Google Trader is another testimony that online classifieds is not a game for the weak hearted. It seems they can no longer take the heat and effective from November 11th 2013, they will not allow posting new listings.
If you intend to still use Google Trader you may post your listings until November 11th, then the listing will run until it is expires. After the last expiry date there won’t be Google Trader. Buyers may continue to use Google Trader to find products and services until December 10. Google Trader will be discontinued on December 10, 2013.
Just as with Google Latitude that enabled users to share location information and was discontinued for users to be asked to use location sharing feature on Google+, Google Trader also advises those interested in marketing their businesses to open Google+ Business Pages. “A Google+ Business page is a new online home for your business on Google. It provides your business with a public identity on Google+, and it’s where you connect with customers, develop your brand, and engage your following,” Says Google at the Important changes to Google Trader information page.
One good thing about Google is that they are not really selfish. In addition to encourage Google Trader users to open up Google+ Business Pages, they are also generous to recommend those who indeed want to use classified sites to use Google to search for locally available free classifieds sites. “You can also find some online listings similar to Google Trader in your area by doing a search on Google with terms such as ‘free classifieds’,” they write.
As a former user of Google Trader I do not feel disappointed. I posted a listing once on Google Trader but I never received any feedback. The few listings that I followed up on to buy turned out to be from con-men (see Fraudsters invade Google Trader in Google Search), so yeah, Google Trader wasn’t a platform to celebrate. On this note it is important to emphasize that listing websites such as OLX that allow Fraudster to proliferate could also suffer public ridicule.
It is now clear that Google products that are not very popular are being discontinued to promote Google+. But for Google+ to be as popular as let’s Facebook, Google needs to re-invent the social media platform. As it stands, it’s user UI is not encouraging at all.
Bye bye Google Trader, I won’t miss you.
Use mobofree.com istead.
Actually all those “blind” boards of classifieds like Google trader or Olx have the same problem – they are plenty of scammers. I don’t live in Africa now, but few time ago I was active user of such projects – you never know who is on the other “end of phone”. They claim they filter classifieds manually, but it seems they do not filter good enough. Personally I was victim of scam 2 times, despite a fact that I have big enough experience in e-commerce. That’s why I prefer to buy new items on e-shops or go to such portals as MoboFree.com, where seller are checked not only by somebody in customer support officers, but also by big community of users. In such country as Nigeria – possibility to check background of seller is crucial..
Seems our local online market places prefer to invest in ads only but not in doing background checks.
oh yes…poor users must take care of themselves by their own…