FB Marketplace. Isn't it just a tad annoying?

[scorpiogirly]

I saw some Christmas baubles on a Christmas train that I really liked. Didn't have a clue where they were from. I searched for ages on the new before finding them. They were from B&M but unfortunately they don't sell them anymore.

Scoured FB marketplace. 2 sellers had them listed but they were not local. Both selling for £5.

I messaged both sellers and told them I had been looking everywhere for the baubles and would they please consider posting them if i obviously covered the postage.

Both replied a flat no.

Why is this? If it were me I certainly would. I understand people get scammed but I would have transferred the money beforehand and would have paid for signed for delivery.

Probably because even sending them signed for I doubt you'd get them before Christmas now and it's just hassle they don't need

Maybe they don't live near a post office.

Because it is too much hassle for a small item. The idea of marketplace is more that you find local items.

Royal mail strikes mean nothing is getting delivered, signed for or not. Knock on effect with other firms.

Baubles are very fragile and most delivery firms will not carry/insure them.

I couldn’t be bothered to walk to the post office and deal with Christmas post queues and then the inevitable “where is it” questions during the strikes for a £5 item

I guess because it's a faff. For £5 they've got to package them up and then go to a post office. I live 10 miles from the nearest post office and wfh so not handy.

Yes it would be nice to do but in their shoes i couldn't be arsed either!

Like I'm going to wrap up £5 baubles and post them (small parcel size and price) for another fiver.

Then I'll get a message next week "They haven't arrived for Christmas" or "They've arrived but they're smashed"

It isn't worth listing small items generally, but I do it to recycle rather than bin. It definitely isn't worth taking on the role of a mail order firm. But you know that

Yabu. It's kind of a seller if they post but they don't have to and it can be a hassle especially if they don't live near post office. Tbh I'd say no now especially with the postage strike and something breakage. It be a firm no

All good points I'd not really considered.

The fact that I would do it for someone probably makes me a bit of a mug lol

It is frustrating, but if you asked me to post something, I would probably also refuse. I'd have to find some safe packaging materials, and pack it all up to start with, but then I'd also have to go to a Post Office. I work 8-5, Monday to Friday in a very rural location, I'm nowhere near a post office, so I'd have to take time off work... anyway, you can see what I'm getting out. People sell on FB Marketplace so they don't have to faff about with posting things. With the state of Royal mail at the moment, you might not even get them by Christmas

The advantage of selling on marketplace over a selling site is that it's for local people that can be collect without the hassle of posting. I've seen a lot of posts where people state they won't post. There's also the potential to be scammed or have people claiming refunds if you post.
There was no harm in you asking though.

This

It's just too much hassle. I tried to sell a couple of things on eBay, 99p start, for local collection. Really happy for them to go for 99p just to take them off my hands and I had to cancel them more than once because people kept bidding and then saying they would arrange a courier, I just had to take it to my coop, they would arrange etc etc. I didn't want to package it up and go to the effort. That's why it was local collection only.

I put things on Facebook at less than EBay prices to get rid of them quickly and easily.
I don’t want the bother of packing them and having to post, worrying if they will get damaged, or if the buyer will not be happy.
If I was happy to post I would use EBay, which is why I politely decline Facebook requests.