marketplace-purchase-vetting

Searches and vets Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist listings for scam risk and deal quality.

115|9|Updated Aug 5, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/AtlasOmnia/donna-starter --skill marketplace-purchase-vetting-atlasomnia
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: marketplace-purchase-vetting
Source: https://github.com/AtlasOmnia/donna-starter/tree/main/skills/research/marketplace-purchase-vetting
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/AtlasOmnia/donna-starter --skill marketplace-purchase-vetting-atlasomnia

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Buying high-dollar items like vehicles, boats, and equipment from private-party listings carries real scam risk, and manually searching Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist is slow and error-prone. This Skill finds live local listings within a budget and vets specific listings for too-good-to-be-true signals, giving a clear verdict with concrete next steps. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Discovery mode: Builds structured Facebook Marketplace search URLs, scrapes results via browser CDP automation, filters dealer/down-payment traps, and ranks candidates by make, title status, mileage, and seller credibility. - Vetting mode: Opens a specific listing, compares it against market comps, classifies green/yellow/red flags, and returns a short verdict with proceed/walk-away conditions. - High-dollar guardrails: Enforces rules like never sending deposits before in-person inspection, verifying title-to-seller identity matches, and special checks for boats (HIN, sea trial, transom condition) and foreign-market vehicles. - Use Case: You ask "find me a reliable SUV under $4,000 near me." The Skill searches Marketplace across model families, verifies each candidate's detail page, rejects misleading dealer ads, and returns a ranked shortlist with message-seller links and a recommendation. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to find used cars under your budget in your area, or paste a Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist link and ask whether the listing is a scam or a good deal.

Frequently Asked Questions about marketplace-purchase-vetting

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I check if a Facebook Marketplace listing is a scam?

Open the listing and extract price, title status, seller account age, and description, then compare against market comps from at least two source types. Red flags include deposits before inspection, title excuses, copied photos, and refusal of mechanic inspection or test drives.

How to search Facebook Marketplace for used cars within a budget?

Build a structured Marketplace URL with minPrice, maxPrice, and sortBy=creation_time_descend parameters, then scrape results via browser automation. Set the price ceiling slightly below budget and verify every candidate's detail page for actual mileage, year, and full cash price.

Does Facebook Marketplace search require a logged-in account?

Yes, Facebook Marketplace requires authentication to show results, so searching uses a logged-in browser session via Chrome CDP automation. For vetting a single listing, the public listing text is often visible after closing the login modal.

Why do Facebook Marketplace search results ignore my filters?

Facebook's generic search page may ignore vehicle-only parameters like minYear and maxMileage, and the radius parameter is in kilometers even when the interface displays miles. Treat URL parameters as hints and always confirm constraints on each listing's detail page.

What extra checks apply when buying a boat from a private seller?

Verify the HIN, title, and registration match the seller's identity, and require a cold start plus water test rather than just running on a hose. Also inspect transom and stringer softness, engine compression, outdrive condition, and whether a trailer is included.

When should I walk away from a marketplace deal?

Walk away when the seller demands a deposit before in-person inspection, the title or seller identity cannot be verified, or the deal only works by ignoring one expensive unknown. Duplicate listings under different seller accounts with identical photos are also a hard stop.