I've seen a few items on Facebook Marketplace I'm interested in, but in order to contact the seller, I have to "Log in to Facebook". I do not have, nor do I want, a Facebook account.

Is Marketplace a separate deal? Can I set up a Marketplace account without getting involved in the rest of Facebook?

Following...

Short answer is yes. You need a facebook account. You going to be mad when you find out you also need the facebook messenger app to actually contact the sellers.

Why not create a gmail account and make a facebook account and fill in as little required info as possible. Facebook only verifies the email address so you can make up alias name.

Essentially, no. So have someone you know has an account send them a message and get you a phone number to call.

I do not participate in Facebook either, but I think you know the answer to your question in your heart.
If you do not have a Facebook account there is no way for Zuck's minions to steal and sell your data. Ergo, no FB marketplace without an account or else using someone else's account to browse.

If I find something I want on FB Marketplace and there is a lot more stuff you'll find then on CL I have the wife contact the seller she is a avid FB'er. I won't under any circumstance open a FB account.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Both daughters have accounts, I'll con ask one of them to check on it for me.

Have I mentioned lately that Zuckerman's an asshole?

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Yeah, that's what I thought.

Both daughters have accounts, I'll con ask one of them to check on it for me.

Have I mentioned lately that Zuckerman's an asshole?

Make a stand against Facebook...........unless you find a good buy on Marketplace.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:

Make a stand against Facebook...........unless you find a good buy on Marketplace.

Hey, $20 is $20.

I've bought and sold plenty of stuff on FB Marketplace. I wouldn't even respond to a message from someone whose profile didn't look legit or if it looked like they had just started it for the purpose of responding to Marketplace ads. Better get a friend to do your buying for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I've bought and sold plenty of stuff on FB Marketplace. I wouldn't even respond to a message from someone whose profile didn't look legit or if it looked like they had just started it for the purpose of responding to Marketplace ads. Better get a friend to do your buying for you.

Why? Isn't the point of marketplace to sell things? Who gives a rat's ass about someone's facebook presence?

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Why? Isn't the point of marketplace to sell things? Who gives a rat's ass about someone's facebook presence?

It allows the buyer and seller to do some vetting.. which is a plus over CL and the newspaper.

Similar to Ewe Baye you can see ratings of buyers and sellers.

Lots of scams out there, so its good to have intel to help you make a decision, is the guy selling real or a bot from Kenya, crack head wanting to steal your shidt...

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I've bought and sold plenty of stuff on FB Marketplace. I wouldn't even respond to a message from someone whose profile didn't look legit or if it looked like they had just started it for the purpose of responding to Marketplace ads. Better get a friend to do your buying for you.

Why? Isn't the point of marketplace to sell things? Who gives a rat's ass about someone's facebook presence?

I'm in the same camp. Marketplace is full of scammers. Part of the due diligence buying and selling is checking the other profile. I wouldn't respond to a person with a BS profile, or to someone messaging on behalf of a third party. You're right, the point is to sell things. There are also enough buyers out there that there is no reason to respond to someone with a sketchy profile.

If you really want to take advantage of marketplace, create a Facebook profile. You don't have to use it for any other purpose, and you don't have to put up any private information whatsoever if you don't want to.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
Short answer is yes. You need a facebook account. You going to be mad when you find out you also need the facebook messenger app to actually contact the sellers.

No, you don't. You have to use FB Messenger, but you don't need the Messenger app.

I make my contacts using my desktop computer and a browser. Then we swap mobile numbers and carry on from there. Much the same as using CL.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I wouldn't even respond to a message from someone whose profile didn't look legit or if it looked like they had just started it for the purpose of responding to Marketplace ads.

I don't know as I'd go that far, but I'd be much less inclined. Same with sellers. Was in the market for a DP last year. There was a seller that had something that fit the bill. Appeared to be a new account. Bare timeline. Sketchy name. Sketchy part of town. I passed.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
It allows the buyer and seller to do some vetting.. which is a plus over CL and the newspaper.

Similar to Ewe Baye you can see ratings of buyers and sellers.

And similar to Para's advice about buyers and sellers here on SF.

Same as if I'm going to sell firearms-related stuff I'd post 'em here, first, anything else I try on FB Marketplace first. It's also one of the first places I look if there's something I want to buy and used is ok.

Re: Requiring a FB account to use FB Marketplace.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Have I mentioned lately that Zuckerman's an asshole?

So somebody that requires you have an account on their system to, you know, use their system, is an asshole?

Sorry I asked.

A caregiver stole a Nikon D750 and three lenses and my Billingham bag. I saw the bag, along with the caregivers name in Marketplace. I tried to contact them about the camera and lenses because I just happened upon the bag almost two weeks after the theft. I had the police detective also contact them. They didn't cooperate at all and said they would need a subpoena to give up that info. That shows to me that they don't care what gets bought or sold on their site. Be very careful what you buy on there. Happy Ending, I screen captured the bag and with police help ended up getting redemption. Still a long process that was hindered by Facebook itself.

Most of the stuff I've bought and sold on FB Marketplace has been guitars and amps - the kind of stuff most people want to try before they buy, and that usually happens in the home. So I want to know someone is for real, and I check out their profile. Since I've been playing out in bars in Phoenix for a while, it's pretty rare that I come across a FB buyer or seller who doesn't have some mutual FB friends with me. The last guy who bought a guitar from me on FB was totally normal with a totally normal profile, and so I had no problem having him over to the house. Turns out he didn't even want to try it out, just handed me $1600 and left with a smile.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuisis:
They didn't cooperate at all and said they would need a subpoena to give up that info. That shows to me that they don't care what gets bought or sold on their site.

Seriously? You'd want Facebook to give up contact information on its subscribers just because Some Random Person made certain claims?

Would you want them to give up your information that easily?

I understand your annoyance, but I'll wager any company would have the same or similar requirements before they'll release that kind of information about customers or subscribers.

Actually I had their information, it was in their information on the post selling my stolen bag. AllI wanted was information on if the person sold a Nikon D750 and 3 nikon lenses in the past two weeks. I could have found her friends and where she worked, you know how some people just leave their accounts wide open, stupid, especially for a thief. I didn't think it was unreasonable to ask if they sold my stolen property, especially with a letter from the detective involved in my case. They could have easily checked. If they did and I would have thought of it earlier I may very well may have and probably would have seen it. Her email, phone number, address, and place of employment was on her profile page.

Apologies for being so snippy. I've been dealing with Prahesh Ramalamadingdong on DirecTV Customer (dis)Service all morning, put me in a pretty foul mood.

It's only logical that the service provider would want you to use their interface, just aggravates me to have something I want/need be out of reach because I refuse to drink their particular brand of kool aid.

Good news is, I found another one just now on Craigslist (I've been watching for one for a month or more) and the guy is actually talking to me.