If you reside in the states, there is a good chance you’ve used Craigslist a time or two as it’s a great way to sell something locally. Facebook Marketplace promises the same thing, but all from the comfort of a smartphone app.
Regardless of how you feel about Facebook as a whole, it is a great networking tool. The company has tried to leverage that weight into other areas over the years with some proving more successful than others. Facebook Marketplace looks to be one of the company’s better ideas, as it will allow you to buy or sell from within your own circles or in larger networks if you choose. As cool as Craigslist is, the anonymous factor keeps some folks away, especially in today’s troubling times.
Facebook has let people buy, sell and swap through their site for some time, but now things will be much simpler with the Facebook Marketplace tab. It’s a dedicated place for shopping on the site and has some nice features considering the platform. Messenger is one of them, which allows you to set up a meet without having to pick up the phone. That said, there is plenty of room for improvement including a rating system, something that’s almost a “must” for a service of this nature.
At this time, the Facebook Marketplace is only available for folks in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the U.S. You can’t only access the feature through the app as well, not on the official website. We imagine that will change in short order if Facebook Marketplace proves itself successful, but they have a long way to go before they’ll have Craigslist or eBay shaking in their boots.