Thoughts on selling gear on Facebook Marketplace?

[Max Headroom]

Usually I have listed gear on Reverb and eBay and had fair success on both but tbh, Reverb has just gotten greedy on its fees, heck eBay is cheaper now for musical gear.
Craigslist I have yet to actually sell a guitar on although I do list them on there but our area is pretty pants if I'm honest for musical gear.
My local Sam Ash store suggested I try Facebook Marketplace but this is an area I have no knowledge of as besides this forum and my Roon forum I am a social media Luddite.
So does anyone here use FB Marketplace and if so had any good luck and just how does it work? Is it find a local group or USA wide etc.
Appreciate any feedback here

 

[Ovibos]

I sold an old PC on it. It was a similar experience to Craigslist with a lot of people who message with lowball offers and annoying issues about meeting up.

Just whatever you do, don’t use Paypal “friends & family” with randos.

 

[Lewguitar]

Reverb is best. Then eBay. Facebook Marketplace is worthless for selling but decent for buying locally.

 

[WEDGE]

I have had great luck selling, buying, and trading on Marketplace. Both local and having to ship.

 

[Max Headroom]

I get the feeling it might be a regional thing as we already have two opinions at the opposite end of the spectrum.
For those who have had success with FB, do you get the same amount of dopey d!cks one has to deal with on CL?

 

[Lewguitar]

I get the feeling it might be a regional thing as we already have two opinions at the opposite end of the spectrum.
For those who have had success with FB, do you get the same amount of dopey d!cks one has to deal with on CL?

I've bought some nice antiques on Facebook. Mostly furniture.

Might be a good place to sell a car or truck.

But none of my instruments or music stuff have ever sold on Facebook.

Nothing.

Course I live on the Utah and Colorado border.

Not many people out here.

 

[Wakester]

I have sold or traded some gear on FB Marketplace. Like with any of the platforms, you have to be careful about where you are meeting a potential buyer/seller. I never give out my address or phone number. All communication is done through the Messenger App, so that there is a record of any agreements. I always meet at a public location. I prefer a Walmart parking lot because they have more cameras than Ft Knox. I also only accept/pay with cash. No apps are used to transfer funds. The biggest drawback to using any app/web based sales platform is the trolls and time wasters who really don't want to buy anything.

 

[WEDGE]

At worst I have gotten a handful of the generic ‘is it still available’ questions but it’s quick to know who is real by their communications.

 

[SinSir]

Much of the same as selling on any platform, especially face to face ones. Flakes and serious buyers, several generic still have it questions, and your poof mid exchange people that found the next thing like the ferrets on speed we can be these days. Some of the same with sellers and buyers. Overall just as satisfied as any other, and I use it frequently.

 

[Rider1260]

Selling lower end stuff on FB Marketplace I have had some success nothing bigger ticket tho.
it does solve the whole tax and fees thing , cash and carry and its done.
Lately I have been taking my stuff to Chicago Music Exchange pretty fair if you bought right

 

[Max Headroom]

Well I put my 50th Anniversary Strat on the FB so will see how it goes.
Just testing the waters so to speak.

 

[gush]

I've bought and sold a ton of stuff on MP.

The scammers are getting real old though.

 

[Max Headroom]

Well I have to report a solid success for my first venture out on FBMP.
I also listed the wife's old VW Rabbit that I had been listing on CL on and off for a couple weeks.
Sold in 4 hours.

Had a couple of trade offers on the Strat as well.

It looks promising so far.

But yes I also had two scammers right away although so easy to spot it's funny.

 

[HANGAR18]

There was a time when I had a lot of success on Craigslist. Over time I started getting a whole lot of success from Facebook Marketplace. A LOT of success... Using FB Marketplace I bought a massive gun safe from a guy 3 states away, sold my old F-150 pickup truck for cash and so on. But lately it seems that when I want to sell a guitar, the same jackasses from Craigslist (tire kickers, lowballers and individuals who can't read.... ie people who ask questions that I already preemptively answered in my ad) seem to be flooding FB Market place these days. It is still my preferred selling spot though.

As a matter of fact, I still have two 8 foot tall Oak book cases that I bought on FB MP last year which I still haven't unloaded from my utility trailer. I thought my ceilings were taller than 8 feet, but alas, I've got 8 foot ceilings and I'm not sure that I can stuff them into place due to the thickness of the carpets/ padding and so on. PM me if anyone is interested (Northern Virginia).

 

[CandidPicker]

There was a time when I had a lot of success on Craigslist. Over time I started getting a whole lot of success from Facebook Marketplace. A LOT of success... Using FB Marketplace I bought a massive gun safe from a guy 3 states away, sold my old F-150 pickup truck for cash and so on. But lately it seems that when I want to sell a guitar, the same jackasses from Craigslist (tire kickers, lowballers and individuals who can't read.... ie people who ask questions that I already preemptively answered in my ad) seem to be flooding FB Market place these days. It is still my preferred selling spot though.

As a matter of fact, I still have two 8 foot tall Oak book cases that I bought on FB MP last year which I still haven't unloaded from my utility trailer. I thought my ceilings were taller than 8 feet, but alas, I've got 8 foot ceilings and I'm not sure that I can stuff them into place due to the thickness of the carpets/ padding and so on. PM me if anyone is interested (Northern Virginia).

Although I've not bought/sold on FB lately myself, I can attest to the fact that the folks "who can't read" are merely trying to catch you in double-speak...IOW, you typing one thing and then recanting your story in your messages. These folks I've experienced a decent success rate with, simply because when you answer their question calmly a 2nd time, you've corroborated your first story.

Regards the tire kickers and lowballers, a few directed positive questions such as, "So, are we good? When would you like to meet? Perhaps the local police station would be a good choice..." weeds out the "only looking" folks.

 

[gush]

One thing I'll add is if I'm doing a high dollar transaction I'll friend request them on FB.

You can learn a lot about somebody by looking at their posts.

 

[Max Headroom]

Well I guess I can now officially state that FB Marketplace worked out for a high dollar guitar sale.
The 2018 McCarty is now on its way to an excited new owner.

 

[Mind Flayer]

I used to sell on Reverb all the time. I completely stopped using the site when they stopped depositing sales proceeds into my Paypal account; and they jacked up their fees. Haven't used it to sell in a few years (I still buy on Reverb sometimes). I don't miss it one bit. No longer need to worry about the buyer who has second thoughts make up some BS to try to undo the deal -- now I sell everything in person; the buyer can try the item out all they want, and once it's sold, it's a done deal.

I sell exclusively on CL, and just a few months ago started using FB marketplace. I've had a lot of success on FB marketplace. Yes, you have to deal with a number of scammers or flakes, but you quickly learn how to spot the scammers, and dealing with the flakes isn't a big deal, it takes a few seconds of your time to respond to their messages.

I only meet in person at a public place. I don't ship. I only take cash or Paypal friends & family.

I live in a large metro area, so there are a number of buyers. If I lived in a remote area, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to sell much on CL or FB and would be forced to rely on Reverb or ebay.

Just out of curiosity, Ovibos, why do you avoid using Paypal F&F with strangers? I've used it several times and it worked out great; plus a lot of people aren't comfortable carrying large amounts of cash to meet a stranger. But I'm curious to know the potential downsides.

 

[Ovibos]

I used to sell on Reverb all the time. I completely stopped using the site when they stopped depositing sales proceeds into my Paypal account; and they jacked up their fees. Haven't used it to sell in a few years (I still buy on Reverb sometimes). I don't miss it one bit. No longer need to worry about the buyer who has second thoughts make up some BS to try to undo the deal -- now I sell everything in person; the buyer can try the item out all they want, and once it's sold, it's a done deal.

I sell exclusively on CL, and just a few months ago started using FB marketplace. I've had a lot of success on FB marketplace. Yes, you have to deal with a number of scammers or flakes, but you quickly learn how to spot the scammers, and dealing with the flakes isn't a big deal, it takes a few seconds of your time to respond to their messages.

I only meet in person at a public place. I don't ship. I only take cash or Paypal friends & family.

I live in a large metro area, so there are a number of buyers. If I lived in a remote area, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to sell much on CL or FB and would be forced to rely on Reverb or ebay.

Just out of curiosity, Ovibos, why do you avoid using Paypal F&F with strangers? I've used it several times and it worked out great; plus a lot of people aren't comfortable carrying large amounts of cash to meet a stranger. But I'm curious to know the potential downsides.

PayPal F&F is for people you know well who aren’t going to claim they never got the item. It has zero protections for either buyer or seller. if the other party makes a claim to PayPal, you’re screwed.

This is widely shared, but to add some weight to it: I used to work at PayPal.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Yikes. I knew that applied if you’re the buyer (ie, can’t complain to Paypal if the item has a problem, etc), but I didn’t know it worked the other way around. Ie, I thought that once the money is in my Paypal account, Paypal isn’t going to intervene and return my money to someone. I really only use f&f for selling.

So, for example, suppose I sell a guitar to a guy, we meet up, he send me $500 paypal f&f, it goes into my account, and i give him the guitar. A week later, he files a claim with Paypal claiming that I never gave him the item. Paypal will move the $500 from my account back to his?