Step 2: Create a listing

Step 2: Create a listing

When creating the listing of an item that you want to sell on Bob Shop, choose one of the formats offered: auction or buy now.

Product details

Enter a title briefly describing the item. Always ensure the title is relevant, accurate and truthful. Next, select the appropriate category for your item and the relevant sub-category. Then specify the product details as prompted (condition, location, and so on).


Price and quantity

For a buy now lising, enter the price at which you want to sell your item. For auctions, it is recommended to set a starting price at the minimum you are willing to receive for the item (rather than setting the optional reserve price). The bid increment is a required field for auctions and should be set at about 5% of the price you expect to receive for the item.

You may opt to allow buyers to make an offer on your buy now items. When creating an auction listing, you can state a buy now price too. This is called auction with buy now. For both auctions and buy nows you can optionally include a market price if you would like to give buyers an indication of their potential savings.

Most listings will have a quantity of one. You can set multiple quantities if you have the stock available. Bear in mind that multiple quantities are as a rule better suited to the buy now format than to auctions. The minimum quantity per buyer is usually set to one.


Images

Always include one or more images that depict your item accurately. If you use stock images, we advise that you search the internet for royalty-free images. Your images must be in JPEG, JPG, GIF or PNG format. You may either upload images saved on your device, or insert the URL of images already published on the internet. All image URLs must be HTTPS.

When creating a listing of an item for sale on Bob Shop, always include one or more images that depict your item accurately

We recommend that you use images of the actual item you are selling, particularly if the item is second-hand or refurbished. To ensure fast page load times for your prospective buyers, images may be downscaled.

Description

An editor is provided in order to make it easy to create professional-looking descriptions for your items. You can upload a maximum of 15 images per listing.

Shipping charges

You can set up shipping charges in the selling section of my account prior to listing your items. In case you are selling only a limited number of product types, you may set up your shipping charges while creating the listing. Once you have set up shipping charges, you will be able to reuse them in all your future listings by selecting one or more of the options from the drop-down menu. The selected shipping options will appear in your item listing, under the Shipping and Payment tab.

We recommend that you always offer insurance, or include it in your shipping fee.




Returns

It is recommended to offer warranties and guarantees to your buyers. This provides an additional level of trust and security for your buyers.


Prompts

Prompts are a selling tool that can be used in numerous ways. Here are several examples:
  • Ask buyers whether they would like their item packaged in a gift box (possibly for an extra fee).
  • Ask buyers to select the colour of the sofa they are buying, e.g.: beige, blue, green.
  • Ask buyers to select a T-shirt size, e.g.: small, medium, large.



Payment options

Choose the payment methods that you will accept from buyers from the options available to you. Note that some payment methods are obligatory for all sellers. You only need to set up your payment options once and they will automatically apply to all your listings. See all payment methods available on Bob Shop.




Optional enhancements

Enhanced listings help sellers promote their items by increasing their visibility on Bob Shop. A fee is charged for most enhanced listing options. Please read more about enhancement options.




Listing duration

Select an opening and closing date and time for your listing. Auctions on Bob Shop cannot last more than 21 days. Buy-nows and classifieds can be listed for up to 32 days.
Sellers usually list their items on auctions for three to seven days. Longer auctions make little sense, because experience has shown that most auctions get bidding activity only in the last few hours. However, it is a good idea to list rare and high-value items for longer, in order to give more people a chance to see them.


Automatic extension of auction

If this option is checked, your auction will extend for a few minutes every time there are last minute bids. Since sellers usually want to have the auto extension, this is selected by default. If you do not want your auction to extend automatically with last minute bids, click the box to de-select this option.



Automatic relisting

You may opt to relist what is not sold, or to relist the original quantity. If latter, make sure you have the stock at hand! In the relist count drop-down menu, choose how many times you want to relist your item. You may relist up to ten times.

Whichever automatic relisting option you select, bear in mind that everything (except the quantity, in case you opted to relist unsold items) remains the same, including the original enhanced listings.


When you are happy with your listing, click on the Create Listing button. You will be directed to a confirmation page to review your listing details and fees charged (if any).


Select discreet listing if you do not want buyers' or bidders' user names revealed.

What is a discreet item?
Discreet item allows sellers to keep the buyer’s user name unknown. Discrete items can be identified by the letter D icon. Sellers may designate both buy-nows and auction listings as discreet.


To publish your listing, tick the I Accept the Terms box and click on the Save Listing button. You may edit a listing if there are no bids or orders placed on it. Please note that enhancement cannot be removed after a listing has opened. Some enhancements cannot be removed even if the listing has not opened (for example, paid promotions). However, you will be able to add more enhancements to listings that are open and have bids or orders placed on them.





    • Related Articles

    • Step 3: Completing the order

      After you have won an auction or added an item to your shopping cart, the next step is to complete your purchase. Buyers can proceed to the checkout from the item listing page after winning an auction or pressing the buy now button. Buy now items can ...
    • Listing in two categories for additional exposure

      List your item in two categories to get more exposure on Bob Shop. The second category can be either one of regular Bob Shop categories, or a special (seasonal) catalogue). List your item in two regular categories You may list any item in two ...
    • Step 1: Finding items

      There are a number of ways to find products on Bob Shop: by searching, filtering, sorting or browsing through the various categories. 1. Searching For quick search, type your keyword in the search box at the top of the page. For additional options, ...
    • Fee rate card: Listing fees

      Sellers pay a listing fee for each item listed in the classified format and in the service-related categories listed below: The listing fee is R86.95 excluding VAT or R100.00 including VAT for the following categories: Property (sellers get one free ...
    • Benefits of enhanced listing options

      To get buyers to buy from you, they first have to land on your listing. That is not an easy task, because your wares are jostling for attention with thousands of other products. Exposure ensures not only that your items get sold, but that they also ...