To despise Facebook marketplace

[KiaraN83]

I’ve started using Facebook Marketplace for my DD baby stuff, selling it really cheap too eg £5 for a £50 walker so people are getting a good offer and my stuff is from smoke free home, all clean etc

People just seem to lose their brains when they’re on it! For example I had 15 + messages about the jumperoo, half were asking if it was available, I replied yes but no response. Fair enough not too annoying.
I had one conversation like this

Buyer: is this still available
Me: Yes it is
Buyer: Great. What’s your address?
Me: Gives address
Buyer: Thanks
4 hours pass
Me: Are you coming for it today
Buyer: No sorry
Me: okay, are you coming for it at all?
Buyer: I’m still thinking about whether I want it

Another conversation
Buyer: hey I can collect tomorrow!
Me: Great here’s my address
Buyer: thanks, I’ll message you in the morning with a time
one week passes with no message
i decide to drop the price
Buyer: Can I have this? Sorry I can’t get a lift up to you
five mins later
Buyer: I can’t get up to you but could you meet me at my work and drop it off to me?
Please note this is a huge jumperoo also selling for £5

Buyer: (8:07) is this still available?
Me: Yes it is (8:15)
Buyer: sorry you were too slow I’ve bought another now (8:17)

I’ve had loads more too like saying they’ll pick up today and then never showing.

I guess I’m just having a rant here but AIBU to feel irritated by people?

I’m also taking the stuff to the charity shop today as I just can’t be bothered with market place anymore! Haha

I dislike FB marketplace as well, but I have used it.

Basically, I state in my ads my approx area, that I won't hold, I expect a collection time, I will give my address then (tho state I will be out an hour later), I won't deliver, and if the ad is up, it's still available.

Then I ignore any 'is this available?' 'auto-replies'.

Still doesn't deter the most determinedly hard-of-thinking! 😊

I've put up lots of brand new Estee Lauder the other day, all in boxes, never used - had one person who said, 'never heard of it - will give you a fiver for the lot', and one who asked if I still had the receipt and had I paid cash .

I sold a really nice children's wooden kitchen for a very cheap price (had loads of interest).

Woman messaged me to say she had set off, then messaged me 5 mins later to say she was 5 pounds short so could she just pay less so she wouldn't have to go to the cash machine!

I was so cross and told her absolutely not. She coughed up the full amount in the end

Try selling a iPhone. I had messages from all over the place even though I'd learnt to put my area and county on the advert. People asking to post even though I'd put collection only.

Finally a local man who wanted to haggle. I refused as it was already a good price. In the end he agree the full price and that he'd come now so I have my address. Once he had it he said "oh just the let you know when I get there I'll haggle a bit more". I told him not to bother coming round I'm not selling to him any longer and how dare he get my address off me under a pretence of buying it for full price. The very next day he message again and asked for it at full price. At this point I'd sold it. CF

I've used it to get rid of bulky items at nominal cost, but it's still more effort that I expected.

'Collection only from XXX'
"Can you deliver?"
Time and time again.

I got the best responses with 'if you can pick it up tonight it's yours' and then move on to the next person if not taken.

Yes, it is a lot like that. You have to have a lot of patience.

I agree it’s better than ebay but yes, a bit of a pita! I hate that people never mark their items as sold so you message about stuff and it’s gone already.
I offered an upright piano for free and was asked by around 10 people if i would deliver it... no... it’s free and have you ever tried to move a fecking piano! 🙈

I will never forget the time I sold a sky remote

The bloke who wanted it, wanted me to deliver it. When I refused as I didn’t drive, he asked if my dh could do it. Considering he had been at work all night the answer was a firm no.

He messaged back about how he really wanted it but he couldnt be bothered to get up and get dressed and then walk round.

Tough!!!

Sold it to another bloke who was round within 10 mins

We buy from it but gave up selling. Our jumperoo went to the tip after 4 people said they wanted then disappeared into a black hole then I discovered Fb won't let you sell breast feeding equipment on their site so I couldn't sell an electric breast pump. That went in the bin as well. sigh.

FB market place annoys me but I have sold a few things on it. I posted a bag of childrens clothes. Few bottoms, loads of tops and a couple of hoodies. Asked for £10 for it all. Woman messages asking If I would deliver - say sure for £2.50 - so £12.50 total. She then queries as it is on for £10. i say yes the items are £10 but delivery is extra. She says she will only pay £10 so I tell her to jog on.
I never give my address out unless someone commits to a rough time of day to collect.
Had someone message me about a toy i was selling - where are you, so i say my area. They ask where it is (? this is all on the listing) so i reply near this school and this shop. She replies I'm in Peterborough - I don't know the area. I reply that I'm in Poole (not exactly but you get the gist). She then asks if I can post it - umm no!!! Seriously why would you ask for an item that is miles and miles from where you live

It's the worst. Asking is available, you reply and then get no response.

Our jumperoo went to the tip
I couldn't sell an electric breast pump. That went in the bin as well

So many local charities would have been thankful for those. No need at all for them to go in the bin or to the tip.

I've only just started to dabble in Facebook marketplace, I'd had no idea it was so bad! I message someone yesterday to see if their item was still available (apparently a no-no! 🙈) Agreed the asking price and arranged to collect today around 4, they said they'd message me their address today at lunch time. At the time I thought it was a bit odd but whatever but now I totally get it! (Although still haven't heard from them and in my eyes it's passed lunchtime!)

You get time wasters unfortunately.

I’ve managed to sell some stuff on there and it’s really handy because eBay you have to send things off and use PayPal, and don’t have the time or patience to be faffing about with all that. So that Facebook Marketplace is a bit of a godsend really. The time wasters are inevitable on things like that, but there are lots of genuine buyers too.

I had a few good ones when I was clearing my mum's house after she died.
Two garden recliners, less than a year old, £50. Loads of interest.
30th responder "is this available?"
Me "you're 30th in the queue, let you know"
Him "will you take any less"
Me "erm no"

'Ken' wanted a single bed and mattress for £10, he was about 10th in the queue, person earlier in the queue came and collected so I marked as sold. Ken assumed this was to him and set off from Skegness to Chesterfield, to an address he didn't have, and then subjected me to a barrage of abuse when I told him it had gone. I told him to go to IKEA on the way home 😂

So many frustrating people out there.

I always put the general area for collection only.... time and time again "where are you"

Or generally just asking questions which are answered In the listing.

I only ever give my address on the day of confirmed collection and when I know I will be home for a period of time before hand and never say... oh I'm at work or I'll be out then.

Fb policies are odd as well. Listed some pandora boxes and bags... goes against policies... listed it again... no problem.

Listed some slimming world recipe books... goes against policies.... listed again as recipie books... accepted

Listed some arts and craft materials, no problem, still not sold so reduced price and bumped up the list... suddenly now goes against policies

I can not work out what policy any of those items breach!

OP completely agree !!!!!

I had one woman begging me for an item - fine I gave in as another woman was sketchy.

Begged me for that day.

Didn't pick it up
Pretended they were 5 mins away in the car
Did this twice over a 2 hour wait.
Then never replied again

I mean ??!! 😩

Once I put a decent chair in free to get shot. Massive mistake - basically got abuse there was so much interest of over 20 people

The eventual settler never arrived .

Chair still in garage!

Gah!!!

Don't forget there's Gumtree Freebies if you decide to give stuff away.

I admit I wouldn't dream of chasing makeup, jewellery, mobiles or any gaming type stuff on FB marketplace. But I do get a laugh out of the grotty pile of grubby, used children's clothes, blurry photo wanting £10!

I put some old kitchen appliances, fridge, washing machine etc on Facebook. They were a few years old, but still working. I put them up for free, collection only etc and photos of the items. Someone messaged me straight away are they available?,
Me:: yes,
Person; I'm desperate for a new fridge [insert sob story]
Me: yeh you can have them. They are available straight away, but collection only
Person. Okay. What colour?
Me; white as per the photos.
Person: oh I want black.
She had literally said she was desperate and couldn't afford new, etc. But yeh her priority was the bloody colour 🙄

I LOVE facebook marketplace.
It gives people who never worked retail or hospitality perfect experience of how dumb and ridiculous general public is😁

@IAmALazyArse

Absolutely, shamelessly going to steal this 😂😂

I think there are knobs everywhere but you've been quite unlucky. Maybe it depends on where you live?
I sold pretty much all my large baby items without much hassle. Jumperoo dor £40, walker for £15, baby gate for £10, playpen for £45, high chair £35, bumbo seat £20, nappy bin / canisters £30... and loads more. I found it hard to sell small stuff and didn't do too well on clothes although I sold a few items.
Like the others said, don't give your address. Tell them where you are like south / north xxxx and only give the address once you have a commitment. Also I wouldn't wait a week. If they don't turn up the first time I give them a second chance, and after that block.
You can also try gumtree and shpock. I've had some luck with both. Failing all that, good old eBay can also work.
Good luck!

This irritates the crap out of me too. Had so many people ask for my address and never turn up which just creeps me out and is so rude. Even asked me to save items for them and still no show. I swear people get a kick out of it. How hard is it to say that you just don't want it/aren't coming anymore?! It's not like I'm in the house all day waiting around either I actually have to put plans on hold to be there. I doubt I'll be using it much in the future.

I have been quite lucky actually. Sold a few things without any problems but a couple of items were only worth about 10 or 20 quid and I wanted rid so told the buyers if they picked them up that day they could have them for free. They were so nice and so grateful, one man tried to insist I took the money and brought me chocolate biscuits as a thank you! One lady bought horse riding boots from me but within a couple of days realized they were too small and asked very nicely if she could return them. She only wanted half the money back as she felt she had inconvenienced me but I gave her a full refund so she dropped me in a box of chocolates. I only give my address when they are on their way and I tell them there is always someone at home (there usually is), can't be too careful.

Currently on ours is:

A duster you can buy in TK Maxx for £3, asking £8.

An old pallet, painted blue, few rods hammered in. Donut holder for weddings and parties. £40

Handmade sign for page boy reading 'Yes ladies I'm single' £10

Firepit aka old washing machine drum. £10

When you consider the people selling this crap are the ones after yours, it explains a lot...

I have only used facebook market place once. I listed an art deco chair for my mother in law. It had been passed down the family since new. So was special to her but no really getting any love and she's desperately trying to get rid of things. (actually she's trying to get rid of stuff so we don't have to when she's dead.) The only person to reply was a lovely lady that popped by and had a lovely chat with her about the history of the chair. They agreed a fair price. Turns out the lady is a professional upholsterer. A few months later she sent us a photo of the chair with its new upholstery. She loves the chair so much she is keeping it for herself.