Facebook Marketplace: how to buy second-hand safely

Facebook Marketplace is handy for finding second-hand things close to home: furniture, bikes, appliances, baby gear. You message the seller on Messenger, agree on the details and often meet up to make the exchange. Because almost everything happens between private individuals, your safety depends largely on you. Here's what to know before you buy.

Purchase Protection: where it applies and where it doesn't

Facebook has Purchase Protection, which covers eligible orders placed through Facebook's checkout. It has two important limits, though.

It doesn't cover in-person exchanges. According to the Facebook Help Centre, items exchanged in person and paid for in cash or with other person-to-person payment methods aren't eligible.
It isn't available everywhere. When we checked the page from Italy, Facebook said Purchase Protection isn't currently available in our area. Open the page from where you live: it tells you straight away whether it's available there.

In practice, for most listings in Europe your protection is the checks you do before paying.

Collecting in person, without the risks

Seeing the item before you pay is Marketplace's big advantage. Arrange the exchange with a little care:

Choose a busy public place, in daylight. For bulky items you have to collect from the seller's home, bring someone with you and tell someone else where you're going.
Take your time to inspect the item before paying. Facebook itself advises checking that it's genuine, in the expected condition and working properly.
For electronics, bring what you need to test them: a charger, a cable, a socket nearby. For a smartphone, check that it's been removed from the previous owner's account.
For valuable items, Facebook suggests confirming that they really exist and that the seller owns them, in person or on a video call, before you pay. For a car, for example, ask to see the registration documents.
If something doesn't feel right, walk away. A missed deal is better than a problem.

Payments to avoid

When you meet in person, the simplest method is still to pay once the item is in your hands and you've checked it. Problems start when you're asked to pay first. Facebook is clear: never pay for an item in advance, and avoid sellers who ask for payment before handing it over.

Be especially wary of anyone who asks for:

a bank transfer or a top-up for something you haven't seen;
a PayPal "Friends and Family" payment: PayPal warns that its Buyer Protection doesn't cover these payments, and that a seller asking for one for a sale could be a scammer;
gift cards, which Facebook lists among typical scam requests;
a deposit to "reserve" the item.

The most common scams

The fake delivery or payment link

The seller offers to post the item and sends you a link to a page that looks like a courier or a payment service: "confirm your order", "pay for delivery", "release your parcel". The page asks for your card details or login. It's phishing: Facebook specifically warns about links to outside sites used to get hold of card and bank details. Another version is a request for a verification code sent to you by text or email: never share it.

If you're given a tracking number, check it directly on the courier's official website, as Facebook recommends, without using links sent in the chat.

The deposit for the "very popular" item

"I've got three other people interested, send me €50 and I'll hold it for you." Urgency is a scammer's favourite tool. Facebook advises against sending deposits for high-value items, such as cars or flats, without first confirming they're real. The same goes for smaller things: if you haven't seen it, don't pay.

The overpayment

This scam mostly targets sellers, but it's worth knowing if you also use Marketplace to clear things out. A fake buyer says they've paid too much and asks you to refund the difference, or offers to pay extra to cover a "transporter" they trust. They often show you a screenshot as proof. Facebook's advice is never to trust payment screenshots and always to check your own account.

The chat that moves elsewhere

A request to carry on over WhatsApp, phone, text or email, especially in the first few messages, is a warning sign. The same goes for being asked to contact someone else, such as a "relative" of the seller, who isn't the account owner. Outside Messenger, it's harder for Facebook to spot scams.

Check the seller's profile

Before agreeing on anything, open the seller's profile. Facebook explains that you can see ratings and reviews from other buyers, any mutual friends, their other listings and their Marketplace activity. A few questions to ask yourself:

Does the profile have ratings from other buyers? What do they say?
Do the other listings make sense, or are there lots of identical expensive items?
Do the photos look like the seller took them, or are they from the web? Ask in the chat for a photo showing a specific detail, such as a label or the serial number.
Is the price far below what's normal? Facebook warns against listings priced well below market value.

If you notice anything suspicious, stop the conversation and report the listing or the profile to Facebook.

Facebook Marketplace and Rovista

Rovista doesn't access Facebook data and doesn't read its listings: you need a Facebook account to see them. That's why, when you search, we give you a link that opens the same search on facebook.com, without ever asking for your login. You'll find the details on the Facebook Marketplace page.

We search the other second-hand marketplaces, such as eBay, Vinted and Wallapop, directly: you see all the used listings on one page, then complete the purchase on the original site, with its protection. Try, for example, searching for a pushchair. With the Base plan you can also turn on alerts for your saved searches and get an email, a notification or a Telegram message when a new listing appears on these marketplaces: the details are on the pricing page.

Information checked in September 2026: platform terms may change.