I’m gonna be honest here and tell you that the Facebook Marketplace isn’t exactly the safest place you can conduct business in.
It’s full of scammers who want to trick you out of your money. As for the shipping itself, Facebook doesn’t offer their own shipping.
The shipping choice is 100% up to the seller (or as part of a negotiation between seller and buyer). The seller might be able to choose from a range of shipping choices that the buyer provides.
To keep it short, the shipping in the Facebook Marketplace might be safe or not, depending on the shipping company itself.
I’ll get into more details below, so keep reading for more information 😀
When Is the Marketplace Shipping Not Safe?
This isn’t as much about the shipping as it is about the fake products that you buy from scammers. The Facebook Marketplace functions almost the same as eBay or Amazon.
You’re not buying from a company but from other people like you and me. They have no reputation to defend and no reason to be honest (some of them).
So, you’ll find plenty of scammers trying to sell:
- Fake products
- Stolen products
- Counterfeited products
- No products
- Goat poop instead of the actual product
The shipping itself is the least of your problems. That’s because the other person will NOT EVEN send you anything most of the time.
They’ll just take your money and make themselves disappear. The more dedicated scammers will still send you a product, but it’s not going to be original, or it may be counterfeited.
The shipping itself should be safe most of the time, no matter what you’re buying or who from. It’s a good idea to check the shipping company beforehand, though.
Some shipping companies are… less careful with your products than others. Destructive, even…
Red Flags for Facebook Marketing Scams
There are several suspicious red flags that should put you on your guard when it comes to Facebook Marketing listings:
- The seller doesn’t have a profile photo
- The seller explicitly refuses to meet in person
- They ask for your phone number for seemingly no reason
- They want you to pay with a gift card
- They want to take the conversation outside of Facebook
- They send you prepaid shipping labels
- The “bait and switch” tactic where the seller increases the price tag of a product as soon as you inquire about it (or tries to sell you a more expensive alternative)
- Offering giveaways that seem too good to be true (these are most likely phishing tactics)
- The seller requires a deposit or prepayment before you get the transport (the seller may justify this by saying that the product is highly popular but that they can “hold” it for your if you pay beforehand)
As a rule of thumb, always be cautious if a deal seems too good to be true. Whether the price is much lower than you’d find elsewhere or your gut feeling tells you something is off, it’s worth taking a step back.
Trust your instincts and walk away before you fall victim to a scam. There are countless scam artists lurking on Facebook Marketplace, ready for their next target.
I also recommend regularly checking your bank statements and credit reports after making a purchase on the Marketplace.
As for the original question, yes, Facebook Marketplace shipping tends to be safe—it’s as reliable as the shipping companies that handle it.
If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to leave a comment below!
