To ask you to explain how marketplace works?

[Ifthisiswheretheworldisheadingcountmeout]

When you're scrolling through marketplace and spot an item you like, do you read the description and look at the pictures? Assuming you're going to ask if it's available.

I'm trying to sell a few things ATM (really need the funds!). I lay all my adverts out the same way:

Collection only from >postcode<
Item condition (good, excellent condition etc)
Brief, honest description of said item

Then I upload as many photos as possible.

I really do not exaggerate when I say that (other than a few blatant scammers) every single person has asked for the collection postcode and item condition, after the standard 'is this available?' opener. Every single one. It's inthe first two lines of the description.

Honestly not usually quick to anger but after 50+ messages over multiple items I'm just at a loss. Going to look into eBay and gumtree in the hope that I won't be spending so much time spoon feeding people information which is right there laid out for them. I'm now wondering if theres some sort of glitch where people don't get to see the description or do they just not read it?!

Can anyone explain?! I want to be kind and give people the benefit of the doubt but I'm struggling!!!

No idea why they do this, but I find FB Marketplace useless. I sell most stuff on eBay ( which is not without its problems but much more reliable)

@Moanranger I love your screen name 😀

I'm really hoping someone is going to tell me it's an algorithm thing and not a person thing, because if it's the people then I just despair!!!

When you click to message the sender it comes up with a selection of standard questions, one being “is this item still available” so that’s explains one reason. Personally I find people advertise stuff on various pages as well as marketplace so if I’ve seen an ad on a local page it may have been sold on another page and the ad not updated, so I like to open with this question anyway. It’s also helpful to ask the condition even if it’s states good condition as I find that’s a standard advert wording yet when you query it’s condition the sellers then elaborate more on marks and scratches etc. as a buyer I like to have a slight conversation before agreeing to buy an item, particularly if it’s a local collection so that I know I’m not talking to a scammer or a weirdo or mass murderer. But that’s my personal opinion!! I also think if a seller wants to sell an item then it also shows I’m genuinely interested and again that I’m not a time waster if I start a conversation

If you're viewing via marketplace I agree, however you can also post the advert to selling groups (which is the final option when posting via marketplace). In these groups you can see the picture and the title but have to actively click on the picture to bring up the description so anyone viewing via a selling group may not see your description in the same way as they would using the marketplace section.

Ohhhh, that is probably what it is!!! That makes so much more sense. Thank you!

I still think I'd click through and read it personally, but at least I have more insight.

I completely hear you on starting a conversation to make sure the person selling it is legit, and also show you're not a time waster but asking questions which the advert already answers is wasting time. I always ask 'why are you selling' or something, unless that's already been answered in their text. Not saying you do this, just been an incredibly frustrating experience!

Think I have the answer as to why people seem to have not read the description though if it isn't showing up on the group listings. Ugh. I swear it didn't use to be this hard. Or maybe I just had more patience before I had toddlers. They take all the reasonable human out of me and there's none left over for the rest of the population.

I gave up with marketplace and now only sell on local FB groups, no issues whatsoever now

Also when you message a seller the conversation moves to messenger. So once you've asked 'is this available' and they reply, there is no way to navigate from the conversation back to the original item. It is so annoying. I'm looking for hemnes day bed at the moment and have messaged about 8 people to ask if still available. Once they reply I can't go straight to the item to double check location. So I don't know which of the 8 it is and end up asking location etc which makes me look like a lazy idiot!
It so so annoying and I wish Facebook would sort it out!

I agree it's annoying as a seller, but I think the whole thing is so clunky.....

If you are selling something broadly generic like, I dunno, a washing machine, or a bookcase, buyers will probably see a number of these in their area, and will need to message about all of them because (unlike with eBay) often items are left on there that have actually already sold.

And then, as somebody else mentioned, once you are on Messenger messaging the seller, it is really hard to work out how to get back to the original listing. (It can be done, but I always forget how). So basically you know you have messaged about a washing machine or whatever, but you probably messaged about 8 people about one of those.....

So I often end up having to ask the kind of annoying questions you mention, which were probably clear in the listing...

(Tho also, many listings on there are extremely brief - that could be another reason for the phenomenon you mention - people don't bother to look as often there is no info).

I more or less furnished my house on a tiny budget on Marketplace, so I can't fault it as a buyer. Bloody nightmare as a seller, though......

Pro tip!

Thanks that's helpful :)