Facebook to let users sell goods to groups: report
19 Dec 2014
Users active on Facebook groups are likely to have seen posts from people trying to sell their used goods which, commentators say, appears to prove that Facebook had also entered the e-commerce space with a 'sell' feature for groups.
A report by The Next Web said users had reported seeing a "Sell Something" button just next to the "Write Post" button while posting to a group.
Clicking on the button, brings up a form with the fields for adding information related to the name of the item, price and description, along with an option to attach a picture and pick-up and delivery instructions.
The post appears as a classified listing with all the details but the social network does not facilitate the transaction or add ways to make payments.
Confirming the move to the online publication, the social network acknowledged that it was testing a new feature within Facebook Groups to help people better organise posts about items they would like to sell to other people on Facebook.
The company has also put a link to a help page where it explained that it was not responsible for the purchases.
According to Facebook, it was testing a new feature within Facebook Groups to help people better organise posts about items they would like to sell to others on Facebook, which was a small test limited to select Facebook Groups that had active selling communities.
Once users shared the information, buyers would be able to send offers and discuss the sale via the comment box under all Facebook posts, digit.in reported.
The social networking site does nothing more to facilitate the deal further. It only formats the post with clear prices and pricing details.
According to a Facebook help page in case of disputes, the buyer should contact the seller and that Facebook was not responsible for any transactions made through the social networking web site.
"Any transaction made through a Facebook group is between you and the seller," the notice reads. "Keep in mind Facebook doesn't own or possess any items a seller lists, so if you have any questions about the things you're buying in a Facebook group, try contacting the seller," Facebook states.