Facebook Marketplace is the latest in a series of online platforms that invite and encourage users to sell things they don’t want and buy second hand rather than heading straight for the high street.
It works using your location and invites you to search for specific items and products within your local area, spanning outwards and further away from your location the further down the results list you browse.
Of course, while second hand goods are always more affordable than buying brand new, there are times when you won’t want to pay the advertised price – or will feel that something is worth less than its been listed at. In these cases, you may decide that a negotiation is worth your time.
So, how do you go about negotiating on price when using the Marketplace feature on Facebook?
How to Send an Offer
When you open a listing on Marketplace, you will see a series of buttons underneath the product name and it’s carousel of images.
One of these is labelled ‘Send Offer’ and invites you to offer the seller an amount which is equal to, less than, or more than the advertised price.
Typically, offering something less than the advertised price is where most negotiations start.
However, if you find the perfect product and want to secure it before someone else does, offering more than the advertised price can be a good way to make sure you don’t lose it.
NOTE: Sending an offer is not a confirmed purchase, it simply opens the conversation around a purchase.
How to Start a Negotiation With the Seller
If you want to discuss the product, find out more about it, or negotiate the price via a conversation, then you need to click on the large blue button labelled ‘Message Seller’.
This will take you to a dedicated section of your Messenger app, that’s specifically designed around Marketplace conversations. In this conversation stream with the seller you can ask questions about the product and discuss the price that you are willing to pay.
Payments are typically settled in person upon collection or delivery, with cash or direct payment.
Tips for Negotiating With the Seller
If you want to get the best possible price as a buyer, then there are certain things that you should and shouldn’t do when conversing with the seller.
Going in too low with your offer is likely to be met with a refusal. Similarly, if you are heavy-handed in your approach when negotiating, you are likely to push the seller towards another buyer.
Our advice is to keep conversation geared towards the product and ask what the lowest price they would accept is. Be open to waiting a few days in case they sell it for full price to someone else, before re-opening the conversation and your negotiation.
It’s also important to factor travel and collection costs into your price and negotiation – or indeed, to consider the cost on their end if they agree to deliver.
Facebook Marketplace is a great tool for Facebook users who want to part with unwanted goods and pick up local bargains. However, negotiating is a skill that takes time to master – and requires a different approach every time. Happy bargain hunting!
