Facebook’s been experimenting with Facebook Marketplace for a while now. I’ve seen the tab on the bottom row of the app occasionally, and others have also reported seeing it.
Selling used and old items on Facebook isn’t a new idea; people have been doing it for years in Facebook groups. Now, Facebook is positioning itself as a conduit for peer-to-peer sharing that Craigslist is well known for.
Craigslist has become the go to place to sell everything from used phones to furniture, and while the design and website are terrible; everyone uses it for better or worse. Facebook’s alternative is well designed, has thousands of local products already, and has a network of users already. While Facebook is a little late to the game, they’re poised to surpass others who have tried similar alternatives to Craigslist.
Tell us if you’re more willing to buy products off of Facebook than you’d purchase something off Craigslist. Facebook you’d be able to put a face to a name, and understand who you’re talking to with Messenger. Craigslist method of communication is either through email or a phone number, and those are often abused.