and not take advantage of situations like pandemic shopping, robbing families of the chance to get something their family can spend time sharing. Don’t be that guy.
Here is a great idea for teaching your kids to be kind!
Do Use Actually-Helpful Photos
Please, please don’t use stock photos. It may be harder to get actual photos of the item, but stop using stock photos to show your “item” that is for sale. No one knows what the item actually looks like, you are probably breaking a bunch of copyright laws, and it just makes you look lazy and untrustworthy. Take the time to take pictures of the actual product. If you want to show the full item as it is intended to look, you can find a stock photo of the specific item with the details on it, but only add that as one of the last pictures for added help, and not as the main photo (or do what this person in the photo below did!).
UPDATE: In response to a comment, I want to reiterate that I do occasionally add stock photos when needed, such as when an item is still in its packaging. However, I also add pictures of the box itself (best if labelled) from several angles to show all of the details and the box condition. I would recommend starting with a picture of the package that shows the assembled product, if possible, as opposed to starting with a generic box photograph or a stock photograph. This may not always be possible, but make sure you don’t just use stock photographs in your listing. These real photos can make all the difference!
While you’re taking pictures, make an effort to take decent photos. They don’t have to look professional, but people should be able to tell what the item is enough to know if it’s worth purchasing. I’ve seen so many photos that are blurry beyond recognition, so dark that a bright yellow lamp looks like a purply human silhouette, zoomed in so much that you can see the pixels on the printed laminate but not a single image of the full shelving unit, and photos of mirrors that showed some pretty…strange…things in their reflections. Taking halfway decent photos is not a science, especially with all the automatic features on phones and cameras these days.
Take the time to add several photos, also. Even on items that I list that don’t really need a second photo, I try to add another photo. I take photos that are farther away to show the full picture (these are usually the first photo you’ll see), a photo of the item closer, photos from various angles, photos in different lighting (when color is an issue or if it’s a light fixture that I want to show turned on and turned off), and photos of any imperfections the buyer should be aware of. Full disclosure and thoroughness ahead of time has really helped me rock selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Don’t Go Tag-Crazy
For most, Facebook will let you add some “tags” to your product to help your posts get seen. Make sure these tags are useful and related to the listed item. I’m looking at you, Car Salesman.
Generally, Facebook will limit the amount of tags you use to about five. At one point, my listings kept getting marked for “breaking their rules” (apparently hall lights and bird-shaped decor are bad? Don’t tag animals, even if your product is obviously not a real animal…), so Facebook briefly took away my ability to add tags, but usually I am able to add as many tags as I want (likely because of my good standing with Facebook Marketplace).
Don’t abuse this amazing tool!
Have you ever noticed that used vehicles tend to pop up with pretty much any keyword you search?! I’ve typed in some of the most unrelated things (like “feeding trough”) and was presented with a long list of used vehicles to choose from. This is because they sometimes “keyword load” to get seen.
UPDATE: I have been able to use up to 20 tags on Marketplace now. Generally, I do not need all of them, as I will not tag things that have nothing to do with my product. However, there are some times I will tag them all. I posted metal shelving units, so I tagged various terms or descriptions for the shelving units, things that pertained to organization, pantry, office, and other places someone may have needed these shelves for storage…
Don’t be that guy.
Use keywords that actually match the item listed. Listing an old rocking chair for sale? Use keywords like “rockingchair,” “furniture,” “vintage,” “vintagefurniture,” “chairs,” “seating,” “livingroom,” and “home” and not keywords like “automobiles,” “brandnew,” “art,” or “food.” Makes sense, right? Right.
Overall, I just want you to remember to treat others how you want to be treated. Be a polite and reliable buyer and seller. I’ve had to block many people on Facebook to prevent myself from being harassed or falling for their time-wasting far too many times.
In Summary:
- Don’t Be Rude
- Don’t Talk Down to Women
- Don’t Assume
- Do Speak Sensibly
- Do Ask Things Politely
- Do Be Honest and Transparent (Whether You’re Buying or Selling)
- Don’t Act Like People Owe You Something
- Don’t Be a Jerk When Negotiating
- Don’t Ask The Seller to Counter Their Own Price
- Don’t Ask for Lower Prices If You’re Traveling
- Don’t Lower Your Offer In Person
- Don’t Try to Undercut Others
- Do Respond If Someone Messages You
- Do Respond, Even If You Message On Accident
- Do Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
- Do Expect Messages Immediately
- Do Go In Order
- Do Update Listings
- Don’t Message a Thousand Times
- Do Show Up
- Do Pay to Hold
- Don’t Ask Stupid Questions
- Do List Your General Location
- Do Add a Description
- Do Price Honestly
- Don’t Be Stingy
- Do Use Actually-Helpful Photos
- Don’t Go Tag-Crazy
Be the good guy, and you’ll have a successful Facebook Marketplace experience.
Read also: Keep Your House Clean and Tidy — Realistic Tidy Home Tips for Parents and Because Some Days Mom Doesn’t Want To Cook Dinner…
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150 Comments
Hello! Thank you for this post. Good stuff. I’m still wondering what you would do if someone posted a rude comment on your listing. I’m not sure if I should hide the comment or respond with a kind comment back. What advice do you have. Thank you!
Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi JC, I guess it would depend on the comment. Most of the time I would just ignore it, unless it something that really needs to be addressed (calmly and kindly)…just like I do on my business page when I get nasty comments. I don’t tend to delete comments because people can come back with accusations, and that never helps. And I try not to argue with people, because that can make you look like someone to not buy from. Mostly I would just say ignore it.
Reply
It’s been half a year since this was posted but regardless. I thought that I’d ask…
Concerning the tip:
“Do Use Actually-Helpful Photos
Please, please don’t use stock photos.”Here’s the thing. I have several brand new items in factory sealed boxes.
I am not going to unbox them & break the seal so I can photograph them.
How can I get over the issue?
Should I include pictures of the boxes along with stock photos?Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Leo,
I’ve had items like this, so I understand your dilemma. What I do is I share a stock photo of the item AND a few photos of the box (as a whole so they can see box condition, from different angles to show different information that’s on the box, etc). The more photos the better, and real photos that you took can make all the difference, because it’s less likely the person is trying to scam you (as is a concern when someone only shares stock photos).
I also will list details and mention that the item is unopened. I’ve also done this on items that I pulled apart before photographing (like a metal shelf system), but I showed the condition of the pieces, the exact product information (amount of pieces included, assembled size, etc), and then I shared the stock photo. I still do very well selling on Marketplace, usually selling items within a day of posting following these tips.
Hope this helps!
Reply
I would. (Include pictures along with stock photos.) Just to prove they’re actually new. You’ll get more responses (if you want that sort of thing).
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Someone offers you full price and they say they want to pick it up tomorrow what time is it good?. And I say 10 a. I am and if you guys later they say can I come at 2 p.m.. before I answer if I decide to look up the item and I have a listing for $140. And mistakenly say six chairs when is only four chairs and I decide to to check if the values of them because it was suspicious if they offered full list. And the first one I see is a $2,000 and every one of them has $1,000 or higher cuz they’re mid-century can I tell them I need to raise the price because it’s worth a lot more money.. then they get mad and say it wanted for the 1:40 like I have it advertised. And I told them that didn’t come up with the money yet and then giving them notice as a courtesy soon as I raise the price. And I sent them the the comparables. They could have not showed up or they could have changed your mind when they saw them or they could have offered less. Why should I lose $1,500 and they were going to take advantage of me I told them original price before they came to my house a whole 24 hours early and it’s only an hour after they said they wanted to buy it for 1:40.. I didn’t get a strike for this from Facebook because they didn’t buy online
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Adam, I know some who have recently listed for less than the value and re-posted with the new price after someone (kindly) pointed out the item was worth more. I don’t think anyone should be stuck with their initial price if they learn they have way under-valued their item, but this is an example of why I say it is so important to do research on value and pricing before listing the item. Facebook will not always give you a strike if you change your item’s price, but you usually have to make a completely new listing. If you leave the price and change it when you are in the process of interacting, you may be reported and will no longer be able to sell on Marketplace. I would personally create a brand new listing and note that you have researched the type of furniture and the value. Remember when you are researching that the value is not the same as worth to the buyers, and the value of a used item in whatever condition may not be exactly the same as the prices you see across other sites. Marketplace is not generally the place to sell truly valuable items, because most people are just looking for deals on items they need. I may see a piece of furniture as just a piece of furniture that I am needing, have to stick to the budget, and not even slightly understand the value of the item because I don’t ever plan to sell it or try to make a profit. This may have been what this person sending the offer was doing, so they may not have been trying to scam you or take advantage of you. Another issue is that, when discussing a time that is good, most people will try to get a feel of your schedule first, then they will say when is a good time for them. Some people are flexible most of the day, so they want to see when is good for you. Some just want to get a feel of how your schedule is for the next day before saying when they can stop. Some people will actually have a several hour drive to get to you and cannot do it very early in the morning (and perhaps expected the typical “after 4:30 when I get off work” response). I know that I have had to say that I couldn’t make it before a certain time because of the long drive we would have. Sometimes I just had to pass on an item for this reason. Sometimes, if the item was very popular and I really, really needed it, I would find a way to get to it earlier, but that is very seldom.
In your situation, I would either re-list with your new-found value (maybe a little under even) or, better yet, I would take it to an auction where you are more likely to find someone who understands what it is and its value. That is just not generally what you’re going to get on Marketplace, unless you use all the right keywords, your area is into items like that, you are very clear about what the item is and the value, and you are willing to wait some time. I would also try to open up your schedule some, if possible, because time to meet up usually goes through the same process as bargaining on a price, because everyone has oddball schedules to accommodate.
I hope this helps!
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Kristan
Hi there. I just found this article and wanted to comment because my experience recently sort of falls under the same thing here. I was trying to reply on your article, but couldn’t find a place to do it, maybe it’s my phone. At any rate, I purchased a stool on Facebook marketplace for $40. The shipping was nine. With tax was like $51 and change. I paid for it, had a pleasant conversation with the seller, I wished her Merry Christmas and she thanked me and said she was sending my product. The next thing I know two days later, she cancels the order, changes her listing on the product, changes the pricing on the product, and also changes the shipping. And she did all of this after accepting my offer, I paid for it, and then she canceled it because she saw that she was running approximately $10 less than everyone else, and everyone else is shipping was $11 and she was only charging nine. So she essentially sold me this chair, and then canceled it so she can make more money after taking my money. I was notified by Facebook that she had canceled it. When I questioned her, I said hey what happened I see that you canceled the order? And then I said I see that you also changed the description of the item, changed the price of the item, and also increased your shipping. I could see that she read it and she just refused to respond. Really slimy and shady. So I reported her Facebook today I haven’t heard anything back yet. Pretty sure that’s against Facebook policy right? Once you sell something, and especially you telling somebody I’m shipping your product out right now, then you cancel everything and raise the price that just is slimy business dealings right?
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Kristan,
It is so frustrating when that happens. From what you said, that would be against Facebook policy. They will not always notify you after your report, based on recent experience (reporting spam and inappropriate posts and even requesting to be notified—the posts were removed, but I was not always notified). At this point, it is out of your hands on that end, and you did the right think in reporting before you possibly got blocked and couldn’t. However, if there is an actual charge to your bank account that has not been reversed, you should be able to report/deny that as you will not be receiving product. I believe that Facebook would automatically reverse the charge if they notified you that the order was cancelled as opposed to the person actually going through with your order and simply deleting the post and making a new one (which is definitely a scam).
If it was my post and I messed up on my research, I would have still gone through as promised and paid the extra out of pocket for my mistake (which is why I always stress researching before listing), but maybe she could not afford it for some reason. I’m sorry you had to be the one affected by that, though, and I hope you are able to get it figured out and that you weren’t charged.
Darryl M
What about if I’m selling an item and buyer offers the amount and I say okay. Then they send me an etransfer with money but will pickup later. Hours later I realized I made a mistake and don’t want to sell the item for whatever reason. Can I tell the buyer I ‘ve changed my mind and will send him a refund or give money back?
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Darryl,
Personally, I think it is fine if you offer a refund and apologize saying you’ve changed your mind. I have done similar. One person paid automatically (which I do not allow and noted in my post, but Facebook updated that as a possibility), so I refunded the money with a note that I do not accept payments that way without the interaction. I also realized that I could not get rid of one item I had paired with another, but someone had contacted to purchase it. I apologized and said that I realized I needed that part, reduced the price of the other item, and said she was welcome to pass then. She was upset, but someone else was happy to purchase it still. It is your item and you are welcome to politely change your mind, as long as you are offering a refund if someone has already paid.
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Melissa
Great post! Thanks, Alyssa.
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Useful article. thanks for the tips. I posted something this morning and had over 20 replies within an hour and started panicking about etiquette. This was very helpful.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Tina, I am so glad you found this useful. I hope you were able to sell your item quickly and got what you wanted for it.
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If you have many interested buyers and offers at asking price, is it ok to ask for bids for more? I cannot find rules about this on FB.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Carol, while there is no rule against this, I personally would not do this and it is looked down upon. Since it isn’t like the bidding sites and is more like a yard sale, it is generally first-come, first-served and you stick with whomever you said yes to first (even if that amount was actually under what you listed, which is why it sometimes might be good to wait a little if you have a lot of offers coming in at one time—then you can let the first person know that you have many interested and will not go down at this time and get your full amount). But, as I mentioned, I recommend not turning it into bidding. Some have tried that with me and it’s an immediate turn-off and I will turn down the item even if I really needed it. Facebook Marketplace should be more of a “What you see is what you get” platform. Hope that helps!
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Margaret M Camomile
that answered my
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Just today this happened! I realized that I had underpriced what I had posted – as I had an overwhelming replies shortly after posting. I decided to raise the price – then sent a message to everyone who had replied and apologized and explained and promised not to raise it again. Many quickly replied that they understood and wished me luck; others said they were ok with the new price and were still interested. It would seem they too knew it was underpriced. Thank you for the “pending” tip – let’s hope she shows up this evening.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Sally,
I hope all works out well for you! It’s frustrating when we post something then notice we should have asked for more after a ridiculous amount of messages (been there), but I am thankful you had understanding people in line who did not want to rip you off and throw a fit, and communicating quickly was the perfect way to handle that.
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What an unusual article. Don’t ask for a lower price if you have to travel? Where is your logic here and who are you to tell people not not? I think it quite reasonable to give a reason why you’re making an offer. You say you don’t like people assuming you’d like to meet in a public place but then you say that you always try and do that anyway or take your husband lol? Huh? That’s like me not liking people assuming I’m a man even though I am lol. You’ve also made arrangements with buyers and ‘forgotten’ to meet them? Wow. There are so many other things wrong with this article I think I’d be here all day so will stop here.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Adam,
Thank you for your concerns. This is a list of recommendations, not rules, that are meant to make your experience with Facebook Marketplace the best it can be. People are not required to follow them, however, I have had great feedback from those who do, and they are what has made my time there successful as well.
I looked back through to see how you may have gotten some of those things you claimed were in the article, so let me try to address them for you:
You are welcome to ask for a lower price if you have to travel. When it is frustrating is when someone expects me to lower the price for them because they have to travel, when I did not plan to lower the price. I have been asked to cover people’s fuel costs after they agreed to the price I listed the item for. At that point, I would rather sell to someone locally and make the amount I was planning to get (or a reduced price that is agreed upon if I choose to if the item has been listed for some time because it is unique).
I am not sure where you got that I don’t like people assuming that I want to meet in a public place. What I did say was don’t assume that I automatically feel unsafe or degrade me because I am a woman. I have had men invite me to their house, and I said I would prefer to meet in person and been made fun of by men, and I also have been literally in the process of exchanging money for item and had men ask me, in a busy parking lot, if I felt unsafe, which made me uncomfortable why they would act like that, and then they proceeded to degrade me for being a woman. It has nothing to do with them assuming I’d like to meet in public.
No, I have never forgotten to meet someone. When I make an arrangement, I follow through, and I always try to be a little early if meeting in public or exactly on time if meeting at a home for a larger item (and regularly send updates during or before my travel and when I arrive, as well as a reminder/verification some time before the planned meeting time in case the seller forgets). The “we” in that sentence is simply trying to relate to the reader…”we” as in “humans” forget things sometimes. I have had people I was selling to forget, and chose to try to relate to them in how I have forgotten other things in life and offered grace, and they offered an apology and picked up at the next meeting on time. This was a reminder that we are human, so treat others with grace and kindness.
If you get a chance, go ahead and reread the article knowing that it has positive recommendations and try to read it from my perspective now that you might hopefully better understand after I’ve addressed a few of your concerns. I hope you are able to find some useful information for your Facebook Marketplace interactions as many, many others have.
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Just today this happened! I realized that I had underpriced what I had posted – as I had overwhelming replies shortly after posting. I decided to raise the price – then sent a message to everyone who had replied and apologized and explained and promised not to raise it again. Many quickly replied that they understood and wished me luck; others said they were ok with the new price and were still interested. It would seem they too knew it was underpriced. Thank you for the “pending” tip – let’s hope she shows up this evening.
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Just today this happened! I realized that I had underpriced what I had posted – as I had overwhelming replies shortly after posting. I decided to raise the price – then sent a message to everyone who had replied and apologized and explained and promised not to raise it again. Many quickly replied that they understood and wished me luck; others said they were ok with the new price and were still interested. It would seem they too knew it was underpriced. Thank you for the “pending” tip – let’s hope she shows up this evening.
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I have a question and am looking for some input.
I recently sold a brand new item, sealed in it’s box for a reasonable price. Three days later I get a message that the buyer said there must be something wrong with it and he’d like to return it. I have no idea what they may have done to it, it’s a speaker and they said it sounds terrible. All that being said, I have not idea what they may or may not have done to it and it was brand new, still sealed. Your thoughts?Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Greg,
Refund requests can be a hard one, but here is my opinion on this: unless you are an actual business selling products of your own, Marketplace is not really the place for refunds. It’s basically an online yard sale for the average user (again, unless you are using it as a business storefront). If you have listed information and images about this product that back all that you have said, there is no need to take this return. If the product has an issue in the box that you were unaware of, recommend that person reach out to the company to see if they can get parts or help with the product; many (not all) companies are surprisingly helpful with this, and I have had several assist me with products I’ve received from others, at yard sales, and at discount sale stores locally even though I am fully honest about how I received that item.
This being said, you will also want to consider the specific situation. Did you give out your address to meet? I almost never do this, because I don’t want someone coming to my house upset over something like this. Are you concerned you’ll receive a bad seller review from this person if you don’t do the refund? This person may give a bad review either way or it may just be one bad review out of many good things, so it may not even be a concern. Did this person contact you through Marketplace or a post in a yard sale group? This person may try to ruin your reputation in the yard sale group if you do not do the return, however, you can also reach out to admins to explain the situation to them.
There are also exceptions that can be made. I had to ask for my second refund ever the other day. The first one, the person was unsure if the item worked after sitting in storage for years; we had no where to test it, so I took it home and it didn’t work so she took it back. This was very kind of her. This second one was a piece of furniture. The seller had given me dimensions that were guessed. My husband was supposed to measure it to make sure it was right, but ended up being in a rush. When he brought it home, I realized it was a whole foot less tall and a foot less long than had been estimated to me, which made a HUGE difference and made it unusable for me. I felt terrible, but explained the situation. They’d wrapped the item up, so I left it as-is before returning it, and the family was actually thankful to have it back (it was an heirloom they’d posted too hastily after a loss in the family).
Generally, I am still against returns. Marketplace is not really the platform for that for those using it as an online yard sale. Yours sounds like a situation where I may say no and risk the backlash. I would encourage them to contact the manufacturer with concerns, and the manufacturer may be able to help them troubleshoot.
I know my response was long, but I don’t believe I addressed this previously so I wanted to be thorough. I hope this helps!
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Ali Marr
This comment thread helped me so much. I had the same thing happen today and I was at a loss. I ended up telling her she could use my stylized photos to resell it to get her money back or even more as my item was priced to move before the house sells. Thank you for the article and the excellent response to the original question of how to handle attempted returns.
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Arts & Crackers
I am so thankful it was helpful to you and you were able to figure out what to do! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, Ali.
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i recieved a few rude comments on a pair of rue 21 shorts size 7/8 juniors which i stated in the post. preowned good condition no flaws or stains as is condition smoke free home. im considered a super seller on fb but every now and then someone has to be rude. in reality the shorts look huge for a 7/8 . someome stated “selling these? epitome of trash”& other people stating they are childrens clothing and very very short shorts for any young girl to be wearing, the weirdest clothing post the had ever seen or that the parent bought these for there daughter and needs to be spoken to…a few others defended my post …would you just ignore it being in this situation?..my daughter is 2 years old…lol and i personally am a size 00… theres probably over 30 comments and 7 reactions on the post..the url listed is the post itself
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Arts & Crackers
Personally, I would just ignore it. If there is a big issue or you are concerned it may hinder selling it, I would contact the admin of the group that it posted to. Some people just have to be trolls, unfortunately. I still wear juniors sizes as a grown adult, so I don’t think people should be jumping on here saying they are for kids and criticizing you without knowing the whole story (which they don’t need to know), but there really isn’t much you can say or do without feeding the trolls. If you are concerned about the backlash hindering the sale and think something about the post is triggering them, you may consider re-photographing the shorts in another manner (make sure it has a clear background, don’t show them on a model or do show them on a grown-up model so they can see how good they look…) or changing up the wording slightly (or just re-listing entirely with new wording or imagery so those comments are gone), but only if you personally feel it is necessary. It isn’t your job to appease them, and I’ve seen many items like this for sale with no backlash, so you may have just posted in a troll-heavy group. I hope you are able to sell them soon and don’t have to deal with the rude comments anymore.
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Hello I sold an inversion table on marketplace three weeks ago. The buyer paid me the full amount with Venmo and stated she would pick up a few days later on a Friday or Saturday. Needless to say this buyer didn’t show up on either day and not so much as any communication about it until several days after I reached out to her. She has since missed two other pick up days without communicating any reasons until several days after I’ve reached out and asked. My questions are these: Can I give a time limit on when the buyer needs to pick this item up? If the buyer doesn’t pick it up, can I tell them there is no refund? I’m so frustrated because this buyer doesn’t show up, makes excuses, has had delayed or no communication with me and I simply don’t want to keep holding this item for her anymore. My dad states no holds. Early on I told her that if she couldn’t pick this up, I would refund her and relist it. Her very delayed answer was that she would pick it up the next day but I never happened. Not sure what to do. I would love some direction on this.
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Arts & Crackers
That always makes me nervous. Why would someone pay you then never pick up? I would see about offering a refund (you may be stuck with still paying the Venmo fees…I know that has happened to me on PayPal) and then just wipe your hands clean of it. No one needs that stress. I have had some people who literally were just having a bad time at life and the excuses were genuine, and I’m a gracious and flexible person, but I have had to cut some people off and be firm with them (gave them a very last chance to follow through with no wiggle room, then wiped my hands clean of it). If they truly want it, they will find a way. It was hurting our schedule and family life, so we have to draw the line somewhere. While you are probably entitled to keeping the money, or at least some of it, for this hassle, that can come back to bite you in more ways than one, so I would honestly just refund it and move on. You may then want to update your post to say no holds.
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Caroline Rodriguez
I accepted a offer on a item, How long do i have to wait before accepting other offer.
I’ve asked buyer to give a deposit and I would hold via Zelle or Venmo.
It will 24 hrs this evening.Reply
Arts & Crackers
If you haven’t heard back in 24 hours, I would move on. Planning a meet time and accepting an offer should go on at the same time so that there is no waiting once you’ve said yes. For most items, I will not hold an item for one person unless I have expressly said that I would due to special circ*mstances (the person is out of town still for another couple of days, bad weather, etc). There is nothing causing you to need to hold that item for that person, so I would go to the next offer.
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You shouldn’t be asking for deposits. This is what scammers do on FB on items that don’t exist. You can be seen as taking advantage. Why would anyone give you money when they don’t know you!?
If you arrange a mutual time and day for collection and they don’t show then that’s fine because the item is still on sale and you haven’t lost anything.
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Arts & Crackers
As for asking for deposits, some scammers will do this, sure, but it is also something people may choose to do as an individual seller. Some people will offer, and they need to have a level of trust. Most of the time, that payment is also guaranteed, so you may be able to refute and get your money back should the person scam you, so that offers a level of comfort. This is not a practice I usually do, but I have had some people offer, and they can tell that I am a trustworthy seller based on my ranking and feedback and thoroughness in my listings. I do not recommend doing this for a large amount. I have once or twice given this as an option, but it was more so to allow them to choose if they want to make the effort to pick this item up sooner (because I can’t just hold an item for a month with other offers coming in) or if they really do want to wait on the item and I can trust them and they can trust me so they choose to put down a deposit (which I do not spend until it has been paid in full). They are welcome to decline.
I really hope this more detailed response answered some of your concerns. Many have taken my advice (including myself—I wouldn’t advise something I wouldn’t personally do, and I am HUGE on kindness, trustworthiness, honesty, and fairness), and I have heard of (and had) great success from the standpoint of buyers and sellers alike.
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Caitlin
This is a great list! My biggest anxiety with selling is that people ask to come see it another day, with a general timeframe, no down payment or promises, and then get SUPER angry if I sell to someone else in the meantime. I had a man call me a jerk this morning because the item sold before he was going to come (with no set time, btw). I’ll be careful to state “first come, first serve” or “no reserving” from now on!
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Arts & Crackers
That is totally an anxiety of mine too. I don’t usually put the “no holds” comment on mine as I either forget or am willing to hold items, but it can definitely be helpful to point back to (though you still may have a negative response).
I recently dealt with this for someone who was genuinely interested and I responded and the response was seen, but the discussion did not continue for me to know it was a genuine interest or set a meet time. Someone else contacted me and was able to purchase the item (which had been listed for a bit more than usual for me, since Facebook changed how easy it is to view listings), so that person purchased the items. Several days later, the first person contacted me upset that the listing was put as sold. I simply explained that I hadn’t heard back and needed to get the items moved from the house. I then offered some recommendations on where this person may find great deals on items like mine locally so I was still able to offer some assistance.
Sometimes saying you wish it would have worked out and you are sorry for the inconvenience is the best you can do, and sometimes you can offer some resource assistance back, and sometimes you just have to let it go and move on with no response (which is super hard when you are like me and often take things to heart and don’t want anyone to miss out and be upset).
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You shouldn’t be asking people to sell you items for less than what they are advertised at!!! If you’re a seller like you say you are then you would completely understand how unfair this is to a seller. You’re not an expert on how much something is worth to another person or in general. Most of the time you will see the item for less elsewhere because people are doing what you’re doing and stalking an item in the hope it won’t sell and will be reduced!!! This is sadly why it is so hard these days to make any kind of living selling.
You’re a time waster if you enquire after an item and then say it’s too expensive.
You most definitely should list ALL faults with an item you’re selling ESPECIALLY A CAR!!! Some people are struggling financially and have kids they need to drive to school. I am a grandmother now, but I have always driven cheap car as a result of having been a SINGLE PARENT. So yes answer ALL questions honestly and don’t feel put out by having to answer so many questions.
If the car is guaranteed to be reliable selling as spares!!!
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Dana. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I do not completely understand what you are getting at or how you understood what I intended in the post, but I will try my best to address your concerns.
Anyone is welcome to list any item at any price they wish. However, there are some things you have to consider if you want to sell the item and you want to be a kind, trustworthy seller. There are multiple types of sellers on Facebook Marketplace: sellers who are individuals selling their own items (used or something they never opened and want to get rid of) and businesses (those who sell new items as an actual storefront). Both of these have different “rules,” so to speak.
I am an individual who sells random items of mine and not a business. I list items to sell, but some of the items I will not go down on for various reasons, and that is okay, as noted above. People like me treat Marketplace as a yard sale. You list items to sell, you be honest about them, and you price accordingly. You can price for more, but it may not sell.
The issues with over-pricing are more so for those who will purchase items they know they don’t need and intentionally price-gouge on them. While you can possibly make a living this way, it is tacky. If you are going to use that item and create another product (like a giftable “bundle”), that is a little bit different, but when people bought out all of the Nintendo Switch games at the start of COVID and tried selling them for two or three times the amount so families who saved up to afford one at retail price could no longer find or afford them, that was tacky. That is what I was trying to get at above.
The other over-pricing issue that is tacky and untruthful is when someone lists something at a very different, intentional price (like the used cars being listed for $5000 when you know they are all worth $17,500) and you contact that person with an inquiry and they tell you the *real* price, instead of just listing it for that price honestly, that is what I was calling out above. That is not okay, not honest, and not a way to sell something. It also is a red flag that this person may be a scammer.
I do not recommend “stalking” other people’s items. I’m not sure what that even means, honestly. What I was saying is to do market research first so you know to price your item at something reasonable so that you are able to get that item out of your house in a timely fashion and get a fair price for it. Doing market research is a wise and common practice, even for actual businesses.
There have been hundreds of items I have sold through Marketplace over the years. I am happy with what I get for those items, and I have turned down some lower offers because I felt the item was worth more (like the list price or a small amount below), so I am not sure how my advice is unfair to sellers.
As for being a time-waster, I agree with this if you contact about the list price and the list price is actually what it says and then you say it is too expensive. Now, when I contacted about an item the seller worded and listed as if it was free and they wanted to sort of “interview” to find it a good home and the person came back with the price of $2400, that was wasting my time, and that is a problem, because I never would have inquired had they been forthright with the price they wanted.
Yes, I am very big on people being completely honest and open in their listings, because you can really hurt people if you are just trying to make a living at the cost of blindsiding people who are purchasing from you. This is why I made a point to note that it is important to be transparent in your listing. Vehicles are a difficult one, as sometimes something may break after the fact and you didn’t know about it, so we need to offer grace there, but as a seller you should be completely honest with any information that you know of.
I’m not sure what you mean by the last note, but I am assuming you are saying to note if the vehicle is only good for parting out, and that is definitely important to do if the vehicle is not in working condition.
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Many sellers list items at prices much Higher than the expected sale price. I don’t do this because frankly I think it’s stupid, but the majority do. I’ve never had issues selling items quickly at the price I want, I do get lower offers but that’s fine…I just don’t accept them.
It’s amazing to me just how much Junk is posted and how insane the prices are from these sellers. The proof is here: I move most items in under 10 days (including sold vehicles). Many posts on Facebook have been sitting there for months….Months. If you can’t find a buyer in a couple weeks…you’re post will never sell.
I wish I could find a filter that would cut out these ancient posts. I don’t care to look at any for sale item that had been sitting there a month.
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Arts & Crackers
Yes, some do price things very high; sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. While some have good reasons (especially if something is brand new in the packaging, in which case the expected discount would be around 33% off for resale, sometimes less off), many do need to consider how much they are listing it for and manage expectations.
While I do agree that older posts have a hard time selling, it is not always possible to sell things quickly. Facebook Marketplace has now changed how many times you can refresh the listing and will not show your listing to people without you buying in to paying for promoting it (which I will not, personally, do). Many items do not sell as quickly these days, especially if they are harder sells like building supplies, specific books, or furniture, but patience will allow just the right person to reach out eventually. I do wish Facebook let you refresh as many times as they used to, rather than deleting and re-listing, because that made a huge difference when waiting for that right person to see your listing.
When looking for a specific item, you can actually search by date listed to avoid some of the older listings, just as you can choose to only view those available for local pick-up. However, I highly recommend giving some of those older listings a chance; they may even accept a lower (reasonable) offer if they have been waiting to sell it for a while; their post may have been hindered by Facebook’s algorithm and how it will not show certain listings to the masses.
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I understand that if someone messages you the courteous thing to do is to respond to them, but what if they offer you 10% of your listing price on a fairly priced item. It’s hard not to respond in a negative or sarcastic way, so for me it is better if I don’t respond.
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Arts & Crackers
I can totally understand not wanting to waste your time for that, because they are wasting your time. I have had someone do this to me. I still took the time to respond, but my response was “No.” Short, to-the-point, I still gave an answer, and it only wasted 1/100th of a second of my time. I wouldn’t say you *have* to respond to that type of message, though a “no” and leaving it at that wouldn’t be a terrible idea either and wouldn’t waste too much of your time.
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I’ll tell you, as a buyer, I recently went to buy an item and we messaged one another for 2 days and it was made clear I was buying and they were selling. They messaged me at around 11:30 to see when I was coming and I explained I had to wait for my friend to finish work at 4ish. I messaged him at 3:50 to get an address. No response…. No response… So I messaged their actual FB account and typed can you at least message me back so I can start dinner and plan other things. They instantly messaged me back on Marketplace telling me they sold the item. Now, here’s where it got fun.
I now have a history of a buy sell relationship and according to contract law this is legally binding. I suggest if you want to use something like this as submissible evidence in a court of law, you keep it extremely polite at all times, civil even. So anyway, I educated them on the topic and they started getting kind of rude.
I defused the situation because, honestly, I didn’t care that he sold the item it’s just how It was, literally, left to the last second (If any of their side of the story was even true but let’s just say it was) and really I just wanted to educate them.
Long story short(ish), always be respectable because messages can be used in court I worked in a place that made you understand this and the policy was CYA… cover your a**
Hope this helps and great message to all Arts & Crackers.Reply
Arts & Crackers
That is frustrating. I’ve had similar happen to me. I just have to brush it off (and maybe vent just a little to my husband). Most people have been pretty flexible on if something makes me just a little late (because life happens). I generally do all of my interacting through Facebook Marketplace so I have good records and no confusion.
Yes, definitely always be kind and respectful in your conversations, whether you are buyer or seller, because you are liable even for your words.
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“I now have a history of a buy sell relationship and according to contract law this is legally binding.”
It’s not a contract that means anything. The contract was for you to give them $X and for them to give you A. Neither of you did. Contract might be broken, but there are no damages. So what’s your point exactly, and what exactly were you trying to “educate” them on?
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Useful post! I really need this type of article.. this is very useful for me.
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lindacars
i like your post very much love u soo much
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Hi Alyssa, Very informative article, with lots of great tips! I am new to Facebook Marketplace, having just listed my first item. I have noticed in Messenger that Facebook Marketplace creates a group for anyone who contacts me about my item. These groups are named after the first name of the person enquiring and my item title, and only have myself and the potential buyer as part of this group. I just wanted to check if this is normal? Thank you so much!
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Lara, I am so glad you have found this helpful! Yes, that is normal for messaging. I was totally thrown off when they started doing that, because I would get something saying there were three notifications, so I would think the person was seriously interested, but then I would find out that it was only because of their initial contact then Facebook changing the group name and group photo. It drives me crazy sometimes, but, yes, it is Facebook’s normal right now. I think their intention is to make it easier for you to see at a glance which messages are for which item. Hope that helps!
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Hi Alyssa, I am accessing Facebook Marketplace through my desktop only. I have allowed marketplace notifications, thinking I would receive an email if someone has contacted me, as well as displaying in Facebook Marketplace inbox, messenger and notifications. I have had potential buyers contact me through messenger but I did not receive any emails. I did thankfully respond quickly as I was using Marketplace at the time. My concern is I am not on the desktop 24/7 and would like to know other than on Facebook Marketplace, is there any other way to know if someone has contacted you without continually checking Facebook Marketplace? I appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
Are you able to have the Messenger app on your phone? You can use this app without using the actual Facebook app on your smartphone. If so, that is usually how I see the responses the fastest, as fast responses are often very important in closing a sale. Other than that, I cannot tell you for certain if you can get Marketplace messages to your email or as push notifications to your desktop, but I would think so. I don’t have mine set up for this, so I can’t see any emails, and my quick online search wasn’t extremely helpful.
If you go into settings, though, go to where it says notifications. Scroll down and it will allow you to set notifications for where you will receive Messenger notifications. It shows them available as push notifications, emails, or SMS text messages. Since Marketplace is through Messenger, I would think they would apply, but you would have to test it out to make sure. I do not see a way to change those settings in the actual Marketplace settings. You may also be able to set up push notifications straight to your desktop if you are using Chrome or Firefox as your browser.
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Hi Alyssa, I appreciate you answering my questions as my online searches do not provide accurate or up to date answers. My item has now been listed for a week, and my query is regarding renew post message I have received. From what I can see, my listing remains until I delete it, but can renew up to 5 times. Could you please advise what the benefit of renewing an item is? Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
You are welcome, Lara! I always renew my posts when it is available. It will place your post back up in the top of searches people do, where new listings usually show first. By doing this, you are more likely to have someone new see your listing that may have been bumped to page 3 of the search otherwise.
If you need to renew too many times or haven’t gotten listing views (I had one listing I did that received zero views…I am unsure why), you may want to “investigate” to see what you can do differently. On my listing with zero views, something must have gone wrong with the time I listed, so I deleted the post and completely redid it, which resulted in tons of views. If you have a lot of views and maybe even some saves (it shows in the details when you view your listing in your account) and it still isn’t selling, you may want to consider reducing your price. If it only has a few views and no saves, you may want to update your listing wording and try some different keywords so more see it as well as list in more places (local sales groups). I do not offer shipping on mine, but that is also an option that Facebook has favored lately if you are willing to fuss with that. Most sales groups will also let you “bump” your old post (and sometimes delete the old post and share a new one) so more people see your listing—you will need to check with your group’s rules.
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Unicorn
How do I report a scam? Post for custom made interior barn door. Long story but he has the money and I have a door warped so badly that it’s useless. He ghosted me about 2 months ago. Heard from others (afterward) that he is a cheat, scammer, etc. I haven’t figured out how to report him so that he can’t continue to scam people.
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Arts & Crackers
If the person isn’t blocked, you may be able to look around and report the person or leave a review of the person (which is basically just a star rating that can warn other potential customers of the issue). I would do that if there is an issue as well as report exactly what happened to local yard sale owner pages so they can sort of keep an eye on it. Sorry you had to deal with that. It’s always frustrating.
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Hi Alyssa, my item listed on Facebook Marketplace is quite heavy and large, and any potential buyers would need to visit my address in order to view in person. I do not feel comfortable providing my details over Messenger. Do you have any suggestions on what would be the best way of sharing this information? Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Lara, this is really a personal decision on how you’ll go about doing it, but I’ll give you a few ideas from what I’ve done and what I’ve seen; I rarely give my address out, but I have had to for some large items.
I usually share it over Messenger not because I want to, but because it seems like the best place to track it and have proof that I have given out my address and to whom I have given it to should there be an issue. I also gauge how comfortable I am with the person based on their response times, how they respond, etc, because giving out your address is a very vulnerable thing. I also make sure that I only send the address when they are on the way or an hour or two before the time we’ve set, as a reminder (I give a nearby location first if they need to figure out drive time from another city or something). I also try to plan times that I will not be home by myself; sometimes I have even delivered the item for a small extra fee and they were okay with that (I offer if it seems to be difficult for them to get out or something).
I have seen other people who will message their phone number instead of their address, because it seems a little less scary. I don’t like to do this, because I keep my phone number under wraps and am super awkward on the phone, but I totally understand why some will do this. Then they will either have me text them for the address or call for the address and directions (I assume so they can gauge what I sound like, that I’m a real person, etc). I appreciate this as a buyer too, usually, even though it is awkward, because picking up items at someone’s home can also make you feel very vulnerable if you’ve not at least had a voice to go by to know this person is real and personable and such. I have had one person that never actually gave me an address, but gave me verbal directions from where we called from (a grocery store) to her home with street names and landmarks; this is an option too, but as a buyer who is directionally-challenged with severe anxiety, this was very nerve-racking (thankfully my husband was driving and he can figure these things out).
Personally, however, I still prefer to have written record of the address exchange in Messenger. Even if you give your address over the phone, they can (and probably will, to have it to put in their GPS), write it down, which is why I prefer to just have the written exchange proof. If I’m feeling particularly iffy, I will sometimes screenshot it too in case I get blocked after. I have never had any issues with it, though.
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I know I added my mobile number for Facebook Marketplace as requested when I initially posted my ad. I do not have my mobile number listed in the ad. I have tried to look at other listings, but could not locate their mobile number, except if they have it in their listing. Appreciate any assistance you can provide. Thank you
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Hi Alyssa, Thank you for your article and responding to my many questions. I have not been able to find accurate, up to date information about Facebook Marketplace, apart from your blog. Can messages between myself and a potential buyer be read by someone not in that group chat on Messenger? I noticed using Messenger on my phone, when I checked to see if a potential buyer has read my reply, I can see the time it was read and if I hover over the small circle Facebook profile of the buyer in the lower right hand corner, then a message of, “Seen by everyone”, appears. I assume everyone means by myself and the buyer. My concern is I disclosed my address to a potential buyer and pray that no one else can access this. Hope you are able to clarify. Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
You’re welcome!
Facebook’s “Seen by everyone” is confusing, but yes, it is just the people that are in the chat that see it (so in that case “everyone” would mean “both”). The only way it would be seen by someone else is if the person shared it in some way, which I doubt is a common practice unless it is one spouse sharing with the other so they can figure out directions and pick up together. (I do this some, but usually I just say the address out loud to my husband to put in the GPS because I make him drive and figure out driving distance lol.)
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I am selling an item and have a buyer that said that she wanted the item. I have asked twice when she would be available to pick it up and she has not answered the question but requested that I send a photo (I have several from all angles and the dimensions listed on the site.) and some other unimportant information.
I just don’t feel good about this and want to know how to gracefully end this conversation/transaction.Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Lisa,
Depending on the photo she is asking for, I’d usually send it (though I am thorough with pictures too, so I understand thinking another should not be needed), as long as she is actively communicating. She may be trying to figure out if something will work in a specific space or something and is having a hard time visualizing it at the angles in the pictures. I’m personally having this dilemma with rugs right now, even though I’m usually good at visualizing things.
I usually do first-come-first-serve unless I’m actively communicating with someone who is honestly interested, then I will let other potential buyers know that I’m in discussion with someone and will let them know if the sale falls through. If she isn’t actively responding or answering your questions (to let you know she is discussing with someone to make sure it will work or whatever it is going on) and you don’t feel comfortable with it, I would go on to the next buyer. Your time is also valuable. You may want to let her know that you have other people interested in it and you would like to know if she plans to get it still and give her a time (and work from there if needed). Sometimes people just need a timeframe that works for you because thinking of a time that works for them first gives them anxiety (*raises hand*).
Sometimes just kindly letting people know that there is a boundary you have to make because you have others asking and such can be very helpful. If she doesn’t respond after that, I’d just move on. If she comes back later upset, I’d apologize and let her know that you needed to move forward with the sale and someone else was willing to get it sooner, then just brush it off. I have had to do this as well.
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Lots of info but just one crucial rule missing:
Should the seller post item prior to receiving payment or should seller await payment prior to posting item?
I had one person suggest that I should send pic of package then send to her prior to posting.
We could agree so I lost the sale.Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi, Tina. I don’t quite understand what you mean by your comment, but I think you are referring to mailing items, is that correct? I don’t use the mail option on regular Marketplace, personally, but I have sold used school curriculum online and mailed it. I always get the payment before shipping, then I will send a picture of the shipping receipt and/or tracking info, and I try to ship it out as soon as possible after payment. I take a lot of pictures so I am covered should anything happen (it is also wise to pay for insurance on the package and include that in your pricing). I take pictures of the item ready to ship, then of the shipping receipt for proof. As a buyer, I appreciate this proof. But I always take the payment before actual shipping. Should you not hold up your end, Facebook and PayPal and all of those usually are pro-buyer so the buyer can get the money back and the seller get in trouble for not actually sending the item paid for (which is another reason why I always take all the pictures and include tracking info, again, to protect myself and comfort the buyer).
I hope that answered your question.
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Lisa Guillemette
Great info. Thank you. How long do you have to wait without hearing from someone before you move to the next person on the list?
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Arts & Crackers
You’re welcome, Lisa!
It really depends on the situation. If I responded to them immediately and they don’t even check it and I have other messages coming in, I just keep moving. If they’ve seen it and not gotten back to me and I have tons of others requesting info (with a little bit of time should they have to ask a spouse for another opinion on it), I usually just keep moving on. If I wait until another day or quite some time later to respond, I give them a good amount of time to respond as they may have gotten busy while waiting for me. If the little circle that shows when your message is sent or seen is not showing that it has sent through, I try to wait a bit because sometimes there is just a delay in message receiving and sending. If we have been going back and forth and they stop answering questions or won’t set up a time, I move on. Generally, I let people know that it is first-come-first-served unless I have already planned otherwise with someone who is actively responding to me. Too many people just hit the button to ask about it without ever responding again, and I want to make sure I sell the item.
I generally still respond to everyone in order and try to keep track of it (which can be hard with tons of responses, but I try my best; active responders usually get first dibs). I will let them know that I am discussing possible sale to someone else and they are next should it fall through, and I have moved on to other people before. Your time is valuable, so decide how much time you are willing to spend based on the number of requests you are receiving and go from there. When I move on, I just say something kindly about having to move on to someone else because this person could get it sooner and I hadn’t heard anything back. It’s usually fine. If hardly anyone is responding, I give more grace period because I’m really not losing anything by awaiting their response.
It’s never a specific amount of time; I really just judge it by popularity, my personal timing needs, if they person even seems like they are trying to respond and it isn’t just an accidental message they sent, etc. Hope that helps!
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I used to sell on Craigslist, but now all you get are variations on the same tired old scams. It is rare to get a serious buyer anymore. Sadly, it looks like Marketplace is starting to become that way, too. I will not continue a conversation with anyone who leads off with a DEMAND for my address or phone number. I have a pretty good BS radar, and if you send me a message saying “I want this item, send me your address/phone number,” then I’m not going to do business with you. A legitimate buyer mentions the item by name, asks about it specifically and expects to make a tentative deal before moving on and deciding how to make contact. Big red flags go off when you ask for my address without even mentioning the item specifically. So sorry, I WON’T continue that conversation. If that’s “rude” then so be it.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Lisa,
There is nothing wrong or “rude” about stopping a conversation if you do not feel comfortable with how the person is acting. There definitely is more spam on there than it used to have and some people do not have very good manners, which can totally be a red flag. There are times I have stopped conversations because I felt uncomfortable with people’s pushiness too. I have dealt with some really great people on there too, though.
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I agree I was rude. But, did I break a rule by increasing the price of an item after I received 8 messages within minutes of posting it? I realized it was priced too low. So I edited the price. Shortly after I got a notification that I could no longer buy or sell on fb marketplace.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Dave,
I am not sure of their actual rules on that as I’ve not heard of that happening, but I can see that being a thing and I do believe that is not allowed because it flags it as a scam (via their “confirm fair pricing” category) even if it wasn’t meant to be. What you could possibly do for future is delete the listing and make a whole new one, but I personally would have just left it and dealt with the lower price on it. This is why I stress market research before posting. Some items are worth more than we’d think, and some can just be highly popular items that several just happened to be watching for and your price was reasonable and that’s why they all reached out. An example would be the Nintendo Switch during the start of COVID—they were hard to get in stores because people bought them out and tried listing them online for twice the price. They were not worth twice the price, so if someone had one they decided they didn’t need and wanted to sell it for a reasonable price (even just what they paid for it), they would have had tons of messages and it wouldn’t have meant they should have listed it for more to compete with the actual scammers. Many messages does not always mean the price is wrong. I listed french doors for sale for $100 each, which is a pretty average price for used french doors in our area (and a little lower than some that I felt were over-priced). I received several messages on them because a lot of people just happened to be looking for french doors. I personally have certain things I’ve been looking for listings on for a reasonable price and have it set up to notify me as soon as things with that keyword are posted, which may have been the case for the others as well (I’m not sure what item you were trying to sell).
I hope you are able to figure it out and try selling on Marketplace again, but yes, I would recommend doing research on it ahead of time and not increasing the price after listing, because that will cause potential people to report seller and Facebook will see it as a scam without having a discussion with you first.
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Hi, I noticed this new message from my listing saying that now if I reply the person will be able to call each other.. Is that a scam or how do they get my phone number?
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Nancy,
That notification from Facebook usually shows up if you both use Messenger on your phone (I’m not sure if it shows if you only use desktop). I do not believe this gives out your phone number, but it allows you to call each other through the actual app. Most people will not use this. I always ignore it. When it could come in handy is if you need to contact each other for directions or something (which is rare, but it does happen), because they you do not need to give your phone number out since you have the ability to call through the app.
I hope this helps!
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Hi Alyssa, I listed an item on Facebook Marketplace, and was asked not long after, if I want to turn on delivery to reach buyers beyond my area. I turned on delivery, and went to do this with my other listings but could not find where I can turn on delivery, or turn it off. What does turn on delivery actually mean? Thank you.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Lara,
You should be able to adjust delivery settings when you edit your listing (it is on the second page for me under the “Change Delivery Method” drop-down list). Another option would be to delete the listing and re-list. This would be more of a hassle, but if the post is newer or has not been viewed much, it is an option you could use. You should also be able to use the “Quick Edit” option under “Selling” to choose which listings will offer shipping.
I personally do not use their delivery service because it gives them access to much more information and they charge you fees on top of it. I may end up offering it in the future, but I haven’t liked how they’ve handled it so far (because it makes it more difficult to know, as the buyer, if something is local or not; I prefer to shop locally and spend less) and usually list on eBay instead if I choose to offer shipping. I would love to hear how it goes for you though. There are a few items I have been tempted to try it out on.
What it means to turn on delivery is that the item will likely be seen by more (and not just anywhere you can ship to, but they also seem to show those items more often than local only now). It means that you will either figure out the item weight and set it up for Facebook to send you the shipping label so you just drop off (more convenient, but charges a fee and you may end up having to pay more if you didn’t choose the correct option), or you will use the option that allows you to use your own shipping label. Using your own costs less, but it is a little more of a hassle. You will still need to figure out the proper shipping cost or you run the risk of having to pay extra at the post office or turning people off by over-charging on the listing. You are now also responsible for promptly bringing your items to the post office to ship (so you need good shipping supplies) and will want to make sure you are covered with insurance and pictures, because sometimes shipping doesn’t go as planned or people will make false claims of not receiving an item or not receiving what was ordered. I’ve seen this happen with people, unfortunately, and Facebook (and PayPal and others) almost always will side with the buyer automatically. I am unsure if you can still change what you charge if you agree to charge a buyer less or if you can skip shipping costs if someone is local because I avoid listings with shipping, though I believe you can if you choose the “local or delivery” option. If someone agrees to pick it up locally, you skip the shipping (and hopefully the Facebook fees then, though I have not tried that to verify).
I hope this helps!
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CraftyGoth
Conversely, I’m currently dealing with a supposed real estate agent who has seen and failed to respond to any of my extremely polite, hours long spaced out messages. Figured since she’s a realtor maybe I submitt an offer. Hours later…seen, nothing. It’s a vintage upholstery fabric that I’ve been desperately seeking after my dog accidentally destroyed my rich MILs custom made accent pillows…can I report her? Worst sales lady ever!
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Arts & Crackers
I have dealt with situations like this, and there may be a few things at play. 1) I’ve had people’s young children continuously open their parent’s notifications for them so they wouldn’t see them until later and they felt bad. 2) I’ve had some dealing with major family issues that came up the day I contacted, and they saw the notification but were unable to respond and deal with anything during that time. 3) She may have thought she put “sold” on the post but it isn’t showing for you—usually it does, but I know some that had their listings continue to show and they didn’t want to deal with it anymore. 4) Someone may already be planning to purchase it; I would personally still communicate if it was something about it already being sold or pending, but most people just don’t spend their time on that. 5) There may be another reason why the person isn’t responding that is out of your control…it may have something to do with your profile—I’ve had some contact that did not look at all local or have no pictures or information at all and it made me uncomfortable—or it may have something to do with a mutual friend or who really knows or maybe she didn’t like all the messages for some reason; sometimes people just have their reasons for not responding. I’m learning that, even though this isn’t my personality, a lot of people are that way and there’s not much you can do about it.
I can completely understand how much you really want that fabric, especially since it is hard to come by. I’ve had this situation myself with many items I had searched high and low for, found, contacted for right away, then never received a response to. I can’t explain why I didn’t get the response, but I just have to deal with the fact that I won’t be purchasing that item from that particular person, and I choose to offer them grace because I really don’t know what they’re going through. I really hope you are able to find the fabric or that she is able to get back to you at some point, but I’d just continue to look elsewhere at this point. Have you tried Etsy? I’ve found some of the more difficult to find vintage items I was searching for on Etsy.
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This is very thorough, including your responses to questions! As a seller (and buyer) I usually do not expect that any negotiation occurs until the person has seen the item. It is a red flag to me if someone tries to barter immediately. Or even “agrees” to the price until all parties have seen the item. Obviously, if an item is super desirable, as a seller or buyer I have the understanding that I won’t sell it for less or I won’t ask to pay less. However, for regular run of the mill items, I expect that the buyer is going to want to look over the item in person and as a buyer I want to make sure that the item is as described. So, I never formally promise I am going to buy something at a price until I have seen it, and I don’t expect buyers to do that either. If a buyer is coming to look at something of mine that is really popular I will let them know that I have a lot of interest, that they are “first in line” but with others ready to swoop in. I am making sure they know I won’t reduce price.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Sally, this is a great example of how people can differ in how they choose to sell things. I totally understand that point of view. Personally, I make offers before I see an item in person (I go based off of what I believe it is worth and what I can afford and things). I would rather have everything figured out ahead of time than drive however far out, take someone’s time, and then hit them with a different offer. The only time I have done this is when the item was not at all as described and I subsequently declined. I usually have no issues going about it this way myself or with others, and prefer everything is discussed up front before everyone takes time out to meet (this is also why I make my listings thorough, so no one can say the item wasn’t as expected). However, I also understand your perspective, because that is typically how things would work. Facebook Marketplace is a “different kind of animal,” as the saying goes, so most bargaining usually happens prior to meeting and more happens in person if something isn’t as expected (which is why they have even added the “make an offer” button), but that doesn’t mean you can’t run your listings the way you prefer. I would, however, be clear in your listings that you would like any offers in person once the person has seen the item. Honestly, for some people this would deter them or even be a red flag, but others will understand where you are coming from and will appreciate the notes on what to expect for the transaction.
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Hi, I just read your entire page top to bottom–it’s great work and you’re very generous sharing your time this way–but I didn’t see my question so here it is:
My 95-year-old mom died last year in another state and my brother and I are cleaning out the house, with a lot of stuff to sell on Marketplace. I haven’t sold anything yet but when I went on to write & post my first ad today, I noticed it gave my location in northern Massachusetts, however, all the items are in Connecticut, only an hour from NYC, so I want to reach buyers in that general region, especially for the higher ticket items like a Steinway grand piano & other instruments.
I know I can mention the location in the ad, but how do I change the location ON THE MAP so my ads are showing up for buyers who do a search in southern CT and NOT showing up for buyers in northern MA? Many thanks!!Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Mac,
That is a great question. I personally have not done this before, but I did go check and try some things out, and it looks like you can edit the physical location with the new Marketplace settings on the second page. Go through the first page (adding all the info, price, tags, etc), then when you hit “next” you will choose the delivery method (which can be local pick up, shipping, or both). Choose either local or both, depending on which one you prefer for those items, then look for the spot that says “location.” You should be able to edit that to the location of the physical items by typing in the city and state and selecting it from the drop-down menu. I would also make a note in the actual post to explain this further, especially if you need to travel to sell them in person or you have someone who will meet the customer in your place for local pick ups, so that the customer is fully informed and knows what/who to expect.
I hope this helps! I know something like this is a lot to deal with, as I have had many friends go through it. I hope you are able to sell them quickly and to people who will truly appreciate them.
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BigRuss
My 2 biggest gripes with some people, are the trolls who have to comment negatively with their opinion despite the fact they have no intensions of buying..
But feel the need to tell others that your item was on clearance for slightly cheaper at a major store -6 months ago! And the other is skipping a buyer who has to travel a little in exchange for a local buyer..
and most cannot even let you know that your out of luck.. I wish there was repercussions for such poor etiquette..Reply
Arts & Crackers
Yes, those negative comments can definitely frustrate me too. I usually just ignore them, because I do not want to respond rudely in response, and I do not usually try to delete those comments or have them removed because that can make you look scammy even if you are not…but it is never fun to receive those and be put in that position.
I have personally skipped a buyer who had to travel a little, but only because they offered me significantly lower saying I needed to reduce the price for them because of their need to travel. I did not agree to that. I usually have no issues with buyers traveling, as long as they are very good at communicating, genuine, and keep me updated during their travels so I know they will, in fact, show up. Some people are all about speed of selling; sometimes they have a good reason for that, and sometimes not, which can definitely be frustrating as the buyer.
People should let you know when you are out of luck, I agree. That comes down to communication and respecting time. I have had this happen, and it was very frustrating, especially when they never listed the item as “sold.” When they list it as “sold,” at least it notifies you. I even list mine as “pending” once a time and location for meet-up have been agreed upon, so it gives other potential buyers a heads up that it will probably be gone soon. Some people just do not want to take the time for that, though. I am sure many have their reasons (I know I’ve had to deal with hundreds of messages at once on some items, so it was difficult to keep up with all of them and respond to them all).
I definitely wish there was better Marketplace etiquette all around, but hopefully I am able to help people with some things they may not have even thought about with this post. The rest we just need to offer grace on, take deep breaths, and make sure we do not do it to others.
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It sounds like the facebook marketplace is a more convenient place to clear out unneeded items, while yard sale will allow chatting and conversations between neighbors.
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Hi Alyssa, thank you for sharing your knowledge, you have been a phenomenal help to a Facebook Marketplace novice. My question is about Facebook Marketplace rating. I have sold ten items, and have no ratings. (I think due to only using my PC, and have never seen rate buyer/seller option.) I have archived each chat with a person I have sold to, and all are very happy to rate. Is it possible to obtain a rating from them? Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Lara, I am glad I have been able to be a help.
Ratings is something that I have not personally focused on a lot, but I did for some time so I tried to look back into it on my account. The device you use to access Marketplace (mobile or PC) does make a difference. There are very limited options on PC for you as the seller, as well as for buyers. However, there are things you can do if you use your mobile device, and I believe buyers should be able to complete a review regardless of you, as the seller, use Marketplace.
You can request ratings. If you use the mobile app, you are able to request ratings from previous buyers. This should make it possible and easier for them to rate you even if they are also using PC only. You can request ratings on previously sold items. Simply go to Marketplace, go to your “Selling,” go to the settings symbol in the top right corner, click on “Commerce Profile,” and scroll down until you see the section that allows you to request ratings.
If you still have the chat accessible, you can also request buyers go rate you, and you can explain how to on a mobile device. Not everyone will like this extra communication, so it is best to do the requesting through Facebook or at the time of selling (I will explain more below). They will need to use their phone app and go into their communications with you, click “More options,” then “Review seller.” Once the listing has been removed from Marketplace (rather than simply being marked as sold), these options disappear, from what I am seeing, so make sure you make any requests for reviews prior to deleting sold listings.
This last bit is something that I cannot test right now to see if it is still available, but I do believe it still is. After selling an item and listing it as sold, Facebook will likely prompt you to say where you sold the item. If you say you sold it on Marketplace, it should ask who you sold it to. If you do this, it may still ask that buyer to leave a review (I know it did in the past, but I stopped marking my listings after selling them, so I cannot verify this at the moment.). It will not send a review request without you manually doing it if it does not know who actually purchased the item. I believe this is how I got many of my ratings initially when I was not even trying to get ratings.
While reviews are definitely helpful to have, they are not usually something you will come by quickly and are not absolutely essential to still have Marketplace success. You definitely can ask people so they know it is something you would like, as most will not think to bother otherwise, or you may wait and eventually get reviews simply by marking your item sold on Facebook and selecting the buyer so that person is more likely to leave a review. It is sort of like my shirt designs on Amazon; I don’t specifically ask for ratings (though some people do that), and, though I have sold hundreds of one of my designs now, I only have twenty-one ratings as of yesterday.
I hope this helps!
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Stoned Dude
Look at your web page. Your “share” buttons are over the content. There is maybe 1.5″ at the top of the screen where you can actually read the content.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi, I am unsure what you are talking about, as I do not have the same issue on any of my devices. Please feel free to send over a screenshot and what browser and everything you are using so I can try to figure out why you are unable to read my content. Thank you!
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Roxxxanne
Hi, I just read this post and enjoyed it tremendously. I don’t know if this happens to anyone else but I have more people just interested in my wasting my time than buying products. I’m writing you to express a problem with a buyer who wants to return a product. Now my perspective on marketplace is it’s like a huge garage sale online. I have never returned anything because I view it as buy at your own risk. I stated the item was used in good condition. I also listed the price of the product (that is sold out in stores) for a very reasonable price, 40% off because I needed to make a quick sale. I even marked it down slightly more to ensure the deal was made and paid for overnight shipping. Now… The buyer wants to return the item. This item is a designer handbag. I didn’t notice the tiny mark on the body of the bag but they sent me a picture of it. I researched the bag and it turns out this mark is common among this particular bag and it comes off. They send me a picture of a lady who appears to pulling up the seam and tearing it to show me residue under the seam, I believe this happened to justify the return. My biggest problem is she damaged the bag depreciating the value and wants a full return. Unfortunately it’s not up to me it’s up to PayPal. These platforms always side with the buyer. Overview. The buyer main complaint is how the bag is made. The residue is from under the seam, the small marking on the body is a known problem with the bag but comes out, and lastly the opinion about the condition of the bag. I said used in good condition. Apparently, everyone has a different opinion on what this actually means. I meant the bag is pre-owned and has been used (normal wear and tear) taking that into consideration the bag is in good condition for being used. They took it as the bag is brand new out of the box. It’s used. Maybe their disappointed in the overall product itself but is that my problem. Aren’t they supposed to their own market research before buying the product? Nothing is wrong with the bag besides the seam that appears to be torn now. I just needed to vent.
I don’t expect you to have the answers on how to win this. I expect PayPal to give the money back to the buyer and I may or may not receive the bag back. And if I do receive the bag back it’s damaged now.Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Roxxxanne,
No, I am not sure how to win this besides perhaps send a note to the hosting payment site (which sounds like PayPal in this case) noting that this item was used and you were unaware of this claimed issue prior to mailing the item, so you believe it is new. They may not usually side with the seller, but used should stand for something. This is one reason why I prefer selling in person and payments in cash. I have had issues with this on my website with people having my printables show up in their spam folder, not do an appropriate search, report me before talking to me, then finding the downloads after the automatic refund is processed, my fees are not returned, and PayPal cannot “unmark” me as a seller. It is extremely frustrating, so I feel for you.
If you have any extra pictures of this purse that you might be able to use to show that it did not have this claimed damage before selling, keep those or send them in as evidence. I would also personally send an apology note to the buyer saying this issue did not show up when the purse was still in your possession or you would have disclosed it, though you already included that this was used, and send a link to the info saying you have researched this and found more information and/or a solution online.
A lot of people who purchase with shipping on Facebook assume you are a retailer and it is no longer “online yard sale” status when you add shipping options, so most will assume this item should arrive flawless or they are entitled to a replacement. You cannot provide that. I would send an honest note back saying this was listed as used, send the link, and then at least try to reach out to PayPal with further information and anything you possibly have to back your claim.
I really hope you are able to get it worked out, because, from personal experience, situations like this are immensely frustrating and discouraging.
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Please help with this situation. I sold some Pyrex cookware at a very reasonable price and lost money on shipping and insurance. I used a ton of bubble wrap and shipped it USPS priority. It arrived smashed! The buyer now wants a refund from me. What do I do? It was perfect when I mailed it and I did my best to protect it.
I will never ship another breakable item! But what do I do about this? Any help will be greatly appreciated!Reply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Nancy,
If you paid for shipping insurance, you should be able to go file a claim against the USPS. If that claim goes through, that should cover the cost of the item that was damaged (which would be refunded to the buyer). I always recommend taking ample pictures before shipping. I do the same with items that I send regardless of insurance status: I usually take pictures of the items, of the items wrapped, of the items in the shipping container, of the label and seal on the shipping container, and of any paperwork that I receive once I have shipped an item. I usually only ship books, but I still do this in case they are subjected to water damage or crushing, just so that I have proof that I did everything I could on my end and it is all time-stamped. If you did not purchase insurance and have no proof, you may be out of luck and will just have to issue the refund. I believe the order that you need to do things is to first issue the refund and a note saying that it was damaged in shipping, then file a claim on the USPS website. Make sure you have any and all pictures, receipts, and insurance information on hand. I hope you are able to be compensated for the item broken in shipment!
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Billy Vandory
What’s with these rules? I hope I never have to deal with your on marketplace.
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Arts & Crackers
Hello sir, these are not “rules” per se, but recommendations on how to have smooth, respectful, successful interactions on Marketplace. They have worked and continue to work for me and many, many others. You are welcome to not follow them, and we will not likely cross paths or do business together on Marketplace, so you do not need to worry about that. Thank you for your feedback.
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Hi, how would you recommend I list a LOT of random computer/electrical bits & bobs? We moved to a smaller place w/o storage and I basically had to toss things into moving boxes at the time. I have everything from full PC towers & monitors, to small netbooks & laptops, to wifi cards, to routers, WD Live player, etc, etc. Is it bad to take a photo of numerous items on a table and then maybe number them and list what they are? If I list them, one by one, I’ll die of old age- lol.
Cheers!
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Terry,
Personally I would show them all in one picture then pictures of smaller groupings so you can see the items more closely (currently you should be able to add up to 10 images). I would then put the listing price as the price I would like it someone were to purchase the entire lot, then break down the individual or smaller group pricing in the listing description.
Depending on your account, you should be able to add a handful to a lot of search keywords; my account lets me add 20 keywords. Use these keywords to describe what you are selling in generic terms then add a few terms for specific items that may be searched for more frequently.
Facebook has been letting you post multiple listings for the same items now so you can list them a little differently each time. I only did this one time when I had an issue with one of my listings not updating, but this may be an option as well, to make a few listings that more specifically highlight certain items and can cover all of the search terms without all of the work of posts for each item. Just make sure you update each of the listings as items sell (I usually edit the original photos with an “x” or “sold” over items that have sold then update the listing images).
I hope that helps!
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Thank you! I’ll take your kind advice.
🙂
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Marc Malone
I sold an item to someone on marketplace that worked fine when i had it, shipped it to them and upon receiving it they complained about the packaging and said it didn’t work. They had asked specific questions and the item worked fine, I wouldn’t sell something that didn’t work, so I told them it was good, no problems.
I like my customers to be happy and I generally will do whatever it takes to satisfy them. I just feel like that’s the right thing to do.
So I told them I would make it right with them either with a refund if that’s what they wanted or if they were interested I did have some other items, not another of the exact thing, but similar.
Then he sends me a pic of him taking the item apart.
At this point I told him “by taking an item apart, you void any warranty, or void the possibility of a refund in this case”.
He said he didn’t take it apart just removed some screws… and now wants to know how we are going to handle returning the product so he can get a refund.
1st, the item was fine when I shipped it, I was going to tell him if he wanted a refund he would have to return the item, as that seems to be the general procedure that I’ve encountered. But now, I don’t think I even want the item back after he has taken it apart.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Marc,
I am not sure how Facebook will deal with it, as they usually side with the customer, but make sure you have everything documented as much as you can. I like to take a ton of pictures/videos before selling certain items, as well as pictures of every step of packaging and shipping if I am doing that, so that I have record showing everything was as it should be on my end. If you have those pictures, make sure you have them for reference. I would also screenshot anything showing that the person tinkered with the item—screenshot the whole conversation, and make sure that you do note in your posts that messing with the item will void any warranty, because they could claim that they “didn’t know,” even though you would think that would be common sense.
As to just removing the screws, that would really depend on how much the customer dove into it. I would not count it if they just took off screws to check the battery compartment, I would not count that. If he pulled the whole thing apart, that is different.
For now, I would just be firm on your stance and warranty and make sure you have anything you can to back up your position and go from there. Like I said above, Facebook usually sides with the customer even when they maybe shouldn’t, but if you have a good amount of proof to back up your position that will give you the best opportunity to plead your case.
Hope that helps and you get it figured out!
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Roberta
Hi,
I like your article about Facebook Marketplace. I wish I had read it before I posted my items to sell. I have encountered two responses to my ads that I believe are from spammers.Do you know if it is something that Facebook Marketplace does,when buyers respond to a sellers ad, that creates a group between the buyer and the seller using the photo of the item being sold as the profile picture? I have encountered this twice so far and my gut feeling says that the buyer could be scamming me. One buyer was a scammer because they could not come themselves but would send a courier that does not operate in Canada.
I am trying to sell some quality used 1960-1990 furniture of my Mom’s that she no longer needs. It has been quite the learning experience so far.
I don’t know of the best place to list these items to be able to sell them. I have contacted a local auction house and received no response – they don’t do in house auctions, only online and usually want 30 -50% of sale price sometimes with the opening bid starting at zero.Thank you
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Roberta,
The first time I had messages come through like that, it threw me off. For whatever reason, Facebook has it set up to sometimes do that when someone sends a message; my assumption is that it helps to keep those messages labeled and organized and separate from the regular messages. When you see it change the photo, profile picture, and group name, that is totally normal.
The encounter you have that involves sending a courier, however, would be iffy, though you would need to look into more details to see if it is legitimate and they just need to have a way to get it to them if it is a large item they really want and live far away. You can usually tell by the wording and how accurate, consistent, and real the messages are back and forth (i.e. it will not look like a bot or have things that make you question). If you feel iffy about it, you are always welcome to pass, because it is your item and you need to feel comfortable with who you are selling to. Just politely let them know that you cannot do the sale that way.
I would have said to check with an auction house, too; maybe try a different one. I have never done anything like that myself; I usually just use Facebook Marketplace, sell at a yard sale, try Craigslist, or sell on eBay if it seems like something that would be more fitting there (you usually find more collectors, but you will have to deal with shipping). If you do research, you may even be able to find someone trustworthy who does a lot of eBay selling and will take care of all of it for a commission of the sales. My uncle does things like that locally, and I used to have friends who did that as well. It may be worthwhile to find help with selling it like that.
Hope that helps!
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Roberta
Thank you for your ideas and explanation of facebook marketplace. I found Facebook Marketplace confusing and responses questionable from buyers.
I have checked with local Auction houses and online and the local one goes through an online live auction site and has not responded. I have found the auction sites and local antique stores fees beyond my means. Locally they want 50% of the sale and most will not pickup – so that moving fees have to be considered by us.
I do know someone that could possibly handle eBay for me, but he spreads himself too thin with committments, so I don’t dare ask.
I have had a learning experience with this that has taught me about spammers and have sent a response to them that their arrangements were unacceptable. Didn’t hear from them again. One wanted name, address, phone number and banking information. Big Red Flag.
I am now dealing with someone who flags all or most of the things that a buyer should not do – they complained that they would have to pay over $100 for moving costs. Started asking questions to see how desperate we were to sell. They do want the cabinets but they want the price reduced by more than 30%.
The buyer wants everything on their terms.It seems to be a situation that I would like to just walk away from, but this isn’t my decision because it is my Mom’s. If it were mine I would just donate if a charity would take large heavy furniture.
Sorry for going on, this buyer just burns me, and I would just like to say no.
Once againg thank you for your help and suggestions.Reply
Arts & Crackers
Selling things these days has really become frustrating with all the fees. Have you looked into posting to local online yard sale groups on Facebook?
I am sorry you are dealing with someone who is frustrating. Even if you are selling for your mom, you can probably let her know that you do not feel comfortable selling to them because of red flags and the extra hassle and just wait for another buyer to come along. If you are the one who has to meet with them and do the exchange, you need to make sure you are comfortable and safe.
I hope you are able to find the right buyer; sometimes big items can take a while (I am trying to sell expensive tiles we had leftover, and that is one of those needs-a-specific-type-of-buyer items too).
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Facebook shipping is really frustrated for me as a seller. Anything over 10lbs requires a FIXED shipping cost. For example 1 current item I am selling cost $20 to ship to NYC from Michigan and $76 to ship to California.
If I set to Cali price nobody will buy, but just my luck last few times I listed for a reasonable price people from frickin cali bought it!!! I got burned bad.
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Arts & Crackers
Yes, how they have it set up now is so frustrating. I agree. I am sorry you had to deal with that; this is one reason why I stay away from shipping from that platform as much as possible.
Depending on what the item is, I would try to list it at a price that has a little wiggle room if possible, then choose shipping that is between the costs you are looking at. When possible, I try to use flat rate shipping boxes (they do not fit everything, which I understand, but when they do it works much better). I would also offer a very clear note at the top of your listing that says something about the shipping rates that you researched (perhaps for reference for those who may be “overpaying” for shipping if they look at the package). This does not always work since Facebook has the instant order option now and people do not always read descriptions, but if it is written there, you will have more to refer back to should someone question it.
For instance, I was selling different grades of used curricula (and would sell together or separately). Due to its nature, I was not selling it locally as usual, so I had to turn on the shipping option to reach more people. I noted within the listing that the prices varied on shipping, so I would figure out shipping costs to their zip code once they reached out with the proper information (and that I would ship via media mail to save costs). I also noted that I only accept payments through PayPal (not Facebook), so I have the opportunity to break all of this down in writing once again in the invoice. For the most part, this went great; some did not read the full listing, but they understood when I reiterated in the messages and purchased their desired sets with the proper shipping. One person did the instant order (with very low shipping and a very low total, since I had multiple listed and priced it for one as explained in my detailed listing title and description). I simply sent her a message explaining that she needed to give me more information and that I only accept payments through PayPal, then I cancelled her order. She never got back to me, which was okay, because it saved a hassle for both of us.
Invoicing through PayPal and being clear about this currently has allowed me the freedom to adjust prices for the time being, should there be shipping cost issues or anything. I can also track it better there. I have not shipped anything excessively large or heavy to know if this will still work, but perhaps this could be an option for you to look into more. Again, if you do anything like this, be very, very clear at the top of your listing so you have something in writing to refer back to. If someone is not willing to work with you (especially if you are not a full-on business), you may want to wait for another buyer anyway.
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Combustic SAS
This is great post and a valuable source for all.
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Hi Alyssa,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I found it very informative. My question is how do I share a Facebook Marketplace listing to a private Facebook Group (which I am a member of) without it displaying in the group as sold by (null)? When I share a Marketplace post to a Group, it displays as, Lara shared a product (then underneath it shows my Facebook Marketplace listing and under the title is Sold by (null). I have seen this numerous times, with other members in various Buy, Sell Groups who share Marketplace listings and majority of them show sold by (null). The issue is, when you click on the post sold by (null), it shows a grey screen, “This listing no longer exists.” However, I recently noticed a few people who have shared Marketplace posts which appear as Lara shared a Marketplace post (shows Facebook Marketplace listing) and you can click on the post and it shows you the Facebook Marketplace listing. I have checked my privacy settings, shared from a PC browser instead of phone app, etc. to no avail. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you, LaraReply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Lara, I am not sure about this one as I have not seen or experienced this. Perhaps it is a Facebook glitch? I know they were doing more updates recently, and I had several things acting wonky. When you share, do you “share to group” on the listing where it says to list more places? If so, maybe try sharing a different way, like copy-pasting the URL to the group or copying all of the pictures and text to make a group-specific listing. I have noticed more listings that do not seem to be directly connected to Marketplace, but individual posts to groups, so perhaps that is their solution. Please let me know if one of these does not work for you, and I will try to do more research to see if I can figure out what is going on.
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Brian Coombs
Sellers often say they will not respond to ‘is it still available?’ auto messages. As a buyer, what should my first message be?
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Brian,
I have seen this a lot. I personally find it frustrating, because you never know when they are in the process of a sale or didn’t quite get the post down yet (this has happened many times), so I do not often even contact on posts like these unless I absolutely need the item.
When I do, I usually say something that is not one of Facebook’s automated responses (often a reason why they ignore those) along the lines of, “Hello, [insert seller name here]. I am very interested in [product]. Please let me know when and where I am able to purchase it from you. Thank you.”
Occasionally I will change up the form, but it is usually similar to that (sometimes I just want to know more about it before saying I will purchase, so I change it to that wording). Many times I will even add “if it is still available,” because then it offers an “if” statement just in case. I hope that helps!
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Interesting that when you offer 50% less than a posted price it is budgeting but when others offered you 50% below the asking price for your old wagon you were offended. I would also add not to have double standards. If you are OK asking for such a deep discount on items that are already discounted you can’t expect the same wohn’t be returned. The lack of rationalization is stunning. OK for me but not for you. LOL
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Arts & Crackers
Thank you for your concern. Offering half or less for a high-price item is completely different than offering half or less of something smaller and less expensive. Asking for an $800 item for $400 is totally different than asking for an $8 item for $4. This is definitely not double standards, and I believe you misread part where I offered over half off for an item that was originally over-priced as it was sold elsewhere for less. Whomever is selling is always welcome to say no. The whole point was to know the value and be *respectful* and reasonable in negotiating. These are merely tips that help the Marketplace process go well for all parties. You are welcome to do whatever you’d like. Good luck!
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Trudy Papadopoulos
Hello Arts & Crackers, My question to you is I sold a lounge suite on Marketplace, Lady payed all the money, then asked because she is getting the house painted could she leave it with us for 3weeks. We agreed I then contacted her are you coming to get the lounge no answer waited 2 days again contacted her. Said very sorry could I hold for another 2 wks again tried to be nice said no worries. Now it has been 10 weeks contacted her said she would ring me later that was 3 days ago. Am I obligated to keep on holding the lounge suite or can I resell it . I feel I have tried to help as much as I could but I want the lounge suite gone. Kind regards Trudy From Australia.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Trudy,
I feel you have been very patient with her. Most people would not pay ahead and expect someone to hold something for that long, especially a large item, especially without communication. You are trying to get rid of the item to make space. I understand how long and unpredictable it can be waiting for a home to be painted by someone hired, but your time is also valuable. Furniture can easily be covered to protect them from paint.
My personal opinion is that you have given her more than enough of your time and it is causing you stress. Find a way to refund her the money and re-list the item. If she does not like this, politely let her know that she is welcome to it, but she will have to pick up the specific day you choose, and that is the final chance you can give because you need the space.
I hope that helps, and I hope you are able to get the lounge sold and off your mind.
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Very surprised to not see this here because I’ve seen it a LOT: NEVER NEVER NEVER share your phone number with anyone, whether buying or selling. This happens to me a lot:
Buyer: Is this still available?
Me: Yes
Buyer: Can I call you?
Me: I’m sorry but I do not share phone numbers on Facebook.
Buyer: Okay. Can I call you?
Buyer: Give me your cell number so I can text you.
This crap happens all the time and I am not polite about it nor should anyone be. Block them all. Sure, one in a thousand may just not be all there or internet wise, but it’s almost certainly a scammer. Personally, I NEVER deal with anyone not willing to use the messenger exclusively for communication. You’re already texting me. You don’t need another way to message unless you don’t want Facebook to see what you’re up to.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Chris,
It does happen quite frequently. I briefly mentioned it in the post and went into a little more detail in the comments, but it is a good rule of thumb to not give out your phone number. The only time I have was when I knew I was dealing with a local person who was elderly, lived in the country with spotty internet, and really did struggle with social media but needed to sell things and their kids told them to go this route. I could tell it was true based on the initial interactions, but I otherwise always refuse to hand out my phone number. I recommend having written record for the whole exchange in your Facebook Marketplace Messenger account for safety and buyer/seller protection purposes. Moving to a phone opens up so many other potentially-dangerous possibilities. I completely agree with you.
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Hi,
I just want to say I disagree with your view on holding items. As a buyer, I am so sick of agreeing to buy an item, arranging a time then midway into my travel to pick said item up I get a ‘sorry, its sold message’. It is a massive waste of my time and fuel and I believe if someone agrees to buy something and both people agree on a time then the seller should hold that item until the agreed time. I have been buying items second hand for years and previously people had enough common courtesy to stick to an arrangement.Recently this has happened multiple times. Usually pick up is arranged for the next day or even the same day. I also offer to pay ahead of time and cover any paypal fees. To be honest I am over buying items because I just see it as dirty and dishonest. I am dealing with a seller right now that isn’t happy to hold an item for me to pick up tomorrow morning. I offered to pay now for the item and cover all associated paypal fees and they are not interested. It’s just so frustrating.
From the other side, I also have sold many second hand items and I have always held up my end of an arrangement. Sure, the occasional person doesn’t show up but most people have been honest and shown up at the agreed time to pick the item up. I feel like a small amount of dishonest people are ruining the market for everyone.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Ange,
We are actually on the same page. I have recommended over and over to plan and meet as promised and that an item should not be sold out from underneath someone when you have agreed to sell it to them. This has happened to me, and it was very frustrating. What I did say on holding was that, if you are asking for someone to hold an item for when you get back into town or whenever you can meet days out, that you pay something to hold it. Facebook and PayPal will usually have your back if the seller pulls out, and it can give the seller more confidence to hold the item for that long period of time, whereas they may not be willing if it’s a large item they want to get rid of and don’t want to wait for days to sell. It’s equally as frustrating to be the one selling, agree to hold an item to a certain date, then never hear back from the buyer. Paying a hold fee in this *rare* situation shows that the buyer is serious and the seller may be more willing to hold it. I would definitely not recommend this for a short-term (same-day or next day) sale-and-pick-up or when a meeting time and location has already been agreed upon by both parties. What buyers and sellers both need to remember is to be respectful of each other’s time and do as is agreed upon.
I would not recommend paying ahead otherwise. This can cause all sorts of issues. It is best to see the item first before you pay the full amount (with the exception of buying shipped items, which I personally do not do).
In regards to the seller you are dealing with, I can understand both points of view. It’s good that you offered to pay ahead to hold, but that seller is not required to do that. They may have been in a similar predicament before and the person never showed up (read some of the other comments), they may really need to have it gone right now, they may not be very trusting … and that is really up to them as the seller. Selling and buying are a little more challenging when you are not interacting in person to start with.
It is frustrating when a few bad apples ruin it for the bunch, as they say. However, you can still have great experiences on Marketplace. I recommend being very up front about expectations in both listings and purchase requests, because it helps to avoid some of the issues. The tips in this post are things that have personally helped me out, which is why I shared them.
I hope you get these situations figured out.
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Brenda
The reason I looked at this article is because I was banned from using Facebook Marketplace after just one day of membership. There is no explanation of why. I requested a review and there was no space to type asking what I did wrong. I think it may be because I made an appointment to look at a mobile home that is for sale. After we agreed on Messenger of a time for me to come look at it, I sent another message saying what my phone number is in case he needed to get in touch because of unforeseen circ*mstances that would prohibit us from meeting. Is it a cardinal sin to give out your phone number to a seller? I can’t even get on Marketplace to review the terms that are a condition of membership.
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Arts & Crackers
Sending a phone number is something a lot of people do, even though I do not personally recommend it, so I do not think that is what it was. From what I have read up, this just happens sometimes and is a Facebook mistake, and it is usually a permanent ban unless you can manage to get ahold of Facebook and dispute it (which seems to be getting harder and harder). Search their help center for how to get unbanned and see if you can find a “send feedback” or “tell us more” button. There may have been something triggering in your wording as well and the seller reported it and Facebook agreed, but that is not necessarily the case. I do wish they would communicate more so new users can learn what to and not to do. Hopefully it is just a glitch that corrects for you.
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Brenda
Because it is a mobile home, I had to have the address and visit the seller where it is and where he lives. I gave the phone number because it is awkward using the facebook marketplace app especially when you are driving, I thought it would be courteous to let the seller know if I was delayed. I did not ask for his phone number.
Thank you for your advice.Reply
Brenda
What I said didn’t make enough sense. I did not ask for the seller’s phone number. I was giving him the option to phone me if he sold it or had an emergency and couldn’t make the appointment. I made the appointment through Messenger yesterday, later that evening I saw I was banned. The next was for the day after (today). I was giving him a chance to tell me if he sold it in the interim or had an emergency. I am a senior, and I think he is also. There was nothing in the slightest offensive in my Messenger chat messages.
Again, thank you for your suggestions.
I avoided Facebook for many years, this is not a great start.
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Arts & Crackers
Right, and it’s fine to give out your phone number just in case (though some find offense to it thinking they *have* to phone you, but most just move past if they don’t want to call). I personally do not give mine out, but a lot of people do and there isn’t anything wrong with that or against the rules, that I know of.
As I mentioned, there is a known issue that sometimes Facebook’s bots just make mistakes and ban people for absolutely no reason, so it may not have been anything you did. Facebook has weird things that cause issues sometimes. I had a bird-shaped decor piece that I made with green moss that kept getting denied from Facebook because the bots thought it was a literal bird. I couldn’t ever do anything about it and just ended up giving it away to someone local. Their algorithms are not perfect. It’s frustrating, but there isn’t much you can do besides try to get ahold of them to submit a ticket or wait and hope it comes back.
You lost me the moment you played the victim card on gender. I shouldn’t need to say this (for real not as a political injection much like the article) but men amd women face different issues. Just because women’s issues are yapped about 24/7 on a loop and men’s issues not only aren’t talked about but are actively attacked and banned for trying to do so, doesn’t mean they aren’t real and just as numerous. You might be wondering what this has to do with an article about selling on a social media turned marketplace site… well me too.
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Arts & Crackers
Hello T.K.,
I believe you have read into something a bit too much and made some assumptions. I do not invite politics onto my platform, and I stay away from politics as much as possible in my day-to-day life as well. You have also purported that I carry beliefs that I do not actually carry.
If you are referring to the section about not talking down to women, that is from personal experience. Men and women may be made differently, but that does not mean women can be talked down to or that she cannot carry home a set of weights or something and automatically need assistance (some offers can just be out of kindness—my husband does this—and that is not what I am referring to). If I bought it and I am picking it up, I probably know it is something I can carry as I do not expect automatic assistance. Of course, not everyone is the same, so this is merely advice from my own personal experiences.
I’m not quite sure why you mention they have different issues but then imply they have the same issues as I pointed out for women, but, yes, men can have struggles too. I personally believe we do need to talk about it more. I have two boys, and I teach them to be honest and that they should also be treated with respect, just as they should treat women with respect. I would not ban anyone for agreeing with that. Men should always be vigilant too, especially when meeting strangers from Marketplace.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
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Myself, friends and family will all agree that alot of sellers on Market Place are ” flakie”. Many put things for sell on Market place and abandoned them or you might hear back weeks later with a response to your question only to read ” I don’t know, I’m sell it for a friend , or family member “.
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Arts & Crackers
Unfortunately, that is very true. I have dealt with this more than my fair share of times. Things happen sometimes and people forget to remove items or had to take a social media break, but many simply do not care or understand that your time is valuable. You just have to brush it off, block the person on Marketplace if needed so you don’t fall for it again, and determine not to be that type of person.
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I have recently created about 55 posts to sell my mothers things because she’s moving out of state. As the items became eligible for renewal, I renewed (once). After some more time passed, some items became eligible to delete and repost automatically. I thought it was a good idea, so I did it. Now the new posts are different than my original posts, specifically I only have the option to choose out of stock, instead of pending. I looked at the difference between the posts, and it seems in stock vs one item only is the default that needs to be changed manually. I attempted to edit a post , and I received a warning that I was breaking the community guidelines. It’s a decorative plate with a bird on it for $5. This warning popped up again on the next post for seashells for $5, so I stopped editing the posts. Any thoughts?
Also, is there any problem with editing a post to lower the price instead of using the fb button to lower the price their suggested amount? I’d like to do this to attract buyers, but I can’t risk getting my account closed.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Liesl,
Facebook has continued to change their renewal process, and not for the better, unfortunately. One thing to blame for this is their feature that turns it into more of an ecommerce website than the online yard sale it began as.
I would recommend re-listing and deleting the old posts. Personally, I have had issues with the newer feature where Facebook does the deleting and re-posting, particularly when it auto-shares to my yard sale groups. On their end, it shows as a duplicate post and is declined, when it really should be a new post. If it shows that people have saved or are watching it, that may be a reason to consider not fully deleting it, but you may just have to create a new post and try out a new format with updated wording (and possibly pictures).
For whatever reason, Facebook has a real problem with bird decor and judging what is an animal versus decor. I had listed bird decor that I had made (which looked merely decorative and nothing like a real bird, with only “bird decor” tagged and nothing to indicate it was a live animal), and Facebook kept giving me the same warnings and removing my post. I also had it listed for $5. To avoid issues with my Facebook Marketplace status, I ended up removing it completely and giving it away in our local Buy Nothing Group, counting it as a small loss to bring someone local a bit of joy. You may choose to do this for smaller items or look to sell them some other way locally or on another platform like eBay. There is no way to argue with Facebook on this, so there isn’t much you can do here besides that. If you have a version Facebook is allowing, you can go ahead and just leave it. I’ve reached out many months after someone posted, so perhaps you will find the right person in time.
I’m not quite sure what you mean about lowering the amount. Do you mean you would like to change the amount in the original box so it is lowered and Facebook is trying to tell you what to list it for? I do not usually take Facebook’s recommendations (it obviously has some discernment issues if it thinks bird decor is the same as live animals), so I manually edit the listing price and make another note in the product description mentioning this change. I have not had issues with that, unless Facebook has released a new update since the last time I did this.
I hope this helps.
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bobby allen
why are some items that i post not allowed by fb marketplace. i posted a pair of tommy bahama shorts for $15 and it was inviolation. can it be because they feel it is priced too low. i just want to get rid of shorts. should i have posted for more and then reduced
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Bobby,
I do not believe Facebook will or has the capability to decide a good price for an item. I know they have recommendations, but that is all computer-generated algorithms and things, and it really is not always accurate. It’s hard to say what the cause is. I have had them deny decor that I posted that I had hand-made because they thought it was real birds (it looked nothing like one). Sometimes it has to do with keywords used, so perhaps inspect the keywords. Sometimes, unfortunately, you just have to cut your losses and find another way to sell it.
I hope that helps.
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Facebook marketplace sellers are crazy. I’ve been on both sides and have rarely had issues with buyers. Many sellers list items having no idea what-so-ever what it is worth. Apparently, they either do no research or are hoping to find some stooge to rip off. They are literally listing stuff for sale for higher than it sells for on eBay (which is a scalpers paradise to begin with).
Now, they can Not Sell stuff for whatever price they want. We all see these crazy ads. I just wish there was a better way for me to wade through these garbage ads. Perhaps Facebook should tighten up the time these junk ads can remain active to only a couple weeks and then they are deleted. How many ads that have been posted for months have you seen? I’ve seen plenty and it’s not because the item was sold, it’s because these sellers are medically insane.
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Arts & Crackers
I can totally understand your frustration. Facebook Marketplace is just like anywhere else. There are a lot of amazing buyers and sellers, but there will always be those bots, scammers, and of-questionable-conscience people taking advantage of the platform. Hopefully you can find a way to sift through it and enjoy the useful aspects of Marketplace and have some better interactions.
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VinnyV94
Hi, just wondering if person 1 says they’re interested but hasn’t confirmed yet and person 2 pops in and says they’re interested and have confirmed, does that mean I can skip person 1 and sell to person 2 or should I wait for person 1s response? I am not in a rush to sell and even if I was, I don’t wanna undercut person 1 nor do I want to keep person 2 waiting.
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VinnyV94
I can’t edit so I’ll reply to my own comment.
So basically I’m currently in the process of selling and like I said, person 1 is interested but they asked questions about the product thus have not confirmed (yet). Person 2 chimed in and is willing to buy today. So I told person 2 that person 1 is interested but not confirmed. I then flicked a message to person 1 if they’re still interested which I probably should have done yesterday. As much as I am all about First In, First Serve, I’m not sure if I should keep person 2 waiting considering how willing they are to pay and communicate.
I’m in no hurry to sell, but IMO, I feel like I should sell to person 2 ASAP.
I hope this isn’t a stupid question and thank you for the article by the way.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Vinny,
I totally understand what you are saying and have been in similar situations. “First come first served” can apply here too. If the first who asked is not responding, especially if you responded quickly, I personally would move on to the next person who is actually responding. Many now will send an initial message then never respond. Sometimes they are legitimate-looking messages too. Go with the one who is actually communicating with you, and just be clear when communicating back, should the first person reach out eventually.
Hope that helps!
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VinnyV94
Cheers for your answer.
The funny thing now is person 2 actually ended up not coming and bought the same item from someone else which is totally fine
Thanks again for your reply.
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Arts & Crackers
That is frustrating. I have had that happen. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be a good communicator or thoughtful person. I hope you find just the right buyer for your item.
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on whos timeline should the transaction occur. some buyers, insane buyers, think youll wait around til they show up
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Arts & Crackers
Everyone’s time is valuable. If you are the seller, you have a right to deny the sale to someone. I have had some people that I did not wait around for, but others I did (some had some actual things come up and I had time to sit around and be patient for them, and the items I was selling were bigger so it was worthwhile). I have had others that I ended up skipping because I did not feel they were valuing my time and was sure I was stood up.
This is why communication is so important. Buying and selling in this realm should be give-and take.
If someone is not communicating with me clearly and I have others lined up for the item (or I have no urgent need to get rid of it), I will sometimes pass on selling to them. I do try my hardest, because we are all living life and have things come up, but as I mentioned before, time is valuable. Even when I have given things away free, my time is valuable. Respect is important, and sometimes that means respecting yourself enough to set up a boundary (i.e. “Please show up by x time or I will move on to the next person,” then actually move on).
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Pam Phillips
Help! I held an item for a buyer for 4 days. He decided against it. In the meantime, I had marked the item Pending and still got over 30 inquiries– one even offered more. Can I relist the item at original price with “Or best offer”? I was banned from MP for 6 months after my identity was stolen (I naively gave my phone number and they went to town)…my credit card company caught it, but by then, too late. When I tried to log into MP using my phone number BAM, YOU ARE BANNED… no reason… all I can think is bc my phone number had been changed. Anyway, I do not want to take any chances.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Pam,
I am not sure how to totally avoid being kicked off of Marketplace (because I’m not in control of that and they are wonky sometimes), but definitely don’t give your phone number out unless you are 100% sure it is a real person who is not scamming you, and never, ever do that whole “code” thing they try. I will sometimes mess with the scammers and give them the number to the FBI fraud department (though one time I did that it ended up being a real person who was not Facebook savvy, and it gave him a little chuckle).
I do know that Facebook does not like it when you increase the prices. If you totally removed it and reposted with some updated pictures and an updated description, you can probably get away with that. I know there have been people who priced things too low without knowing the value and were able to do that. Just do not update that post itself with a different price. You will have to make the decision on updating the price though.
If you just want to have it sold, you may want to just leave it and start going through the other messages to sift for real inquiries. If they waited that long and the first guy ended up passing, it may not be something you will want to increase the price on. If someone offered more and you haven’t gotten back to anyone else yet, it is up to you who you contact, so you could technically talk to the one who offered more. Personally I like to go in order of inquiry, because I believe that is the fairest way to address it, unless they offered less (then I give them first dibs if they want to pay full price or ask them to wait to see if the other inquiries end up passing before I reduce the price).
Without knowing what it is exactly, the price, what it’s worth to you, and all of that, I can only help so much.
I hope this helps!
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I’m not under standing the “Don’t talk down to women” statement. Shouldn’t it be “Don’t talk down to anyone or just be respectful”. Depending on the item for sale and the genders involved, it can go either way.
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Arts & Crackers
Definitely don’t talk down to anyone. I was very clear about respect going both ways throughout the post. Unfortunately, people often treat women differently, so it needed an extra little note to avoid assumptions that thought it was okay to talk down to a woman because she’s a woman. I have purchased things men thought I couldn’t handle, and I was talked down to and mistreated specifically because I am a woman (they were clear about that). This is the only reason why I had to make the extra note. Of course, be kind and courteous and respectful to everyone, no matter what.
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Been reading the comments and people find out they’ve listed things too cheap and then go back and up the price. Well I think the pricing depends on how badly you want to sell it. Maybe it is listed too cheap but you have to weigh the facts – do you want it sitting in your garage for another year or do you really want to get rid of it. I go cheap so I can get it sold.
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Arts & Crackers
Yes, pricing can be influenced by a lot of things. Many people do not mind holding on to something longer (and not having to sift through the hundreds of messages when something is under-priced), so they put the price up to something more accurate to the value. Several inherit items that they do not know the value of initially, either, and have reasons why they would like to get closer to what the item is worth. Others just want to get rid of it. It’s really a personal preference. Personally, I tend to list a bit closer to their worth on Marketplace, but far less than their worth when I have items out at a physical yard sale (because those tend to be things I just want gone).
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mary c evans
I got a pop up saying some of your listings need……………..
I have NO IDEA what listings you are talking about! Could you kindly name the listing that is wrong in some way and tell me why i can not seem to get a person or robot to talk to me!
I am at total loss. Please specify the problem. thank youReply
Arts & Crackers
Hi Mary, would you please give me more information on what you are experiencing, where, and what you are needing? Where are these popups showing? Facebook Marketplace? I am not in charge of that, I simply share my tips from my experiences in using Marketplace. I am a real person, but trying to get a real person or a response at all from Facebook can be difficult. Is that what you are referring to? If you can give me more information, I will try to help figure it out with you in any way I am able.
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Amanda
I just ran across this article and appreciate your advice. I am new to buying and selling on Marketplace but have bought and sold a ton on similar sites. I just came across the weirdest seller recently. They had a hard to find item I really wanted. I asked a few questions they responded to and then offered a price to them that they agreed on. I then asked about payment types they excepted and they eventually told me (each message back was more delayed. I figured they had just gotten busy with life). I then asked where specifically to send payment and never got a response. I followed up several days later saying I was still interested and would like to send payment. It took a few days to get a response but they finally apologized for the delay and that they had been out of town but STILL didn’t send me any info as where to send payment. I am so dumbfounded. I can’t figure out how they sell anything by being so flakey. I am ready to pay them I just needed an email address but now I am worried I’d never get my item even if I sent a speedy payment.
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Arts & Crackers
Hi Amanda,
Unfortunately there are flaky people on there and a lot of scammers. If it doesn’t feel right, you might just have to pass. I have had some people that I had similar issues with (purchasing a vintage Care Bear for my newest nephew), and the person was in the middle of moving and just wasn’t putting the time into actually reading my messages, but I met the seller in person to purchase, so it was a little safer than sending a payment and hoping to receive a product. I’ve also had someone scam me recently (not fully, as I was suspicious and put checks in place to protect myself—and I ended up researching this person and the address they gave me so intensely that I was able to uncover a whole ring and send it to the necessary government agencies…fun times), and they seemed far more legitimate than other scammers I’ve dealt with, so do check into as much as you can before making any payments.
Another issue could have been you asking for the email address. That is how this person tried to scam me—using email and fake PayPal messages. You may want to ask for alternative ways to pay. PayPal and Venmo seem to be the ones that scammers use. If this is an item you can meet in person for, pay in cash. If it’s not, you can ask about PayPal—but double-check all emails and links for legitimacy; I believe you can also pay directly through Facebook (which a lot do—I had to cancel someone’s order that way, because they paid for something without reading the actual description and having a conversation with me, which was necessary on that particular post).
As a rule, I do not ship items—I use ebay for that, because there are just too many scammers out there, so the person may just be nervous about that comment…or maybe the person is busy with summer and scatter-brained…or maybe the person really is a scammer and you’ll need to move on, and the reason you’re not hearing back is for your protection. Sometimes those hard-to-find items we desperately want are too good to be true on there, unfortunately.
I hope that helps and you’re able to figure it out, and I especially hope that you are safe and can identify ahead of time if it’s a scam.
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