Facebook is the hub of a lot of activities. But, after the increasing privacy issues on Facebook, there is a huge debate on other aspects of Facebook, especially its marketplace. After all, when you are at the buyer’s end, there is a doubt, Is Facebook Marketplace safe for you? If you too wonder, then here is a post that stands right for your question.
Facebook introduced its Marketplace back in 2007 to offer some opportunities and other facilities to the users but it was not able to gain and grab attention back in the time so Facebook took a step back. And then it relaunched its Marketplace once again in October 2016. To a surprise, it came with a bang this time and became a boon for businesses, no matter small or big. As well as customers so they could buy from the ease of their beloved Facebook.
But, How does Facebook Marketplace work?
Facebook Marketplace uses the information you provide from your profile page to determine your location and show you a list of items. It includes the item which the sellers nearby have placed for sale. It is not just any product, instead, you will be shocked to know that these are the items in which you’re interested to buy. But if you are the seller, you can list your own products for sale as well.
And if someone wants to buy your product?
Then, it is simple!!!
They contact you through Facebook messenger without exchanging your personal data (other than the one already on the profile) like phone number or address, etc. Moreover, the marketplace doesn’t have any payment source, so if decide to buy something you have to make money transactions at your own risk.
You can put out for sale anything that you want to – a chair, home, appliances – anything.
But, the question is still there.
In This Article
Is Facebook Marketplace Safe?
Well, Social media sites, especially huge ones like Facebook are filled with business potential. It helps in marketing your products to a wider and interested audience; however, it comes with its own safety risks.
So, what does it mean? Is the person I’m buying from genuine? Is the product going to be the way it was shown? And the list of endless questions and worries never stops.
The concern is genuine because there have already been so many incidences of internet fraud and scamming, making a person think twice. But for a ray of hope, there are tons of evidence of success along with satisfactory selling and buying which surely put you into a dilemma if you want an answer to the question, is Facebook marketplace safe?.
The answer is undoubted a YES.
Facebook Marketplace can be extremely safe and secure if you take proper precautions and verify each and every step that you take. But what can you do to make Facebook Marketplace safe as a buyer as well as a seller? Read along to know major and most important things you can keep in mind to ensure your safety on Facebook Marketplace as a buyer or seller:
Tip no. 1- Make the Purchase or Sale Transactions Locally
Buying or selling the product locally is the safest thing you can do.
By doing that, you’re making sure that you know the locality nicely and how marketing is done at that particular place. Also, by making a purchase locally you have a better chance of being safe from scammers as there always is the “word of mouth” and those words don’t take long to spread be it positive or negative.
Tip no. 2- Go with What you Feel- Follow your Guts
Your instincts are never wrong. If they tell you that you have to get out of that place and it’s not safe for you, you better get out of that place. The same goes for when you buy or sell via Facebook Marketplace. If you have any wrong instincts about the buyer or the seller, trust your gut and don’t sign the deal.
Your instincts guide you the right way. ALWAYS.
Tip no. 3- Check the Opposite Party’s Profile Carefully
Another way to be safe on the Facebook marketplace is to be sure that the person to whom you are offering the deal or vice-versa is actually a genuine person or not. You can do that by going through the person’s Facebook profile nicely and be the detective. This will give you a nice enough idea of what you are getting yourself into.
Tip no. 4- To ensure your safety, bring a friend along and meet at a public place.
Everything’s checked? The person is from the locality? Did you check the profile thoroughly? Your instincts are not indicating anything unhappy? and now all you have to do is to meet the dealer and go get the product.
Ready? Wait!!! You are forgetting something.
Just for additional security of yours, arrange the meeting at a place where there is a fair amount of people around you. if possible, go with a friend to feel more secure. Yes, obviously, nothing is going to happen but little precautions never hurt.
And there are plenty of other things you can do the ensure safety at the Facebook marketplace but you can begin by staying genuine by yourself.
It is well said- ‘precaution is better than cure‘.
Final verdict:
So, as a careful user, Facebook Marketplace can really be helpful if met by genuine needs and people and used by proper care and precautions because of one mishap here, and you could be facing a literal blunder. So, the answer to the question ‘is Facebook Marketplace safe? ‘ depends on your attentiveness now.
Share your views in the comment below and ENJOY!!!!
