Facebook Marketplace

[guessmyusername]

Does anyone use Facebook Marketplace and give me some advice. I have some items to sell and previously I have used eBay and gum tree to sell stuff, but I was persuaded to try Facebook Marketplace.

It has been quite a hassle. People not turning up as expected with no communication. People asking me to post item and saying they will put cheque in post but it never arrives. People getting annoyed when I mark an item as sold when they have agreed to buy it but not picked it up yet, and also others when I have not marked it as sold when they have agreed to buy it!

Then there is the people who want things for next to nothing. I had an item up for £140 and someone offered £30 saying it was their best and final offer. It was not overpriced as I sold it the next day for my full price.

On the whole it is really the people who don't turn up that annoy me. It is just plain rude. Don't get me wrong I know things sometimes crop up and I am very understanding. I had one lady not turn up and then message me the next day saying she was very sorry she got called in to work. She asked to come another time which I agreed and then she didn't turn up again!!

Can anyone give any advice? Is this what it is like or have I just been unlucky? TY

I think it’s almost too easy for people to get in touch via Marketplace, when they have no intention of actually buying the item. It’s just a click of a button to send a prepopulated “is this item still available?” message. I think if you had to type out your own message, most of these time wasters wouldn’t bother.

I’ve had similar experiences, but then again I’ve also sold a load of stuff hassle-free. Sometimes it depends on the value of the item also.

Agreeing to post an item on a promise of a cheque being sent is very very naive - always cash on collection or PayPal. Re. the time wasters though it sounds as if you have just been unlucky to me. I’ve bought a few things off marketplace and as a buyer it’s always been no hassle, not yet tried to sell anything myself

Too easy to post a prompted message as you scroll. No shows are just rude, report to admin, they are usually reoffenders... if anyone sends an offer, refuse and remind them the auction site they seem to think they are on is ebay. I post sstc when someone arranges collection and then confirm who is second in line but only post sold when it is gone and I am standing with money in my hands. Nothing gets posted without payment. There are chancers everywhere. You gotta play tough or change your advertising medium and go back to what you prefer.

Can I point out I have not posted any item without payment. It is just when they promise cheque is in the post I turn down other potential buyers.

The hassle is worth not having to faff about with the post office and pay ridiculous PayPal and eBay fees in my opinion. It is annoying but I have learnt to be quite tight on pick up times and availability and that has worked. When you say ‘am in all afternoon’, that’s when they take the mick. ‘can only manage Tuesday between 6 and 8’ seems to work better!

Why would you post something without any proof of payment? Marketplace is purely for selling stuff locally and you have to be careful of CF's. State that you won't go lower than the advertised price and only serious buyers. Ignore people who don't get back right away and organise properly.

Sorry just saw that you said you haven't actually posted. But I wouldn't be accepting cheque anyway. And as far as I'm concerned until the person is on my doorstep with the money to pay then the item is still available.

Unfortunately I think your experience is common.
But I have found that by being a bit more ruthless then it works better.
I also keep a note of the next people who commented and offer to them if the first are no shows.

Aah sorry- I read it as you had posted items without receiving the payment first ( I was a bit thinking that people would still do this) 🙂

I've found this too OP. I recently put on an item for £160 (absolute steal at that price too!). A man got in touch and aggressively said he'd collect it and 'give me cash' if I'd accept £30! I said no. He then proceeded to abuse me and say it was his 'final offer' and it was a 'good deal' as he was paying cash! I blocked him and the item sold within minutes for £160, with a 'waiting list' of other buyers if it didn't get collected.

I still wonder how else he thought he was going to pay a random member of the public for it, if it wasn't 'cash' 😩 Idiot man!

You're being too nice!

Don't mark as sold until someone collects.

If someone has messaged you via the item you can rate them as a buyer. If the don't turn up, give them a poor reliability rating.

Put in your add no offers accepted and just ignore

A few weeks ago someone posted a suggestion of a MN freecycle site. I don't know if they were being serious, but knowing the problems with Freecycle, FB marketplace etc, I suggested a code of conduct, which you might like:

All ads to be written in English not txt spk and must not feature the words need gone

No glittery shite

Anyone asking for items must not be cheeky fuckers. Eg its reasonable asking if anyone has spare items of low value, but they must not expect a full set up of everything for a house, baby etc of new from John Lewis quality for free.

Similarly no-one should be stalking the site for freebies to then sell at car boots etc

People should not expect items to be delivered unless offered.

People should not make up ridiculous stories as to why they deserve the item the most

People to turn up when they say they will and take the item without imposing on the offerer - ie if the item is suitable to be left outside, they do this.

If the site offers items for sale, as well as for free, no ridiculous bargaining or stupid swap requests. Eg sale of a good quality push chair for £100. Offering £80/90 is fine but don't come up with a sob story about why you must be allowed to buy it for £20 or swap it for a dirty 15 year old car seat of dubious origin.

If a price is agreed, they should stick to that when they collect the item.

Op yanbu. I'm still waiting got a solicitors letter from a buyer who insisted I refund him when the brand new, sold as seen, boots felt apart within a couple of days. Unsurprisingly he couldn't supply me with the unique number of the pair I had sold (I kept all the photos I took). I even contacted the manufacturer and passed their reply on to him.

Ive only sold one thing and that went well. I’ve bought two iPads for a great price in brilliant condition. I think marketplace is a great idea but I only use it for local items, never post, only collect in person and inspect the goods properly. Prices are great and no commissions.

I would use for cash on collection and local only.

People ridiculously over price on Marketplace.

Sorry, but your 'barely used' 'as new' sofa you bought 3 years ago in DFS for eg £1200, no one would pay £1000, I'd go to DFS and get a new one, delivered, under warranty. It's worth £100 max. And I watch them sitting there week after week, reducing by £50 a week. Until they give up and you get the 'make me an offer' adjustment. I'm afraid that goes for any item - you cannot expect almost full retail value when you cannot offer any warranty.

But my absolute pet hate at the moment is the house clearance woman antiques dealer who is using Marketplace as her own personal website, wading through 50 odd adverts for 'mid century' 1960's sideboards.

And don't start me on the amount of quite obviously shop lifted stuff!!

I've used Gumtree and Ebay a lot but just started using Facebook Marketplace. So far it's not been great either. Easy enough to put the advert up though.

I've had 3 people enquire after an item, I say the item is still available then nothing.

*Years ago when it was newspaper adverts to sell stuff, I used to get people phone up a lot of the time, it was like they phoned up for a chat!

I think it's good as a buyer but probably not as a seller. I search specifically for what I want and have got some absolute bargains. For example a 20's sideboard in perfect condition for £10! I think because there's no contract once offer is accepted like eBay it's always going to be rubbish as a seller unfortunately.

DP has tried selling some stuff on there recently and has been so frustrated by it, he claimed that Marketplace is populated by idiots (rude ones at that!).

He's had a constant stream of people making ridiculous offers (think £25 offer for something advertised at a bargainous £120 ) who then get rude and obnoxious when he says No. Also people not showing up to buy when they say etc

It makes ebay look like a dream selling environment!

I'm glad it is not just me having problems with it. I love eBay for certain items but their charges are a bit much!!

I have used it a few times. I don’t care about the CFasking for delivery etc (for example a 2hr round trip for a £10 item) I just say no.

Don’t mark anything as sold until gone and I don’t give my address until people are on their way. I normally let others know that the item is sold subject to collection and il msg them if people don’t turn up. Iv seen other item for sale that state something like ‘due to past CFs I will not hold items longer than hour or collection time first to collect gets’

Sending item to be sent cheque later...I wouldn’t entertain such madness and just remove myself from thread and block user.

I've used Facebook marketplace to get some baby things which have been good. Always arrange a time in plain English, no text speak and definitely no haggling down to next to nothing, if you don't want to pay what they're selling it for, then don't argue the toss, it's rude!

I've put some dvds on myself, no interest but perhaps that's because I pre-empted the cheeky fuckery with 'they are £1, any messages or arriving then offering lower will be told no' and cash on collection only