If you're looking for a bargain on furniture or scrambling to furnish that brand-new-but-depressingly-empty apartment you just scored, then look no further than Facebook's new feature that allows users to buy and sell personal items, fittingly dubbed Facebook Marketplace. If you're curious about how to buy items on Facebook Marketplace, it is thankfully as easy as tapping a button on your app. As for overcoming your new online used item shopping addiction? ... That's an article for another day.
People have already been using Facebook as a platform to buy and sell items through popular pages, but Facebook Marketplace is the first time individual users will be able to post items for sale that all appear in the same feed based on location and category. It is a lot like Craigslist, except for one important safety feature — buyers and sellers will be able to see each other's profiles, adding a much-needed layer of security for any potential transactions. Potential items that users will able to buy or sell in Facebook Marketplace include furniture, electronics, and apparel, so hop on that gravy train and buy all the good stuff in your town before one of your neighbors snatches it up!
Here's how to go about buying items in Facebook Marketplace:
Tap The "Shop" Icon At The Bottom Of The Facebook App
It will lead you Facebook Marketplace, which is automatically set to show you available items in your area.
Set A Price And Distance Range
To make sure that you are only buying items that are practical for you to meet up with a seller to exchange, you can set a customized distance radius that will eliminate any items that are too far away. If you're on a budget (or looking for something ~extra fancy~), you can tell Facebook Marketplace to only show you items within certain price ranges.
Select A Category, Or Use Keywords
Facebook Marketplace has broad categories like Furniture and Apparel for browsing, but if you're looking for something super specific, you can use the search engine to pull up items that fit the description of what you're looking for.
Message The Seller
In order to facilitate the sale, you can message the seller with an offer and make arrangements on the price and where and where to exchange the item. If you're super into an item but not quite ready to commit to messaging the seller, you can "Save" an item for later, and you'll be able to see it again when you log back into Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace officially rolls out Oct. 3 to users over the age of 18 in the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go find a listing for a dresser that doesn't stab me every time I open it. Hooray!
Images: Flamingo Images/Stocksy; Courtesy of Facebook
