[mxxx]

My FB account exists almost solely for marketplace, which has almost total market dominance for local classifieds where I live in Australia. Recently they’ve stopped letting you send messages to sellers via the website on your phone and insist that you use the app instead. It’s probably one of the few hooks they have left to try and get people on to the platform.

[noneeeed]

It's frustrating. They have completely stomped every other marketplace in the UK. Things like Gumtree are ghost-towns in comparison.

I don't use it but my wife has sold loads of stuff that we no longer need. In that sense it's fantastic, it's made local selling very easy, but I really wish it was almost anyone but FB.

[teemur]

I think you can work around that messaging restriction by requesting desktop site from the mobile browser. Not saying it is not irritating, though.

[davesmylie]

Or beeper - its fully replaced messager on my phone with no issues from Facebook marketplace

[RileyJames]

100%. I refuse to have an account, which means I need to use my partners to access marketplace, and a few landcruiser groups (which is mostly buying and selling parts, or advice)

It pains me that car forums and classifieds have succumbed to Facebook. I have no other need for Facebook, but on those fronts, Facebook is king.

IH8MUD is really the king for advice. But for 2nd hand parts, or 2nd hand vehicles, in Australia, it’s Facebook groups.

I suspect this is quite popular behaviour, as I recently saw that groups can enable anonymous posts (obviously still need an account). Which I prefer to catfishing people who are genuinely helping out, and who I feel a sense of community with. I just refuse to consent to Facebook being part of that relationship.

[woleium]

if you use chrome/firefox you can still “request desktop site” and get messenger working without the app.