Facebook Launches Marketplace: Buying and Selling in Local Communities

[engine]

Groups were the original way to buy and sell, but Facebook has now introduced Marketplace, which is a way to buy and sell locally. Interestingly, Facebook says it doesn't get involved in the payment, and obviously, the delivery of any goods and services. I'm surprised it's not facilitating the payment.

Over the next few days, Marketplace will be rolling out to everyone over 18 years old in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand on the Facebook app for iPhone and Android. We will continue expanding to additional countries and make Marketplace available on the desktop version of Facebook in the coming months. Facebook Launches Marketplace: Buying and Selling in Local Communities [newsroom.fb.com]

[keyplyr]

"I'm surprised it's not facilitating the payment"

Since the Marketplace is part of the FB app running on Android & iOS, it is possible a deal was made to give exclusive billing to them, at least temporarily.

However, I agree this is a vital component and suspect that if Marketplace is even mildly sucessful, we should see a billing platform coming from FB at some point.

[mack]

I think we will see an expansion of Facebook's existing payment systems to allow people to make payments. As it stands most of their payment handling is for advertising, but they have also run programs in the past like promote a post that was aimed purely at end users. I think what we are seeing here is a period where Facebook will keep out of it until it grows. They can then work out the best way to proceed. It certainly makes sense to be involved in the payment processing.

Mack.

[mcneely]

um ... reinventing the wheel? - Sounds like it to me. I don't trust Facebook enough to even have the apps platform turned on -

[engine]

I'm seeing local groups show up all over FB, and, already, i'm seeing local spam.
There's also been news that Facebook has had to apologise over some Marketplace ads that have been less than appropriate, and some being unlawful. [bbc.co.uk...]

[mack]

My area has loads of local groups, of varying standards in terms of quality and ability of the people to manage them. If half the things being sold there were to be put on a marketplace endorsed by Facebook, they would really need to have a long hard think how to proceed.

Mack.

[Selen]

Isn't it ironic - millions of webmasters promote the Facebook brand to their own visitors for free (all those 'Like my business on Facebook' links and icons). Now these visitors go to Facebook and never come back to your site because they have no reason of doing so. Guess who wins in the long term? :)