facebookmarketplace
Latest
Facebook is facing an EU investigation over data collection
Google isn't the only tech giant facing an investigation from European Union antitrust regulators over data collection and monetization. The European Commission has Facebook in its sights too.
Facebook Marketplace lets sellers ship items across the continental US
Facebook will soon let Marketplace sellers ship items anywhere in the continental US, while you'll be able to pay for purchases directly through the platform. As such, sellers who are happy to ship their goods will be able to cater to customers on the other side of the country. Buyers, meanwhile, should have access to a broader selection of items and perhaps some peace of mind through purchase protection for eligible items.
Facebook is selling ad spots in its Marketplace listings
Facebook is going to put ads in its Marketplace section for online classifieds. That's right, in addition to seeing posts for things like used couches and bed frames, you'll likely see advertisements for Bed, Bath & Beyond and Pier 1. In addition to that, now you'll be able to pay to "Boost" a listing, much like you would a News Feed post or event listing. As TechCrunch reports, these user-paid Boosts don't offer any sort of granularity to who they're targeting.
Facebook Messenger will begin translating English to Spanish soon
Messenger's built-in AI is getting a new trick. The M digital assistant will suggest translating a message to your native language if you get a message via Marketplace in a different tongue. It'll start with English to Spanish and roll out to users in the US over the next few weeks. Other languages and availability will come online later. This could make offloading that spare couch of yours a lot easier in the future -- especially if you're trying to communicate with a buyer while you're on the go.
Facebook will pull used car ads into its Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace has been around for a year now. In that time, the social network has gotten a firm grasp on what users are buying and selling on its Craigslist rival. (It's also made sure to stop you from hocking certain things like, ahem, hedgehogs). But, cute critters were always going to be a niche category anyway. What's really popping on Marketplace are cars. And, soon Facebook will give you even more ways to track down and purchase vehicles. It's integrating listings from leading car sales and research websites (including Edmunds, Cars.com, Auction123, CDK Global and SocialDealer) to help you find your next ride.
Facebook's revamped Marketplace goes after Craigslist again
Last year Facebook relaunched its online classifieds, Marketplace, as a way to take on Craigslist. Now the social network is giving the system a makeover, TechCrunch noticed. There are dedicated sections for categories of for-sale items including tools, baby-and-kids items and even mobile phones. Oh, and there's one each for garage sales and housing -- two of Craiglist's most popular categories.
Facebook didn't mean to let you sell guns and hedgehogs
Facebook's newly launched Marketplace is meant to help you sell all kinds of goods, but it turns out the service has been a little too permissive in its early days. The company has apologized after a "technical issue" with its screening system let Marketplace users sell items that either violate its policies or are downright illegal, including babies, drugs, guns and... baby hedgehogs. Really. It's promising to "fix the problem" and will make sure that it's correctly removing forbidden listings before expanding access.
