5 Ways to Buy and Sell Safely on Facebook Marketplace

If you’re looking for Christmas-related gift bargains or selling the stuff that you no longer use to pay for your shopping trip, The Facebook Marketplace is an appealing alternative to garage sales and flea markets.

As with any other exchange on the internet (and in the real world, too), The Marketplace has its part of scammers and swindlers. This is why we have some guidelines to make Facebook’s Marketplace an opportunity for joy and not a place to cheat.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook launched Marketplace in October 2016. Marketplace in October 2016, and by the end of May 2017, over 18 million products had been offered for sale in the U.S. alone. The Marketplace has since been extended to more countries, and buy Facebook likes to state that the volume of searches within the Marketplace has increased by three times. The marketplace tab has increased thrice globally since the beginning of the year, with over 5 million users active in groups for buy and sell annually.

The basic idea is to use your profile to determine where you are, and Facebook shows you an assortment of goods available in your local area. It allows you to post your items for sale too. If a buyer comes across an item, they would like to buy, they can contact the seller through Facebook Messenger and arrange to complete the purchase. Messenger lets traders conduct business without having to exchange telephone numbers or addresses, and Facebook doesn’t charge charges for this service.

Making use of Marketplace is simple. Click the Marketplace button on the lower right of the Facebook mobile app or the left column on the left column of your Facebook homepage. There will be various images of items available for sale, each with a price. You can browse or utilize the filters to narrow your search to specific categories, fees, etc. If you own an item you want to sell, click” Sell Something” or the blue “Sell Something” button and complete the form. Selling using the smartphone app will save you time as you can take the item’s image and then attach it to the sale without having to save or upload images.

Be Smart in the Marketplace

Here are five ways to make sure you’re Facebook Marketplace experience is a safe and secure one

Make use of a credit card and a secure payment method to complete all purchases.

The Marketplace has no integrated payment system, so you’ll need to negotiate direct payments with another person in the exchange. Unscrupulous sellers might insist on gift cards, cash or any other method of payment that is not traceable or, in the case of shady buyers, provide gift cards that later don’t have value. Payment processors and card issuers like PayPal, but not its Venmo app, which is its sibling app–will examine fraud claims on behalf of you as the buyer. They also offer greater security for sellers. Reputable Marketplace traders will welcome the safety of these services. This benefits legitimate buyers and sellers alike.

Beware of transactions that do not involve local buyers or sellers.

In principle, Facebook will only show sellers and buyers in your local area. (You can pick an area as small as 2 miles or as large as 100 miles, and it’s the standard 40 miles.) If a seller claims they’ll be able to ship an item from a further distance, there’s a chance that the item will not be delivered or won’t do precisely what they promised. If a buyer wants you to ship an object over a long distance, particularly internationally, think about being cautious: The trick is to get the buyer to reverse the transaction when the item is in transit and cannot be returned.

Find buyer and seller profiles.

If you click on the item you want to offer for sale, look up the seller’s profile in “seller info.” Be sure they’re located within your region, and then check Facebook to determine whether you’ve got mutual acquaintances. It could be a sign to be wary when they’re only active using Facebook for a brief period or have a small number of friends. Also, you can search for their name on Facebook, and if you find multiple profiles with a similar name and picture, this should be an alarm.

Check before you make payment.

If you’re buying something, ensure that you can “see the items” before approving payment. When the object is jewelry or collectible, take an expert to verify its worth. If it’s an electronic device, Plug it in or plug in batteries to ensure it’s working.

Meet the buyer or seller in a public area.

Some police departments permit individuals to meet in their lobbies or parking areas to conclude exchanges. If not it is not allowed, choose a public place such as a cafe or a restaurant. Bring a companion and, if you’re uncomfortable, make an audio or video recording, or snap a couple of photos of the exchange to identify the other party if there is a dispute afterward.

If something isn’t right

If you conduct business on Facebook Marketplace, you’re no less (or lesser) likely to encounter suspicious characters than you would out in real life or when you buy or sell goods on platforms like eBay or Craigslist. Be vigilant and move away if something feels not odd.

If you do discover that you are the victim of fraud If you do, you should be proactive:

If you think you’ve come across a Facebook Marketplace scammer, report them to Facebook according to the guidelines in this article.

If you think that you’ve been scammed, inform the authorities. Contact your local police authorities and think about filing an FBI report through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI does not guarantee to take action on every case. However, reporting scams can help identify fraud trends and patterns that could help stop cyber-criminals.

Facebook Marketplace is an enjoyable, exciting source of bargains. If you’re alert for possible fraud as you search for deals, you’ll enjoy a pleasant Marketplace experience.

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The Rise of Facebook Marketplace

Selling and buying the ability to sell and buy on Facebook was available before when Marketplace was launched to the general public. For instance, businesses could make a Facebook advertisement account for more than a decade. Marketplace first came onto the platform in October 2016. At that point, people were already searching for the most affordable deals for used goods click here.

When Facebook announced the launch of Marketplace, the internet was abuzz with speculation that it was a bid to take on retail sites such as eBay and Amazon. It’s not a surprising conclusion. Marketplace and Buy-and-Sell sites operate similarly. You look for deals on the Marketplace by price, category, or location. If you click on the item you want to purchase, you’ll get information like the name, the profile photo, and the seller’s site, as well as the description. You can save the item to purchase in the future or contact the seller directly via message if you’d want to make a purchase.

Although it may sound odd to some people, selling and buying trading on Facebook is perfect sense after further investigation. Consider this: Facebook already has numerous buy-and-sell groups, such as UCSB Free and For Sale, Fashion Exchange, and OC Buy and Sell. These aren’t obscure pages that have a limited number of followers. According to Facebook, more than 45 million people visit buy-and-sell groups monthly.

If you think that social media sites interfere with online shopping strange, take note this social commerce, as it is known, is already taking root in Asia. If you’re already part of social commerce, remember that you should take extra precautions before making purchases.