Am I the only one who can’t stand Facebook Marketplace?

[Phillip Mitchell]

I have ignored Facebook successfully for about 10-15 years and been as happy as a clam. I, like many of you folk I’m sure, routinely (daily) make the rounds on most all of the online classifieds, auctions, industrial WW listings, CL, etc for used machines just to keep up with what’s coming and going, asking price trends and, of course for more specific items that are on “the list.”

Sometime within the last year I was alerted to something for sale (industrial drill press) on FB Marketplace that I was interested in and ended up buying for a great price. It’s been mostly all downhill from there. I have actually found one other fantastic deal in the interim on a scissor lift table, but it’s typically the worst of the worst in terms of actual content for sale.

The way it’s laid out and presented is such a visual mess. There are ads that are mixed in with other (real) listings that are completely off topic, annoying, and often times offensive to some.

The worst of it is the keyword search doesn’t actually seems to be a keyword search and always offers all these other “suggestions” sprinkled in that only detract further from the experience. The “local” radius filter is seemingly useless and doesn’t actually filter out stuff that is farther away and has a very low upper range (100 mi.) I’m the type that likes to set parameters and filters on searches for particular things so as to maximize my time and minimize time wasting. This seems impossible on FB.

I would be delighted to learn that I am, like so many other elements of the Facebook interface, confused about how to effectively use it. I am computer savvy, in my 30s and have been actively searching and buying machinery from all corners of the internet for several years and never experienced such repeated frustration and disgust from a classifieds section. Please tell me I’m doing it wrong.

I wish I could go back to ignoring it altogether but CL has all but died and it seems like there are more diamonds in the rough to be had on FB marketplace than any other general online classifieds.

Your thoughts?

[Ron Citerone]

I have been using it for about a year as CL is scam city lately. I did buy a tile saw on FBMP last spring which came in handy for my cottage renovation.

My only issue is items are not removed or marked sold and when I see something listed many weeks ago I wonder if it is still for sale or not and ose interest in it.

Other than that I like it so far.

[Ronald Blue]

You are correct that it's a frustrating format. Like you say a keyword search gets a lot of "other" content. I select local pickup only and that does seem to get rid of some ads. It seems that a keyword search get's every type of possible wood working tool. Put in planer and get table saws, floor nailers, etc. I have managed to score a deal or two but nothing in a couple years except for lumber locally. That did work out.

[Paul F Franklin]

A couple of years ago it was almost all local ads by individuals and small businesses and I found it useful. And it felt safer than CL because it wasn't anonymous to the extent CL was/is. Like most things facebook related, as it got more popular they "improved" it to the current annoying state, full of business ads of questionable authenticity with no applicability and plenty of obvious scammers (30K tractor for 1K, listing for my sister; call her cell) nonsense like that. Every once in a while I'll take a look, but mostly I've given up on it.

[Lisa Starr]

Yep. I have all the same complaints as the OP. The distance filter is a complete laugh. That said, FBMP is how I scored a WoodRat for $70.00!

[Rich Engelhardt]

FB marketplace is pretty bad.
So is CL for that matter.

I hate it when people say, "Buy used instead of new and save money".

How is that possible when all there is to buy is overpriced broken crap?

[roger wiegand]

I think there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Many of us have outfitted shops with very good tools from these sources; I've sold tools I'd be happy to own and use (indeed I did up until the day I sold them) on them. Sure, it's more work and risk than just ordering brand new from Martin. Felder, or Festool, but there are also compensations.

I'll agree that the FB interface is a mess. The ability to search rivals Amazon for uselessness.





I hate it when people say, "Buy used instead of new and save money".

How is that possible when all there is to buy is overpriced broken crap?

[Phillip Mitchell]

I won’t argue that there aren’t deals to be had and some amount of value there, because there obviously are. My point was mainly about how messy and frustrating it is to use compared to almost any other online classified. I was wondering if, because it’s relatively new to me, I was missing something.

I always buy used over new and spend a considerable amount of time regularly searching for deals on quality used machines that I couldn’t even dream of affording to buy new.

[Dave Fritz]

Anything now days requires patience. These things are so big they're not nimble or flexible and choose not to change for individuals at all, rather they have a CAO (Chief Apology Officer) that responds but does nothing. It takes some time and energy to make these things work to your advantage. My son in law finds Facebook marketplace much better than CL for selling. His folks just downsized and he sold tons of things for them. There are regional buy and sell Facebook pages that I always start with and sell through. Turning items are sold here and on other forums because the interest is more specialized. Sometimes it gets tiring because things change all the time. Anyone still get a paper called a "Shopper". We still get two although they're pretty thin these days.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I think there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.Not in the 15 years I've been scouring the listings.
There is a definite lack of decently priced quality tools in my area.


My point was mainly about how messy and frustrating it is to use compared to almost any other online classified.There is that also.

[Jim Becker]

I frequently use the FB "local" groups for selling/buying and have not had any issues at all. The experience is no worse than any other online marketplace, honestly...you have to be savvy, careful and deliberate as well as be willing to walk away.

[mike stenson]

Groups are a different story, the marketplace itself, is a joke.

[Jim Becker]

Groups are a different story, the marketplace itself, is a joke.
They are somewhat connected, however, as they use the same software. But yes, the broader "marketplace" has its downsides for sure, just as Craig's List does.

[Jim Koepke]

Being a little leery of Facebook, their market place has not been visited.

However, since my curiosity kicked in Craigslist was given a peek.

The usual list of hand held power tools are things of no use to me.

Typed in > hand plane < and found very few responses. There was one that caught my eye:

471531

Hmmm, worth a closer look:

471532

It appears someone has turned an old gas station into an antique tool store in a part of town seldom on my route of travel.

There appears to be a disturbance in my wallet…

jtk

[Phillip Mitchell]

I will have to take a closer look at the Groups. Wasn’t really aware of that. It’s the general marketplace that I find frustrating, messy and disconcerting. Craigslist isn’t much better in terms of spam listings and has really slowed down over the last 2 years, but at least the keyword search and distance parameters work the way one would expect on CL.

[Jim Becker]

The sales groups for specific areas tend to be fruitful for me to (largely) sell or free-cycle. They seem to be better behaved than the general marketplace.

[Bill Dufour]

I think fb like many online sellers, like home depot and lowes, do not bother with a useable search engine because they think people just want to buy something, anything. If a customer searches for a particular item and can not find it they might not come in and spend money on something else.
FB is slightly different they want to make searches long and frustrating so you see their paid ads for longer times. They have to keep it as hard and slow as possible but still sightly useable so you keep on trying.
I have given up online with Home depot or lowes. Their search engine s are backwards. The more limits I place on a search the more results I get. If I say "-particle board". I get every thing that has particle board in it. WHen logic says those should not be shown.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

Keep in mind, Bill, that FB Marketplace is generally for used goods sold by individuals or small businesses. Just another version of "Craig's List" in that respect. That's separate from their ads.

[Bill Dufour]

Keep in mind, Bill, that FB Marketplace is generally for used goods sold by individuals or small businesses. Just another version of "Craig's List" in that respect. That's separate from their ads.
I do not blame the people selling on FB. I just feel that FB and others make their sites hard to navigate, on purpose, so you stay longer and get to see more popup ads which pay the site owners.
Bill D.

[Scott Clausen]

The reason many groups leave and start their own forums and the reason the OP hates it are the same. Facebook deliberately makes it difficult to search and get back to a post you have already seen. They care more about directing yours eyes past as many ads as they can. Going strait to what your looking for is not going to pay their light bill.

[Alex Zeller]

I've found that places like SMC that have classifieds usually will be better than CL or FB. I assume FB groups are kind of the same. The sellers know more about what they are selling so the chances of getting a great deal are less. Some of my other interests, like photography, seem to have lots of used equipment for sale than woodworking.

[Roger Feeley]

On the flip side, I’m a fan of Etsy.
I found a place that made me some old timey looking nuts and washers. https://www.oldwestiron.com/
I needed some sublimation transfer sheets printed and found someone cheap and fast.
I found a guy in Idaho that welded me some bench legs. Not cheap but he does great work. https://modernironworks.com/
I found a little family owned company i central Illinois that made me a bunch of wrought iron (style) fence for a very fair price.https://www.arusticgarden.com/

[Dwayne Watt]

I avoid Facebook media but like Marketplace. It is a little less wild, wild west than CL. I have successfully bought decent lumber as well as some other smaller things at decent prices. Selling is hit or miss. I have sold things I thought no one would want in as little as a few hours. Other things that I thought would sell well never did sell.
Regarding distance limits, that is adjustable out to 500 miles. It is a filter that appears after you start a search. However you change the distance will become the new default on subsequent searches. I agree the search function is a bit hinky. If you find something of interest, that is the time to buy or at least contact the seller to get the listing saved in your messages. The good stuff sells quickly most of the the time.

[Ronald Blue]

I found a little family owned company i central Illinois that made me a bunch of wrought iron (style) fence for a very fair price.https://www.arusticgarden.com/[/QUOTE]

Interesting Roger. I'm only 30 plus miles from that town and have been through there many times and never knew of them. I'm not in the market for any wrought iron but it's good to see such a business hopefully thriving.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Athough I agree that the ads are annoying, and the layout hard to navigate, I do find the best deals there, like an early 1800’s desk and secretary for $130 each.
471569 471570

The sideways bug strikes again. Hold your head sideways.

[Erik Loza]

I actually scored a few useful household items from it in the past but then took a break from FB over the last few months. Logged back in to look for something recently and it was all paid adds for commercial sellers rather than then C2C local listings I was hoping for. Oh well...

Erik

[Kev Williams]

Am I the only one who can’t stand Facebook Marketplace?

--You had me at "Facebook" ...

[Ronnie Hurst]

From a seller's perspective I really like FB Marketplace. I've been building and selling furniture very successfully over the past couple of years. A tip for those who are or want to sell something on FB Marketplace... add the boost option. For just a couple of bucks I've found that it consistently gives me fast sales.

From a buyer's perspective I've noticed similar issues as stated by original poster.

[Robert Engel]

Sold both my table saws within 3 days on FB. Sat on CL for a week nothing but “will you trade” or “I’ll come today” & never show up.

FB local is full of out of state it more like Ebay

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Except for the fact that it is so darn disorganized, I like it. Found several bargains. One or two free at curbs that I turned around and sold. My daughter has an online business and gets merchandise on Marketplace that she sells on line. I will say, she does know where the items should be listed to get max prices. I found an old cast iron farm implement seat in the woods. Sand blasted it and put it on Marketplace for $50 and it was gone an hour later.

[Matt Day]

Rich,
I found a ton of good deals when I lived in NEO for 8 years. So much more than where I live now, and it’s about the only thing I miss about Cleveland. You’re in the rust belt where used machinery is all over the place.

[Matt Day]

There is a lot to be desired on FBMP, but it’s the only game in my little town. CL tool section has about 4 posts per day, and most are repeats or pawn shops. The ads and inappropriate humor on mugs or outlet covers is what drives me nuts.

But on the other hand there are some good groups on FB, and I unfortunately spend less time here on SMC because of it. I think groups will be the downfall of most forums.

[Curt Harms]

I do not blame the people selling on FB. I just feel that FB and others make their sites hard to navigate, on purpose, so you stay longer and get to see more popup ads which pay the site owners.
Bill D.



Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.

Mark Zuckerberg


It sounds like they got the last part right, at least.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Rich,
I found a ton of good deals when I lived in NEO for 8 years. So much more than where I live now, and it’s about the only thing I miss about Cleveland. You’re in the rust belt where used machinery is all over the place.Matt, I'm glad for you that you found them. I haven't ever found anything but old tired worn out junk or overpriced broken Harbor Freight scrap.

[Monte Milanuk]

On the one hand... I find searching/buying on FBMP incredibly frustrating - literally my place of last resort - due to pretty much the same reasons as the OP. Specifically, when on CL I make heavy use of 'refining' the search parameters utilizing very basic boolean terms like 'thing1 -thing2|thing3' i.e. "search for 'thing1', but exclude any listings that mention 'thing2' or 'thing3'". Some of those searches can get *really* long... but I can save them, and leave them running and have CL email or text me of new listings matching those criteria. Haven't found a way to get that kind of functionality out of FBMP - other than the 'Notify me'.

Then again, as I'm typing this, I'm reminded of *why* I usually end up having to write out such long and detailed search strings on CL... it's because the *a-holes* who use keyword 'spamming' to try and up the numbers of views their listings get. As a case in point... if you want to list your Ryobi cordless drill/driver on CL, fine, be my guest. But don't sprinkle keywords like 'Festool', 'Bosch', 'track', 'miter', 'saw', 'router', etc. in the bottom of the dang listing. If I'm searching for Festool track saw, odds are abysmally low that I'm *ever* going to bite on your Ryobi tool. In fact, you pretty much just guaranteed that I *won't*, by cluttering my search results with garbage and wasting my time.

I'm guessing the same 'crowd' probably exists on FBMP; I just haven't encountered them yet - since FB has crap for a search function.

[Dirk Hoogendoorn]

I have used fbmp regularly over the past year and a bit and have found it as good as kijiji. Just my thoughts

[Brian Elfert]

Craigslist in my area is a shell of its former self. Despite its faults Facebook Marketplace is where 90% of the action is now.

[Jared Sankovich]

Matt, I'm glad for you that you found them. I haven't ever found anything but old tired worn out junk or overpriced broken Harbor Freight scrap.

I've seen a lot of decent machine deals in between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Typically never when I feel like driving out there though. Most recently was a oliver 399 with grinder for $1500 (on fb marketplace)

[Jared Sankovich]

I have ignored Facebook successfully for about 10-15 years and been as happy as a clam. I, like many of you folk I’m sure, routinely (daily) make the rounds on most all of the online classifieds, auctions, industrial WW listings, CL, etc for used machines just to keep up with what’s coming and going, asking price trends and, of course for more specific items that are on “the list.”

Sometime within the last year I was alerted to something for sale (industrial drill press) on FB Marketplace that I was interested in and ended up buying for a great price. It’s been mostly all downhill from there. I have actually found one other fantastic deal in the interim on a scissor lift table, but it’s typically the worst of the worst in terms of actual content for sale.

The way it’s laid out and presented is such a visual mess. There are ads that are mixed in with other (real) listings that are completely off topic, annoying, and often times offensive to some.

The worst of it is the keyword search doesn’t actually seems to be a keyword search and always offers all these other “suggestions” sprinkled in that only detract further from the experience. The “local” radius filter is seemingly useless and doesn’t actually filter out stuff that is farther away and has a very low upper range (100 mi.) I’m the type that likes to set parameters and filters on searches for particular things so as to maximize my time and minimize time wasting. This seems impossible on FB.

I would be delighted to learn that I am, like so many other elements of the Facebook interface, confused about how to effectively use it. I am computer savvy, in my 30s and have been actively searching and buying machinery from all corners of the internet for several years and never experienced such repeated frustration and disgust from a classifieds section. Please tell me I’m doing it wrong.

I wish I could go back to ignoring it altogether but CL has all but died and it seems like there are more diamonds in the rough to be had on FB marketplace than any other general online classifieds.

Your thoughts?

It was good, it's getting worse. For a short while the search function was fantastic, but it's rather irritating now.

That said the last most of my current machines were purchased through FB marketplace.