Buying and selling things, whether in person or online, is difficult enough as it is. But when you add yet another dimension to the process—like social media—things can get pretty awkward and confusing rather quickly. The fact of the matter is that proper communication and politeness are fairly rare skills.
When you spend a fair bit of time on Facebook Marketplace, a popular e-commerce platform, you might stumble upon some truly bizarre interactions. Our team at Bored Panda is featuring screenshots of some of the most irritating and confusing experiences that people had with both buyers and sellers. Scroll down for a deep dive into how not to communicate and why patience is a virtue.
Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the popularity of e-commerce on social networks like Facebook and how vendors can build trust with their customers, so we reached out to Matt Johnson, PhD. He is a marketing psychology expert specializing in topics such as consumer psychology and serendipity, and he was kind enough to answer our questions.
#1 The Only Way Things Go On FB Marketplace
Image credits: McBro_FTW
We were curious as to why e-commerce has become such a big hit in this day and age. According to marketing psychology expert Johnson, this is due to the fact that it is incredibly efficient. E-commerce "thrives on platforms like Facebook Marketplace because it seamlessly integrates shopping with the social and digital habits we already have. Most notably, I see this as the convergence of convenience, trust, and the power of social influence," he told Bored Panda.
According to Johnson, Facebook Marketplace capitalizes on contextual commerce, which is the idea that "buying opportunities are most effective when they fit naturally into our existing behaviors." He explained that people already spend hours on Facebook connecting with their friends and browsing content. Adding shopping into that 'ecosystem' feels effortless. There's also the factor of trust to consider.
"Social media inherently fosters trust. Items on Marketplace often come from local sellers, and features like mutual friend connections or reviews enhance a sense of security. Lastly, platforms like Facebook are inherently social. Seeing what friends buy, sell, or recommend adds a layer of social proof, a powerful psychological driver of purchasing behavior. This mix of convenience, trust, and influence has made e-commerce on social platforms a natural evolution of shopping behavior."
#2 Donate Pls
Image credits: Alkansur
#3 My Friend's Attempt To Sell Something On Facebook Marketplace
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Bored Panda was also interested in how trust is built on e-commerce platforms. After all, reputation counts for a lot. "Building trust in e-commerce requires transparency, consistency, and a human-centered approach. Transparency is key—clearly communicate policies on returns, shipping, and privacy while providing detailed product descriptions, high-quality images, and reviews to eliminate ambiguity, which often triggers distrust," Johnson explained.
"Social proof, such as customer reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content, plays a powerful role by activating the brain’s trust networks, making the brand feel safer and more reliable. Consistency across your website, app, and social media reinforces credibility, as cognitive dissonance caused by mixed messaging can undermine trust," he said.
It's also important to focus on "humanizing the shopping experience." This can be done through "responsive customer service or chatbots can simulate the personal interactions that consumers associate with trustworthiness."
"Neuroscience research shows that even small perceived human touches foster a sense of reliability. Ultimately, trust is built through repeated moments of reliability—consistently delivering what you promise and creating an environment where customers feel confident in their decisions."
#4 Why Bother On Facebook
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#5 Just About Had Enough With Selling Via Facebook Marketplace Then This Guy Came Along
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#6 Facebook Marketplace In Oregon. Trying To Sell A Pair Of Beats
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Facebook Marketplace is huge—that’s no surprise because Meta, Facebook's parent company, is sprawling. The exact numbers vary a bit from researcher to researcher.
As per BusinessDasher, Marketplace has around 1.1 billion users worldwide, with 474 million active users. Roughly 16% of all people who log in to Facebook do so solely to shop on Marketplace.
7% of all Facebook users in the United States have bought something on Marketplace, compared to 14% of all users from 70 countries. Back in 2021, Marketplace boasted revenue of $26 billion. Unfortunately, 17% of users are said to have been scammed on Marketplace.
#7 Marketplace "Share For Jesus" Sneak Attack
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#8 No Sir, Will Not Remind You I’ve Been Holding An Item For You For 4 Days
I’m selling a few things on marketplace and this guy ask me to hold a very underpriced punching bag for him, because he won’t have his car till Friday (4 days from now). I’ve been getting a lot of messages for the punching bag, so I didn’t make any promises but the audacity to ask me to remind him made me laugh. Like no I won’t remind you I’ve been holding an item for you for 4 days, I’m the one doing the favor?! Marketplace isn’t really worth the headache tbh.
Image credits: Personal_Jackfruit95
#9 Not Craigslist But A Pretty Solid One On Facebook Marketplace
Image credits: UsedPreference
According to BusinessDasher, men aged 25 to 34 years old are the largest group of Facebook Marketplace users, clocking in at 17.9% of all users. Women in the same age range make up 13.8% of all users.
On the flip side, the least active users are the youngest and oldest ones: teenagers and folks over the age of 65.
#10 Well Then. I Guess I'll Take My Atheist Money Elsewhere
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#11 Didn’t Think I’d Ever See This
Look, I can understand people fall on hard times and I’m not in this to really make money. But asking me to donate AND deliver?! If they would have asked me to donate but would pick them up, I probably would have done it.
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#12 Spotted On The Facebook Marketplace
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Meanwhile, CapitalOne Shopping states that, on average, up to 1.228 billion online shoppers buy something on Facebook Marketplace. According to their research, up to 40% of Facebook’s users shop on Marketplace. Currently, there are 3.07 billion active monthly users and 2.11 billion daily active users on the social network, as per DemandSage.
CapitalOne Shopping states that around 491 million active users log in to Facebook just to shop on Marketplace. Furthermore, there are 250 million Marketplace sellers worldwide.
#13 We Had No Prior Conversation
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#14 Did I Just Have My First Encounter?
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#15 "Wrong Donna" Doesn't Get Marketplace
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Knowing how (not) to communicate isn’t a skill that most of us are born with. Sure, some folks might pick up social cues more easily and have sharper instincts when it comes to faux pas and taboos.
However, a high level of self-awareness is often developed slowly, over time, through countless interactions.
#16 On My Marketplace Post About Building Custom PC's
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#17 Are You Okay, Lady? Never Thought I Would Encounter A Karen In FB Market LOL
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#18 Facebook Marketplace Brings Out The Best In People
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Or, to put it bluntly, when you have a string of incredibly awkward and cringy conversations with people, you start to wonder whether you’re the problem. You then learn not to repeat the same mistakes to avoid feeling embarrassed.
The key thing here is to shift your perspective so you don’t end up losing what’s left of your courage. Accept the mistakes you’ve made in the past, see them as opportunities for growth, learn from them, adapt your approach, and move on.
#19 There Are Some Seriously Odd People Using Facebook Marketplace
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#20 Selling My Motorbike For £2,000 On Facebook Marketplace. What A Cesspit!
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#21 There Was An Attempt To Get A Free iPad
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If you don’t embrace the mistakes you’ve made—no matter how socially awkward—you risk making that embarrassment fester into shame. And that’s not good for anybody. Somewhat paradoxically, when you don’t try to hide your embarrassment and own up to having made a blunder, you seem more human and approachable. In other words, people tend to like you more because they see you as humble and relatable.
#22 Another Attempted FB Marketplace Scam
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#23 Scammer Apologizes For Scamming, Then Asks For $50
Trying to sell my elliptical on Facebook marketplace and met my first honest scammer
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#24 I'm A Rude Prick For Saying I Wont Deliver The Free Corner Sofa Im Giving Away
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Rejection isn’t a great feeling even on the best of days. It’s an unavoidable part of life, however. Furthermore, if you’re selling something and your ability to pay rent and put food on the table depends on how you interact with others, well then, you’d better learn to handle rejection fast… or consider a different career path or side hustle. Being a salesperson can be a tough job, and there’s no shame in admitting that this sort of stress isn’t for you.
#25 Daily Struggle Of Dealing With People On Marketplace. I’m Sure My Sellers Rating Will Suffer
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#26 Facebook Marketplace Seller Wasted My Morning And My Gas
I found a small van I wanted to convert. The price was good for the mileage. I reached out to the seller and told them I was interested and would like to see it, and that if it was good, they likely had a sale.
Seller responds with time and address for the following day. I agree to the time and thank them. Was excited that night and found it difficult to sleep.
The next day the seller messages me to inquire if I am still coming. I let them know that I am on my way (1.5 hours away with traffic).
When I am mere minutes away, they tell me they just sold it. Wasted 3 hours of my time and 1/4 tank of gas.
Couldn’t rate the seller since they blocked me. What does one even do in this situation? Well, besides sigh and just keep on keeping on.
Image credits: Remarkable-Sky-1653
#27 Ok Sorry?
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What’s your experience been like with Facebook Marketplace? Have you ever bought or sold anything there or on other e-commerce sites? What are the weirdest interactions you’ve had with either buyers or sellers online?
For you personally, what are some red and green flags that you can(not) trust somebody? Let us know what you think in the comments.
#28 Facebook Marketplace Is A Nightmare
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#29 Facebook Marketplace Buyer Agreed On Sale Price And Time To Meet And Then Says This…
For more context, he even told me, “Not gonna have u come out here for no reason.” Woke up early and drove nearly an hour for this.
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#30 Ahh I Love Facebook Marketplace
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#31 We Gotta Find A Way Bro
He’s never drank coffee in bed I guess.
This is a 5 year old mattress I’m selling for $50, who would deliver that?
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#32 There Was An Attempt To Sell On Facebook Marketplace
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#33 For A Free Couch
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#34 I Was Nice Enough To Knock $50 Off Then They Had The Audacity To Ask For Delivery When I Listed Pickup Only
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#35 Excuse Me Mam, I Don’t Even Have An Oculus
I spoke to this person once (pictured), in the summer when she was asking for donations of clothing for men on Marketplace. Then she messages me this morning, asking for money. Either she was hacked or she’s insane lol. Judging by her profile, she seems to fall into the second category.
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#36 When You Try To Sell Clothes On Fb Marketplace
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#37 Context: Shoes For Sale On Facebook Marketplace…. What Size Are They?
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#38 Encounter With Casual Racism On Facebook Marketplace. This Guy Seemed To Feel It Was Perfectly Appropriate To Be A Racist In Our Exchange. How Would You Have Responded?
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#39 Went To Buy Something Off FB Marketplace, Seller Needed To Change Pickup Date, Then Marked As Sold, I'm Guessing To Someone Else, And Only "Thumbs Up'd" My Question
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#40 Trying To Sell A Baby Swing
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#41 Lady Wants Me To Deliver A Futon To Her House 30 Minutes Away For Free
What kind of delusion, I am not physically able to do that let alone for free and 30 minutes away?
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#42 Who Are These People?
Selling a nice laptop on FB marketplace for $450 so I can also get through these tough times.
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#43 Offers Like This That Feel Like Blatant Guilt Trips
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#44 Apparently I’m Breaking The Rules Of Facebook For Marking An Item Sold
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#45 They’re Hitting Facebook Marketplace Too
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#46 My Dad Bought A TV Off Of Someone Through Facebook Marketplace…
As soon as he got the TV home and set it up he turned it on and the TV was cracked, but he couldn’t even tell it was cracked when the TV was off. The person has blocked my dad.
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#47 Found This On The Facebook Marketplace
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#48 I'm 400 Short... You Accept 750?? Btw My Friend Sells Em Way Cheaper
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#49 Made My First FB Marketplace Listing Yesterday
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#50 Facebook Marketplace Buyer Fails To Show Up At Agreed Upon Place And Time, Wastes My Time And Gas And Sends A Ridiculous Lowball Offer Once I Have Already Been Waiting For 30 Mins
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#51 I Found This On Facebook Marketplace Today
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#52 Choosing Beggar Didn't Appreciate "Special Pricing" Offer
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#53 “I’m Reporting You” For Giving You Charity Advice?
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#54 Facebook Marketplace At Its Finest
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#55 My Attempt To Buy Something On Facebook Marketplace
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#56 Trying To Sell To Old People On FB Marketplace
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#57 Why Is FB Marketplace The Absolute Worst?
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#58 Good Ol' Marketplace
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#59 I Hate Facebook Marketplace
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#60 He Went On To Offer A Mtg Card With The $200... Context: Im Selling A Sealed Box 1tb Ps5 Slim. The Circle Sticker Seals Haven't Even Been Peeled
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#61 Marketplace Is For Dates
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#62 So...foot Fetish Or Scam?
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#63 Thank U Facebook Marketplace
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#64 My Friend Was Just Trying To Sell A Puzzle On Facebook Marketplace
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#65 Fb Marketplace Is A Goldmine
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#66 At Least Say “Hi” First Before You Shortchange Me And Call Me Cheap
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#67 I'll Make It A Bad Deal For Both Of Us!
Homeboy offered almost half price and required me to deliver it. I ended up getting full price for it and somebody came and got it from my house. Bonus for somebody trying to do multiple payments.
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#68 Why Do People Never Read The Description? I Put Pick Up Only
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#69 Family Member Of Mine Gave Away A Free Slightly Wobbly Table On FB. Wobbly Part Stated In Add
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#70 Good Ole Facebook Marketplace
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#71 Just Trying To Give Away A Free IKEA Couch. Last Night, I Posted My Couch On Fb Marketplace As Free And This Is The First Person That Asks About The Listing
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#72 Marketplace Vigilante Price Checks Me. Shame On You
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#73 I Tried To Sell A Chair On Facebook Marketplace And Ended Up Owing Some Guy A Relationship
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#74 Price Negotiating On Marketplace
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#75 This Shmuck Tried Scamming Me, I Sent An Article Warning About The Exact Scam, And Just Like That He Scurried Away. Shmuck
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#76 Facebook Marketplace Is Full Of Creeps
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#77 Found On Facebook Marketplace
£1500 seems a bit much for a system that's 5-6 years old, looked up the specs on eBay and it comes to just over £500.
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#78 Sold Someone Chairs Off Of Facebook Marketplace And He Text Me This Hours Later
He kept trying to talk to me in spanish.. which I do but I got a bad feeling about him and tried to keep things professional for some $10 barstools.
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#79 I Wouldn’t Accept His (Probably Fake) Jordans, Beanie And Drill For My Nintendo Switch Lite So He Calls Me The F-Slur
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#80 My SO Is Selling Airline Credit. Free Credit Doesn’t Seem Good Enough
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#81 Just Mail Me The Free Item At Your Expense
Background - the company I work for sometimes has overstock of items that we don’t really sell (think bonus items, giveaways, promos, etc). They just take up space so we give them away to places that can use them and write it off.
We’ve been sharing them on Facebook marketplace with the very clear stipulations that these are items in bulk (we aren’t opening boxes to pass out 1-2, please take a few boxes) and you need to pick them up. Most of the places we hear from are schools, daycares, nonprofits, etc. If one is pretty close we don’t mind dropping off if it’s not out of the way but we don’t make it a habit.
EVERY time we list something, this person reaches out. The first time she said she only wanted one item (I referred her to the listing and she said “okay I’ll take two) and then after said she didn’t drive and could we deliver. I was very civil and explained that we did not deliver and I got three messages back in a row just saying “please”. I finally decided that I could do a good deed and asked her where she was and she proceeded to tell me that she lived 30 to 40 minutes away. I reiterated that we did not deliver and I was sorry I couldn’t help her.
This is the most recent one from this weekend. It had been a while since we listed something and I thought her name sounded familiar and sure enough, it’s the same one … only now she’s not even asking, she’s demanding that we mail her free items on our dime. I’m sorry, NO.
I had blocked one of her profiles but it seems she has more. Probably because she keeps getting blocked from people.
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#82 Threatening To Get Somebody's Children Taken From Them Because You Sold A Coffee Table To Somebody Else On Fb Marketplace
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#83 Oh No! I've Been Turned In Guys! What Do?
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#84 All I Did Was List A Clothing Steamer On FB Marketplace
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#85 Looked For A Roommate On Facebook Marketplace, Which This Guy Mistook For Facebook Dating Apparently
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#86 When You Are Trying To Sell Shoes On Facebook Marketplace And Get Messages Like This
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#87 Dude Messaged Me About The Couch On FB Marketplace
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#88 Current Experience On Marketplace
I market an old vacuum for sale and quickly received many messages for it. The first person (in picture) asked if i would deliver it, i told them i could today after 630. They did not reply or view the messages for over 5 hours, and in that time i got an offer for etransfer and pickup for today, which i accepted. Fast forward a bit, i notified the buyer it was sold and this was their response. (Midle aged christian mother)
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#89 Screen Shots From A FB Marketplace Sale From A Few Years Ago. Still Can’t Over This Guy
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#90 Put Something Up For Sale On FB, Got 20+ Replies In The Span Of 2 Mins. Classic Karen Decides To Threaten Me
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#91 Depriving A Beautiful Innocent Pregnant Animal
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