Facebook Marketplace - The New Craigslist

From what I can tell, the Marketplace takes all of the local "yard sale"-type groups and rolls them into one convenient location. So far, I've bought some video games and a guitar from there with success, and I find it just as easy if not easier than Craigslist But....

It's every bit as shady and dangerous as Craigslist. It basically takes the anonymity of Craigslist and puts a face on it: your face. If you aren't cool with that, then it might not be for you. I had a drum kit for sale up there recently, and one guy kept being really weird about it. Come to find out, he lived about 200 miles away and wanted me to bring them to him after we agreed on a price. And when I told him no, he got really strange. I have my profile locked down, so he thankfully couldn't creep too much.

In reply to Stampie:

You can interact directly with the seller for information by posting on the ad.

For example, you could post "does it have a four or five speed manual?" And you could get the response "yeah, IDK" back within minutes!

Stampie wrote: So they don't even give a basic description? Just a picture and price? That's stupid.

No... you click on the picture and usually there's a description, but like CL, the quality of that description can vary.

When on a computer, I find it easier to just browse the specific trading groups individually. You can also do this on your phone. The Marketplace button is just a shortcut.

marks93cobra wrote: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace ...works for me (not on my phone or tablet, I JUST looked at it on my desktop PC with Chrome [not that I think the browser matters])

I'm getting a not available message.

Facebook certainly buried that deep enough, or it hasn't worked for a couple hours, that it's a nuisance.

There's no way I'm putting the AIDs that is the Facebook app on my phone to try it.

I've recently walked away from the book of faces, but "Offer Up" app has led to some great furniture scores (buying and selling) recently.

Still has flakes, but seems to have a little better ratio...for now.

Thanks for the information. Down the rabbit hole I go, only to find out it's not available in Canada

oh man, the marketplace link works. Just a week ago I tried using googlefu to see if there was a way around the mobile only part... looks like they are slowly allowing it onto pc.

I have to admit I'm not a fan. Compared to forums or Craigslist, it is harder to search by narrow/specific parameters, harder to tell where the item is located, and harder to communicate with potential sellers/buyers, since most people use Facebook messages, rather than email/phone numbers. Combine that with the fact that it isn't chronological, and never looks the same when you come back to it later (thanks for nothing, Facebook sort!) and it really just seems like the answer to a question nobody was asking.

In reply to ae86andkp61:

I agree it's definitely nowhere near as user-friendly as Craigslist. Trying to search for something isn't easy. It's essentially the online equivalent of driving around to sales in peoples' front yards.

In my very limited experience, the users are just as bad as bottom feeder craigslisters. I had something for sale on a very specific FB classified page, and I guess it got added to the general marketplace, and holy E36 M3, the people who cant berkeleying read descriptions, and asking me to put in way more effort than something as cheap as I was selling was worth caused me to just pull my ad down. This might be enough to drive me back to ebay.

In reply to marks93cobra:

There goes my productivity at work today... Already found someone selling four dozen tamales piled in plastic sacks for $12. I'm not sure if this is wonderful or awful.

ae86andkp61 wrote: I have to admit I'm not a fan. Compared to forums or Craigslist, it is harder to search by narrow/specific parameters, harder to tell where the item is located, and harder to communicate with potential sellers/buyers, since most people use Facebook messages, rather than email/phone numbers. Combine that with the fact that it isn't chronological, and never looks the same when you come back to it later (thanks for nothing, Facebook sort!) and it really just seems like the answer to a question nobody was asking.

Add to that, you can't directly link to an ad. I saw something the other day I wanted to send to my cousin, who is not on FB. If it was a CL ad, I could just send him a link, but you can't do that with FB marketplace.

My coworker suggested Marketplace to try to sell Subarust but I got the impression it had a much smaller following, and trying to add photos using only my phone would take forever because most of them are older pics and it was making me scroll through countless photos. Even only a few weeks old.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Sure about that? I've sent direct links to ads before, but the recipient is also on FB.

Ian F wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: Sure about that? I've sent direct links to ads before, but the recipient is also on FB.

I think they have to be, that's the issue. I don't know of a way to send a single FB post to a person without a FB account. I'm sure that's by design, they want people to sign up.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Yes, if you want to send a FB link to somebody, that person needs to be on FB.

As an aside, FB can be subject to the same amusement. For example, my neighbor across the street had a '79 Lincoln Continental for a couple of years. He got it free. Very low miles (under 30K), but due to street living in Philly and getting 35 years of slat getting sprayed on it, the driver's side of the car is Swiss cheese from rust.

He sold it last week for $500.

I just saw it posted on FB for $5000.

i have a facebook specifically for sale pages and car groups, mostly forced because my job uses it to post announcements.

trying to hide it from people from my home town/family.

"I see you have that listed for 200, will you take 50? I can pay you saterday, I kno my E36 M3..."

SMH

In reply to Mad_Ratel:

Funny

Saw these on the cincy scca exchange on fb and thought challenge worthy for someone.

The general search function sucks.  It frequently gives me results way outside my area, plus listings that have nothing to do with my search words.

I can't figure it out, other than people must be paying FB to promote their ad listings.  Anyway, it blows and I only sometimes find what I'm looking for.  I sort of gave up on it, but still sell on it occaisonally.  

A few years after this thread started, I do NOT prefer FB marketplace. At least in my area, the ads are too brief, the sellers are flakier than on CL, and there is just so little in the way of quality anything.

I'm sticking with CL. 

I do get the sense that it might be better in other regions, but here, all the legit options are on CL.

The basic search function still drives me crazy. If I'm looking for, say a Corvair, I don't want to see a Corvair on top and then scratch down a dozen pages to find another three or four.

So Facebook has a place where you can give feedback on its various offerings. I type in my concern, and..... it won't send. 

It's truly amazing to me that an organization that's so big yet not part of the government  can suck so much. FBs starting to remind me of Yahoo.

In reply to 84FSP :

I'd like those for my S10, but I can't imagine the size of spacers I would have to run.

In reply to 84FSP :

Oh my, the want is strong. These still available? I'm sure they're replicas but on the off chance they're actually GM wheels they're worth making the call.