I’ve been looking for some used items, mainly a small lawn mower and a window a/c unit. When I go on Facebook Marketplace, I see many items, some as far away as Alaska for very modest prices (under $100 or even under $50) that state that they can be shipped to me for the universal price in every ad of $12.
I know that you can’t ship a lawnmower or an a/c unit for $12. What’s the deal? Does FB require this? Are the sellers subsidized in some way or is it taken out of their asking price? Thanks in advance.
I haven’t sold or bought anything on Facebook Marketplace, but Facebook’s help pages about offering shipping on Marketplace specifically mentions:
Shipping may depend on destination and weight
If you offer a standard prize, make sure you choose one that will cover any eventuality
So its not something that is required by FB and they’re not subsidizing the shipping. My guesses would be: inexperienced sellers, hidden restrictions on where the seller will ship, or some sort of scam
$12 will just about cover a two pound Priority Mail package to pretty much anywhere within the US, so that’s why that amount is so common at this time for a system without a shipping calculator. For larger items, the balance is cooked into the item price. This lets the seller charge everybody the same shipping fee. As anybody who has run an e-commerce site can tell you, the most aggravating part is setting up the shipping module. Charging everybody the same shipping fee avoids a lot of that headache.