My ratio in the last 36 months on FBM is that just 1 out of every 120 asking "Is it available" ends up actually buying.
About 110 who ask "Is it available?" do not write or respond anymore at all after this initial question, no matter what my reply is.
So my ratio is 1:120
What's your ratio?
1/110 is bonkers
I’m closer to the other person who messaged, so maybe 1:10
Idk, it’s been slow so I’m not even getting many “is it available” so….idk
it depends on what you're selling, more popular common items will get loads of is this available, but more niche, high end specialized items will get much less.
Laptops, I get a tone of initial requests, and they all go silent afterwards, no matter how pleasing and warm and nice my first message is
laptops are one of those common popular items.
I find lots of those too, mostly at break times like say around 10am, noon-1, and around 2 pm. I think alot of it is ppl being bored on their breaks looking g at market place and seeing something they do like but not wanting to commit after they've come off the crapper
My best scrolling is done in the water closet.
i don't know my ratio, I delete any message I get that says "Is this available"
Is this available is the default message.
and your point is?
It's the standard and can't really judge if you would sell or not based on that
When I buy I always add something to it: like when I could pick up, or asking a question. Like I assume they would take it down if it wasn’t available 🤷🏽♀️
I try to ever since some guy went on a rant about it to me. But sometimes I'm looking at an item and I get distracted and apparently bump my phone screen and that message sends
That's fair I just suspect the average Joe just presses send message tbh
Do you at least respond to the message first before deleting?
It's because that button is so easy to hit by mistake. 100% of the times that I've asked "is this still available?" have been an accident.
I totally understand this, but what is ridiculous is I've literally only ever had one person say "Sorry, I didn't mean to send that".
I accidentally hit it on a $156k Ferrari last week posted in my area. I’ve never left a conversation so fast in my life lol
Right! I have fat thumbs and have accidentally hit the auto “is this available “ message a bunch while browsing. Same with accidentally sending friend requests when scrolling my feed.
I sell used laptops and brand new electronics.
Yeah, somewhere between 1:50 and 1:100 feels about right.
I usually just buy, but I've learned from this subreddit to always write my own is this available, usually something along the lines of I'd like to buy said item and usually throw in my towns name too. I've never not paid the asking price, I've never asked for a seller to provide change, I either have the correct amount or tell them not to worry about the change. We meet wherever and go about our day. I'm sorry, I don't understand why people are so happy to waste their time and yours.
Would it be best to just not respond to that and wait for something more useful?
I think your ratio is correct. I assume the "is this available" message is a bot so I usually ignore them.
I block after 6 hours of no response. I blocked a guy today telling me he bought a lower spec older laptop for half of what I was asking for my newer spec and newer laptop. I had the vibe he might leave a negative feedback after I told him what he paid for another laptop has no bearing on mine.
My ratio is putting my ads “I do not reply to ‘is this available’”
Then I don’t. Saves lots of headaches.
Unfortunately 97% of prospective buyers never read the descriptions
Exactly. It’s my secret filter to those who will read it.
All it takes is one is what I tell myself to keep going.
I blame Facebook for those. Why Is it still available? Automatically loaded in the message box
If it’s something I know I’ll get a lot of hits on, I’ll put that I’ll ignore any “is it available messages” and/or “make me a reasonable offer (yes, I do list a price, but I’ll be somewhat flexible). I find this helps weed out any stupids and my inbox can not explode
My ratio is a little better than that. But I sell mainly vehicles. Sometimes it’s the weird people that message you at 3am and end up buying the next day so I end up responding to everyone. This is in Iowa for perspective
With the increased integration of AI, don’t be surprised if the buyer is sleeping, and you are chatting with his avatar.
It’s the default text that populates when they hit “message seller”. What would you want then to say? People are lazy or they’re genuinely curious.
Who cares? It's almost always an accident.
Click the automated response "yes are you interested" then move on with your life.
I don’t have a ratio. I just ignore and sometimes block because it comes to my attention that these folks who just asks are very likely someone who:
Which Leads to them asking dumb questions and gets mad at me when I tell them no to deliveries if I live too far or I don’t do holds or don’t haggle. Could’ve avoided all this drama by learning how to READ…..
suddenly gets mad at me after I sold it to someone. Like for whatever reason, asking me if it’s available = they think it’s theirs first…… despite not making any arrangements to pickup at a reasonable time.
they will cry me a river and BITCH to me how live doesn’t revolve around me and they’re not interested anymore despite them being dangerously hypocritical.
I'm with you gamer1, just ignore and block because you know at first 'whiff' they're most likely someone who doesn't bother to read the descriptions and wants everything spoon fed when all they had to do was 'read'. The amount of strange gaslighting and hypocritical responses becomes quite disturbing......you start to wonder how these people actually function in day to day life.
I'm with you gamer, nevermind the ration, just ignore and block. OP: If you can sniff out the stink of "Time Wasting Weirdo" in the very beginning of the convo, then your hunch is probably right
I don't use ratios, but for me it's about a %4-10 successful purchase rate depending on the item and how low my price is compared to others prices. I'm at the point where I almost don't even respond to people that just send the generic "is it available" message. I respond to the people that say something along the lines of, "Hey, I'm available right now to buy it can you meet now?" It's like car sales, if they want to meet at a future time/date, they aren't going to buy.
I put in my listing that I won't respond to that message, so my ratio is 0/120
How r ur results if they inquire with any other phrase?
I’ve started adding a keyword in all of my marketplace ads. Usually along the lines of “if interested message me with the word Potato.” If they don’t put the keyword in when they message, I ignore it.
They are literally not asking anything at all and don't care. They are clicking a button with not a single thought of actually wanting to buy. I think most accidentally click.
I don’t even get 1. I haven’t been able to sell anything in months, barely even get clicks or views and was doing fine. I don’t know what happened.
Do you put a lot of keywords in your descriptions?
I'm brand new but have found this to help. Assuming it's people searching for specific words.
I’m guessing 1 outta 25. Though it really depends on what I’m selling. Apple laptops, I go 1 outta 3. $100 windows laptops, 1 outta 30. Little better windows laptops might be 1 outta 15. Over $250 windows laptops, no “is it available” just low ballers only.
Yep same here or ghosting me .
About the same.. I hate this FB automated question that's only available for buyers, no features for sellers.
I'd guess I'm around 1/6. If I was 1/120 I would probably just not use FBM anymore.
Not counting scammers? Tough to say. Obviously, not zero percent, not 100%. Less than 50%.
Sometimes I'll have days with multiple sales, and everybody makes an appointment, and shows up.
Probably somewhere between 15 and 25%, if I had to pick a number.
I think that there may be a lot of lonely people out there who prowl FBM looking for human interaction. Many have no friends and no money. If clicking "is this available" provides that, what's the harm?
The same goes for physical stores, most people are just mucking around tyre-kicking because they are bored.
I’ll often sell multiple items in one post, and I STILL get “is this available?” My response is always “which item are you referring to?”
I don't answer "is this available " and I state that in my post.
My average is 3.
Ive only sold a few things. The last item I had one ask that and then ghost me and the next person who asked that drove 40 miles to get the item. If you do not respond to the question then you are ghosting them. Dont blame the people for facebooks screw up.
I've only sold a few items on FBM, I have more of an issue with getting clicks on items. On items I have sold I would say like 1:6
Just put in the post “if you ask it if it available you will be blocked. If ad is up it is available.”
My ratio is worse if I add in the scammers!
Ive had the issue that if i look at an item too long, fb automatically sends that message...
No , Im not interested in your way overpriced trinket, i was just showing my wife how ugly that thing is.
Years ago, there was a little button that would pop up reading IS THIS STILL AVAILABLE? Clicking it would send a message to the seller, so I would just go from listing to listing for hours clicking that button on everything just to drive people nuts and you know what? It works! Now I just have bots do that for me 24/7 to annoy people trying to sell outdated pickles for $2. Touché FB denizens!!
Not sure about my ratio but I just quickly hit the auto reply that asks them if they are interested. In the listing, if there are too many ppl that ask that, I will specify Only msg me if you are ... and list conditions. Seems to work!
Right so 119 wanted to know if it's available. I don't believe that means they want to purchase it right then and there.
Unless I missed something where asking if something is available does actually mean they are obligated to buy it then and there.
There's so many platforms out there....yet you all choose to use one you seem to fucking hate.
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