How to Know If a Marketplace Price Is Fair

Published on April 05, 2025 by SureBuy.io Team

Whether you’re browsing Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Craigslist, or eBay, it’s not always easy to tell if a price is fair. Some listings are overpriced. Others are too good to be true. That’s why we created SureBuy.io — a free tool that gives you an AI-generated price range based on real market data. Here’s how to use it to spot red flags and avoid overpaying or getting scammed.

1. Why Price Fairness Is Hard to Judge

Unlike retail sites, peer-to-peer marketplaces have no standard pricing. A used iPad might go for $180 in one listing and $320 in another. That inconsistency makes it hard to know whether you’re getting a deal — or walking into a scam.

Scammers often exploit this by listing popular items (like phones or sneakers) way below typical prices to lure victims. On the flip side, some sellers overprice hoping buyers won’t check.

2. How SureBuy.io’s AI Price Range Works

When you paste a marketplace listing into SureBuy.io, our AI scans the text and compares it to real sales data — including live pricing from platforms like eBay. We look at:

• Product type and keywords
• Condition and model details (if available)
• Average market prices for similar listings

The result is an estimated price range that reflects what the item would realistically sell for. It’s not an appraisal — but it gives you a trustworthy benchmark to work from.

3. What to Do with the Price Range

Let’s say you’re looking at a Facebook listing for a used iPhone 12 priced at $250. SureBuy.io gives you a price range of $320–$380. That’s a big gap — and likely a red flag.

Here’s how to interpret results:

• Listing is below the range: Possible scam or stolen goods — proceed with caution
• Listing is within range: Likely a fair deal — consider negotiating
• Listing is far above the range: Likely overpriced — don’t be afraid to walk away

4. Real Price Trends by Marketplace

Each platform has its own quirks when it comes to pricing:

• Facebook Marketplace: Prices are more negotiable but carry higher scam risk
• Mercari: Pricing includes shipping and can be inflated — but you’re backed by buyer protection
• Craigslist: Wildly inconsistent, often dependent on geography
• eBay: One of the most reliable places to check market value (sold listings = gold)

SureBuy.io pulls from these sources to ground your expectations in reality.

5. Try It Before You Buy

Next time you’re on the fence about a listing, don’t guess — paste it into SureBuy.io first. You’ll get:

• An instant price range estimate
• Scam risk analysis based on language patterns
• Suggested negotiation questions

It takes less than 10 seconds and could save you hundreds — or a major headache.

Ready to check your next listing? Try SureBuy.io now.