Erictric

Listia: The All-Items-Are-Free eBay Knockoff

Many of you in some state of desperation have surfed the ‘interwebs’ a time or two for free stuff, everyone has probably done it. But did you do it right?

Probably not. That’s probably because you were looking in all the wrong places.

If you’re still in said state of desperation, Listia may be for you. Listia is an eBay knockoff (we say this will all due respect) with the prime difference being that items listed are free.

While the site isn’t exactly fitted with the coolest items at the moment (I mean, come on, who’s going to give away a brand new iPhone?), this is a fantastic concept. Users are able to bid on free items using a point system. Your account is automatically funded with 100 points when you sign up, and users can purchase additional points at a rate of 50 for $5. That’s where the “Listia makes money” concept comes in, so it’s not really that free unless you manage to get something with the 100 points your earned for signing up.

Perhaps the nicest part of Listia is the option to contribute to charity. If the lister chooses to donate proceeds to a charity, the charity gets 60% of the amount paid in points by a user.

Of course, Listia is still growing, so it’d be unfair for me to form a concrete opinion, but it’s certainly looking good!

[ TechCrunch ]