If you message a seller how do you get a response, through messenger?

If you looking for an item it seems like many of the listing are weeks old. Is that normal?

New to it. Thanks.

Yes, usually messenger, under the ‘marketplace’ icon also I think.

I look once in a while for things. You can search local, as always, pay attention to who the seller is.

Yes, it all comes through messenger. You message your phone number and tell them to text you also. Yes, they can be any number of weeks old. The seller just keeps renewing the add until it gets sold.

My experience: Lots of sellers lack the courtesy to remove the ad after an item sells. They just ignore inquiries. And if they’re lazy or busy, they won’t answer an inquiry even if the item hasn’t sold. In fact, many that do reply don’t seem to make much of an effort to be around to meet a buyer at the agreed upon time.

This based upon my efforts to purchase used filing cabinets in San Antonio a couple years back. I ended up just buying new ones.

I don't use it myself but my daughter has bought and sold a lot of stuff on Market Place. They have never had a problem and the nice thing about it I guess it is all within our county. Heck, they even bought their last vehicle from there.

If you are a seller, expect approximately 14 zillion messages that use only the prompted canned inquiry in the app "Is this still available?" Followed by silence when you reply yes.

I hate it personally, and would rather get mugged via Craigslist or just give it away.

I've purchased a couple of tools on FB Marketplace at very good prices with very good results. However, it's definitely caveat emptor. Be wary.

Beware the scammers! They infest the marketplace. I would never, ever, buy from FB unless it is local and I could physically pick up the item.

I have bought and sold a lot of stuff on FB marketplace, motorhome cars motorcycles atvs utvs parts. there is a big market out there.Guns.........

I put on all my ads that if item is still showing, it's still available and "Is this still available?" messages will be ignored. I still get them, but I totally ignore them.

you can also filter results by date listed. It is on the left side of the screen.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
Beware the scammers! They infest the marketplace. I would never, ever, buy from FB unless it is local and I could physically pick up the item.

They must be bad because I tried to buy a $20 item from a lady and she refused.

She is located 2 hours from me and so picking it up isn't practicable. I asked her if she'd mail it to me. She said "No". I thought maybe she thought I expected her to pay for shipping, so I messaged her again and she said "No. I've been burned before". I wasn't sure what that meant, so I wrote her again and said I would pay for the item and the cost of shipping, in advance, with whatever payment method she preferred. This time she just ignored me.

I'm still scratching my head about it.

I'm not shipping anything I list on FB Marketplace, don't care if the buyer pays for it or even pays more than asking price. Ain't doing it. It invites them to then ask to pay with PayPal, which offers protection only to the buyer. Last time I agreed to ship, the idiot tried to convince me Zelle wouldn't let him send that much money without my "verifying" my account and to click this link and on and on. FB is cash and carry only.

And why sort by listing date and then only look for the newer stuff? The longer it's been listed, the better chance you have to haggling down the price.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I'm not shipping anything I list on FB Marketplace, don't care if the buyer pays for it or even pays more than asking price. Ain't doing it. It invites them to then ask to pay with PayPal, which offers protection only to the buyer. Last time I agreed to ship, the idiot tried to convince me Zelle wouldn't let him send that much money without my "verifying" my account and to click this link and on and on. FB is cash and carry only.

This seller must have thought the same. I was clueless as to what the issue might have been, but your experience sheds light on it for me.

I'm actually still interested in the item and she still has it listed. Next week, I'm headed up to northern Wisconsin and my route would take me to within 30 mins of her location, so I might message her again and suggest we meet up. But, for all I know, she blocked me after I wrote to her the third time.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:

They must be bad because I tried to buy a $20 item from a lady and she refused.

She is located 2 hours from me and so picking it up isn't practicable. I asked her if she'd mail it to me. She said "No". I thought maybe she thought I expected her to pay for shipping, so I messaged her again and she said "No. I've been burned before". I wasn't sure what that meant, so I wrote her again and said I would pay for the item and the cost of shipping, in advance, with whatever payment method she preferred. This time she just ignored me.

I'm still scratching my head about it.

As a seller, the issue is as Rick said scammers trying to get your banking info or who send bogus checks (personal or cashier). Or who never follow up and buy the thing, though that's a problem with local sales too, people who say they will come with cash and then never show up. Or, they show up and want to use something other than cash.

Honestly the biggest problem I've seen is scam sellers who don't have the item or who disappear as soon as you send payment. Especially on FB where they create a fake page and then ask you to contact them outside of FB.

There are many types of scams out there, like a seller shipping an empty box when using eBay or Reverb etc. So they have tracking that you received the "item". Generally the buyer is SOL. Or the buyer who ships back a broken similar item which was not the pristine one you sent to him, claiming the thing was not as advertised or damaged in shipping. The seller is SOL on that one.

Cash and carry, or only do business with people you know. Like from an established SigForum member.

I found a nice 100w Marshall Plexi reissue on FB in Virginia for $1500 shipped. It was listed by some Goodwill-like place and they took credit cards. I knew there was no risk in paying with my Amex. Sure enough, they hit my card about eight times and didn't respond to any messages. No big deal, Amex handled it.

I did a cross-country Craigslist deal for another Marshall amp, but had a phone call with the seller first, got a good vibe from him and had him drop it off at FedEx and had them pack and ship on my account. I Zelle'd him $1300 and it worked out fine.

Definitely another example of why Sigforum is such a unique place.

I once bought some ammo from a member who was local to me. I simply said "I'll take it". We met up, we talked for a bit, he met my boys, and we made the transaction. It was great meeting another member.

Last Fall, I bought a leather recliner off FB Marketplace. I messaged the seller and said "If it's still available, I'll take it." When I met up with him, he told me how unusual it was to have someone actually show up as agreed, and not otherwise try to jerk him around.

It's frustrating trying to connect with this lady, but I realize it's not her fault, it's all the scammers and deadbeats who've ruined places like Craigslist and FB Marketplace.

I’ve used it a few times and it’s been pretty successful for me on local sales. I was told to only respond through FB Messenger, which I have tried to do. I did have 1 buyer who I corresponded with enough to trust with giving them my phone number and they gave me theirs. I don’t quite understand it all, but I have posted a couple of items that immediately someone wanted my phone number claiming they don’t use Facebook much and it would be easier for us to communicate by phone. Thank God my wife talked me out of doing it…although I really wasn’t sure why they wanted it. Maybe someone else can chime in and tell me.

I use marketplace often and do fairly well. I bought this cool VW today, 2014 74k and perfect history.
About a month ago I put a Mazda CX9 on FB Sat eve and had full money by 2pm Sunday. Plenty of good pictures and a descriptive ad is key but you've got to have something nice, so many are lazy and take 4 cellphone pics of a dirty car -
it's ez to stand out from the crowd. FB has practically put Craigslist out of business in Louisville.

I've been doing this for 40 + years and have a feel for bs and lookyloos. In the old days you had to answer the phone and talk to any idiot that dials your number, with email/im if it sounds goofy ignore it.

My township has a place located by the police station that is covered by cameras and is specifically designated for meet ups to transact a sale. That way nobody comes to your house and you have some measure of security. Your township or city may have something similar. If you have any concerns about security, you may want to see if your locality has anything similar.