"Is This Still Available?" How Dealers Should Reply on Marketplace
Answer it fast, answer it with a yes or no, and then ask one easy question that starts a real conversation. "Yes, the {car} is still here. Are you looking to come see it this week, or do you have questions first?" does more work than a paragraph of specs. The message itself is low-effort, and your job is to give the buyer an easy next step.
I sell cars for a living, and this is the message I see more than any other on Marketplace. Below is how I think about it, plus short reply scripts you can adapt. The scripts use placeholders like {car}, {price}, and {day}. Swap in your own details and your own voice, because a buyer can tell when they're getting copy-paste.
Why "is this still available?" is usually a low-effort opener
On a Marketplace listing, Facebook offers the buyer a quick-message button, and as far as I can tell it pre-fills a short question like this one. I haven't confirmed the exact wording Facebook uses today, and it can change, so treat that as my observation, not a documented rule. Whatever the mechanism, the pattern is familiar to anyone who works a lot: a big share of first messages are that one line, sent with a single tap.
That has a practical meaning. Someone who tapped a button is often browsing, and may have tapped the same button on ten other cars. It doesn't mean they're not a buyer. It means you haven't learned anything about them yet. Your reply is the first real information either side gets.
What a good first reply does
- Answers the question in the first three words. Yes or no.
- Names the car, so a person who messaged about several knows which one.
- Asks one question, not four. One is easy to answer, four feels like a form.
- Suggests a next step (a visit, a call, a time) without pressure.
- Sounds like a person, not a template.
What a bad first reply does
It says "yes" and stops. That hands the buyer the job of restarting the conversation, and a lot of them won't. The other common miss is the opposite: a wall of text with the full feature list, financing terms, and a hours schedule. The buyer asked a one-line question and got a brochure.
Reply scripts that move to a real conversation
These are starting points. Edit them until they sound like you.
The basic yes
"Yes, the {car} is still here. This is [name] at [store]. Are you thinking about coming by this week, or is there something I can answer first?"
When the car is sold
"That one just sold, sorry. I've got a few similar to it, though. What were you looking for: same model, same price range, or something about that particular car?" Being honest about a sold car and pivoting is far better than leaving a stale listing up and losing the person's trust.
When you are not sure it is still there
"Let me walk the lot and confirm, I'll message you in a few minutes." Then do it. This builds more trust than a fast yes that turns out to be wrong.
The messages you will see, and what to say back
| Common message | A good reply | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| "Is this still available?" | "Yes, the {car} is here. Want to come see it {day}, or any questions first?" | Confirm, then get a specific next step |
| "What's your lowest price?" | "It's listed at {price}. If you're serious about it I'm happy to talk through the numbers in person, and I can tell you what we can do once I know if you have a trade or financing." | Avoid negotiating by text, learn about the deal |
| "Can you hold it for me?" | "I can't promise to hold a car without a plan to see it. If you can come {day} at a set time, I'll make sure it's up front and ready." | Turn a vague ask into an appointment |
| "I'm a few hours away, can you ship it?" | "Happy to help. I'd want you comfortable before you make the trip. Want me to send a walkaround video and the full photo set, and we can go over the details by phone?" | Qualify an out-of-area buyer without over-promising |
| "What's your number?" | "Easiest for me is to talk right here, or tell me a good time and I'll call you. What number is best?" | Move to a call on your terms |
| "Does it have any issues?" | "Good question. Here's what I can tell you about the {car}: [honest answer]. Want the vehicle history and service records so you can see for yourself?" | Build trust with a straight answer |
| "Will you take {offer} cash?" | "Thanks for the offer. I'd need to see the numbers on paper, so come take a look and let's see what makes sense." | Keep the deal moving without a text-only counter |
Handling the harder ones
Price haggling by message
Texting a number back and forth tends to end in a stalemate, because neither side has the full picture. I try to answer honestly that the listed price is the starting point, and then get the buyer in front of the car. Don't invent a discount to keep them talking, and don't insult a low offer either. A calm "let's talk in person" keeps the door open. What you can offer depends on your store's pricing rules, so follow those, not a script.
"Can you hold it?"
Whether you can hold a car, and for how long, is a store policy question. If yours allows it with a deposit, say that plainly. If it doesn't, say so without apology and offer to have the car ready at a set time. The important part is turning "hold it" into a scheduled visit.
Out-of-area buyers
Marketplace shows listings by location, so out-of-area buyers are usually serious enough to be searching wide, or are working from a scam script. The practical response is the same either way: be helpful, offer photos and a video, and be clear about what you will and won't do remotely, such as shipping, deposits, and paperwork. Only promise what your store actually does.
Phone number requests
Buyers often ask for a number, and you may want to give one so you can move faster. Two notes. First, I've seen it reported that Facebook can hide phone numbers and emails placed in a listing description, showing a "hidden information" tag instead. I found that in secondary sources and couldn't confirm it in Facebook's own policy text, so check by looking at how your own listings display. If it's true for you, don't rely on putting a number in the description. Second, Meta's safety guidance advises people to be cautious about moving off the platform early. That advice is aimed at buyers, but it means some people will be wary if you push for a phone number in the first message. Offering to call them, rather than demanding their number, usually feels easier.
Response time
Faster is better, and I'd say that without a study to back it. I'm not going to quote a percentage, because I haven't pulled a primary source for one. If you see a stat about lead response times, check who ran the study, what they sampled, and whether it's about Marketplace, web forms, or phone calls. Most published figures are about internet leads generally, not Facebook messages.
What I do know from my own days: a message answered while the buyer is still holding their phone gets a reply, and one answered the next morning often doesn't. Turn on notifications for Messenger, answer between customers, and keep a few saved replies ready so you can respond in seconds instead of minutes.
Spam and scam-looking messages
Not every "is this still available?" is a buyer. Watch for messages that include links, ask you to verify something through a code sent to your phone, offer to pay more than asking, or push you to move off Messenger right away. Don't click links, don't share verification codes, and don't send a deposit or vehicle details to someone you haven't verified. There's more on the patterns dealers run into in our guide to Marketplace scams and fake buyers.
Handing the buyer to your store's process
Some stores want every lead logged in the CRM or passed to a BDC. That's a fine process, as long as you're honest with the buyer about it. If someone else will call them, say so: "I'm going to have [name] from our team reach out to set a time. Is this the best number?" Don't pretend you'll personally handle something you're handing off, and don't make the buyer repeat everything to a stranger. Pass along what they told you.
If you work Marketplace under your own name, check your store's rules about logging those leads. A conversation that lives only in your Messenger is invisible to your manager, and some stores care a lot about that. Our guide on selling more cars without buying leads covers how Marketplace conversations fit into a salesperson's day, and the Marketplace tips for salespeople guide goes wider than replies.
A simple checklist for every new message
- Reply within a few minutes when you can.
- Answer yes or no first.
- Name the car.
- Ask one question.
- Suggest a specific time or next step.
- Don't click links or share codes.
- Log the lead if your store requires it.
Quick answers
Should I reply "yes" and nothing else?
I wouldn't. A bare yes puts the work of continuing on the buyer. Add the car name and one question.
Should I give my lowest price in a message?
I don't. Price talk goes better with the buyer in front of the car and after you know about a trade and financing. Follow your store's pricing rules.
What if a buyer never answers my reply?
It happens a lot with one-tap messages. One friendly follow-up the next day is reasonable. After that, let it go and move on to the people who are engaged.
Can I use saved replies?
Yes, as a starting point. Customize the car and the question, because a buyer who gets an obviously canned reply is less likely to answer.
How LotLift fits, and where it does not
LotLift doesn't reply to messages or route leads. It posts listings from your dealership's inventory page to Marketplace as new listings only (it does not mark cars sold, delete, renew or edit anything on Facebook, and it runs on Windows with Chrome), and every reply stays with you. That's on purpose: the conversation is where a salesperson earns the sale, and I wouldn't want a tool guessing at what to say to a buyer. What it does take off your plate is the posting, so more of your day goes to answering messages like these. It also doesn't integrate with a CRM, so logging leads is still your job. As of this writing it runs $298 per month. Facebook doesn't officially support third-party posting automation, and Meta's terms restrict automated access without permission, so nothing here is a guarantee. Read is a Facebook Marketplace auto poster allowed and weigh that risk before you decide. See how LotLift automates this.