Tips on dealing with the Facebook Marketplace Asylum?

[TheTrueReview]

This post follows my other recent one about a scam attempt when I listed a backpack on FB Marketplace.

Getting to the point ...

I don't sell much, hence I was pretty shocked by FB Marketplace experience. It seems to be a haven for loons, shonks and time wasters. A genuine response to a sale post seems to be a rarity. Completely different to dealing with Ozgolfers here.

Anyhoo, my backpack sale worked out okay in the end. Sold to a guy. But at pick up, we were generally chatting about FB Marketplace. He said that he never lets buyers know his home address. At that point he was standing in my garage. He said that one time when he was buying something for $4.5k cash, he was that concerned about the buyer's bona fides, he armed himself with a knife to go to the exchange point. That concerned me. One of the other enquirers had wanted to meet me at my closest train station for the transaction and claimed he didn't own a car, only a skateboard. Visions of being being bludgeoned by an ice-head at a train station car park arose.

So, I'm curious. How do seasoned Ozgolf hoes go when selling on FB Marketplace? What's your go-to procedure to ensure you don't get ripped off or unwittingly invite "Charles Manson" around to purchase your item?

[goughy]

Don't own anything - then you have nothing to sell and don't have to worry about FB marketplace!

[PeteyD]

Don't go near it

[Sookie1]

My wife won't let me on there anymore. She was concerned I was going to get stabbed or shot as my replies to the morons were quite colourful so now I just don't bother

[markTHEblake]

Use common sense. I dont have a problem with buying or selling on FB or anywhere.

The cook sold something trivial for $10 or $20, left it outside the house and told the lady to leave the cash on the table. The lady took the goods, didnt leave the money, and when messaged about it, denied she had been there.

I googled the phone number, turns out she is a hooker. Was tempted to arrange some payback, but in her description she mentions being maori descent, so i decided best avoid the trouble :-)

[WBennett]

Bought and sold heaps of stuff up to a few hundred bucks in value. Cash only, pickup only, if you don't want to do that, then I can't be assed doing a transaction.

Did post a shaft the other day to Sydney, that was a pain in the arse so I won't be doing that again.

Lowballers get told 'No' and thats it.

[WBennett]

I only give out my home address via mobile number as well.

[TheTrueReview]

Thanks for the comments, guys. @WBennett, good tip about only giving out the home address via mobile number.

[markTHEblake]

I have bought stuff from Interstate and paid by bank transfer, but i did my due diligence on the buyer first. There is various ways to do this, and each one i different.

An advantage facebook and golf have is that there isnt many serious golfers around that is not a friend of a friend, as like many of us I have a very wide network of golf mates the odd one being fairly prominent. so i couple of occasions it was as simple as contacting the common friend and asking. Another one I noticed that he was formerly from mums home town, so i just asked mum, yep she knew him

Do ya homework. If something doesnt feel right, walk away

[goonie]

I buy and sell some stuff on FB, cash only, I always meet somewhere public where possible and always check out their profile and tend to only deal with people that also sell stuff. I also add a comment at the bottom like this

"Cash only, Price is firm, If the ad is up and not marked as pending or sold it is still available so no need to ask."

Sometimes I will add "Stupid low balls will be ignored"

It helps but doesn't stop all the idiots.

[Dazza]

I've bought & sold.
Most I've spent would be about $150.
And I've sold above $500 no issues.
Anytime I ship, it's all fully insured.

Normally pay/accept payment via PayPal.
Yeah there's fees involved, but it still beats getting the Ebay fees pineapple.

Lowballing muppets are ignored.

[TheTrueReview]

Thanks again, guys.