Earlier this week Facebook added a new feature called Marketplace to its site, most likely to compete with Craigslist. It’s nothing more than online classified for Facebook users. Since I use every other feature on Facebook I figured this one was worth a look. When I first heard the name I thought it was going to adopt a similar platform to eBay: the user would pay to list an item and Facebook gets a cut of the final selling price. I dug into the Help section and the Facebook Marketplace Guidelines to learn more.
First, to my initial surprise this feature is completely free. There’s no listing fee. There’s no transaction cost. At first I wondered why they wouldn’t want a piece of the action. I mean, think about it: it seems like pretty easy money from where I’m sitting. Just make your prices fair and competitive and no one would give it a second thought. But then I came across points one and three in their General Rules and Guidelines:
The parties to a Facebook Marketplace transaction are solely responsible for all interactions with each other, for arranging for payment, customer service and the exchange and fulfillment of the goods or services purchased, and for the results of the transaction and for all applicable taxes. Facebook is not responsible for any failure to pay any amounts due, or to deliver any merchandise or services as promised or for any other aspect of the transaction. …
Parties to a transaction should exercise caution in providing contact information or personal information to the other party and in making personal contact with the other party. Facebook is not responsible for the actions of any of its users, and this Service is provided AS IS AND AT YOUR OWN RISK.
If Facebook wants their cut they also have to accept their share of the responsibility when someone gets ripped off. And let’s face it, college students will do anything for beer money. Imagine all the extra headaches that would cause for the good people at Facebook.
Plus this is one of the first times one of these social networking sites has ever added a feature that truly encouraged its users to meet face-to-face. Marketplace isn’t just to find someone who needs your old text book that you can send by FedEx. It’s for people looking for jobs, furniture, places to live. When they first announced the feature in the Facebook blog they used a “Cute Dog” as their example listing. You’re not sending him through the mail! With all the bad press MySpace has received about kids being stalked by online predators you know Facebook is going into this with a team of lawyers telling them exactly what to do.
I think my favorite feature in Marketplace is that I can see how I am connected to a seller or potential buyer. Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, is quoted in this NY Times article as saying:
“There are no anonymous listings, and we give you a very clear path to see how you can trust the other person you are conducting business with.”
What does this clear path look like? Let’s say I’m in the market for a mini-fridge. I find one in the Marketplace that looks to be in good shape, is at a good price, and is located just around the corner from me. The listing will tell me if the seller and I have any mutual Facebook friends. So I can message that mutual friend and see if this guy is on the level or more likely to be a crook. Oh, it’ll also tell me if said person is my friend, just in case I’m the guy on Facebook who has so many friends he’s forgotten who is who. (I’m not that guy.)
With that all being said, I will probably never use this feature. Well, maybe if/when I move away from Tallahassee and need to get rid of furniture. Maybe I’ll use it to get rid of my beanbag chairs if there’s no room in the duplex for them. But I’m no longer a student needing to find and get rid of text books. Finding a place to live is a snap with the people I know. I have a job (soon I’ll have two). And I’m not really in the business for random junk anymore. I got the eBay bug out of my system a few years ago.
My final conclusion is that this feature is pretty slick. College students will make great use of it. The rest of us may not find it as useful, but it’s really on a case-by-case basis. Personally I’m interested to see if someone tries to make Facebook a responsible party after a deal goes south.
