IMPORTANT INFORMATION

A one Market Platform For all Africans: We connect sellers and Buyers under one roof. The Umoja Auctions and Ads (UmojaAA) is digital platform where everything is valued accordingly. Africa is gradually releasing her capability and technology is adopted rapidly by all people individually as well as businesses. UmojaAA aims to provide a one marketplace where Buyers meet Sellers.

UmojaAA community

we grow together. Towards one another ? Respect, Integrity, Help, caring, support and Protect is all we are about as a community.

Learn more About us

Facts, aspirations, the UmojaAA community, Mission and Vision

<span class="heading-color">Learn more About us</span>

UmojaAA has three different Logos. As they appear below, they should not be altered or be used by any other means. they copyright protected. The sole owner is UmojaAA. We use any of these Logos in different forms mainly because in today’s world: SmartPhones, computers, and laptops sometimes they do not show they search results in same manner. To give you the best experience here at UmojaAA, a logo with different colors and shape may be applied.

Logologologologologo

Copyright 2020 © Umoja Auctions and Ads UmojaAA All Rights Reserved.

REGISTERING

Registered user account info.

Registered users can include a bit of information about themselves in the Ads they post such as a username, phone number and location. We have also added the option to display a profile photo in your Ads.

1. hover the mouse to your username in the right corner of your screen, Then click on Dashboard

User guide

In the Contact Information section at the top of the page, enter the details you would like displayed in the new Ads you post. Please note, if your address is included in your Profile Settings, it will be included in your Ad.

profile info.

however the Phone number can be seen by a registered user.

Ad look

New User Account

1. click on Register Button

2. follow the prompt to fill in the necessary information

4. you’re done

5.Go to your email to find a link from UmojaAA and click on it to verify the account.

6. Come back to the platform and Login.

Register info

How to reset My Password

  • Simply click on Sign In at the top right of every UmojaAA page and you’ll be taken to the Sign in page
  • Click the Forgot your password? link just above the green Sign in button
  • Enter your email address (ensure you spell it correctly) and click the  reset my Account
  • You will then receive an email that contains a link to change your password. Open up the email and click on the Change Password link in the email so you can choose a new password.

If you are still having issues with signing in after trying this, please contact our help desk HERE

Reset password

Creating a Password

To help improve your MyUmojaAA account security, the following recommendations have been put in place for the protection of your Identity:

We recommend creating a unique password or passphrase that does not include any information directly related to you, such as a birthday, address, maiden name, etc.
You may also want to consider using a passphrase rather than a password. Passphrases are generally considered a safer option for several reasons, including:

  • Passwords are easier to crack than passphrases due to the number of characters used.
  • Passphrases are easier to remember than a password containing a mix of symbols and letters. Please note that Passphrases can contain symbols but are not required.

An example of a passphrase might be a line from a song you like, or a sentence from your favorite book.
If you have forgotten your password, you can find more information HERE about how to reset your password.

DELETE UMOJAAA USER ACCOUNT

There are few steps you can follow in order to delete your UMOJAAA User Account:

  1. Follow these steps:
    1. login in to my UmojaAA Account
    2. Click on user Profile Icon: Right top corner
    3. Click Profile
    4. Inside your Dashboard: Select Edit Profile
    5. scroll down, at the Bottom of the Profile, Click Delete Account.

That is easy as that, Our support Team is always here to help.

SELLING AT UmojaAA

Posting an Ad at UmojaAA

Posting is easy. Simply click on Sign In located at the top right of every UmojaAA page and follow the instructions below:

  •  Click the Post an ad button at the top of the page.
  • Then, create a title for your Ad, click the arrow icon and select a category and subcategories. We try to suggest a category, but if this doesn’t appear or present you with the desired category you can select a different one under Other Categories.

Posting at UmojaAA

Once you’ve selected a title and category, follow the steps below to create your Ad:

1 – Fill in all the required information on the Post an Ad page.

posting sep 1

2 – Add up to 10 pictures to help your Ad stand out.

3 – Add in your contact info. If you have included a username, phone number and location under your Profile Settings, these fields will already be filled in.
You can also include a link to your website in some categories for a fee.

4 – Select the type of Ad you’d like to post.

5 – When you’re finishing up you can purchase individual features for your Ad or click Post ad or Preview ad to see what it will look like when the Ad is activated.

Very Simple steps as that! and then You are done, wait for potential buyers to contact you. also you can keep an eye to interested candidates who palce bids on your Ad.

Images and resizing for my Ad

How can I include images – photos in my Ad?

  1. On the Post Ad or Edit Ad page you should see a a large box area with a title: ‘ Click the box below to ad photos’ acceptable size is up to only 800 kb.
  2. This box is just above ‘Ad Description’ box.
  3. Select a picture file or multiple at once from your computer’s hard disk and click “Open”. The picture will then be uploaded and attached to your Ad.

picture postingYou can add up to 10 pictures across all categories. Remember a picture is worth a thousand words, so including one or more with your Ad will increase your chance of getting twice the number of replies.
If you have problems uploading pictures, please try the following:

  • Reduce the size of the pictures to be less than 800 kb, for example dimension it works well when uploading images

How can I check if the picture size?

  1. Go to the folder where the image is stored
  2. Click view > details – it gives you information about image size and file type
    OR Right click the image -> properties

It may take a few minutes to upload the pictures so please be patient.

  1. Ensure the pictures are in GIF, JPEG or PNG format
  2. Make sure you’re using the latest version of your web browser

How to turn on Javascript / How to check if Javascript is turned on?

The settings are different depending on the browser. So please check your browser and the version and apply it correctly.

Internet Explorer

Internet explorer

  1. Go to Tools > Internet options
  2. Click “Security” tab
  3. Click “Custom level” button
  4. Scroll down in setting list until you find “Scripting” section
  5. Under the Active Scripting section, click “Enable”
  6. Click OK to close the window
  7. Close the IE browser and Reopen it

Firefox

Mozilla Firefox

  1. On a Windows PC, go to Tools> Options
  2. On a Macintosh, select from the right-hand top corner menu and click Preferences.
  3. Click “Content” tab
  4. Tick “Enable Javascript”
  5. OK to close the window
  6. Refresh the firefox

Safari

Internet explorer

  1. On a Macintosh, from the Safari menu, select Preferences.
    On a Windows PC, from the right-hand side top corner pull-down menu which looks like a gear, select Preferences.
  2. Click Security.
  3. In the Security dialog box, select the Enable Plug-Ins, Enable Java, and Enable JavaScript checkboxes. Make sure the Block pop-up windows checkbox is not selected.

Chrome

Chrome

  1. On a Windows PC, select Customize and control Google Chrome ( to the right of the address bar
  2. On a Macintosh, select from the right-hand top corner menu and click Preferences.
  3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu
  4. Click Show advanced settings…
  5. Select Content settings located under Privacy
  6. Select Allow all sites to run JavaScript

How can I reduce image size?

We’ve noticed that some users have issues uploading images and these were related to image size on slow connections or images are simply huge.

At UmojaAA we allow images of 800 kb in size. This is a size that works well when uploading images.

To check if the picture size is less than 800kb go to the folder where the image is stored

  • Click view > details – it gives you information about image size and file type
  • OR Right click the image -> properties

OR
do a google search for free tools like http://bulkresizephotos.com/ and this will allow you to resize your huge images simply by defining scale image % or by defining length of pixels
OR
if you’re using Internet Explorer you can use a program like “Paint” to resize your images.
You can resize images / photos using Paint
1.Go to “Start” Menu or “Windows Icon” on your desktop – located left hand side of your screen
2.In the “Search programs and files” field, type “Paint”, then Click the Paint button
3.This will Open Paint and when the program has opened
4.Click Paint/File menu located on the top left of the program and you’ll view options to save, open etc
5.Click “Open” and a dialog box will pop up, locate the folder where your image / picture you want to resize is and then click Open on the image you’ve selected. This will open the image in paint
6.On the Home tab of Paint, in the Image group, click Resize.
7.In the Resize and Skew dialog box, select the Maintain aspect ratio check box so that the resized picture will have the same aspect ratio as the original picture.
a.If the Maintain aspect ratio check box is selected, you only need to enter the horizontal value (width) or vertical value (height). The other box in the Resize area is updated automatically.
8.Do one of the following in the Resize area, and then click OK:
i.To resize your picture by a certain percentage, click Percentage, and then enter a percentage to reduce the width by in the Horizontal box or a percentage to reduce the height by in the Vertical box.
ii.To resize the picture so it’s a specific size, click Pixels, and then enter a new width in the Horizontal box or new height in the Vertical box. For example enter 800 in the horizontal filed and the vertical will automatically update – click OK
9.Click the Paint/File menu button, point to Save as, and then click the picture file type for the resized image.
10.Type a new file name in the File name box, and then click Save. (please save it to a folder you can easily find i.e. desktop)
11.With all your images resized now you can upload the images to your Ad

If that doesn’t help, you can contact us here.

How to edit, pause or delete an Ad?

To Edit your Ad:

  1. Sign in and click on your name displayed at the top of every UmojaAA page.
  2. From the drop down menu, select Dashboard Simply click MyA ds below the profile picture.
  3. Select which Ad you want to edit,
  4. Click on Edit icon
  5. Change the details you want to update and click Submit.

Please keep in mind that if your ad is featured (Top Ad, Homepage Gallery, etc) you won’t be able to change the category of your ad.

If you’re still having trouble let us know and we’d be happy to help.

To Delete your Ad:

  1. Sign in and click on your name displayed at the top of every UmojaAA page.
  2. From the drop down menu, select Dashboard Simply click MyA ds below the profile picture.
  3. Click on Delete
  4. a Small window will pop up to ask you to confirm your action.
  5. from pop up small window, click Yes to permanently Delete your Ad
  6. We will send a message to everyone that inquired about your ad to let them know your ad is no longer available.

Ad edit

How do I post an Ad in my location?

When posting your ad simply enter your Address, City, or Suburb in the Map Address field and your ad will be placed in the appropriate suburb. If there is no full address known, Just select in drop down menu your Town or city.

Your ad will be shown to other users who search at the State or Region level as well as those looking right in your suburb.

When you select the Town, it will automatically show on Google map.

The best way is to follow the posting steps from Begging to submission. And try full fill in as much details as possible to maximize a trade experience here at UmojaAA.

location selection

Why can't I post in more than one location and category?

UmojaAA recommends that all transactions take place face-to-face which means the majority of users who reply to your ad will be in your local area.

That being said, your Ad will show up continental in a search of “Africa”, as well as your local area. For example, if your location is: Africa> Tanzania> Dar Es Salam> Kinondoni then your Ad will appear in each of these area searches.

  • If your Ad is relevant to more than one category, please pick the most appropriate category.To provide for a better user experience our policies require users to only post one Ad per item, service, event, etc. Please choose the location and category that is most relevant to your Ad and post one Ad there. For more information on our general policies please click here

Will my email address, phone number, and street address be visible on my ad?

The email address you use to post your Ad will not be visible in your Ad or replies, unless you choose to type it in the body of your Ad or provide it to the person you’re sending a message to.

For more information on your email address remaining private in replies, please see our help page here.

It is completely optional to provide a phone number in your Ad. If you do not include a phone number, all messages will be received through UmojaAA ‘s messaging system.

Similarly, you do not need to enter your home address. We do require a general address so that your Ad will be placed in the correct area; but this could be as general as your state, city or town.

Please keep in mind that if you do type in your phone number and/or street address, these details will be publicly available on your Ad.

If you have more questions about how your personal details are used, please have a look through our privacy policy or contact our help desk.

Postage Offered

Sellers have the option to post or courier items to buyers. If a seller has chosen to offer postage, buyers will see Postage Offered: Yes when they open the ad.

Please note, UmojaAA itself does not offer postage, it is organized between the buyer and seller. UmojaAA and any payment option negotiated between the buyer and seller do not offer buyer or seller protection and as UmojaAA does not get involved in transactions, the onus is on the buyer and seller to complete a safe transaction.

If an item is listed without postage offered, a postal or courier option may be organized between a seller and buyer. Agreement should be mutual, and we recommend confirming all details such as; cost, packaging, pick up location and delivery address.

Increased care should be taken with high value items to ensure both sides are comfortable sending or receiving the item through a postal or shipping service. UmojaAA will not be responsible for items not received or for any items that do not meet the buyer’s expectations (including where they are not as described).

UmojaAA’s advice on postage and shipping items:

Sellers:

  • Do not post an item without receiving full payment first.
  • Keep the buyer informed: Provide the postage courier, timeline and delivery status of the item.
  • Obtain a tracking number to share with the buyer.

Buyers:

  • Make sure you understand the condition of the item. Ask the seller questions and request more photos if needed.
  • Use common sense. If something sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
  • Suggest a payment provider that offers purchase protection.

If your item didn’t arrive, or wasn’t as described, please report it to us so we can document the incident and take internal action to keep the site safe.

BUYING AT UmojaAA

How to search and filter results

How can I search for Ads in my Town, across Africa, or anything in between?

To find ads in your suburb, state, region, area or across Africa you simply enter the name of your location. For example to search Africa wide, simply enter “Africa” as your location in the “State, City or Suburb” search box and click “Search”, this will show you all ads in Africa from all categories.

Fllter search

To further narrow down your search you can select specific categories from the drop-down menu under “All Categories” and make it even more specific by entering your “region or area or suburb” and using the km radius function “+0” choose the distance you’re willing to travel to see the item.

Filter search

Filter Search

How can I narrow search results by using the refinement options?

By default, category and search results pages are sorted by date, with most recent ads showing at the top.

Categories that have a price option will also have a “Sort by:” drop down menu on the green bar located just above Top Ads. Here you can choose to sort the ads your viewing by “Most Recent,” “Cheapest” and “Most Expensive.”

If you would like to refine your search to be more relevant you can also use the refinement filters found on the right-hand side of the page.

The filter options differ depending upon the category you are viewing. For example, the options for Home & Garden category are:

  • Specific category
  • Places (Location)
  • Offer Type (Offering – ads that are selling an item OR Wanted – ads that want/looking for an item)
  • Price Type (Fixed price, Negotiable or Free ads)
  • Price (Minimum and Maximum you’re willing to pay)
  • Featured Ad (Ads that have been promoted to be more prominent)

You can simply click a combination of any of the above to achieve the desired refinement that allows you to find what you’re looking for.

How can I view search results in list and or gallery view?

After you’ve searched using the available categories using the search fields in the header, you’ll be taken to the results page and here be view option of “List’

By default all search results are in list view, however you can switch between both using the icons as above. The view that is active in your search results will be the one that is underlined.

How can I filter search results to a price range?

If you would like to only show UmojaAA listings that are above, below or between a certain price range, use the price range search options found in the box near the left-hand side of a category and search listings pages.

If you want to see all prices leave the fields blank.

How can I sort cars by year, mileage and even more?

The options listed below are currently available in Cars, Motorcycles, Scooters, Van & Ute, Caravan & Campervan and Other Automative. However, all other categories are ordered by default as “Most Recent”. Where a category requires a price there are three options: “Most Recent,” “Cheapest” and “Most Expensive.

The sort options vary depending on the category your looking at — simply go to the category you want to view and use the available “Sort by:” options available in the drop down menu.

For Cars available options are:

  • Most Recent
  • Cheapest
  • Mileage (Low to High)
  • Mileage (High to Low)
  • Year (Low to High)
  • Year (High to Low)

Motorcycles & Scooters:

  • Most Recent
  • Cheapest
  • CC (Low to High)
  • CC (High to Low)
  • Mileage (Low to High)
  • Mileage (High to Low)
  • Year (Low to High)
  • Year (High to Low)

Van & Ute:

  • Most Recent
  • Cheapest
  • Mileage (Low to High)
  • Mileage (High to Low)
  • Year (Low to High)
  • Year (High to Low)

Caravan & Campervan:

  • Most Recent
  • Cheapest
  • Mileage (Low to High)
  • Mileage (High to Low)
  • Year (Low to High)
  • Year (High to Low)

Buying A car Tips

How do I reply to an Ad?

When you open an ad you’ll see the option to send a message on the right side of the page. There is a default message in the message field that you can use, for example, ‘I’m interested. Is this still available? If so, when and where can I pick it up?’ The default message can be edited or deleted to customize your reply.

reply a message

  • You will be asked to sign in before you send your message. You can sign in or register by clicking the Sign in to message button. The option to register is displayed at the bottom of the page.
  • Once you’re signed in, you can write your message, and click Send Message to send it to the seller.

If you’d prefer to simply make an offer, please click Sign into make an offer. You can then enter the amount (Bid) you’d like to offer below ‘Ad descriptoion’ box and press send. This will send a message to the seller and they can send you a message back to accept the offer or make a counter offer.

Bidding

You can view and reply to messages directly on UmojaAA by clicking Your Username in top right hand-corner- Dashboard- the message icon at the top next to my Ads inside your Dashboard. Click on the message to open the conversation.

messages

 

How to Open an Ad in New Tab or Windown

When you’re browsing the categories and see several different Ads that you want to check out, it is much easier to open each of these in their own tab or window. Rather than clicking on an Ad and loading the information in the same page, and then having to go back a page to the search results page to find the next Ad, you can use the methods below to open Ads in their own tabs or windows.

There are two ways in which you can do this and they work in all of the commonly used web browsers;

  1. Right click on the TITLE of the AD with your mouse and select the “Open in New Tab or Window” option
  2. Hold the CTRL key on your keyboard and click on the title of the Ad. The Ad should then open in its own tab or window which you can select on your browser’s tool bar

We hope this helps make your browsing experience easier and faster!

computer browsing

Why can't I see the replier's email address in the response I received?

You would’ve noticed that when you receive a response to your posted Ad or an email from an advertiser, it comes from an email address that looks a little something like this:
“Seller.1a2b3c@users. UmojaAA.com”

This email is a representation of your email but a temporarily assigned UmojaAA email, that masks your real email address. This is applied to everyone exchanging emails in response to Ads on the site and allows us to work out a way to reduce the ever-annoying attempts by spammers to collect your private email address and contacts from fraudulent users.

This doesn’t really change the way you communicate with respondents  to your Ad or in response to the advertiser, you still simply receive replies to your email address and continue to communicate directly from your own mailbox by simply clicking “reply”, the way you’ve always done.

If you have any questions or suggestions on improving this article let us know.

email protection

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This is also available in: French Swahili

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