Facebook adds features for selling items, taking on eBay and Craigslist
Groups used to sell stuff through Facebook is one of the most popular features on the site
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Facebook has added new features to help sell items through the social network.
The site already has millions of groups based around selling things, using the site as an alternative to eBay and other sites, but is adding more features to make the process easier.
The new “Sell” feature makes it easier for people to list items, as well as for buyers to find what they’re looking for.
Group admins will be able to give users a form to fill in, making sure that they give all the right information to sell items. At the moment, prospective buyers often have to ask sellers a range of questions about the items, meaning that the posts can get moved up to the top of the page even if they’re old.
Users will also be able to say when an item has been sold, helping to move it out of view of the group and keep relevant items visible.
Problems still remain with using Groups as a place to sell items, Techcrunch notes. It’s not possible to search within Groups on mobile, and getting in touch with other users is still difficult because messages get sent to the often neglected “Other” folder in Messages.
Groups must be ask Facebook to be given access to the feature, using an online form. The feature is only available in Groups, and not in the more public Pages.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments