How To LEGALLY Navigate Facebook Marketplace

Are you a thrifter or DIYer who uses online marketplaces to buy and sell items?

As your friendly online attorney, I want you to be legally savvy in all areas of your life (even outside of clients and contracts). So what do you need to know about buying and selling on online marketplaces? 

Well, the sticky situations are truly endless: 

What if you get a *like-new* air purifier from the neighbor down the street… only to find out it doesn't work when you get home?

Or what if you sold someone a used microwave and they messaged you after they picked it up saying the turntable doesn’t move correctly and now they want to bring it back for a refund?? 

In Episode 160 of The Legal Paige Podcast, I’m sharing my legal marketplace how-to’s, experiences, and the legal doctrine “Buyer Beware”! 

BUYER BEWARE 

I am sure you have heard of the phrase ‘Buyer Beware’ but may not know the legal implications or definition. ‘Buyer Beware’ is a legal concept that comes from the Latin phrase Caveat emptor, quia ignorare non-debuit quod jus alienum emit which translates to “Let a purchaser beware, for he ought not to be ignorant of the nature of the property which he is buying from another party.”

‘Buyer Beware’ in basic terms is the duty of a buyer to inspect, test, and agree to an item before buying it. More specifically if an item does not come brand new from a certified merchant a buyer understands and acknowledges that the item is sold as-is. 

As a buyer, make sure you fully inspect any item you buy and understand that once you put it in your car and drive away… that’s it and you own it no matter if it works for another year or not. Buyers should never put money down on the table before seeing and testing the item. This not only helps prevent you from receiving faulty items but also protects you from potential fraud. If you are a buyer purchasing used items you must know you are taking on a risk when you buy used items…so BEWARE of what you buy.

MORE FROM THIS EPISODE:

Press play on Episode 160 and and learn more about how to navigate the world of Facebook marketplace from a legal perspective! If you want more helpful business advice as you’ll hear on the podcast, be sure to join The Legal Paige Facebook Community where thousands of entrepreneurs just like you are getting real-time answers about running a professionally and legally legit business.