What am I entitled to if I purchase and sell on FB Marketplace? – sell on FB Marketplace – Facebook Marketplace is currently only available on the Facebook phone and tablet apps.
It uses what it knows about you, your likes, interests, and location, to provide you with a relevant feed of items to buy from others in your area. It also allows you to list your own items for sale.
You may quickly browse a list of items for sale and make an offer, or you may take a photo of your item, give a description, select an asking price, and post your listing. All of this is done using your existing Facebook profile.
However, there is no built-in payment feature, so you must plan to pay or meet up in person.
sell on FB Marketplace
Avoid potentially unsafe and counterfeit goods
The products for sale on Facebook are not verified. If possible, inspect any items you intend to purchase in person before handing over your money.
As with other internet deals, if a deal appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.
It is recommended practice to read independent reviews before purchasing anything online. It’s also a good idea to see if the product has been recalled or if a safety notice has been issued.
The information on a person’s profile, or lack thereof, may also give you a hint as to whether you wish to meet them in person.
Buying on Facebook Marketplace
You will have to sort out the details with the vendor because Facebook does not enable payment or delivery of things. We advise you to:
Avoid paying in advance. Avoid paying for anything in advance without first inspecting it.
Create a screenshot Take a screenshot of the listing to retain a record of how the product was described when you bought it. If there is a disagreement, you will have evidence.
Purchase at a reasonable cost. Check out other sites, such as Amazon, eBay, Gumtree, and other online auction alternatives, to see what other pricing is out there, and make sure to compare the cost of buying new versus used.
Examine the profile of the individual from whom you are purchasing. Consider the following sources of concern:
- The profile was very recently created.
- There are numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes.
- They haven’t been tagged in any images, but a real person would have been.
- None of their Facebook pals live in their neighborhood. The more global their buddy list, with few or no local friends, the more suspicious they appear.
What are my rights if I buy something faulty?
Currently, Facebook Marketplace is only available to individuals, not businesses. So you’re likely to be buying from a private seller in the same manner you’d buy from a classified ad in the local paper, and the ‘buyer beware’ principle applies.
When you buy from an individual (rather than a retailer), the Consumer Rights Act states that the items you receive must be exactly as described by the seller.
Something that is secondhand, for example, should not be described as new. If this is the case, the seller is in violation of the contract.
If a seller accepts your payment but does not send you anything, or if a buyer takes your item but does not pay, this is also a clear violation of the contract.
However, setting things right might be difficult. If you and your partner are unable to reach an agreement, you will have to resort to alternative dispute resolution or the small claims court.
Report sellers not ‘acting in good faith’
Buyers can also report vendors who ‘aren’t operating in good faith,’ according to Facebook.
According to the firm, it will ‘immediately investigate and take the appropriate action, which might range from removing a post to banning someone from Facebook entirely.’
However, the company does not enable payment or delivery of things advertised on the marketplace, and it is also unable to verify if a buyer or seller received what was agreed upon.
Other online marketplaces, such as eBay, provide their own buyer and seller protection programs. More information about your protections when buying and selling on eBay may be found in our guide.
Look out for scams on Facebook Marketplace
Selling items on Facebook was already quite popular before the debut of Marketplace, with 450 million different buying and selling groups.
According to the government’s annual Intellectual Property Crime Report, social media has surpassed auction sites as the preferred criminal route for selling counterfeit and pirated goods.
Because Facebook does not have an in-built payment feature, you must arrange to pay or meet in person. This could be dangerous because it might be difficult to know if a seller is genuine or not.
It’s difficult for scammers to build up much engagement on their profile with phony accounts and phony friends, so if someone has a lot going on with a full profile, it’s far more likely that they’re authentic.
Selling on Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace makes it easier than ever to take a picture of your item, write a description, set an asking price, and submit your listing.
However, there are a few key points to keep in mind:
- Make certain that any images and descriptions are accurate and fair. If you do not, you may be the subject of a refund claim.
- Keep a record of all communications with the buyer.
- Sell at a reasonable price. Check out other sites, such as Amazon, eBay, Gumtree, and other online auction competitors, to see what other pricing is available.