Facebook has launched its very own buy and sell feature called Marketplace. Apparently, there are up to 450 million users who use the Group feature for buying and selling. This was revealed by Project Manager Bowen Pan. The tech giant looks to seize this opportunity and expand its reach into e-commerce.
Facebook's Marketplace
Smartphone users will notice the absence of the Messenger icon in their mobile app. It will be soon replaced by the Marketplace icon. According to The Verge, clicking it will lead you to an algorithmically generated home page. It consists of items Facebook thinks you are interested in.
Tech Crunch reports that Marketplace has three main features. The one mentioned above is under Browse To Buy. The items displayed will be based on the pages the user liked.
Eventually, it will also include the user's viewing and activity within the Marketplace. The buyer can simply message the seller of the item. He/she can also place an offer of his/her choosing.
The second feature is the Sell Your Stuff. Sellers can just upload a photo, set the name, description and price of their products. Then, they need to confirm their location.
Search Your Surroundings is the third feature. Users can browse for items near their locations. They could also change the settings for products outside their place.
The Marketplace is currently only available for mobile. However, Pan mentioned that a desktop feature is in the works.
Marketplace Rivals eBay, Craigslist And Amazon
According to The Christian Science Monitor, the launch of the Marketplace will undeniably rival that of e-commerce mainstays eBay, Craigslist and Amazon. Users won't be charged in their transactions.
Facebook is actually more concerned with keeping its users and gaining more. People will spend more time in using the feature. This will be favorable to Facebook, which will earn through advertisements.
The new feature will ban sales of firearms, animals and alcohol. However, the drawback of the Marketplace is its lack of safety and security. It doesn't offer the same protection as with eBay.
People might get scammed, assaulted, ripped off or stolen from. Facebook would not take responsibility. They could only review and take action on flagged items. Pan, however, assured that users that they can report items that violate the Marketplace's policies.
