Marketplace frustrations - tips selling

hubb

I have been using Facebook marketplace for a few months with some success, with no postage hassle or eBay and PayPal fees. Great, but the actual site has a few frustrations.

1) After selling an item, I delete it only for it to reappear again and again and again.
2) People constantly ask "is this still available?"  or "I am really interested in this" in which I politely respond with no response. Just the sound of tumbleweed.
3) Why do FB suddenly block an innocent auction with no explanation as to what rules you have transgressed ?
4) How can you be sure you are getting a fair exposure amid other sales ?
5) Why do you get a glut of sales and then nothing, even with good items to sell ?

I suspect it's the good old bias of FB's algorithms at play.

Aside from that, it's a very good alternative to Ebay. People knock your door, hand over cash and Bob's your uncle. If anyone has any other tips on getting more sales/views it would be most welcome. I have joined many selling groups that are local but it hasn't improved sales. 

Funsizegal

You have to delete items from every single group, so delete, refresh page and delete, it takes ages!  Are you having problems with items remaining under review? Lots of folks in our local groups that I list on have said the same thing, I've had stuff under review for 2 days now.

soolin

One tip hubb which I know i mentioned on your last facebook thread, always respond to every single message- even the automated 'is this available' one. It might be anecdotal but I was told a long while ago that if you leave messages unanswered the marketplace algorithmn pushes down your items- no idea if that is true but I do quite well and respond to everything. 

Also we are all rated- it's near impossible to find it (I can sometimes stumble upon it on my phone) but it is important to keep your ratings very high

hubb

Yes I always respond to questions, except if the buyer looks iffy ie, Arabic country as I know people have their FB accounts hacked.
As for being in review, yes, my latest listing is stuck in limbo too.

hubb

Well, my latest listing has been in review for 24 hours when usually they get reviewed in seconds. What on earth is going on with FB ?

And why in the 21st century can't they have a facility for deleting listings in 1 click, not multiple times. Very archaic system

soolin

hubb said:

Well, my latest listing has been in review for 24 hours when usually they get reviewed in seconds. What on earth is going on with FB ?

It looks like they have a major glitch, there’s a thread already running about the ‘under review’ issue. 

hubb

soolin said:

hubb said:

Well, my latest listing has been in review for 24 hours when usually they get reviewed in seconds. What on earth is going on with FB ?

It looks like they have a major glitch, there’s a thread already running about the ‘under review’ issue. 

How do you stop those annoying multiple notifications telling you to "list in more places" ? If I turn off Marketplace notifications in settings, it also turns off PMs from potential buyers.

LadyDee

Tip for sellers?   Please add measurements to your listings!  I'm getting so fed up messaging sellers to ask for information that should be part of the description, I just don't bother any more.  For instance, looking at a rug for sale.  I ask the seller for measurements.  The answer?  "Don't know, but it's big"!

soolin

LadyDee said:

Tip for sellers?   Please add measurements to your listings!  I'm getting so fed up messaging sellers to ask for information that should be part of the description, I just don't bother any more.  For instance, looking at a rug for sale.  I ask the seller for measurements.  The answer?  "Don't know, but it's big"!

It makes no difference, I add measurements and yet probably 1 in 10 people coming to collect moan the size is too big, or too small . It is a real issue for me, I even posted a thread about it last year as it was driving me crazy. 

MR1988

I also have buyers messaging me about details when all details are listed in item description. I think sometimes they just prefer to hit the 'Is this available button?' and start chatting straight away rather than reading the description.

soolin

Seriously I can list 8 inch brass candlesticks and have someone turn up and say - wow I thought they were meant to be waist height, these are far too small  or I don't want them as they aren't solid silver!  If I'm working my OH does the hand over and he can be a bit grumpy, the last one he dealt with came for a very large vase, 18 inches tall (measurements also given in cms) buyer told my husband it must be the wrong one as they expected it to be small enough for a small posy, so he just said sorry , 18 inches is 18 inches and closed the door. I've had people turn up for a second hand skirt, say they don't like it in blue and could they have a red one instead  

Don't even get me started on the people who ask to collect on  Saturday and then on Friday ask me what time I can drop it off the next day as they are going out and don't want me to have a wasted journey. Or the ones who want a £3 trinket and will I travel 20+ miles to meet them half way as I am too far away from them and they don't want to pay my £1 postage cost. 

Luckily I have a lot of regular buyers now and a lot of professional dealers who just turn up, pay and leave.