by Christopher Harris
If you have thick skin and the patience of a saint and want to sell something, Facebook Marketplace is an option.
Unlike other selling platforms, it is free, but at a cost to your sanity. This is because there is no checkout, you negotiate and go and collect. Simple? No human behaviour and the law of the keyboard kick in!
Anyone who has ever sold on Facebook Marketplace will recognise the pattern. You put time and care into your listing: good photos, clear description, a fair price. Within minutes, a deluge of interest.
It feels promising. It feels like momentum. But most of the time, that momentum fizzles out before it gets anywhere as the human condition kicks in.
Probably 75% of buyers are genuine and good as gold, the scourge of this platform is the vast number of time-wasters. I have had High St shops and large online retail sites, I’d say time-wasters make up 1-2% of buyers, so 33% is a genuine problem.
The Vanishing Buyers
Of that 33%, about half of the enquiries you receive are nothing more than reflex clicks. Someone hits “Is this still available?” and then disappears. You respond politely, confirm the item is ready, and…silence. No follow-up. No “thanks, but I’ll pass.” You wouldn’t treat someone in a shop like that, welcome to Facebook Marketplace, a platform that relies on integrity and trust, where I would say a vast bulk of users find they are lacking in that department.
It can feel insulting, but in reality, these buyers were probably never serious. They were browsing half heartedly, bored, scrolling while watching TV, or idly daydreaming about items they have no intention of collecting. For them, tapping that question is just a low effort way to bookmark something. It is just like window shopping, you might one day be interested in buying the product, maybe one day, except something inside you wants to indicate your interest, get the sellers hopes up, when frankly you know your interest will go no further than the next item you look at. Welcome to the mind of a time waster.
But for you, it costs time and energy. You’re left checking your phone, second-guessing whether you missed a message or failed to reply fast enough. You start double checking whether it is you who has got it all wrong.
In the meantime, you reserve the item for someone who has no intention of picking it up, as other genuine buyers who will actually pay and collect are oblivious to your product.
The Excuse-Makers
Then there’s the other half. These buyers do engage. They ask sensible questions, request more photos, maybe even negotiate a price. You agree on collection. It feels like progress.
But at the last moment, something always happens:
- “Sorry, my car won’t start.”
- “My child is unwell.”
- “I’ll definitely collect next week.”
Some of these excuses are no doubt genuine. Life gets in the way. But over time, you start to wonder if Facebook Marketplace is the sick man of Britain—where simply expressing interest seems to guarantee sudden illness, car trouble, or an unexpected family emergency.
It’s as though people are too uncomfortable to be honest. So instead of a clear “no thanks,” they drag it out with excuses they hope will let them off the hook politely. Ironically, it does the opposite. It wastes even more of your time and leaves you guessing whether to hold the item or relist it.
The No-Shows
And finally, there are the buyers who confirm a time and place, then simply vanish. You tidy the house, clear your schedule, maybe even turn down other buyers because you believe this one will show.
Then you wait.
And wait.
No call. No message. No apology.
These chatty, trigger happy timewasters seem so engaged at first. They gush about how perfect the item is for their project, promise they’ll be there without fail, and then, when the agreed time comes, they vanish as if struck by lightning. It’s just plain weird.It’s not the money that stings most, it’s the lack of respect. You wouldn’t stand someone up in person without a word. But online, it seems to have become normal.
Why Won’t People Just Say No?
The truth is, a lot of people find it easier to ghost you than to admit they’ve changed their mind. Saying no feels awkward. They worry you’ll be angry or disappointed. So instead of risking a confrontation, they opt for silence or an elaborate story.
It’s easier for them—but much harder for you.
Over time, this pattern makes you wary. You stop believing that any enquiry is serious until the buyer is actually on your doorstep. It creates a culture of mutual suspicion: sellers think buyers are unreliable; buyers think sellers are impatient or pushy, and you do come across as such.
I’ve found a good way to deal with this is to say upfront that I’d much rather they just let me know if they change their mind, it really isn’t a problem. That alone cuts down on a lot of the timewasters. I also make a point of checking in a few hours before, or the day before, to confirm they still want the item. I know it feels a bit pathetic, treating grown adults like children, but it does save a lot of wasted time.
The Frustration of Waiting
One of the most aggravating parts of the process is simply the time you waste, and building your day around the collection. You put your day on hold. You watch the clock. You wonder whether you should follow up or give up.
All because someone couldn’t type a three word message: “Changed my mind.”
If you’re new to Marketplace, this feels shocking. If you’ve been selling a while, it’s become almost routine. But it never quite stops being irritating.
Why It’s Worth Remembering
It helps to remind yourself that it’s rarely personal. You are not alone. This is happening to thousands of sellers every day.
People let you down because they’re busy, distracted, disorganised, embarrassed, or simply careless. That doesn’t excuse it, but it explains it.
If you’re going to use Marketplace regularly, it helps to have a thick skin and low expectations. Treat enquiries as background noise until someone genuinely commits.
And when they do show up, pay cash, and thank you, well, it feels like a small miracle.
Somehow, it’s even worse when you’re giving something away for free. The promise of “free” seems to ignite a rush of greed rather than any genuine thought about whether they really want it, as if people can’t resist claiming something simply because it costs nothing, only to disappear when it comes time to collect as free trumps practicality.
As a seasoned Marketplace seller, for my chuckaway and clearance articles, I found the perfect answer.I just stopped doing it and gave the products to charity!
#Facebook Marketplace #Selling On Facebook #Online Trading #Bad Customers #Lying Customers
The Rights of Fans. 