OLX users will have to delete their current OLX apps and install a new version as the company takes the first steps toward a mobile-only future. The NEW application is more secure, user friendly and able to load faster while consuming less data.
OLX has been in operation 106 countries including Kenya. OLX is an online classified marketplace for used goods. It is accessible through the internet and through native apps on smartphones. It has provided people with an opportunity to sell things they do not need. As a woman, I can confess that I have things in the house that I hardly need. With the OLX platform, you can sell anything including furniture, musical instruments, sporting goods, cars, youngster and baby items, motorcycles, cameras, mobile phones, and property. Oh! and shoes and bags. Need I mention the impulse buying women are prone to?
OLX In-app Chat is one of the exciting features found in the new app. It allows buyers and sellers to interact within the web, and App via instant chat messaging and direct chat with other users who are logged in online.
OLX Country Manager, Peter Ndiang’ui said at the launch, “This allows a buyer to chat with the seller in real time if he is also online.” If the seller is offline there is an SMS option whereby the app itself will take you to your messaging app to compose a new message. “The good news is that the number is already inserted, so no need to write it down”, Mr. Diang’ui said
The New OLX App makes the platform safer for users in numerous ways by ensuring all photos are watermarked. An already existing photo cannot be re-used by anyone else claiming to sell a similar product. The Report button is also visible when contacting a seller to enable buyers report any suspicious trends portrayed by a seller.
“If a seller requests for money before availing an item for viewing, the buyer can use the Report button to report the suspicious seller”, said Mr. Ndiang’ui. He further added that the safety tips in the site will always remind users to transact safely. “This, we believe will go a long way in ensuring OLX users are safe and informed on our platform”, He added.
Email verification for sellers will also be required when posting items. This will help in authenticating actual owners of adverts. A Seller will have to create an account and confirm it via a link sent to their email. This is aimed at eliminating the ad-hoc emails created by unscrupulous users.
With a user’s permission, OLX Support team can edit an advert on user’s behalf. The posting page prompts user to post a higher quality advert with more characters in title and description. This increases chances of selling your products.
The new App is also user friendly and allows users to navigate easily within the site. At the same time, it makes it easy for users to manage their accounts by editing, deleting and updating all their items on the go through My Account feature. This is unlike before where users had less control of their accounts. Now the user can even block a stubborn buyer from sending them emails.
The new platform focuses on mobile only as OLX taps into the reality of the African market , a mobile internet continent. The migration to a new platform is already live in Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana which have reported success during the transition to the new app dubbed Project Serengeti. The new app can be accessed here.
