Admittedly out of my own naivety, within a week I was ripped off twice on the Facebook Marketplace.
My daughter wanted a copy of The Last of Us game for her PlayStation. I found a copy on the website and contacted the seller. He asked for £25 which was paid by PayPal “Friends and Family”.
I initially declined but gave in in the end. The game did not arrive and I had no further contact. The account is still active although I told Facebook. The same thing happened to me with a second purchase. What should I have done?
DH, per Email
It’s confusing that people are sending money to people they don’t know just because they’ve posted something for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
The online classifieds site is growing in popularity, not least because, unlike eBay, it’s free to list items. It has largely replaced classified ads in local papers, and the idea is that you pick it up in person and hand over the money.
If the item is too far away and the seller offers to ship it, alarm bells should ring. Do not send the money via bank transfer unless you are happy to take the risk that the item will not arrive.
In my view, it is unrealistic to think that Facebook will intervene and consumers should protect themselves.
The only way to do this safely is to use PayPal – but not via the Friends and Family option, which is free for both parties – but via the Goods and Services option.
Legitimate sellers don’t mind, but they may charge additional fees to cover the PayPal fee they incur. If the item does not arrive at your registered address, you can request a refund.
If that’s not an option, don’t bother, how much of a bargain. Go to eBay or pick it up in person. This also applies to Gumtree.
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