Just over four years ago, an insurrectionist mob found each other online, descended on Washington, stormed the Capitol and threatened the vice-president with a noose. But that was the good old days. We’re living in a different reality now. One in which the billionaires have been unchained.
Facebook marketplace is literally a shit show full of scams and it is hard to find anything, a bad UI, and no good filtering. The only thing holding it up is the algorithm to show you products (based on your browsing and advertising data). It is a step up from Craigslist, but it is mediocre at its absolute best. There are just no used alternatives in many places
We have an app here called 2dehands which has a similar scam problem, but is easier to filter out. However, the UX is 10x better with robust filtering, setting up pre-specced searches based on location, price, text strings, quality, categories, etc… with email and/or app notifications for new items added and everything surrounding bidding and favorite item status.
I really do not understand how people are getting scammed. I am totally willing to concede that people have very different experiences with FB marketplace overall. Mine has been good, does not mean it has been good for everyone. But the scamming I really don’t get. Are y’all just not using the actual platform to pay? Have you personally been scammed?
Scammers simply know how to scam. A common one is the scammer visiting a house (pretending to buy) with a newer lock that gives one time codes and leaving a different door unlocked. Then the scammer “rents” out the house (even though it’s only for sale) and tricks people out of a deposit and first month’s rent.
That isn’t on FB marketplace.
I know people who almost fell for this scam on Facebook Marketplace. However, they looked up the owner and called the owner themselves.
If you pay through the platform you won’t be scammed.