What changed?
Facebook Marketplace can be quite the powerhouse for finding local deals, but let’s face it, the experience can be a bit clunky. To help mitigate this, Meta just announced a stack of updates aimed directly at its heavy users: young adults, one in four of whom (in the US and Canada) use Marketplace daily.
Key new features
- Collections & collaborative buying: You can now create shared “Collections” of listings to show your friends. More importantly, a new test lets you add a friend directly into your chat with the seller to help you negotiate or coordinate a pickup.
Images credit — Meta
- AI smarts: When you start a chat, Meta AI will suggest questions to ask the seller based on the listing. For cars (a top category), AI will pull in specs, safety ratings, and reviews all in one place.
Images credit — Meta
- Partner inventory: This one is big. You’ll now see listings from eBay and Poshmark integrated directly into your Marketplace feed, massively expanding the inventory for fashion and electronics.
- Better checkout: For shipped items, Marketplace will finally show you the total cost, including shipping and tax, upfront.
Is Marketplace finally growing up?
Images credit — Meta
For years, Marketplace has felt like a slightly more organized Craigslist: a bit of a “Wild West” where you trade convenience for a total lack of buyer protection and a high chance of dealing with flaky sellers. This update shows Meta is finally getting serious about fixing that reputation.
The biggest competitor for Marketplace hasn’t been another app; it’s been the fear of getting scammed. However, by integrating eBay and Poshmark, Meta is basically admitting its own peer-to-peer inventory isn’t enough. It’s trying to become the single best front-end for all second-hand shopping.
The AI features are a clear attempt to help buyers navigate the risk. Buying a used car on Marketplace is genuinely scary. Having AI at least suggest what to ask (“Has the timing belt been replaced?”) is a genuinely useful feature that could save people a lot of headaches.
This is actually a pretty smart move
I have a serious love-hate relationship with Marketplace. I’ve found amazing deals on there, but I’ve also dealt with countless “is this available?” messages on items I’m selling and near-scams on things I’m buying.
These changes provide a glimmer of hope that things could improve. The eBay/Poshmark integration is the real star. It adds a layer of legitimacy and a ton of inventory that is (usually) backed by real buyer protection. This is how you compete with the convenience of Amazon.
Will I use “collaborative buying”? Probably not. But the AI suggestions? I’ll absolutely use those. Anything that helps me spot red flags before I drive 30 minutes to look at an item is a win in my book.
