Should You Use Facebook Marketplace? Advantages and disadvantages
Facebook Marketplace has become a popular platform for local buying and selling. It offers easy access and a large audience of potential buyers and sellers. But is it the right platform for you?
Benefits of using Facebook Marketplace
Not sure about using Facebook Marketplace? There are many reasons why this is a Facebook feature you might want to use.
Easy to use
Facebook Marketplace is incredibly easy to navigate. It’s built into the existing Facebook app, so there’s no need to download anything extra. The user interface is intuitive, making it easy to ship items, browse listings, and send messages directly to buyers or sellers. Personally, I had no problem picking it up and selling it, even though I had never done it before.
It’s even easy to add multiple records to one screen – no need to open multiple tabs here! This was especially helpful when I had to sell a lot of baby stuff. Instead of going one by one, I was able to upload all twenty items and sell them instantly.
Location flexibility
Facebook Marketplace allows you to target specific locations without having to join local community groups, although I would recommend this as a way to increase your chances of selling your items. This makes it easy to search or list items for sale in different regions, either nearby or in a specific city.
No fees
One of the biggest advantages of Facebook Marketplace is that there are no fees to post, buy or sell an item. This makes it cost-effective when compared to other platforms that take a percentage of your sales or require listing fees. I actually prefer it to selling on Ebay, which takes a cut of your sales.
Wide audience reach
With Facebook’s massive global user base, your items are exposed to quite a large audience. Even better, you can “target” where you want this content to be sold, whether that’s your local community or those from further afield.
Whether you’re selling a piece of furniture or looking for second-hand electronics, the platform’s large user base helps you quickly connect with the right buyer or seller.
Increase ability
Want your item to be seen by more people? Are you willing to pay for the privilege? The marketplace has the ability to “boost” your ad with campaigns of varying lengths to ensure your item sells.
Personally, I’ve never done upselling because my area is small enough to be seen easily, but I can see where it would be useful in larger cities.
Disadvantages of Facebook Marketplace
Like any other app, Facebook Marketplace also has its fair share of limitations that may cause some individuals to decide to skip it in favor of other apps.
Limited protections
Unlike platforms like Amazon and eBay, Facebook Marketplace doesn’t offer much buyer or seller protection. This means that if something goes wrong, such as a bad payment or the item is not as described, there is no official way to get your money or the item back. There is also no way to verify the status of items being sold.
Face-to-face items, vehicles and gems are just some of the items that aren’t covered by their purchase protection, and even those that are covered are still subject to Facebook’s decision as to whether or not you get your money back .
I once bought a laptop from someone in my town on Facebook Marketplace. We met in person but the seller seemed to be in a hurry. I should have known something was wrong then, but by the time I got home and tried it, guess what – it wouldn’t even turn on. I learned a valuable lesson that day, including the aforementioned fact that personal purchases are not covered and that people often create Marketplace-only profiles that they delete after they get your money.
Scams
Because of the limited protections mentioned above, Facebook Marketplace is a breeding ground for fraudsters. It’s important to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true or sellers asking for unusual payment methods.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
It lacks advanced features
Facebook Marketplace doesn’t offer the sophisticated features you might find on other e-commerce platforms. Sellers have no built-in analytics to track performance and seller profiles are minimal, making it harder for you to judge trustworthiness.
No anonymity
Since Facebook Marketplace is linked to your personal Facebook profile, buyers and sellers can see your name and possibly message you outside of the platform. This may raise privacy concerns for those who do not wish to publish their personal profiles.
Limited categories
While Facebook Marketplace covers a wide range of categories, some niche categories may be underrepresented. This limits your options if you are trying to buy or sell something in a less common category.
No customer support
If you encounter any problems on Facebook Marketplace, there is no dedicated customer service to help resolve disputes or transaction issues. While this isn’t a problem if your transaction goes smoothly, the lack of support will show when a problem occurs.
Buy and sell on Facebook Marketplace securely
To get the most out of the platform, the best solution to stay safe and get the most out of your experience while using Facebook Marketplace is to implement the following tips:
- Meet in public, well-lit places, preferably during the day.
- Verify profiles independently before making transactions.
- Use secure payment methods and avoid payments with untraceable funds in advance. Try accepting cash only or a system like PayPal that offers fraud protection.
- Trust your intuition; if you don’t like something, leave.
- Document your purchase with photos and messages in case of disputes.
- Communicate quickly and clearly with potential buyers/sellers.
Ultimately, while Facebook Marketplace is an affordable and free way to buy and sell, being aware of its limitations and using it safely and smartly makes for a more positive experience!