eBay Announces Kijiji: Please let us know your feedback here

[carly@ebay.com]

eBay Launches International Classifieds Websites

We would like to announce our launch of online classifieds Web sites in select international markets. Launched under the brand Kijiji, which means “village” in Swahili, the Web sites offer people in the same city a convenient way to meet, have fun, share ideas, and trade various goods and services.

Kijiji is now available in more than 50 cities in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. In Canada, Kijiji is available in French only in Montreal and Quebec City. From building friendships and trading large appliances to talking about the city’s best restaurants or looking for a babysitter, Kijiji is designed to help people connect.

We encourage you to visit the Kijiji site, post a classified, and tell us what your experience has been. Is it easy to use? Do you like the site? Would you use Kijiji?

Kijiji

eBay Pink, Kitty will be reading this thread and answering your questions.

Regards,
Carly

[kitty@ebay.com]

Thanks for your comments! I am working on the kijiji site in Canada. Many of you have asked why we did not launch kijiji in English cities in Canada. The reason for this is that we found when we looked at the market that the need was greatest for kijiji in Montreal and Quebec City, which are primarily French markets.

eBay recently bought an online classifieds company based in the Netherlands which has an English Canada classifieds site - www.intoko.ca. I encourage you to have a look at that site and give us any feedback you may have. Or try posting a classifieds ad - it's free!

And please keep the feedback coming! Always great to hear your thoughts.

Kitty

[kensmith20000]

Hi Kitty,
What would be Ebays reasoning? Would there be a final value fee? Basically, I'm asking how would ebay make any money. Sponsored links?

[narfnzoit]

Is there a Kijiji site in Swahili?

That would make more sense than [what mostly everyone said in the previous posts]

However, it's very fun to type the word "Kijiji" Kijiji
Kijiji
Kijiji
kijiji

Try it, it has a pleasing cadence...kijiji, kijiji

[robyns_place]

Lol the second site she offered us to look at isn't working. It may have been more of a demand in the two french cities but it still would have been more fair to have one for Quebec and maybe the other on the other end of the country. Talk to me when there is one planted between Toronto and Peterborough(I'm halfway between them). ----
"It's Never Too Late to Become What You Might Have Been"

[kitty@ebay.com]

kensmith20000 - Thanks for your question re why we would not charge anything to use this new site, the answer is that this is a long term investment. At this point, it is free to use Kijiji and it will remain so to encourage trial and build traction. Over time, the Kijiji team may decide to monetize some aspects of the service when the time is right.

Kitty

[kitty@ebay.com]

robyns_place - With regards to your comment "the second site she offered us to look at isn't working", I'm not sure why you had that experience. I just tried it and it is working. I would suggest trying again. The URL is www.intoko.ca. Let me know what you think of it.

Kitty.

[jesdifa]

If you are only offering the site in french, then why on earth would you come to an english board to ask for opinions on it? That makes about as much sense as asking Africans how they like the weather in England!

[kitty@ebay.com]

jesdifa - Thanks for your comment. We decided to post on this board since some people on this board are from Montreal or Quebec City and are bilingual and therefore would be able to use this site. As I mentioned earlier, if you are not a French speaker or live outside Quebec, you should check out www.intoko.ca.

Kitty

[kira180b]

Don't take this wrong, slightly tongue in cheek but a French site with a Swahili name? Dunno about anybody else but I am still trying to figure out how to spell it...lol...need my glasses to see the whether it is an "i" or a "j"!

[rock*n*wonderland]

Hi Kitty, I just put an ad in at www.intoko.ca
so far I like what I see there, I haven't browsed much yet though:)

[anteek-netshop]

Hi Kitty
I have visited Kijiji.ca Montreal and Quebec City and I see a very bright future for your new sites in Canada and Internationally. I was even more impressed with your International Paris site and enjoyed the discussion board threads on the Site News. I am certain once the Billingual Montrealer and Quebecker find out about it, they will be listing Big Time as FREE is a Universal language understood by all. Good Luck!
Anteek-netshop

[mr.elmwood]

Ukranian, Scottish, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Philipino are dominant languages in Winnipeg. Will you launching sites here for each ethnic group and ignore the dominant one?

It is always fun when American's (WE ARE THE PROTETORS OF THE WORLD) decide what is best for a society they have no understanding of.

Did you know that Americans can not read Canadian? When I say 60 cents international postage please they can not understand what I have said and put on 37?

Please do not export your cultural beliefs onto us.

[martinboy27]

In montreal and Quebec 75%(5 millions) of the population speak in French. Its normal to put the site in French.

Its logical to put the english site for a place like Toronto, winnipeg, edmonton.

See ya!!

[islandsun11]

Intoko is national, while Kijiji is local. Isn't the whole point of Kijiji that it is for local groups to use? I would not use Intoko but if Kijiji comes to Victoria I would definately be interested.

Just say no to Intoko:)

[kitty@ebay.com]

rock*n*wonderland - That is great that you posted an ad at intoko.ca. Please let me know what your experience is like.

Kitty

[kitty@ebay.com]

Anteek-netshop - Thanks for your comments. Glad you like the site!

Kitty

[kensmith20000]

I like the idea. I have quite a few things to sell that are heavy and would cost too much to ship. Things like laser printers, photocopiers, electronics.
kitty,
Are bilingual ads permitted?

[kensmith20000]

Ok I did it. Lets see if I get slapped.
http://montreal.kijiji.ca/classifieds/ActivateAd?AdId=106542&Guid=8cc0d574-0a01-1865-4ee1-7d4c00000196

[kitty@ebay.com]

kensmith20000 - Sure, bilingual ads are definately allowed on kijiji.ca. Please let me know what your experience is like using the site and any suggestions you may have.

Janet

[kensmith20000]

Ok, I withdrew the ad. It took me a while to figure out how to. I made a mistake in the listing. I listed at $5000 instead of $50. I received 2 insulting emails from France. It looks like there isn't much screening of the ads. There was one ad from a hooker looking for clients.