A new ‘ride’ for classified ads users hits the digital highway

Carousell updates and upgrades OLX’s digital technology to make buying and selling more convenient. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

What’s in a name? For OLX, the local buy-and-sell website, this means being part of one of the world’s largest and fastest growing classified advertisements marketplace.

On July 15, OLX officially became the sixth nation to get on the Carousell ride. It will henceforth be known as Carousell.ph.

Raffy Montemayor, OLX general manager who will hold the same position in Carousell Philippines, says the merger with the Singapore-based classifieds platform means an upgrade in digital technology that will allow both buyers and sellers to optimize the use of their gadgets, including smartphones.

Carousell, on the other hand, gets the advantage of merging with the Philippine leader in classifieds.

The partnership is a marriage between strong commercial capabilities and strong technical platform, Montemayor says.

“[Clients] will benefit from the strong technical capabilities of Carousell that will make it easier to buy and sell,” he says. They will not only be able to go online but also call directly or use the short message service (SMS or text facility) of their smartphones.

Both buyers and sellers will benefit from the added convenience provided by the technology upgrade.

Carousell uses artificial intelligence (AI) for smart listings, one of the platform’s most popular features. AI can shorten the selling process to mere seconds using a photo the vendor provides.

Montemayor says sellers can upload photographs of products they are putting on the market and the Carousell platform will suggest the category and title for their listings, as well as appropriate prices for them. The platform may even offer help in enhancing the photos to increase the items’ selling potential.

The new partnership also guarantees stronger security and enhanced safety for users. Montemayor says OLX has invested a lot on ensuring the security of transactions in its platform to gain its clients’ trust. Carousell technology will help speed up the process of “identifying patters of fraud” to protect its clients.

Tina Bautista, head of real estate, general classifieds, data and analytics for Carousell and Property 24, says the new platform will combine the users of the three platforms to offer a bigger, better and broader audience, a more diverse clientele and lists.

Marita Galvez, Carousell Philippines marketing manager, says they want to encourage everyone to buy and sell. Many platform users do not know how to price their items. Buyers can chat through the Carousell application and review user ratings.

Patrick Lim, Carousell communications manager, says the platform tries to optimize the online experience for both buyers and sellers, particularly in markets where technology is still developing.

He says Carousell’s long-term plan is to become the number one classified ads platform. —CONTRIBUTED