The Facebook Marketplace is a convenient feature that allows users to buy and sell items locally. However, it’s not uncommon for the Marketplace to stop working properly. There are a few potential reasons why the Facebook Marketplace may not be working:
Your Account or Listing Violated Facebook’s Commerce Policies
Facebook has strict commerce policies that prohibit certain items, services, and practices from being sold on Marketplace. If you tried to list a prohibited item or violated one of Facebook’s sales rules, your Marketplace access could have been restricted or disabled. Some common violations include:
- Trying to sell illegal, regulated, or dangerous goods
- Listing medication, alcohol, or tobacco products
- Offering restricted services like credit repair, insurance services, or payday loans
- Misrepresenting your identity, location, or affiliations
If you think your account or listing may have been disabled due to a policy violation, you can appeal the decision through the Help Center. However, restrictions are often permanent if there was a clear violation.
Technical Issues on Facebook’s End
Like any website or platform, Facebook can experience occasional technical glitches that cause parts of the site to malfunction. Issues like site maintenance, bugs, or server outages could temporarily disrupt services like Marketplace.
Usually, marketplace issues due to technical problems are fixed within a few hours or days at most. If the problems persist longer than that, it likely indicates a different underlying cause.
Your Account Lacks Required Settings or Verifications
Facebook requires users to have valid profile settings to access certain features. To use Marketplace, you must have:
- A confirmed email address or mobile phone number attached to your account
- Your birthday listed in your account profile
- A profile photo of yourself (not a logo, meme, etc.)
If any of these required account details are missing, it can restrict your Marketplace access. You may see an error message directing you to update your profile to regain access.
You Have an Active Ad Blocker Enabled
Ad blockers are popular browser extensions that remove ads from websites you visit. However, they sometimes block other site components besides just advertisements.
Marketplace relies on certain scripts and tracking tools that ad blockers can accidentally filter out. If you have an ad blocker turned on, try whitelisting Facebook or adding it as an exception to re-enable full Marketplace functionality.
Your Account Was Restricted Due to Suspicious Activity
To maintain a safe buying and selling environment, Facebook monitors Marketplace activity for suspicious behavior. Things like rapidly creating/deleting listings, posting duplicate items, or messaging buyers outside of Marketplace can cause your account to be flagged.
If Facebook detects shady activity coming from your account, they may respond by restricting your Marketplace privileges. You can appeal the decision if you believe the flagged actions were innocent mistakes.
You Have an Outdated Version of Facebook
Facebook regularly releases new versions and updates to their mobile apps and website. Sometimes Marketplace features or compatibilities change with these releases.
Using an outdated version of Facebook can therefore break Marketplace or cause glitches. Make sure you download the latest Facebook app updates and refresh your browser when using Facebook on desktop.
Your Payment Account Is Not Properly Set Up
To purchase items on Marketplace, you need to have a valid payment method configured in your Facebook account or Facebook Pay. If your credit card, PayPal, or other payment details are expired, invalid, or not set up, it blocks you from completing transactions.
Check that you have an eligible payment method fully set up in your account. Add or update your payment details as required to regain Marketplace checkout abilities.
You Have Marketplace Restrictions Based on Your Location
Facebook Marketplace is not available everywhere. It is currently only operational in around 80+ countries. If you live somewhere without Marketplace access, you will not be able to use its buying/selling functions.
You may be able to use a VPN to tunnel your traffic and circumvent location restrictions. But access is limited for legal and operational reasons in many regions.
Your Account Was Banned From Facebook
If your entire Facebook account gets banned due to violations of Facebook’s terms of service or community standards, it will also restrict you from accessing Marketplace.
Marketplace cannot be used while your account is deactivated or banned. You would need to appeal the suspension and get your Facebook account restored in good standing to use Marketplace again.
Your Listings Were Removed for Violating Marketplace Rules
Listings can be removed from Marketplace if they are flagged for violating certain rules, such as:
- Posting prohibited or illegal items
- Using barred sale practices like dropshipping
- Listing in the wrong product category
- Including inappropriate or unrelated tags
If enough of your listings get removed for rule violations, Facebook may penalize your account by restricting your Marketplace capabilities. Avoid banned practices to maintain your selling privileges.
You Have an Account Under the Minimum Age
Facebook requires users to be at least 18 years old to use Marketplace. Minors under 18 cannot browse, buy, or sell items in Marketplace.
To comply with this age policy, make sure your Facebook account birthdate shows you are over 18. Otherwise, Marketplace will be hidden or inaccessible.
Your Account Was Flagged for Security Reasons
For security purposes, Facebook sometimes temporarily restricts accounts that show suspicious patterns of activity. Things like an unusual login location, changed password, or other abnormal behavior can trigger security lockdowns.
If your account was restricted due to suspicious security reasons, Facebook will provide details on how to restore your full access. In most cases, you just need to confirm your identity or reset passwords.
You Have a New Facebook Account with Limited Access
New and unestablished Facebook accounts have restrictions in place to help prevent spam and abuse. Marketplace is one of the features that may be limited for new accounts.
As your account ages and develops more connections and activity, these restrictions will lift. Be patient and actively use your account if Marketplace is inaccessible on a newer profile.
You’re Temporarily Banned From Posting in Marketplace
If you repeatedly violate Marketplace policies, Facebook may ban you from posting new listings for a certain period. Existing listings will remain live, but you cannot create new ads during this timeout.
Temporary posting bans usually last 1-7 days. You cannot circumvent the ban, so you must wait it out and avoid further policy breaches when it lifts.
Conclusion
Facebook Marketplace is a useful feature for buying and selling locally, but one that can be prone to disruptions. Issues like technical problems, policy violations, account restrictions, and user errors are common culprits when Marketplace stops functioning.
Carefully checking for any of the above issues can help identify why you cannot access Marketplace. In many cases, the problems can be resolved by updating settings, adhering to policies, or waiting out temporary restrictions from Facebook.
With a mix of troubleshooting and patience, you will hopefully be able to get Marketplace working again soon so you can get back to browsing, buying, and selling.