vindje.com / Guides / Buying on Marktplaats
You can use Marktplaats without speaking Dutch, but you have to search in Dutch, because sellers write their titles in Dutch. Search 'bank' instead of 'sofa', translate listings with your phone, and message in short, polite English or simple Dutch. Most sellers will reply in English.
Marktplaats search matches the words in the listing. A seller in Haarlem selling a sofa writes 'bank' or 'hoekbank', not 'sofa'. Search 'sofa' and you see a fraction of what is there. Learn the Dutch name of what you want and also try the plural and the obvious variants.
A few pairs to start with: bed is bed, but wardrobe is kledingkast, desk is bureau, chair is stoel, office chair is bureaustoel, washing machine is wasmachine, fridge is koelkast, and bike is fiets. Brand names and model numbers work in any language, so 'Gazelle' or 'iPhone 14' are safe.
Your browser or the Google Translate camera handles the description well enough. The parts that matter most are short and worth recognizing on sight.
Keep it short and specific. Dutch sellers get a lot of 'is this still available?' messages and answer the ones that sound like a serious buyer first. Name the item, ask the one or two questions that matter to you, and say when you can come.
A simple opening in Dutch earns goodwill even if you continue in English: 'Hoi, is dit nog beschikbaar? Ik kan morgen ophalen.' That means: Hi, is this still available? I can pick it up tomorrow. If the seller replies in Dutch, paste it into a translator and answer in English. Few people will mind.
Set your postcode and a radius. Most of what you buy has to be collected, and a cheap wardrobe is not cheap after a 90 minute train ride with no way to carry it. Start with 10 to 15 km in cities and widen only for rare items.
Dutch postcodes are four digits and two letters, like 1012 AB. The four digits are enough for a distance search. If you do not have a car, check whether the address is near a train station or ask the seller whether the item fits in a taxi or on a bike.
Dutch sellers are usually direct and on time, and they expect the same. Agree a day and a time window, write down the address, and send a short message if you are running late. Bring cash or have your banking app ready, and bring a tape measure for furniture.
If the seller says 'bel even aan' it means ring the bell, and 'ik zet het buiten' means they will put it outside the door. For free items that is normal. For paid items, still ring and pay in person.
Many expats search in English and miss listings. The reverse is also true: Dutch sellers sometimes use words you would not guess, like 'kast' for almost any cabinet, or misspell brand names. Try two or three Dutch variants for anything important. If you would rather describe what you want in English and have the Dutch search and the filtering done for you, that is what vindje.com is built for.
Avoid sellers who only want to ship and pick up whenever you can. Pickup is where most of the value and safety comes from.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Desk at least 140 cm wide with drawers, good condition, under 80 euro, pickup in AmsterdamSearch Marktplaats like this
The site and app are in Dutch, and listings are written by sellers in Dutch. Browser translation handles the interface well enough to use it.
Most will, especially in cities and among younger sellers. Opening with one line of Dutch helps.
Yes. You need an account with an email address; some payment features need a Dutch bank account.
It means pickup: you collect the item at the seller's address. 'Alleen ophalen' means pickup only, no shipping.