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

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.