Carousell is an E-commerce smartphone and web-based consumer company started in Singapore back in 2012. Since then, it has expanded to 8 countries in Asia-Pacific and North America. Operation in Hong Kong started in August of 2012; and has since become one of the go-to apps of locals to buy and sell items online.
The app has become ubiquitous with thrift-hunting and a way
to earn cash on the side by selling pre-loved items that usually clatters small
apartment spaces. And with the pandemic
still raging every where it is a nice way to make cash and get a bargain while
staying at home. Plus, the category of
items to sell is varied, that you can list even cars, properties or services like
maintenance or repairs. It’s a simple
app that could start your online business hustle from home or expand your
existing business’ reach.
My own “love-affair” with Carousell started as a way
to dispose textbooks that my kids no-longer needed, ethically. The money that I got from selling those
textbooks were then used to buy second-hand books that they would need for the
next school year. A win-win situation
really!
If you’re looking for a way to de-clutter your closet, or just
opting for some online retail therapy, download the Carousell app. Make sure to select the proper region
(country) where you’ll do business.
Signing Up for A Carousell Account
Both sellers and buyers need to create an account in order
to interact with each other and make a transaction. To sign-up from your mobile app, follow these
simple steps.
1. Choose a way to register. You can register using your existing Google
or Facebook account; or create a new account by choosing the Sign up for an
account option.
2. Fill up the necessary details like Username, Password,
Country, Region, Email and Mobile number.
3. Users who sign up using their Google account would
receive an email for verification of their accounts.
4. Verify your account using the OTP (One-time Password)
that Carousell sent to the mobile number you’ve registered.
Creating A Listing to Sell Items
Creating a listing is very easy.
1. Take a snapshot of the item you’d like to
sell. Make sure there’s adequate lighting
and the photo is not blurry. Take
multiple shots of different angles, emphasizing both the good and bad aspect of
your item. This is especially needed
when selling pre-loved items.
2. On the app, click the Sell button found at
the bottom of the screen.
3. Choose the photo of the item you wish to sell. You can upload up to 10 photos.
4. Choose a category for your item. There are a lot to choose from, so make sure
it’s the best one as it would increase your chance of selling the item faster. Each major category has sub-categories
underneath them. Carousell’s AI would
also suggest a category based on your photo, or you can type a keyword on the search
box. Here’s the complete list of
categories:
a.
Electronics
b.
Luxury
c.
Services
d.
Health & Beauty
e.
Women’s Fashion
f.
Property
g.
Cars
h.
Toys & Games
i.
Home & Furniture
j.
Video Gaming
k.
Men’s Fashion
l.
Kitchen & Appliances
m.
Babies & Kids
n.
Photography
o.
Design & Craft
p.
Antiques
q.
Textbooks
r.
Sports
s.
Pets Supplies
t.
Tickets/Vouchers
u.
K-Wave
v.
J-pop
w.
Food & Drinks
x.
Pre-orders
y.
Looking For
z.
Everything Else
aa.
Travel
bb.
Community
5. Name your listing by providing a Title. Make use of keywords or brand names.
6. Choose the condition of the item. Be honest! Depending on the category, some only has New
and Used as its condition; others have these four conditions to choose from.
a.
Brand New
b.
Like New
c.
Well Used
d.
Heavily Used
7. Price your Item.
You can have the item For Sale or For Free. Make sure that you’re pricing your item based
on the market and your item’s condition.
Do a research on how much other sellers are selling the same item by
searching for it on the app. Carousell
would also suggest a price based on algorithm collated from same items listed and
sold on the site. However, understand
that the suggested price is usually low ball.
8. Give a detailed description of your item. State its name, brand, specific information
about the product, etc.
9. If you’re selling more than 1 piece of the same
product, tap the Show button beside the Optional Details, and tick the ‘I
have more than one of the same item,’ radio button. This would allow your listing to stay open
even after you’ve already had an offer for it.
10. Choose your Deal Method. This is another aspect of Carousell that I
really like. As a seller, I can choose
to offer both Meet-up and Mailing & Delivery as option for sending the item
to my buyer. If you tick the Meet-up
option, the app will bring you to Deal Location. Just search for the location convenient for
you to do meetups. Popular locations are
MTR stations. Now you know why there’s
so many people standing or milling about opposite exit areas of Mong Kok
station!
You can choose more than one meet-up location!
11. Click ‘List it!’ and you’re done.
To see your listed items, go to Home page and tap the Me
icon. It would show your profile page, ratings
that you’ve received, and all the Listings you’ve created. Items Sold or Reserved have bars on their
thumbnail showing the said status. Listing
thumbnails would also show their age—how long the item is listed, the number of
hearts (likes) it received and insights.
Click ‘View Insigths’ to see your listings’ 7-day statistic,
which includes Impressions, Clicks and Chats, together with a bar graph arrange
per day.
Once your listing is active, a potential buyer may then
contact you thru the in-app chat or send an Offer. Offer is the amount the buyer is willing to
pay for the item. It may be equal or
lower than your listed price. Haggle
with the buyer if the offer price is too low.
You may also choose to Accept or Decline the offer. If you Accept, you can place the item under
Reserve or Mark as Sold. If you only
have 1 item, it would be a good practice to put the item on Reserve so other
potential buyer can see it.
Your next step is to set-up the place, date, and time for
the meet-up. It is where the actual exchange
of goods take place. Be polite and pare
your expectations. State any limitations
you might have on the proposed meeting.
Once that is set-up, just arrive at your meeting place on
time. Be in communication with your
buyer and always have a smile.
Mark the item as Sold on its listing after your transaction
and leave an objective and polite review for your buyer.
Tips on Using Carousell
· Remember that most of the users are local and
they would chat you in Cantonese. Do not
be afraid. Just use Google Translate or
state in your description that you would like to have the chat in English.
· Give small discounts for bulk buyers.
· Cash is king, but you can also offer other
payment options like AlipayHK or WeChat Pay.
Just state in your listing that you accept these payments.
· Update your Profile.
· Always leave a review.
