Product Introduction

1. Scout is a productivity application designed to monitor Facebook Marketplace listings and deliver real-time alerts for user-specified products. It eliminates manual searching by automating the tracking of items based on customizable criteria such as price range, keywords, and product categories. The app operates across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices, requiring version 18.0 or later for seamless functionality.
2. The core value of Scout lies in its ability to optimize time management for users seeking deals on secondhand goods. By deploying automated scanning and instant notifications, it ensures users never miss time-sensitive listings, effectively replacing hours of manual browsing with precision-targeted alerts.

Main Features

1. Instant Notifications: Scout uses real-time monitoring of Facebook Marketplace to trigger push alerts within seconds of a matching listing being posted. Notifications include key details like price, location, and product condition, enabling rapid decision-making.
2. Advanced Filters: Users can define search parameters such as price ceilings (e.g., "$500 max"), item condition (new/used), geographic radius, and keyword exclusions (e.g., "exclude 'damaged'"). Filters apply to both broad categories (e.g., "electronics") and niche subcategories (e.g., "vintage cameras").
3. Cross-Platform Synchronization: Alert configurations sync automatically across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices via iCloud, ensuring continuity for users switching between Apple ecosystem devices. Setup takes under two minutes through a guided onboarding interface.

Problems Solved

1. Scout addresses the inefficiency of manually refreshing Facebook Marketplace to track fleeting deals, a process prone to human error and time waste. Users frequently lose opportunities to faster responders due to delayed discovery of listings.
2. The app targets bargain hunters, resellers, and collectors seeking specific high-demand or rare items (e.g., limited-edition furniture, discontinued tech). It also serves time-constrained professionals unable to monitor Marketplace during work hours.
3. Typical scenarios include tracking rare collectibles with volatile pricing, securing same-day local pickups for urgent purchases, and managing multiple concurrent searches (e.g., "apartment rentals" + "used bicycles") without manual oversight.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike browser-based trackers, Scout integrates natively with iOS/iPadOS/macOS notification systems, enabling alerts even when the app is closed. Competitors often rely on email or delayed webhooks, which lack immediacy.
2. The app introduces adaptive filtering, which learns from user interactions—for example, prioritizing sellers with high ratings or excluding locations beyond a commutable distance. This machine learning layer is absent in most basic monitoring tools.
3. Scout’s competitive edge includes tiered subscription plans (Lite/Pro/Max) offering escalating features like unlimited alerts (Max) and historical price trend analysis (Pro). Privacy-focused data handling—limiting user data linkage to essential identifiers—also differentiates it from ad-heavy alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How quickly does Scout detect new listings? Notifications are delivered within 10-30 seconds of a listing going live, leveraging Facebook’s API endpoints and proprietary scraping safeguards to avoid rate limits. Delays occur only during rare API outages, which trigger retry protocols.
2. Which devices support Scout? The app requires iOS 18.0, iPadOS 18.0, or macOS 15.0 and later, optimized for Apple Silicon chips (M1/M2/M3). It does not support Android, web browsers, or older macOS versions due to dependency on CoreML for adaptive filtering.
3. Is my Facebook account data stored securely? Scout uses OAuth 2.0 for read-only access to Marketplace and does not store Facebook credentials. Data linked to your identity (e.g., search preferences) is encrypted via Apple’s Secure Enclave and excluded from third-party sharing, as detailed in the privacy policy.
4. Can I trial premium features before purchasing? The free version includes three active alerts with basic filters; a 7-day Pro plan trial is available via Settings > Subscriptions. Trials require payment method entry but auto-cancel if unused.
5. Why does Scout require Location Services? Geographic filtering accuracy depends on precise location data to calculate distance radii for local listings. Users can restrict access to "While Using the App" or manually input ZIP codes in Settings > Search Parameters.