Facebook added a new feature to help users connect with buyers and sellers of goods in their area. Facebook Marketplace has been added to the company’s app that allows users to browse feeds for goods nearby that are being sold.
The feature has been integrated into the company’s Messenger app to let buyers and sellers connect and arrange a meetup.
The social media giant aims to make selling goods a little safer than Craigslist. Users will be able to view sellers’ and buyers’ Facebook profiles so that they know who they’ll be making a transaction with.
Craigslist, the company’s main competitor, doesn’t have in-depth profiles, so users don’t know who they’re dealing with when selling or buying.
Facebook’s Marketplace is available on mobile, and it’s only available in select countries: Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States. The company will be testing the feature before expanding globally.
The Marketplace is lacking some major features that consumers would benefit from.
A rating system isn’t provided, so users that have had a poor transaction will not be able to avoid scammers. Users are able to make an offer directly through the app, and the marketplace has been integrated into the app’s main navigation.
Facebook has tried to introduce a marketplace several times in the past decade, with the first arriving in 2007 as a classified listing. The company switched the marketplace to another company, which closed down in 2014.
The app allows users to browse items they wish to buy, sell items, search for items and narrow down choices by location.
Trust will be a major driver of Marketplace because it allows consumers to be able to research the person they’re conducting business with. A lack of a two-way rating system is definitely noticed, but the integration of the Marketplace directly into the company’s Messenger app makes it a convenient way for users to buy products.
