"The Marketplace Mirage: Why Jimmy Quit Selling Car Parts on Facebook"
Jimmy was a gearhead through and through. His garage was stacked with treasures—aftermarket exhausts, OEM headlights, old turbo kits, you name it. So when he decided to clear out inventory and make some cash, Facebook Marketplace seemed like the perfect place.
After all, it was free, easy, and supposedly crawling with local buyers.
At first, it looked like a win. His first listing—a nearly-new cold air intake—got a dozen messages within hours. “Is this still available?” flooded in. Jimmy thought, "I’m about to make a killing!"
But that dream skidded off the road fast.
The Tire-Kickers and Time-Wasters
The majority of messages led nowhere. People would ask vague questions—“Will it fit my Honda?” (without saying which model), or “Can you do $20?” on a $200 part. A few said they’d come by “tomorrow” but ghosted completely.
It wasn’t just annoying—it was exhausting. For every serious buyer, Jimmy had to wade through ten tire-kickers and no-shows.
The Algorithm Blues
Facebook’s algorithm didn’t help. His listings were being shown to people halfway across the country or worse—on the other side of the planet. Shipping wasn’t worth the hassle for heavy items like brake rotors or a full exhaust system, but he couldn’t seem to reach the right local audience.
When he tried promoting posts, the clicks came in—but mostly from curious browsers, not buyers.
Scams, Sketchiness, and Shady Deals
Then came the scammers.
Jimmy got fake payment screenshots. Some “buyers” wanted to pay him extra to ship to a third party, but it smelled fishy. Others sent suspicious links or tried to convince him to accept gift cards.
One guy even showed up and tried to barter with old Xbox games in his trunk.
Jimmy realized quickly: Facebook was more like a flea market than a store.
Shifting Gears
After one last no-show—this time for a pristine set of coilovers—Jimmy shut it down.
He moved his inventory to eBay and started real website page for car mod enthusiasts, he actually found people who wanted what he had. He dealt with fewer messages, but made way more actual sales.
The Takeaway
Facebook Marketplace was fine for selling couches or lawn mowers, but for serious retail—especially car parts—it was a burnout.
Jimmy learned the hard way: if you want to run a business, go where your buyers are buying, not just scrolling.
