TECH DIGEST – A 28-year-old from Oxford, prior to the pandemic she “would buy everything from charity shops, whether that’s furniture, clothes, or bags and accessories”.

But with lockdowns closing High Streets last year, her hunt for second-hand bargains switched to listings websites and apps.

Ms Mitra also now uses eBay and sites Vinted and Vestiaire, which both specialise in people selling pre-owned clothing. But she says that Facebook Marketplace is her “first place to go” because it focuses on sellers who live nearby.

“There’s a thrill in finding something unique on there,” says Ms Mitra, whose purchases over the past year have included a fridge freezer, plant stands, and a dining room table.

The boss of home decoration brand Jurande, she adds: “It’s convenient as I can collect from nearby. I have literally collected from around the corner.”

Facebook does not release standalone financial details for Marketplace. It is in fact free for non-business users to put up a simple sales listing, as the firm makes it money from users simply being on its ecosystem and seeing all the advertisements on the site.

However, Marketplace’s user numbers have soared during the pandemic. Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed that Marketplace now has more than one billion global users. This is up from a reported 800 million in 2018, for a service that was only launched in 2016.

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‌TECH DIGEST – Facebook has announced the launch of Marketplace in Nigeria, an e-commerce service where people can discover, buy and sell items from others in their local communities.

According to a statement made available on Thursday, the service, which is already available to users in South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya, is now accessible in Nigeria, where people can browse and search for items, sort based on distance or category.

Commenting on the initiative, the Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Adaora Ikenze, said the launch of Marketplace in Nigeria was to help boost buying and selling in Nigeria and connecting communities.

“This comes at a crucial time as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people and businesses, and with many people buying and selling on Facebook, this will provide people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop or find buyers for the things they are ready to part with,” she added.

Elaborating on how it worked, Facebook stated that when a seller listed an item on the Marketplace, they had created a public listing that could be seen by anyone on Facebook, including people on Marketplace, News Feed, Facebook search, Facebook Groups or search engines.

It added that sellers could simply take a photo of an item, enter a product name, description and price, confirm their location, select a category, and post.

Providing tips on buying and selling on the platform, Facebook said items, products or services being sold must comply with its community standards and commerce policies.

It advised buyers to request a certificate of authenticity or proof of purchase for high-value items like watches, luxury bags and others.

“If you’re not satisfied with an item’s condition or have doubts about its authenticity, you can decline to complete the purchase. If the seller offers to ship the item rather than exchanging it in person, keep in mind that you may not have the opportunity to verify the item before completing your purchase,” it said.

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It also advised for buyers and sellers to meet in public places and to use cash, Cash on Delivery, or person-to-person payment methods rather than payment links

“Don’t share your financial account information (example: Payment login and password, bank account info) with buyers or sellers,” Facebook stated.

It noted that users could report sellers or products violating the commerce policies.

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