Classifieds FAQ

To place an ad or respond to an ad via the CONTACT SELLER link you must REGISTER for a free account.

The only personal information we ask from you during registration is your e-mail address.  You create your own Username and Password.  (Your Username does show on your ads).  To avoid scam attempts we recommend that you DO NOT use your email address as your Username.

We don't spam our members or sell or lease our membership list. For convenience's sake, when you register for classifieds, you are also registered to use our online forums. This gives you a single login for Castanet, instead of two separate ones to remember. See our PRIVACY POLICY for more details.

Please note that once you have completed the registration form and clicked on SUBMIT, you will receive an account activation link via e-mail.  You MUST click on that link (or copy and paste to your web browser) before you attempt to log in for the first time.

If you do NOT receive the activation e-mail within a few minutes, please check your junk/spam folder and, if you still don't see it, check your spam settings.  The default setting for some Internet providers is to automatically delete junk mail before you are able to view it.

Log in to Classifieds:

Click on the BLUE (CLASSIFIEDS+) button on our main menu bar; that will take you to the Classifieds page. You will see a second row of blue buttons.  Click on the blue LOGIN button on the right. Enter your USERNAME or EMAIL ADDRESS and PASSWORD.  The password is case sensitive.  Click on the blue LOG IN button at the bottom.

You will see a message:  You were logged in successfully!   Click on OK.

Click on the blue Place Ad button.

Submit your Ad:

Select the CATEGORY FOR YOUR AD from the drop-down menu under the directional arrow.  Select sub-categories if applicable.  Click CONTINUE.

(Please note:  Marketplace type items must be placed in a specific, applicable category.  We do NOT accept ads with several miscellaneous items.)

WANTED ads or ISO ads may only be posted in the "Wanted" categories of each section.  They will NOT be accepted in the other specific categories.

Enter your ad information into the appropriate fields.

(FOR RETAIL ITEMS: TO AVOID SCAMMERS WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT YOU DO NOT LIST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR AD DESCRIPTION!) 

The Ad Headline and Ad Description are REQUIRED fields.  The search engine looks for keywords from these two areas.

AD TITLE: 

Your Classifieds Ad Title is limited to 25 characters. Please choose concise, descriptive words that will showcase your ad for our viewers. All other information can easily be included in your ad description.

This will help to improve the readability of the Classified ads and improve the ad appearance while keeping the system consistent and fair to all users.

**Please do NOT add text effects or emojis to your ad title or in your ad description.  These ads will be deleted by the moderator.

**Please note that you can only enter ONE specific price in the PRICE field and, our system will NOT accept any characters other than numbers. (ie. No commas or dollar signs).

**Collectors:  To be fair to our Auction and Liquidation clients, we no longer accept Wanted ads for collectible type items. Please refer to the Classifieds Store Price List for the store option for your postings.

AD DESCRIPTION: 

For retail type items we do not recommend posting your email address in the ad description as this is the simplest way for potential scammers to contact you.

DO NOT post words in your ad description that are not relative to the item being sold.  Doing so could result in your account being deactivated by our Moderators.

Item Location Information:

The City, Province and Country are REQUIRED fields.  This will allow viewers to search according to the location. Your ad must be posted in the City in which your item, property, job opportunity or business is located.  Duplicate ads will NOT be accepted.

Pictures for your Ad:

Click on green ADD FILES button.  You will be directed to YOUR computer`s file system. Find the desired picture from your files and double click on the image. The filename will now show in the Select Files box in your ad. Repeat  for additional pictures (maximum of six). Pictures must be in JPG or GIF format.

Click on the START UPLOAD button.  You will see 100% under Status with a green check mark when your images have successfully uploaded.

How do I Feature my ad?:

Feature:   Ad background color will show in yellow for better visibility and a red flag will be placed in the top right corner of your ad.  Your ad will be pinned to the top of the category based on the date your ad was posted.

Once your ad has been Featured you have the ability to "bump it to the top" at any time.  To do so, go to MY ADS, click on the GREEN arrow under the Relist column and then at the top of the page, click on the BLUE "bump" button.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Once you have paid to feature an ad, you have the ability to bump it to the top of the category as often as you like.  This action may only be executed manually by the user.  An auto relist function programmed by such means as an app or bot is strictly prohibited.  This type of activity is unfair to our users and viewers and may result in your account being suspended. 

Once your ad is uploaded your ad will appear in your list under MY ADS.  The ad will appear with a pink background to indicate that it is pending approval.  Your ad will NOT go on the site until it is approved. 

The seller and buyer assume all risks inherent in a transaction. If you have had difficulty with a buyer or seller, your recourse is to advise our Classifieds moderator  and seek redress through the courts.
 

CLASSIFIEDS RATES:  (Effective April 1, 2022)

Category                                   Flat Fee                       Feature Option

All Other Categories                    FREE                               $20.00

**All above fees are for 30 days and do not include taxes.

Payment Options:

You have the option to choose either "Pay with Credit Card" or "Pay with PayPal".  The Credit Card option is processed via Castanet using a merchant service company, Moneris.  If you are using the Castanet App, you only have the option to pay via PayPal.

PayPal is an alternate online payment system in which you can set up a PayPal account or use your Credit Card.

Both systems automatically send an email receipt once the payment has processed.  

Display order for paid options:

• Featured ads are displayed first in the category, in date order. You have the ability to "bump your ad to the top" anytime!"  Simply click on the green arrow under the RELIST column and then click on the bump button at the top of the page.
• Ads that are not featured may only be "bumped to the top" every 6 days.  These ads will go to the top of the non-featured listings.

NOTE:  Selecting the Feature option does NOT extend the actual ad duration!  They are two separate transactions. Selecting the Feature option also does NOT give your ad priority when using the search function.

For Real Estate ads, if you choose the Feature option, your ad will also show up under the Real Estate widget as an added bonus.  These ads are displayed on the right-hand side of the category and rotate approximately every 60 seconds.

Realtors, please note that in accordance with the Okanagan Real Estate Board, you are required to enter your name, company and MLS number on your real estate ads.

Open House ads are courtesy, no charge listings for the next upcoming weekend ONLY.  Ads posted beyond that will be cancelled by the moderator.

RENTAL PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN RENTED:

If your rental property/unit is rented prior to the ad expiration date, the ad must be CANCELLED.  Ad that are marked as or reported as "RENTED" will be removed by the moderator.  

**Please note:  If you select an incorrect category, or post an ad that does not comply with our policies, Castanet will NOT refund your fee.  As well, if you choose to delete a paid ad prior to the expiry date, we will not refund or honor the balance of the ad duration fee.

**Important Note:  Some credit card companies will verify your card prior to authorizing an online purchase amount.  A small amount  (eg. $1.13) may show as "Foreign Currency" and is simply a card verification prior to the transaction being authorized.  This charge will NOT be processed against your credit card card account.  This type of verification is common with online purchases including PayPal.

**Businesses are not allowed to advertise in our regular classifieds. For those we have a "stores" option. If interested please contact our classifieds staff at [email protected]

**Collectors:  To be fair to our Auction and Liquidation clients, we no longer accept Wanted ads for collectible type items. Please refer to the Classifieds Store Price List for the store option for your postings.

Ads are approved several times per day including holidays and weekends.  Ads are approved during working hours only (approximately 8 AM to 4 PM).  All new and edited ads must be approved before they are allowed on site.  Even though you may be making only minor edits to your ad, it will still be temporarily removed from the site until it is re-approved.

Ads stay on site for 30 days.  Three days prior to your ad expiring, you will receive an e-mail reminder.  You will have two options, one to RELIST your ad and the other to CANCEL your ad.  You just need to be logged in and simply click on the appropriate link.

If you would like to RELIST, CANCEL or DELETE your ad prior to the expiration date, please see further instructions in the list.

Anyone can view an ad, but you must have an account to respond to an ad where a phone number or e-mail address is not stated in the ad. Why do we do this? Our system protects the seller from getting on a spam list by using our system as a middleman to pass messages through. For the buyer's convenience, we advise all sellers to include their phone numbers in ads, but not everyone is comfortable with that advice.

To contact a seller:

Login with your USERNAME/EMAIL and PASSWORD. Go to the ad you are interested in.  Click on the ad to open it up completely.

Click on the blue EMAIL SELLER button under the CONTACT SELLER heading.  This is directly under the ad description.  Enter your message and SUBMIT.  An e-mail will be sent to the advertiser.

The seller's e-mail address is not displayed unless they choose to reply to the sender.

*** The EMAIL SELLER button is NOT displayed on your own ads if you are logged in.

Please note that we do NOT send messages to the seller on your behalf. 

• Login with your USERNAME/EMAIL and PASSWORD.
• Click on the MY ADS tab at the top of the page.
• You will see your ads listed by All Ads, Active Ads, Inactive Ads.  Choose your desired option.
•  

EDIT: Under the EDIT column, click the "pencil"  to make any changes. Click SUBMIT at the bottom when complete. 

Please note that once an ad is approved you cannot change the ad category.  To do so you will need to email [email protected] for assistance.  Original ads that are edited to accommodate an entirely different category will NOT be moved by our moderators.  In such a case you will need to post a new ad.

When adding pictures to your existing ad, you will see (6) BROWSE buttons.  Simply click on the first browse button (this will be your main and thumbnail picture).  You will be directed to your computer files.  Locate your picture file and simply double left-click on the jpg image.  This will upload the file name to your ad.  Repeat for each Browse button.

To change the order of your uploaded photos, simply click and hold the directional arrow to the left of each picture.  You can then move it to whichever order you prefer.

RELIST: ​Free ads can only be updated 7 days after posting.  Ads that have been paid for may be relisted whenever you choose.  If your ad is available for relisting you can relist by using the green arrow under the RELIST column, or if you have clicked on the edit option, you will see SUBMIT CHANGES + RELIST at the bottom of your ad. Your ad will automatically go back on the site, bypassing the approval queue and renewing the list date.

CANCEL: To cancel an ad, click the box on the left-hand side in your ad list. Then click on the CANCEL SELECTED button at the bottom of your list.  Your ad will remain in your MY ADS listing but will no longer be visible on the site.

If there is time remaining on the initial post you do have the option to UNCANCEL your ad.  The ad will go back on site for the remainder of the ad duration.

Please note that after 90 days, cancelled ads will be purged from our site. These ads are NOT retrievable.

DELETE: To delete an ad forever, such that it never shows up in your MY ADS listing, click the box on the left-hand side in your ad list. Then click on the DELETE SELECTED button at the bottom of your list.  

Please note that once the ad has been deleted, it is not recoverable by Castanet.

The WATCH-LIST is a feature that allows you to easily return to ads that you are interested in. Think of it like a bookmark for classifieds.
 

Say you were shopping for a car. You searched through 50 cars, and found five you were interested in. When you were on each of your five favorites you would click the ADD TO WATCH-LIST ​button under the ad Details section.
 

When an item on your watch-list drops in price, you will receive an email and a notification in your inbox of the price drop.
 

At any time you can view your watch-list by clicking the blue WATCH-LIST button. Watch-list makes it easier to compare items and find them again in the future.
 

Simply click on the REMOVE FROM WATCH LIST button on a listing if you no longer want to track an ad.
 

If an ad on your watch-list is no longer available the item will automatically be removed from your list.

Ad alerts enable you to receive notifications when a new ad is posted that matches your search term. You can create a new ad alert by clicking on the CREATE AD ALERT button on the Classified search results page. 
 

When creating a new ad alert, you must enter a search term that is at least 3 letters long. You can also select categories that you would like to search within, or search within all the Classifieds. 
 

When a new ad (or ads) is posted that matches your search term, you will receive an email with links to the new ads. You will also receive a notification through the Classified Messaging system.
 

You are able to deactivate, reactivate and delete your alerts at any time through the Ad Alerts page, by selecting items and clicking the appropriate button.

You can manage your ad alerts via the WATCH LIST button. 

Once you have posted an ad and it has been approved, you can still Feature it.  (The Feature option gives your ad precedence in the category and you have the ability to "bump" your ad to the top whenever you choose during the 30 day duration).

To Feature your ad, go to the Classifieds page and log in.  Click on the blue MY ADS button.  On the face of the ad under the Exp. column you will see a blue button "Add Featured Option".  Click on that and under the Feature your Ad button select 30 days.  Click on Add Visibility Options and proceed to the payment option of your choice.

To "bump" your ad once it is Featured, simply to to the MY ADS button and under the Relist column you will see a green arrow.  Click on that and at the top of the next page click on the button that says "Bump my ad to the top".

Once you are logged in and click on SUBMIT AD,  make the following category selections:

• GARAGE-FREE-AUCTIONS
• Free Items or Free Items Wanted

The Garage Sales page can be found in the Classifieds under the Garage-Free-Auctions category.

Click on the link.  Click on the RED "Post your Garage Sale here" button. 

Enter the information including date, time and address.  To see your Garage Sale listed on the right you may have to expand or minimize the map to the left.

You will be sent an approval email with the link to your garage sale ad.  Please be sure to keep this email in case you need to edit or remove your ad.

**Please note:  This page is NOT for posting miscellaneous items or ongoing sales with a telephone number.  Those type of posts will be removed by our moderator.

To post Lost & Found Items and Pets:

• Click on the SUBMIT AD button
• Log in (if not already logged in)
• Choose SERVICES
• Choose the correct Lost and Found category
• Complete your ad details.

To change your e-mail address or password, log in to Classifieds and go to the blue MY PROFILE button.  Click on EDIT ACCOUNT SETTINGS, make your changes and click on UPDATE ACCOUNT SETTINGS button.

To change your account USERNAME please contact our Classifieds Moderator.

There is a full list of instructions in our HELP guide on the Classifieds page (blue HELP button).

If you have a question not answered in this Help Guide, please e-mail us at [email protected].

We will get back to you as soon as possible. E-mails sent to any other @castanet.net address regarding classified issues will not be forwarded or returned.

Within a few minutes of posting a paid ad you will receive an email receipt.  Please check your receipt for the Message response.  If it says "ND" or "Not Authorized" that means that your credit card was not accepted.

If you did not receive an email receipt at all then the payment did not process and you will need to relist your ad and try the payment again. (Please be sure to check your junk and spam folders for receipts).

If you are using the Pay With Credit Card button, you are only permitted to use Visa or MasterCard.  

1. Click on blue (CLASSIFIEDS+) button on our homepage.

2. Click on the blue LOGIN button on the right.

3. Click on the Forgot Password link.

Enter your Email address. The new password will be e-mailed to you.

You MUST click on the password activation link in the e-mail prior to logging in.

If it appears that you have logged in, but you keep getting sent back to the "unlogged in" Classifieds page, there is a strong possibility that your browser has been set to not accept cookies.

Our classifieds system needs cookies turned on in order to work. (Don't worry, we don't track personal information or sell data used by cookies.) To turn cookies back on in Internet Explorer, click TOOLS, then INTERNET OPTIONS. Click the PRIVACY tab. Move the slider to the MEDIUM HIGH or lower position. Sometimes cookies are blocked by third party security software such as Norton.

If that doesn't work, please click the DELETE MY COOKIES link on the login page and try again.

We typically receive this question from users who have just submitted their first ad, expecting it to show up immediately on the site. All new ads must be a approved by the Classifieds Moderator before it shows on site. Chances are, the ad has not yet been approved. Ads are approved throughout the day from 8AM to 10PM.

Also note, depending on the category, the number of ads may be substantial. Many users choose to Feature their ad which pins it to the top of a category. These Featured ads will appear first in the category followed by all other ads.

In order to use Castanet Classifieds you must verify your e-mail address with us when you register. After your registration, you should receive an e-mail from us within minutes. The e-mail will have a link that you must click on to activate your account. If you didn't receive this e-mail, contact our Classifieds Moderator and we will manually activate your account. Please include your account username so we can quickly access your account.

If you are using a webmail e-mail address service like Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail, we strongly advise you to add "@castanet.net" to your service's spam filter whitelist before you sign-up. Otherwise, e-mail from potential buyers could be blocked and you may not receive our verification e-mail to activate your account. Users of ISP accounts or corporate accounts like shaw.ca and telus.net are not affected by this.

You may upload up to six images with your ad. Photos must be in a JPG, GIF, or PNG format. No other photo file type will work.

Our photo uploader requires Adobe Flash.  You may need to download the most recent version of Adobe Flash by visiting that website.

If you have repeated trouble with a photo, try renaming the picture's filename before uploading. If the problem still persists, try uploading one picture at a time in the EDIT AD screen.