Listia.com Auctions for Free Stuff - An Introduction

A lot of the same general functions exist like the reputation system, auction bidding, paypal acceptance. What's different is that you bid with credits instead of money. And there are reputation and community features that aid in getting "experience points" or make your reputation look more legit. Examples:

  • Fanning a user: usually people do this when they see an auction they like, or someone they know
  • Commenting: Each auction has a commenting thread that is visible to the public. These are for asking questions to seller, telling them you are watching or fanned them, etc. It's a nice touch that makes it more friendlier than ebay.
  • Verification: By connecting your social networking sites, bank info and phone number, you look more like a legit person rather than a scammer.
  • Earning badges: You earn badges for selling, verifying, giving feedback, winning auctions, etc. See the complete list here: http://www.listia.com/badges

I've only just joined and I wanted to experiment to see how it works over time, and build a group of Muffins/PRs on there to make it easier to post item details and track reputations.  This being, in part, the overall model of fLeesmarket to post goods available, but not house the auctions and payment process (there are already too many to choose from!).  So how does Listia.com work?

1. Sign up: http://www.listia.com/signup/920696

3. Browse to bid or "get it now" / put an item up for auction as a "seller"

4. Wait, bid, refer friends and find out ways you can earn credits

Credits are used to bid on auctions. Here are ways to earn credits from a new account:

  • Watch the video tutorial
  • Connect your account with Facebook and Twitter, your phone # or bank account
  • Invite friends (referrals) and Send them gift credits
  • Complete special offers or make a purchase
  • Promote Listia on websites, blogs and forums
  • List auctions & become an active user

Below is an example of how I earned my first credits. Listed under "Credit Activity"

When you sell an item, you receive the winning bidder's credits. You can also use the Special Offers section and sign up for services like Netflix, as well as purcha$e credits as seen here: http://www.listia.com/account/buy_credits. It is ~10c a credit.  

Why would you buy credits? Well, I've seen some expensive items go up for auction (example: a diamond wedding ring) and if you really want something, buying credits may be the only way to get enough credits to bid. Here is the current credit purchase offering at the time of this post.

 

    Does the listing offer international shipping? Maybe. You'll need to check each listing as it depends on the seller and that auction.  Here are some examples:

     

    Who should I buy from? Each user has a profile. Check each before you bid by clicking on their username.  Look for:

    • 100% Seller Rating
    • # of Auctions (this is a relatively new site so some may be low)
    • Account Verification badges (twitter, facebook, bank account, phone number)
    • # of Fans (somewhat of popularity contest but active users get more fans)
    • # of Badges (based on activity)

    To see what a top rated user looks like, see screenshots below or click on this profile: http://www.listia.com/profile/168799

     

    Who should I NOT buy from?

    • A new user that asks you to pay for shipping
    • A new user that has a deal that's too good to be true
    • Users who auction electronic versions (pdfs, mp3s, images, etc). These are done to get points and are not tangible items)
    • Users who give vague comments about their auctions or don't answer bidder's questions

    What the heck does GIN, NWT, etc mean? Good question.  GIN means "Get it Now" sort of like ebay's "Buy it Now".  There's an acronym glossary on ebay that's fairly universal with auction sites here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/acronyms.html

      Free or to Low Cost (shipping)?

      Why do sellers ship for free? To earn points, make a listing more enticing or just because they have a few extra $ to spare.  As a seller, if you decide not to charge for shipping, there are caps on costs for standard items, pasted below, also listed here: http://www.listia.com/rules#sh

      • DVDs, CDs, VHS, Cassettes, Vinyl: max $3
      • Books: max $4
      • Video Games, Software, Computer Games: max $4
      • Jewelry: max $6

      fLeesmarket plans to use this for our giveaways, so please do sign up, even if you aren't ready to bid or sell.  Where do I sign up? Click on the banner below and thanks for reading our Listia introduction!

             

            P.S. If you read this intro and would like more tutorials on Listia, please <3 or leave a comment. We've got more info but need to know if these are helpful and worth everyone's time. Franks!