Facebook Marketplace is a popular place for buying and selling items locally. However, like any online marketplace, there are rules that sellers need to follow. If you break the rules, Facebook may suspend your access to Marketplace for a period of time.
Why Would Facebook Suspend Your Marketplace Access?
There are a few main reasons why Facebook might suspend your access to Marketplace:
- Selling prohibited items – This includes illegal, counterfeit, or dangerous products.
- Violating Facebook’s commerce policies – Such as predatory pricing, price gouging, or fee avoidance.
- Abusing promotions and giveaways – Like requiring recipients to pay money or provide personal information to claim a “free” item.
- Engaging in fraudulent activity – Such as using fake accounts or scamming buyers.
- Violating Facebook’s terms of service in other ways related to buying and selling.
If Facebook detects any of these policy violations, they may restrict your access to Marketplace for a period of time. The length of the suspension depends on the severity and frequency of the violations.
How Long Does a Facebook Marketplace Suspension Typically Last?
For first-time, minor offenses, a Facebook Marketplace suspension may last anywhere from a few days up to two weeks. More serious or repeat violations can result in suspensions lasting one month to six months. Indefinite suspensions are rare but can happen in cases of egregious fraud or abuse.
Here are some examples of typical Marketplace suspension durations:
- 3-7 days: Minor policy breach, like listing a prohibited product just once.
- 2-4 weeks: More clear violations, such as price gouging during an emergency.
- 1-3 months: Significant violations like scamming buyers or selling dangerous/illegal goods.
- 6 months – 1 year: Severe or repeated offenses, such as using fake accounts or systematic scamming.
Facebook takes many factors into account when deciding suspension lengths, including:
- Type and severity of violation(s)
- Number of offenses
- Any prior issues on your account
- Amount of harm caused
- Whether you corrected the behavior
What Happens When Your Marketplace Access Is Suspended?
If your access to Facebook Marketplace gets suspended, here’s what you can expect:
- You will not be able to create any new listings or complete any transactions.
- Your existing listings may be removed.
- You won’t be able to communicate with potential buyers about active listings.
- Facebook will notify you via email about the suspension reason and length.
- You won’t be able to advertise or boost posts to Marketplace.
- Your profile, page, and group access won’t be affected – just your Marketplace privileges.
During the suspension period, take time to review Facebook’s commerce policies and make sure you understand what is and isn’t allowed. Don’t try to create a new Facebook account to get around the suspension, as this could lead to your accounts being permanently disabled.
How to Get Your Facebook Marketplace Access Reinstated
To get your selling privileges back after a Marketplace suspension, you’ll need to wait out the full suspension period. Avoid further policy violations during this time.
About 24 hours before your access is set to be restored, you may see an alert from Facebook confirming the date. Once the suspension has lifted, Marketplace access should be automatically reinstated.
If your access doesn’t come back after the suspension period ends, or if you feel the suspension was a mistake, you can appeal to Facebook by:
- Reporting the issue through the Facebook Commerce Support form.
- Checking for updates in the Help Center’s Commerce Policies section.
- Sending a letter to Facebook’s registration address asking for a review.
Provide as much context and documentation as possible to show why your suspension should be overturned. Don’t try to open a new account or reach Marketplace some other way during your appeal.
How to Avoid Facebook Marketplace Suspensions
To maintain full Marketplace access, be sure to always follow Facebook’s commerce policies and terms of service. Here are some top tips:
- Only list allowed products and services. Prohibited items include drugs, weapons, live animals, and adult content.
- Describe listings accurately with real photos of the actual item for sale.
- Use transparent pricing and shipping costs. Don’t bait-and-switch or have hidden fees.
- Follow Facebook’s rules around giveaways, promotions, and advertising.
- Communicate professionally with buyers and resolve any disputes calmly.
- Ship orders on time with working tracking numbers.
- Avoid unfair pricing practices like price gouging.
- Use your real name and information on your seller profile.
- Don’t coordinate off-platform payments or shipping to avoid Facebook fees.
Regularly reviewing Facebook’s Commerce Policies and Terms of Service can help you stay up-to-date on what is permitted. Stay honest in all your buying and selling activities.
Conclusion
Facebook Marketplace suspensions typically last anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on the severity and frequency of the policy violations. Minor first offenses generally lead to shorter suspensions, while scamming or unsafe behavior can justify longer restrictions. Be sure to follow all Facebook rules around prohibited items, advertising, shipping, and conduct when buying and selling. Pay close attention to the commerce policies to avoid suspension and keep your Marketplace privileges intact.