Free alternative to Adverts.ie

GarIT

Now that adverts is a paid for site I thought we should get a list going for free ad sites, maybe we could even get it stickied if it's good enough.

I'll start off with the two major ones in America, Gumtree and Craigslist. Anyone else have any maybe even Irish specific sites? I have heard buy and sell has closed down.

viv2

There are loads of free selling pages on facebook.

miece16

looks like i wont be using adverts anymore

chris85

Adverts is a free site. You can place a basic ad for free and more premium options cost you to use.

foggy_lad

I have sold quite a lot of stuff through Gumtree.ie and in the last couple of years they have cut down on the scammers, I just ignore emails and also those texts that appear with the persons name and no number. They usually include some email address to contact them.

I deal exclusively through text and calls and no private numbers.

hfallada

A little fee for adverts.ie is fine. You cant expect an amazing site for nothing. Craigslists looks like something from 1998 and gumtree is so hard to navigate.

Helpneeded86

This thread cant last long really can it?

Yawns

chris85 wrote: »

Adverts is a free site. You can place a basic ad for free and more premium options cost you to use.

That's what I thought until I had a look just now. The basic free option - If you sell an item for over €30, there's a fee now apparently. Haven't looked further than that tho tbh.

foggy_lad

chris85 wrote: »

Adverts is a free site. You can place a basic ad for free and more premium options cost you to use.

From today you must pay for ads with a price of €30 or more.

it is no longer a free ads site!

Kenny Logins

chris85 wrote: »

Adverts is a free site. You can place a basic ad for free and more premium options cost you to use.

There's a new 'success' fee.

http://www.adverts.ie/successfees

condra

Gumtree, DoneDeal, Ebay

Also lots of local buy+sell pages on Facebook

Still, would love to see a true FREE adverts.ie alternative pop up, where sellers have reputations...

Epic1337

Just read the adverts t&c
You will notice that our Pricing structure for new ads has changed from April 22nd 2014.
We still offer that great free to list service, and now if you sell an item where the asking price is greater than €30, a small success fee will apply.
Success fee value is based on the asking price of an item:
€1 for items with an asking price €30 - €49
€2 for items with an asking price €50 - €99
€3 for items with an asking price €100 +

Yikes but at the same time Im a buyer and seller so next time some one wants to bargin with me there getting the charge not me included in the price kind of like with postage just going to bump up the price and haggle an extra bit.

emo72

That's a sickener. I built up a great rep on that site. Will have to look at alternatives now.

witnessmenow

Guys,

BA is not the place to discuss the changes on adverts, The place to discuss this change is here

I am completely happy to have a thread that offers bargain prices (or free) on advert listing sites, but it doesn't seem to be this one. I'm closing this one, but feel free to create one that does offer alternatives.

MFlack2012

Before Adverts get us closed down

Done deal
Gumtree
Ebay
Amazon
Dublin online market Ireland
Buy and Sell
Dublin Ireland Online
Facebook

Dav

This thread is in the wrong place and just so no one thinks Boards is trying to shut down discussion, I've moved it from Bargain Alerts into Online Buying (where it should be) and I've re-opened it.

chris85

foggy_lad wrote: »

From today you must pay for ads with a price of €30 or more.

it is no longer a free ads site!

Ok didnt see that. I just went in to place an ad and was shown the basic ad option for free. That is pretty annoying and looks like I will be selling through ebay from now on. Thats a pity.

Hollister11

That's ridiculous, and you can't even use PayPal as an option.

Thetruthking

bye byte adverts this just killed yous, I promise yous this is the end, that was the worst thing you could have done, you have plenty of profit each month from advertiosements on your pages now this,,, bye byte ill give yous a month and yous will be bust... unreal,,,, found a great page for the north east, www.BuyitsellitColouth.com

Kenny Logins

Thetruthking wrote: »

bye byte adverts this just killed yous, I promise yous this is the end, that was the worst thing you could have done, you have plenty of profit each month from advertiosements on your pages now this,,, bye byte ill give yous a month and yous will be bust... unreal,,,, found a great page for the north east, www.BuyitsellitColouth.com

Have to say, that domain name is sh!te.

T-K-O

OSI wrote: »

And how would you propose to fund the development and hosting of such a site?

I would imagine advertising on such a site could be a nice little earner for someone

condra

OSI wrote: »

And how would you propose to fund the development and hosting of such a site?

Did I say I planned on developing and hosting it? .... No.

I said I would love to see it.

Dav

Can I dispel a major myth that people seem to believe - there is damn all money in online banner ads. You cannot pay for a site like Adverts with that alone - if it covered even 15-20% of their ongoing monthly costs I'd be amazed cause that's a ballpark figure of what it earns Boards on a monthly basis. As someone who's ability to pay rent and eat relies on banner ads, it really annoys me to see this continued nonsense that somehow sticking some banner ads on your site means you're rolling in money - it's easy see people who simply haven't the faintest iota of a clue what they're talking about any time this crops up.

DUBLIN_person

This crowd followed me on Twitter a while back, New site, a bit basic and not much on it yet, but free to place ads..http://www.pinit.ie.

copacetic

Surprised to see this from adverts, the selling or buying experience is terrible in my opinion, certainly not one to justify setting fees for the pleasure. Ebay is a much better option and will probably get the vast majority of people more money evenimg out the fee difference. It's a pity...

pleasant Co.

Not one bit surprised to see this, but it's bad value for money. Adverts.ie is littered with chancers and low-ballers, fair enough, everyone loves a bargain and that was part of the expectation when using it, but can't see myself paying to not sell my old stuff.
ebay is managed better, have been in the game a very long time and is easier to sell on given it's audience and reach so if I'm going to be paying for a service it's going to be the one that is more convenient for me and more likely to actually get my stuff sold.

Hootanany

pleasant Co. wrote: »

Not one bit surprised to see this, but it's bad value for money. Adverts.ie is littered with chancers and low-ballers, fair enough, everyone loves a bargain and that was part of the expectation when using it, but can't see myself paying to not sell my old stuff.
ebay is managed better, have been in the game a very long time and is easier to sell on given it's audience and reach so if I'm going to be paying for a service it's going to be the one that is more convenient for me and more likely to actually get my stuff sold.

^ this + 1

Fries-With-That

I think this is a retrograde step from Adverts management. The premium adverts are like spam at present, I'm not interested in trawling through 20 adverts for snap on spanners to get to the actual things Joe Public is offering for sale.

The reality is Adverts isn't well policed at present, any regular user will tell you that the rules are broken on a regular basis.

Users don't always sell to the first to offer asking.
Users post their phone numbers on the advert to bypass the new no pms rule before an offer is accepted.
There also appears to be a huge number of unregistered shops using adverts.(How can users have over 1000 adverts selling clothes of various different sizes)

Police the rules that are in place now before introducing a SUCCESS fee.

What this new rule will do is encourage people to seek more for what they are trying to sell, effectively passing on the fee to the purchaser.

I can see it having a negative effect on the genuine seller and buyer.

Nonoperational

Adverts used to be a great site, but it's gone the wrong direction in my opinion. I used to really like that they didn't allow blatant profiteering, but when I reported an ad where somebody wanted €800 for an iPhone 5 with flappy bird I was told they no longer care what price people sell things for. I'm all for supply and demand etc, but being allowed to blatantly rip people off really bugs me. I haven't been on the site since and won't be. It's a real shame, I bought and sold about 50 items on it over the years.

Not sure what I will use now to be honest.

PrettyBoy

Adverts was pretty bad at the best of times but why anyone would want to pay to use it is beyond me. Full of time wasters that make one ridiculous/insulting offer after another. Can't see too many people paying to use it.

Kenny Logins

pleasant Co. wrote: »

Not one bit surprised to see this, but it's bad value for money. Adverts.ie is littered with chancers and low-ballers, fair enough, everyone loves a bargain and that was part of the expectation when using it, but can't see myself paying to not sell my old stuff.
ebay is managed better, have been in the game a very long time and is easier to sell on given it's audience and reach so if I'm going to be paying for a service it's going to be the one that is more convenient for me and more likely to actually get my stuff sold.

If it doesn't sell, you don't pay..

The only good thing about adverts.ie was that it was free!! eBay and DoneDeal will be delighted at this "exciting" development.

pleasant Co.

Kenny Logins wrote: »

If it doesn't sell, you don't pay..

My post was concerning how it is more difficult to sell on adverts.ie, but ok...

Celeron Media

It really is ridiculous reading about user complaining and some even exhibiting bitch like behavior about making money and just paying a small sellers fee. That's basic online business. If your selling expensive goods, €1, €2 or €3 is only small change from your profits and also in price comparison to other reputable sites, there rates are still quite cheap.

condra

If it was a flat rate 50 cents to post an ad, I would gladly pay it, without a second thought, but the new system is going to cause headaches.

firestarter51

Easy way around this charge is to accept the offer
Complete the transaction
Cancel the offer and withdraw the advert
Just an idea

MilanPan!c

Celeron Media wrote: »

It really is ridiculous reading about user complaining and some even exhibiting bitch like behavior about making money and just paying a small sellers fee. That's basic online business. If your selling expensive goods, €1, €2 or €3 is only small change from your profits and also in price comparison to other reputable sites, there rates are still quite cheap.

If you set up a new site and made that the rules then maybe that's an ok attitude.

However.

People have been using adverts a certain way for literally years and this doesn't just cost a couple euros, it breaks the already dodgy functionality.

It is no longer suited for many peoples' needs and they will leave. I am one of them.

I have no problems with ads, but this new situation is just not gonna be feasible for me.

MilanPan!c

firestarter51 wrote: »

Easy way around this charge is to accept the offer
Complete the transaction
Cancel the offer and withdraw the advert
Just an idea

Do that a few times and expect to be banned Id imagine.

Finding a successful way to break the rules shouldn't really be the goal IMO.

Muahahaha

Celeron Media wrote: »

It really is ridiculous reading about user complaining and some even exhibiting bitch like behavior about making money and just paying a small sellers fee. That's basic online business. If your selling expensive goods, €1, €2 or €3 is only small change from your profits and also in price comparison to other reputable sites, there rates are still quite cheap.

I'm thinking g the same and I don't know what people are getting in a tizzy about. I reckon adverts is the best buying and selling site out there, it's got far more sellers and items on it than Donedeal and much more than ebay.ie too which often doesn't have a used version of what you're after from an Irish seller so you end up getting it from the uk anyway.

I don't think charging a €1 success fee for a sale of up to €100 is such a big deal. I can however see sellers asking the buyer not to say they bought the item and the seller just takes the ad down to avoid paying it.

And what I like most about adverts is the comments. I know there are people out there who spend all day low balling asking prices but if you're a seller you can either set a minimum offer price or else just ignore them, it's not that hard. I like it because often I've seen an item I want with an asking of say €100. I'm not willing to pay the €100 but would pay €60. However often in the past I was afraid to offer €60 as it might be taken as an insult. But usually someone else does and suddenly the seller says he'll take €70, at which point I'd be interested whereas his initial €100 asking price put me off even bidding. What the comments do is allow sellers and buyers to reach common ground in a manner that is transparent to all other potential buyers. Often I'm put off items on Donedeal because of their high asking prices, for all I know they might accept 40% off the asking but I'm not going to ring them up and offer it in the first place. At least adverts allows those kind of negotiations to take place. Ebay is crap for that too, they make it as hard as possible to contact a seller and then when you do sometimes you get no response to your questions. Ebay is full of sellers with a take it or leave it attitude, often they put up ads of items with virtually no info on the item, how old it is,condition, etc.

I'd take adverts over them all any day, I've got some real good bargains off it so far this year and have found buying from it far easier than the other two sites.

Sam Mac

I can see Adverts decreasing in popularity quite quickly if they keep this up.

Celeron Media

MilanPan!c wrote: »

If you set up a new site and made that the rules then maybe that's an ok attitude.

However.

People have been using adverts a certain way for literally years and this doesn't just cost a couple euros, it breaks the already dodgy functionality.

It is no longer suited for many peoples' needs and they will leave. I am one of them.

I have no problems with ads, but this new situation is just not gonna be feasible for me.

I've been using adverts for a few years and I've been paying to use adverts for those past few years. I know the type of users you a referring, there also known as "freebie grabbers" and they want everything for free on adverts.

MilanPan!c

Celeron Media wrote: »

I've been using adverts for a few years and I've been paying to use adverts for those past few years. I know the type of users you a referring, there also known as "freebie grabbers" and they want everything for free on adverts.

No.

I'm not.

Look at this ad:

Wampler Pinnacle Distortion boxed and new €150
EWS Subtle volume control Boxed (Scott Henderson) €50
Mojo Vibe (Boxed) €250
Suhr Koko Boost (Boxed) €200 *SOLD*
Whammy DT (brand new boxed) €200 *SOLD*
Joe Bonnamasa Wah Pedal €150 *SOLD*
Kingsley Minstrel €270
Keeley Fuzz Head €130
Eventide Mod Factor €260 *SOLD*
Eventide Time factor €260 *SOLD*
Weehbo Effeckte Plextortion (boxed) €200 *SOLD*
Keeley Java Boost €150
Xotic Effects AC + €150 *SOLD*
Boss Super Shifter €100
TC Electronic Nova Reverb €100
TC Electronic Nova Delay €100 *SOLD*
Wampler Triple Wreck €230
Bogner Ecstacy Blue €250 *SOLD*
Radial Vienna Bones Chorus €110
ZVEX Box Of Rock brand new boxed €180
Wampler SLO Distortion €220
Suhr Riot €140*SOLD*
Wampler Plexi Drive €160 *SOLD*
Keeley Blues Driver €105 *SOLD*
Suhr Shiba Drive €140 *SOLD*
Basic Audio Tri Ram Muff €170
Lovepedal Amp 11 boxed €120 *SOLD*
Lovepedal Les Lius boxed €120 *SOLD*
Malekko Plus Ultra 213 boxed €150
Rockett Pedals Allan Holdsworth Signature boxed €150
Tortuga Effects Sasquatch boxed MONSTER MONSTER FUZZ! €240
Black Arts Toneworks Fuzz Distortion boxed *SOLD*
Redwitch Empress Chorus boxed €180
Providence Stampede DT boxed €210
Walrus Audio Janus boxed €180 *SOLD*
Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz €160
BK Butler TUBE Driver €270

Nothing free going on there but that also a massive unfeasible pain in the arse under the new system.

Now someone like that has to manage 30+ ads, and pay 30+ fees, and if there's any hassle argue with Adverts over multiple "success" refunds.

It's not gonna work for a lot of people. And it misunderstands how many people use adverts.

Celeron Media

If your making thousands from using adverts at the cost of happy meal, whats your problem with it.

MilanPan!c

Celeron Media wrote: »

If your making thousands from using adverts at the cost of happy meal, whats your problem with it.

I've explained the problem.

In a case like that you've taken one task and turned it into 30+.

You made the process of haggling and setting prices more complex and forced sellers to chase Adverts for a virtual refund.

If you think that's the same experience as before well... I'm suspicious of your motives.

Oh and hey they're not making thousands, they're selling all of those at a loss.

So.

It's important to remember that sellers are NOT manufacturers.

Here's an example:

I bought a pedal for €60 on a whim.

24 hours later I decided to sell it. The highest bid I get is €40. I've already lost €20.

I now pay a fee to adverts and have lost even more money. The buyer decides to withdraw. Someone else places a bid for €40. Adverts takes another fee while I try and convince Adverts that the first buyer fell through.

Three has taken cash via my phone for the first fee, and I get back - at some point - a virtual refund from adverts.

Multiply that by multiple ads and it's just not worth it.

And not just to me.

Muahahaha

MilanPan!c wrote: »

No.

I'm not.

Look at this ad:




Nothing free going on there but that also a massive unfeasible pain in the arse under the new system.

Now someone like that has to manage 30+ ads, and pay 30+ fees, and if there's any hassle argue with Adverts over multiple "success" refunds.

It's not gonna work for a lot of people. And it misunderstands how many people use adverts.

That type of ad will probably migrate to gumtree but they don't have as much traffic as Donedeal/Adverts so it might be harder to sell all that gear.

But in any case if you have 20 items for sale all priced €150 then that's €3000 quids worth of stock so if you get it all sold is €150 really such a big trouble to the €2,850 lying in your pocket ?

If you sold that amount of goods on ebay you'd have to list and manage 30 ads and I'd be surprised if Donedeals T&Cs don't prohibit multiple listings in one ad, maybe they don't police it well right now but I doubt that will always be the case when they look at ways of increasing their revenue.

I think the buying/selling space is either populated by free sites that often have little traffic or else sites with lots of traffic and buyers but who charge a fee. Selling for free and expecting a quality experience are never likely to go hand in hand, the business model doesn't stack up because even if you have 500,000 views a day the banner ad revenue still won't meet the cost of running the site as Dav said earlier. These sites have to monetise their users, they will go out of business if they don't charge so,etching to sell an item. As it is you can still sell an item for under €30 for free, I'd prefer it be €50 but it's still not half bad.

MilanPan!c

Muahahaha wrote: »

That type of ad will probably migrate to gumtree but they don't have as much traffic as Donedeal/Adverts so it might be harder to sell all that gear.

But in any case if you have 20 items for sale all priced €150 then that's €3000 quids worth of stock so if you get it all sold is €150 really such a big trouble to the €2,850 lying in your pocket ?

If you sold that amount of goods on ebay you'd have to list and manage 30 ads and I'd be surprised if Donedeals T&Cs don't prohibit multiple listings in one ad, maybe they don't police it well right now but I doubt that will always be the case when they look at ways of increasing their revenue.

I think the buying/selling space is either populated by free sites that often have little traffic or else sites with lots of traffic and buyers but who charge a fee. Selling for free and expecting a quality experience are never likely to go hand in hand, the business model doesn't stack up because even if you have 500,000 views a day the banner ad revenue still won't meet the cost of running the site as Dav said earlier.

Many of these ads will move to the ad sights like guitarist Ireland on FB...

Like I said, Adverts is no longer fit for purpose and these users will leave... that's just the reality of it.

Muahahaha

MilanPan!c wrote: »

Many of these ads will move to the ad sights like guitarist Ireland on FB...

Like I said, Adverts is no longer fit for purpose and these users will leave... that's just the reality of it.

Yeah probably so for people who have 30+ items for sale all at once. it could be someone having a spring clean or they are emigrating and have lots of items for sale. I get what you're saying that it would be huge hassle to create 30 ads and I reckon those people will migrate to Facebook and Gumtree. But most people don't have 30+ items for sale all at once and if they do it's probably more likely that they added them in dribs and drabs rather than one whole lot. I'd say most sellers with used goods for sale on adverts have less than five adds on the go at anyone time and more likely one or two. Most sellers with 30+ ads are likely shops or people trading for a living, they would have to pay for a market stall or retail premises so why not adverts ?

MilanPan!c

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah probably so for people who have 30+ items for sale all at once. it could be someone having a spring clean or they are emigrating and have lots of items for sale. I get what you're saying that it would be huge hassle to create 30 ads and I reckon those people will migrate to Facebook and Gumtree. But most people don't have 30+ items for sale all at once and if they do it's probably more likely that they added them in dribs and drabs rather than one whole lot. I'd say most sellers with used goods for sale on adverts have less than five adds on the go at anyone time and more likely one or two. Most sellers with 30+ ads are likely shops or people trading for a living, they would have to pay for a market stall or retail premises so why not adverts ?

I see it frequently enough actually. It's not everyday, but... If enough people like that, and that includes me, move... That section of Adverts will die. And that's a big section for over €30 items.

Musicians trade and sell and resell endlessly. This is not gonna work for us.

Celeron Media

This is nothing new, it's deja vu. Every policy change on Adverts, Ebay, Amazon, DoneDeal etc... The threat of leaving and going the competitor is made every time without fail. It's just a little tantrum or protest to try force the site admin to revert the changes. Most of the users saying there leaving don't actually leave or if they do leave they come back sooner or later when they calm down. Either way new users will sign up every day to make money with adverts. a slice of that pie is to big to miss out on if your a seller in Ireland.

I assure you, this is not the end adverts or the end of a sales sections on their site.

fourtwozero

If you are selling more than a few items you are doing it for profit and therefore are a business, and any business should give some money to the enabler of its profit. If you are selling a couple of bits you wont mind paying a small commission.

MilanPan!c

fourtwozero wrote: »

If you are selling more than a few items you are doing it for profit and therefore are a business, and any business should give some money to the enabler of its profit. If you are selling a couple of bits you wont mind paying a small commission.

Well this is obviously nonsense.

Someone buys a guitar for 2k, loses their job and needs money, and sells it and a bunch of other gear for 1k. They lose hundreds of thousands, because they're desperate.

So there a business.