Each of us has visited a classified ads site at least once in their lifetime, attracted by inviting prices regarding second-hand products and certainly by asking the following questions:
Can I trust the seller? Will the goods have any defects? Is the product really the one in the picture? Wow very low price! Could it be a scam?
You know, in the web, as in life you have to follow some simple rules to avoid incurring unpleasant situations.
Today we are with Gianmario De Simone, CEO and founder of QIQI MART (network of classified ad sites ) and will help us to understand, in 5 simple steps, how to approach buying items on classified ad sites and avoid scams.

Tip Number 1
CHECK THE PRICE
In the event that we see an interesting product, first of all we must always evaluate the real market value of the product we are examining.
For example, if we see a smartphone that in the store has a current value of 500 at a price of 100, something does not square. The smartphone might be true, but it could generally present some technical problems.
Usually a second-hand product, in excellent condition (like new), has a value that is around 50% (maximum) less than the current market value. When the difference between the actual price and the proposed price is excessive, it is possible that you have stumbled upon a scam.

Tip Number 2
CHECK THE PHOTOS
The second advice we give is to always check the veracity of the images.
To do it’s easy, just drag the image on search images services of most common search engines (Google) and you’re done!
In the event that the photo has been cloned from other sites, the classified ad has a high chance of not being genuine.

Tip Number 3
IN THE SAME COUNTRY
Always make sure that the product you are interested in, is in your country and that the seller’s phone number is from your same nation. Avoid buying products from foreign sellers and goods outside your national borders, because in the case of fraud it will be more difficult (or impossible) to get a refund.

Tip Number 4
SAVE CONVERSATIONS
When you contact the seller, do it via email or especially via smartphone messaging services, in this way you will have a copy of the conversations that will be useful, to store information about the seller and the product.
In the event that the seller is a professional retailer, make sure that the company is present on search engines and that the phone number matches the one shown on the ad.

Tip Number 5
TRACKABLE PAYMENTS
Remember (if it is possible) to personally view the goods you are interested in. Don’t send money in advance but try to conclude the transactions only in first person and especially after having seen in your hands the product that you will have to buy.
In any case, remember that the best payment methods are those that can be traced! Choose only payment methods tracked (PayPal / Hype / Payment through the bank) and always avoid money transfers!
In conclusion, remember that observing these 5 rules, you will have no problem in buying second-hand items and visit professional classifieds sites such as QIQI MART ( www.qiqimart.org ), where there is a technical assistance ready to help you.

This article was written in collaboration with Gianmario De Simone, CEO and founder of QIQI MART, who, together with a team of young professionals, is committed to spreading a transparency policy to promote quality on the marketplace sites.
You can find the QIQI MART marketplaces, to this follow link:
www.qiqimart.org
www.qiqimart.com

Is social media poison for productivity? Are you addicted to Facebook and Instagram?

I had the pleasure of interviewing Quiane Crews the founder and CEO of LPG Technology, Inc. Just like many success stories you read about, Quiane dropped out of high school in 2015 to pursue his dreams. Quiane found his success in 2016 after partnering up with a friend drop-shipping on sites like Amazon and eBay where he grossed $1.2M. Mr. Crews partnered up with Shenzhen Communications Co. where they developed smartphones, laptops and wearable devices. In 2017 Quiane parted ways from Shenzhen Communications Co. and started developing technology for his new tech start up LPG.

Hey Quiane can you tell us a little about your background story?

Quiane: When I was younger I was always into shoes, fashion and technology. I started out doing Network marketing when I was about 17-18 years old. It taught me the basics of being an entrepreneur, being a leader and helped me learn how to build a successful team. At the time I was a senior in high school working at Blue Beacon Truck Wash washing semi-trucks.

After spring break in 2015 I decided to drop out of school not knowing 100% what my next move was going to be. June 11, 2015 I found out I was going to be having my first kid and I quit my job the same day. I got back into network marketing and direct marketing to sharpen my skills as a marketer. I found some success with it building one of the biggest movements called Live Free Retire Young with a group of friends. I later ventured into doing Drop-shipping on Amazon and eBay. Once I got the hang of it I built my own website drop-shipping varies of different products from a few sites. I collected my profits from that and started outsourcing to China to sample and develop different products for my tech company.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? What lesson did you learn from them?

Quiane: and foremost I am thankful for God because anything without him isn’t possible. I am grateful for my good friend/partner Leonard for always believing in me. He has helped me sharpen my skills as an entrepreneur and taught me how to be shark in my field of work. Through all the drama and backlash I was getting in the beginning he didn’t do what everyone else did and just leave. He stuck with me and showed me how to move smarter and more strategically.

What are two things you wish someone told you when you first started?

1. Hire slow and fire fast: In the beginning I didn’t care who I hired or who I brought on the team. I just wanted to build with people whether it was friends or family. I ended up growing an emotional attachment to those people to the point to where I knew they were bad for business but I allowed them to stay which made matters worse in the long run.
2. Things are not what they seem: Growing up I thought when people were rich and famous that they didn’t have to worry about certain things. I thought they lived a stress free life. Well, I thought wrong. Once I got a little taste of fame, popularity and some extra money in my pockets things were the complete opposite. I found myself more stress, insecure and struggling to find my happiness in life. Dealing with hate, trolls and people feeling entitled to the things I worked hard for kind of overwhelmed me a little. I had certain family and friends try to make me feel guilty of my success because I didn’t do certain things for them. Be careful for what you ask for because sometimes God will give you exactly what you wanted to show you exactly why you don’t need it.

 What advice do you have for anyone who wants to disrupt an industry?

Quiane: My best advice to anyone is to know what you want and go after it. The sky is not the limit so DON’T EVER limit yourself. I’m a 22 year old entrepreneur launching a new smartphone later this year. Dreams don’t work unless you do. As you know there’s no age limit to success and the amount of money you can make. Surround yourself with great people, network, TAKE RISK and HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE. Throughout my journey I learned that you got to focus on one thing until you are successful at it. Do what you love and love what you do.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company?

Quiane: January of 2018 I had reached out to the now Exec Chairman of sprint Marcelo Claure on Instagram to make some shoes for him. My goal was to make him some custom Sprint shoes to start building a relationship with him for a potential partnership I had in mind. I was really excited that he replied back to me the next day. I made the shoes for him and got them sent out. I reached out to Marcelo again in March to talk to him about my new smartphone and possibly distributing my phones through Sprint. He later sent me his email to send him the information about my company and smartphone. Since I was still in the early stages of development he declined. I wasn’t upset about it because I figured out why he said no and I knew that this was all apart of the process. That moment also showed me that I was on the right path for success, I was just missed a few steps

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @ThatBoyCrews

Twitter: @QuianeCrews