Despite countless reasons to leave Facebook, there’s one feature that keeps me on the site: Facebook Marketplace, a section where you can buy and sell items such as furniture, cars, and vintage lamps.
Facebook Marketplace is essentially a ripoff of Craigslist with one very big difference: It’s linked to your public Facebook profile. While the anonymity of Craigslist is an appeal for some, being able to see who you are selling to or who you are buying something from is preferred by many people.
Historically, Facebook Marketplace has made it very easy to see who exactly you’re buying from or selling to by including their full name and a link to their Facebook profile, but I noticed recently that there’s been a change to the site’s design. It is now more difficult to see the buyer or seller’s last name and profile. Not ideal when it’s someone you’re possibly inviting to your home.
When someone initiates interest in an item, that conversation will now appear in a “Marketplace” subsection of Messenger. Fortunately, you still can find the Facebook profile of the person you are buying something from or selling something to. It’s just a little bit more difficult.
Here are the directions for how to find a Facebook profile for someone you’re dealing with on Facebook Marketplace.
First, click on the Messenger icon in the top right hand corner of your Facebook, or open up the Messenger app.
Click on “Messenger” to access conversations you are having in Marketplace.
Image: Screenshot: Facebook
Click on the Marketplace conversation in Messenger to show all interactions you’ve had with people on Marketplace.
In Messenger, click on the “Marketplace” tab.
Image: Screenshot: Facebook
Next, select the conversation you’re having with a buyer or seller.
Select the conversation from the “Marketplace” tab in Messenger.
Image: SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK
After opening the conversation, click on the small carrot (if you’re on desktop) or the three dots (if you’re using the mobile app) next to the person’s first name and the title of the item being sold. This will bring up the “Chat Settings.”
Click on the “Chat Settings” to view who you are having a conversation with on Facebook Marketplace on Messenger.
Image: SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK
On mobile, click on the three dots in the top right hand corner of the screen.
Image: screenshot: Facebook Messenger
Once in Chat Settings, click on “Members” (or “See Group Members” in the mobile app) to reveal the full names of everyone in that conversation. (This should be you and the seller/buyer you are trying to make a deal with.)
Under “Chat Settings” click on Members to reveal the user’s full name and to see a link to their Facebook profile.
Image: SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK
Click “See Group Members” on Facebook Messenger.
Image: SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK messenger
Now you can see the person’s full name. By clicking on the three dots next to their full name on desktop (or clicking on their name on the mobile app), you can message them, visit their public Facebook profile, or block them.
Under “Members,” click on the three dots to visit the Facebook user’s profile.
Image: Screenshot: Facebook
On mobile, click on the person’s name, then click on “View Facebook Profile.”
Image: Screenshot:Facebook
It’s unclear why Facebook, a company notorious for changing the design of their products, decided to bury this particularly useful feature. Sure, being able to see someone’s profile can lead to potential abuse from bad actors on Facebook, but it also gives many people a little bit of peace of mind to be able to see someone’s full name and Facebook profile before meeting up to make a transaction.
No matter what, you should always use caution when meeting up with random people from the internet in person, even if you’re just buying someone’s old computer monitor. If possible, always meet someone you plan on exchanging goods with in a well-lit public location during the day. Don’t go alone if you can help it and tell a friend if you do.
We reached out to Facebook to ask why and when these changes were made to Marketplace, and we’ll let you know if we hear back.