by M. J. Joachim

Created on: November 05, 2009

There's a new application on Facebook, and it looks like Ebay, Craigslist, and a few other sites might be getting some competition. It's called Marketplace on Facebook, a place where you can list items to sell for free, find new housing or secure renters for an empty house you own, look for a job, check out cars, and even support your favorite Facebook causes. Facebook's Marketplace is

powered by Oodle, one of the many classified websites on the internet, and they intend to enhance and expand their presence in the Facebook community as the new swap mart catches on.

When you first visit Marketplace through your application tab, you will see a list of categories and listings. Most items have pictures, and there are tabs for you to track your own listings and recent activity at the top. This virtual classified section allows you to connect with people you know so you can use the power of networking to buy and sell things, find a job or place to live, and secure or sell a set of wheels, all while working with people you have come to know and trust, or at the very least can get some sort of reference information on.

If you'd prefer to buy and sell locally, you will be prompted by a box asking for your location, however clicking on the cancel button allows you to look at all listings without limiting your search. The terms of use is pretty standard, containing the reasonable expectation that you will behave in a civil manner while doing business through this Facebook application. There are the usual disclaimer clauses indicating that Oodle is not responsible for third party sales, complete with a link and detailed procedures for dealing with abuse of the Marketplace feature.

You will find that certain things like selling alcohol and prescription drugs are prohibited, as well as anything that promotes or instigates violence or breaks the law. Facebook's Marketplace has the standard precautions in place to protect those who use it, and will address issues that disregard proper usage without claiming responsibility for individual person's actions.

Any Facebook member can use Marketplace, and all those involved in it will be able to see the listings that are posted there. Should you choose to list an item, you will be able to edit it, however you will not be able to delete it, and its history will remain accessible to ensure safety and trust of those using this service.

If you are interested in responding to an ad in Marketplace, you will have easy access to contact the person who listed the ad through a contact prompt or by writing on the main wall in Marketplace. Paypal for Marketplace is not available as of November 2009 because the application is so new. As it catches on, improvements are expected to be made for ease of use, and new categories for listings will probably be added.

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