Most of the FB B/S/T groups were closed down due to the actions of some proper little rotters.
You have to obtain vouches - that is, references of your good character - in order to gain access to what remains.
But to be honest with you, no matter where you sell your gear there is still far too much selling via PM that goes on.
Don't forget, this isn't PbNation - you can't do everything via PM, then go crying to a mod when it goes t**s up.
Strictly speaking the Facebook paintball buy/sell pages & groups weren't shut down by rotters, but by the trading of paintball guns against Facebook rules
First PayPal included paintball guns in their list of prohibited items, but everyone ignored this until someone reported a couple of paintball retailers and their PayPal access was locked down for a while. Now paintball shops either don't accept PayPal or block PayPal from gun sales
Next eBay stopped paintball gun sales
Finally Facebook added paintball gun restrictions in there rule changes. People took the mick, flashed dramas and petitions all over Facebook
Paintball Facebook groups then either:
1) obeyed and stopped trading of paintball guns and pulled down any attempted sales or wanted posts
2) went private, but still got caught as Facebook staff can see private/hidden groups
3) ignored it
4) made a workaround. Most still got shut down, but 'chocolate & freebies' has survived
People reversed the migration that originally splintered a few good paintball forums into hundreds of paintball facebook groups. Don't get on with someone, create a new group
These are good for niche interests, site/event/team promotion and chat. But rubbish for information and knowledge sharing
People now return to the forums, or 'special paintball sale web pages'
The ways to gain access are:
1)Gently plead to moderators /administrators to grant access for old users. But there's been so much bleating that this is unlikely
(They left, and come back when convenient)
2) make 20 posts over 2 weeks. Avoid upsetting people with rubbish and moaning, or it all gets reset again and again
3)buy platinum membership
Other options are local paper classified adverts, car boot sales, cash convertors, face to face at a walkon etc
You don't need a vouch to trade on here. There have been forums that have done this, but people don't always realise the implication of a vouch depending on site rules. Vouches have meant that you back up someone's deal. If it goes wrong then you put it right
It's a little common to have vouches on Facebook trading groups - they sometimes get asked for as to whether you are reliable. This isn't ideal as it just comes down to a previous experience of one person, or even down to possible unreliable vouches
Groups like 'Mars bars...' have ways of allowing people in and they check if propspective people have paintball related information and may take vouches as references for allowing someone in
Trading in PM is one of the rule restrictions on here anyway.
New users can't send out a pm until they have gained the permissions as above anyway
The pm rule on trading is to keep things open and honest. All offers etc are to be done publicly on the appropriate thread. Then pens are allowed when it comes down to personal details such as payment information, address, phone number etc