‘It needs to stop:’ Woman warns others after issue with Facebook marketplace purchase

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - A Chesterfield woman hopes other people will be careful when making Facebook Marketplace purchases after she says her purchase turned into a headache.

“When people buy these things [quickly], especially appliances, like washers and dryers, they’re kind of in a desperate moment,” said Heather Williams.

Williams’ washing machine stopped working, and she needed a temporary solution until it could be fixed. Her family washes nearly 10 loads of laundry a week, and she didn’t want things to pile up.

She went to Facebook Marketplace, and a particular ad caught her attention.

“I saw the ad for the washing machine for $125. And, I mean, it seemed like a really good deal as an older whirlpool. And I know those things wash clothes really well,” she explained. “I had them back in the day, so I jumped on it, and the guy was offering $125 so he would deliver. I said, okay, okay, you know, if you can give it to me tonight, I’ll give you $150. As long as it’s in working condition and everything else seems like a good deal. And he said oh yeah, it works fine.”

She says the seller was initially responsive and delivered the appliance the same day. When he left, she noticed it was missing a drain hose. Williams says the seller offered to bring her one but also said she could purchase one from Lowe’s if she needed it quickly.

“So we went out that night, got a drain hose, hooked it up, and it wasn’t working,” Williams said. “So it just filled up with water, made really loud noises and didn’t do anything else. I was a little bit worried, you know. I thought maybe we did something wrong. That’s when I had messaged him and I’m like, hey, this isn’t working. That’s when all communication just stopped.”

Williams reached out to the On Your Side Investigators after weeks of silence from the seller. She ended up spending $109 to have the washing machine fixed and also reported the seller’s Facebook page to Meta, the social media giant’s parent company.

Mark Cantrell of Mark’s Appliance Service fixed William’s washing machine. He said it was not the first time he had helped someone after a Facebook purchase that needed repair.

“I hate seeing it--money is so tight right now,” said Cantrell. “Always look at [the appliance] even if they offer to deliver it say “hey can I come look at it.” If it is a washing machine, plug it up, put it on the spin cycle make sure the motor is working. That’s what the problem with Heather’s was, the drive coupling was broken, when it went into a spin it was just making a grinding sound.”

The On Your Side Investigators eventually tracked down the seller after he posted an ad for a sofa.

He initially said, “I don’t recall a Heather Williams,” when asked about the sale of the washer. He offered for Williams to reach out to him and said. “I never ignore anyone or say I’m not going to help if something goes wrong.”

Soon after, Williams wrote to the On Your Side team, “[The seller] paid me the $109 to cover the repair cost of the washer that he sold me. I’m sure it’s because of your help, and I appreciate you all. So thank you.”

On Facebook, there is a guide for avoiding possible Marketplace scams.

The company says to watch out for people who push you to move quickly to complete a sale or pressure you to do so immediately. It could be an attempt to get around any normal safe practices. Buyers should always ask to see valuable items in person before sending payment.