How to Sell on Kijiji for Free in 2024

Do you have a lot of stuff in your home that you don’t use and would love to get rid of?

Kijiji is an amazing online market for that. You can sell anything for free if you have enough time. I’ve sold cell phones, appliances, clothes, furniture, and even cars using Kijiji.

Get rid of clutter, and make money on your things that are just laying around. Here is how to sell on Kijiji for free in 2024.

What is Kijiji?

Kijiji is an online marketplace where you can exchange goods and services, and it’s owned by eBay. You can even find work and job listings on the platform.

Let’s focus though on how to sell on Kijiji.

Register for Kijiji

If you haven’t already, you must register for Kijiji here. Follow the steps, they are straightforward and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

How to sell on Kijiji

Step 1: Take awesome pictures

To get the most money for your item, it is an absolute must for you to take great pictures. If you have no pictures at all, buyers are much more likely to scroll right past your item.

Here are the steps I take to take great pictures:

• A decent cellphone camera will do.
• Have good lighting.
• Take pictures of the item from different angles.
• Snap at least three pictures. Aim for five or more.
• To make it easy to access my pictures are uploaded automatically onto my Google Photos. You can set up something similar with iCloud or Dropbox.
• Think about making the thumbnail picture attention-grabbing with things like bright colours or interesting angles and lighting.

Step 2: Price your item

Search on Kijiji for a similar item to yours. Try to find one in a similar condition to yours as well.

Come up with a range of what you think your item will sell for. If you have time to sell, start at the higher range and see what responses you get.

If you don’t get many responses, start dropping the price. If you just want a quick sale, list the item in the lower range.

Depending on your item, it might be harder to price. If it’s something like a cell phone, there will be lots of comparable items.

If it’s something like artwork that is one of a kind, that would be harder to price. When in doubt, start high in price and work your way down, depending on your responses.

Step 3: Write an attention-grabbing title

In your title, don’t just list the title of your item. Add a few positive selling points that will draw the buyer’s attention as they are scrolling through their choices.

For example, if you’re selling an iPhone, don’t just say, “iPhone 7 for sale.” Instead, write “iPhone 7 in Mint Condition with Warranty Remaining For Sale.”

Step 4: Write a description

To save time, I like to borrow ideas from other similar postings if possible. You can use an existing posted ad and edit it to suit your item for sale. Use bullet points to highlight the important selling points of your product.

At the bottom of the ad, include your phone number and email address in the description, and say you can call, text, or email you.

Highlight the good points of your product, but don’t lie. If there are obvious flaws, list them there.

Keep it an honest description, you don’t want people to show up and then realize they’ve been led on. It’s a waste of everyone’s time because they won’t end up buying anyway.

Step 5: Come up with 3-5 tags

Brainstorm a few words that you think a buyer might search for if they are looking for your item. For example, if it’s an iPhone, they might search for cell phone, mobile phone, or Apple phone. Come up with three to five tags.

Step 6: Posting the ad on Kijiji

• Click on Post Ad

• Enter your title from Step 3
• Select the right category – It’s usually Buy & Sell, then see what category your item fits in.
• Select the location you want to sell in.
• Enter title, description, and tags from steps 3-5.

• Upload pictures from Step 1. Choose the best one for your first picture, that is what the client will see.

• Enter the location, your postal code is ok, so the buyer knows where you are located.
• Enter the price from Step 2
• Enter your phone number and email contact information.
• Preview the ad and double-check for errors, then post the ad.

Step 7: Track progress and adjust

After you’ve had your ad up for two days, you should have a good idea of if you’ve priced the item correctly. If you haven’t gotten even a text or email, lower the price.

If it’s been over a week and I haven’t sold the item, I like to post a brand-new listing and then delete the old one. After a week, your item will have been buried in the later pages of the search. Creating a new listing pushes your item to the top of the search.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of creating a new listing, you can pay money to pin it to the top of the search results.

Step 8: Negotiating over text or email

Most buyers will try to negotiate the selling price via text or email before meeting up. If I’m getting a lot of responses, I hold firm on my price and tell the buyer I have multiple offers on the product.

If I’m not getting a lot of responses, I will drop the price down a little and see what they respond with.

FAQ

How do I price my items on Kijiji?

It’s best to research similar items on Kijiji to understand the market price. This will help you set a competitive price. Remember to consider the condition of your item as well – used or worn items should generally be priced lower than new ones.

Is it safe to sell on Kijiji?

Yes, Kijiji is generally safe to use. However, it’s essential to take certain precautions, like not giving out unnecessary personal information, meeting in public places for transactions, and avoiding shipping items or accepting cheque or money orders.

How does communication with potential buyers work on Kijiji?

You can communicate with potential buyers through the Kijiji messaging platform. Once someone is interested in your item, they can send you a message directly through the platform. You can then negotiate the price and agree on a time and place for the transaction.

What can I do if my item isn’t selling?

If your item isn’t selling, consider lowering the price or improving your ad. Use high-quality pictures, provide detailed descriptions, and consider promoting your ad to increase its visibility.

What happens if a buyer isn’t satisfied with their purchase?

Kijiji operates on a buyer-beware basis, meaning all sales are final. However, as a seller, it’s good practice to be honest about the condition of what you’re selling to avoid misunderstandings.

What should I do if I suspect a scam or fraudulent activity?

If you suspect a scam, don’t proceed with the transaction. Report the user to Kijiji through the “Report Ad” or “Report User” button and provide as much information as possible about the suspicious activity.

Conclusion

For a former side hustle, I’ve run a business where I bought cell phones from eBay in America and sold it on Kijiji in Canada. That’s when the exchange rate was much better, though, so it doesn’t work very well today.

Once you get the hang of selling on Kijiji, it can even be a bit of fun. You get to get rid of clutter. It’s also satisfying to know that someone else is making good use of your product. And making money is always a fantastic feeling!