How LOCORA Works
Everything you need to know about buying, selling, listings, plans, messaging, Explore, and more — the same guide members use in their dashboard, available here before you join.
This is the same step-by-step guide members see in their dashboard — shared here so you can learn how LOCORA works before you sign up.
Getting started
LOCORA is a Vancouver Island local marketplace. Every member gets a free shop profile and can list items for sale, message buyers and sellers, and participate in island discovery features.
Creating your account
- Go to Register (or mobile register).
- Enter your legal name, email, password, and choose a shop name (this is what buyers see — you can use your business name or personal name).
- Select your community and enter your postal code. These help buyers find local sellers and determine search radius.
- Read and accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- After registration you are signed in and can open your dashboard immediately.
Signing in
- Use Sign in with your email and password.
- If email verification is enabled, you may be asked for a one-time code sent to your inbox (
/login-verify.php). - Forgot your password? Use Forgot password → check email → set a new password at Reset password.
Terms updates
If we publish updated terms, you will be redirected to Accept terms before you can use the dashboard again. Review the changes and accept to continue.
What you get for free
The FREE plan includes a limited number of active listings (see Billing & Plans for current limits), a public shop page, messaging, and access to buyer features. Paid plans increase listing slots, photo limits, and listing duration.
Your dashboard
The member dashboard (Dashboard home) is your control centre. The left sidebar links to every seller tool.
| Menu item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Overview: plan, balance, listing count, unread messages, rating, pending reviews, quick action buttons. |
| Instructions | This guide — also in your dashboard after you sign in. |
| Messages | Conversations with buyers/sellers plus LOCORA Support for account help. |
| My Listings | All your listings with status, views, edit/renew/sold/delete actions. |
| Favourites | Shops and items you saved (only active shops and live listings appear). |
| Connections Friends | Incoming friend requests, sent requests, and your Connections friends list. Badge shows pending requests. |
| Add Listing | Create a new item listing. |
| Etsy / eBay Import | Bulk import from CSV exports. |
| Add Event | Post a community event to Explore. |
| View Profile/Shop | Your public shop page as buyers see it. |
| Statistics | Shop traffic analytics and per-listing stats. |
| Billing & Plans | Upgrade plan, payment card, renewals, balance, featured ads. |
| Settings | Account email/password, mailing address, shop profile, avatar, banner, hide shop, hide account, or delete account. |
Hidden pages (linked from listings or elsewhere)
- Edit listing —
/dashboard/listing-edit.php?id= - Renew listing — when a listing expires or goes inactive
- Mark as sold — record a sale and optionally enable reviews
- Leave a review — after a platform-tracked sale
- Feature listing — paid boost for category visibility
- Per-listing stats — drill-down from My Listings
- Report listing / shop — submit moderation reports
- Connections Friends —
/dashboard/connections-friends.php - Directory suggest / claim — add or claim Vancouver Island directory entries
Shop & profile
Your shop is your public identity on LOCORA. Manage it under Settings.
Shop name & slug
Your shop name appears on listings, your shop page, and in search. The URL is /shop/your-slug. Choose a name buyers will recognize.
Avatar & banner
- Avatar — square profile image shown on your shop page and next to your name on listings.
- Banner — wide header image on your shop page. Recommended size: 1200×300 pixels (4:1 ratio).
- Upload both in Settings. You can remove and replace them at any time.
Bio, community & location
- Bio — short description of what you sell or your shop story (shown on your shop page).
- Community — your primary Vancouver Island community; shown on listings and shop.
- Postal code — used for local search radius (not shown publicly in full on all pages).
- Search radius — how far from your postal code your listings appear in local browse filters.
Mailing address
Required for paid plans and billing. Used for verification eligibility and tax/receipt purposes. Keep it current under Settings.
Verified local seller badge
Admins may grant a Verified local seller badge when you have a paid plan, a card on file, and a Vancouver Island mailing address. You cannot self-apply; focus on completing billing and address requirements. The badge appears on your shop, listings, and seller card.
Public shop page
Buyers visiting your shop URL (/shop/your-slug) see:
- Banner, avatar, shop name, rating, location, bio, listing count
- Category sidebar to filter items within your shop
- Shop search box
- Review breakdown and recent buyer reviews
- Message shop owner button (buyers must be signed in)
- Favourite shop button (heart)
Hide shop / profile
Under Settings → Privacy & account, you can Hide shop & listings without deleting your account:
- Your shop page returns “not available” to the public (you can still preview it when signed in).
- Active listings disappear from Browse, search, categories, and your public shop page.
- Listings remain in My Listings — edit, renew, or mark sold anytime.
- Choose Show shop & listings to become visible again instantly.
- Hiding your shop does not hide your Connections profile unless you use Hide account (below).
Creating & managing listings
Add a new listing
- Go to Add Listing.
- Choose listing type: Offer (selling) or Wanted (looking to buy).
- Select a category — fields may change by category (e.g. electronics attributes, property fields).
- Enter title, description, condition, and price (or mark as free / contact for price).
- Upload photos — limits depend on your plan (more on paid plans).
- Set listing location (community) if different from your shop default.
- Choose listing duration if your plan offers options.
- Submit. Active listings appear in Browse and on your shop page immediately.
Plan limits
If you reach your plan’s listing limit, you cannot add new listings until you upgrade, delete an active listing, or mark one sold. Listings over limit after a downgrade may show as over plan limit until resolved.
My Listings page
At My Listings each row shows status (active, inactive, sold, etc.), views, inquiries, and actions:
- Edit — change title, photos, price, description, category
- Feature — purchase a featured boost (category priority placement)
- Mark sold — close the listing; choose an on-platform buyer to enable reviews
- Renew — reactivate expired listings (free short renew or paid longer period)
- Delete — permanently remove the listing
- View stats — per-listing traffic details
- View live — open the public listing page
Listing photos
- First photo is the primary image in search and cards.
- Use clear, well-lit photos of the actual item.
- Drag or reorder if the form supports multiple images.
- Do not use watermarked stock photos for items you do not own.
Pricing & badges
- Set a dollar amount, mark free, or use “contact for price” where available.
- Wanted listings display a wanted badge.
- Some categories support provincial registration numbers or special fields (vehicles, etc.).
When listings expire
Listings have a maximum active duration based on your plan. Before expiry you may receive reminders. After expiry, renew from My Listings to restore visibility.
Marking as sold
- Open Mark sold from My Listings.
- If the buyer messaged you on LOCORA, select them from the conversation list — this creates a sale record and prompts both parties to leave reviews.
- If sold off-platform, choose off-platform sale — no review workflow.
- The listing status changes to sold and is removed from active browse.
Featured listings
Pay to feature an active listing for extra visibility in its category. Purchase from My Listings, the feature page, or the Featured section on Billing. Featured listings show a sparkle badge until the feature period ends.
Plans & billing
Manage everything at Billing & Plans.
Free vs paid plans
- FREE — limited active listings and photos; good for casual sellers.
- Paid LOCORA Listings plans — more slots, more photos, longer durations, and eligibility for verified seller status.
Compare plans on the billing page before upgrading.
Upgrading
- Choose a paid plan and billing period.
- Enter or confirm your mailing address.
- Add a payment card (processed securely — charges appear from MATVIO billing).
- Confirm purchase. Your new limits apply immediately.
Card on file & auto-renew
- Save your card for faster renewals and plan charges.
- Auto-renew keeps your paid plan active at period end.
- Schedule downgrade switches to a lower tier at the end of the current paid period without losing remaining time.
Account balance
If a charge fails or a credit applies, your dashboard shows an account balance. Pay any amount due from Billing before adding listings or renewing plans.
Billing history
View past plan charges and featured listing purchases on the billing page.
Featured listing ads
Separate from subscription plans — buy featured placement for individual listings. Pricing is shown on Billing and the feature listing flow.
Messages & support
Messaging buyers & sellers
- From a listing: click Message Seller (must be signed in).
- From a shop page: click Message shop owner.
- All conversations appear in Messages.
- Replies are threaded per conversation. Keep deals and meet-up details here for your own records.
LOCORA Support
On desktop Messages, open the LOCORA Support thread (or use ?support=1) for help with:
- Account access, billing disputes, plan questions
- Listing issues, reporting problems, general site help
Support is staffed by admins — allow time for a response. Unread support replies appear on your dashboard.
Mobile messaging
On mobile, member-to-member messages are at Messages. For support with billing or account issues, use desktop Messages or email locoracanada@gmail.com.
Payment disclaimer
LOCORA does not process payments between buyers and sellers. Arrange cash, e-transfer, or other payment directly at pickup. Never send money for shipping to unknown buyers claiming to overpay.
Reviews & reputation
How reviews work
When a seller marks a listing sold to an on-platform buyer, both parties can leave a review within the review window. Reviews cover:
- Payment experience
- Promptness
- Item accuracy
- Friendliness
- Value
- Optional written comment
Leaving a review
- Check your dashboard for Reviews pending alerts.
- Or open
/dashboard/review.php?sale_id=from the link provided. - Rate each criterion and submit. Reviews are tied to the transaction, not editable later by members.
Your shop rating
Aggregate ratings appear on your dashboard, shop page, and listing seller cards. More completed on-platform sales with positive reviews build trust with buyers.
Favourites
- On any shop page, click Favourite shop (heart).
- On any listing, click Favourite item or Favourite shop.
- Guests are prompted to sign in first.
- Manage saved items at Favourites — active shops and live listings only.
- Click the heart again to remove a favourite.
LOCORA Connections
Connections is a separate social feature for meeting people on Vancouver Island. It is not the same as marketplace messaging — Connections uses profiles, friend requests, and a friends list.
Getting started
- Sign in and open Connections (or the Connections tab in the mobile bottom nav).
- Create your Connections profile: display name, community, date of birth (18+ required), optional headline and about me.
- Accept the Connections safety notice. You must have a profile before you can view other members.
Adding friends
- On the Connections home page, browse Discover members and click Add friend.
- Or open a member’s profile at
/connections/profile.php?user=and send a request from there. - If they already sent you a request, clicking Add friend accepts it automatically.
- Cancel a sent request from Connections Friends in your dashboard.
Managing friend requests
Open Dashboard → Connections Friends (mobile: Connections Friends):
- Incoming requests — Accept or Decline
- Sent requests — Cancel pending requests you sent
- Your friends — View friends or Remove a friendship
The dashboard sidebar shows a badge count for pending incoming requests.
Connections profiles
- Your profile shows display name, community, age (18+), headline, about me, and your friends list.
- Only members with their own active Connections profile can view other profiles.
- Connections profiles respect account privacy — if you hide your full account (below), your Connections profile is hidden too.
- On another member's profile, use Report member to flag harassment, inappropriate content, fake profiles, or other concerns. You need your own Connections profile to report.
- Reports go to administrators. You'll receive confirmation in Admin Notices / Support messages.
Privacy, hide & delete account
All privacy controls live under Settings → Privacy & account (mobile: Profile/Shop Settings).
Hide shop & listings (temporary)
Use this when you want a break from selling but plan to return:
- Hides your public shop page and all active listings from Browse, search, and categories.
- You stay signed in. Listings remain in My Listings for editing.
- Click Show shop & listings to go public again.
- Does not hide your Connections profile.
Hide account (restore later)
Use this for a longer break without losing your data:
- Hides shop, listings, and your Connections profile.
- Your account, messages, billing history, saved cards, and listing data stay on file.
- Sign in anytime and choose Restore account to become visible again.
Delete account permanently
Permanent deletion removes your account and cannot be undone. Before deleting, consider Hide account if you might return.
What gets deleted
- Your member account (email, password, shop profile)
- All your listings and listing photos you uploaded
- Shop avatar and banner images
- Connections profile, friend links, and pending requests
- Saved payment cards on file (auto-renew is turned off first)
- Directory submissions tied to your account
- Import upload files in your import folder
Deletion steps
- Resolve any outstanding account balance at Billing & Plans — you cannot delete with a balance due.
- Open Settings → Privacy & account → Request deletion code.
- Enter your current password. We email a 6-digit confirmation code (valid 30 minutes).
- Enter the code and confirm. You are signed out and the account is permanently removed.
What may be retained
- Messages and reviews involving other members may be kept in anonymized form for platform integrity.
- Billing records required for accounting may be retained per legal and tax requirements even after card data is removed.
- System-synced listings (MLS/Aura or event sync) managed by admins are not member-owned and are not deleted with your account.
Admin deactivation vs member hide
If an admin deactivates your account for policy reasons, you cannot sign in until reactivated. Member-initiated hide/delete is separate and controlled by you in Settings.
Statistics & traffic
Statistics shows how buyers find your shop:
- Total and unique views over selectable periods
- Inquiry counts from messages
- Charts of traffic trends
- Per-listing breakdown — open from My Listings or statistics drill-down
Use stats to see which listings perform best and adjust titles, photos, or pricing.
Etsy / eBay import
Bulk import at Etsy / eBay Import.
- Export a listings CSV from Etsy or eBay (see on-page import instructions for export steps).
- Upload the CSV — the system previews new, updated, and unchanged rows.
- Confirm import. New rows create listings; matching external IDs update existing imported listings.
- Re-upload whenever you refresh your shop export to sync price and quantity changes.
Imports count against your plan listing limit. Skipped rows may exceed limits or fail validation — review the import summary.
Community events
Post local events at Add Event:
- Title, description, start/end date and time
- Community location
- Free admission / all-day flags where applicable
Approved events appear on Explore alongside places and island content. Some events may also sync from external feeds — those link to the organizer’s site.
Directory submissions
The Vancouver Island Directory indexes local business websites separately from marketplace listings. Read Listings vs Directory for the difference.
Suggest a website
- Go to Suggest a website.
- Enter the URL, business name, category, and community.
- Admins review and crawl the site before it goes live in the directory.
Claim a directory entry
- Find your business in Directory browse.
- Use Claim entry to verify ownership.
- Admins verify claims before you can manage the listing.
Licensed business placeholders
If your business appears from a license registry, use Business claim to connect your member account.
Buying on the marketplace
Finding items
- Browse — search, filters, categories, community, price
- Categories — browse by category tree
- Communities — listings by Vancouver Island community
- Shop pages — browse a single seller’s inventory with shop search and category sidebar
Listing detail page
Each listing shows photos, price, condition, category, description, map location, seller card (shop name, avatar, rating, verified badge), message button, favourite buttons, and report widget.
Special listing types
- MLS / Aura sync listings — real estate from synced feeds; contact agent via dedicated form, not member messaging.
- Synced community events — may link to external ticket pages.
Reporting listings & shops
Use the Report widget (bottom-left on shop and listing pages):
- Click Report to expand options.
- Choose Report this listing or Report this shop.
- Sign in if prompted.
- Select a reason and provide details.
- Submit — admins review reports and may suspend listings or shops.
You can also open report forms directly from dashboard links when shared. Duplicate reports for the same item may be disabled after submission.
Explore, communities & island content
Explore
Explore maps places, events, and categories across Vancouver Island. Filter by type, check in at places, earn badges, and favourite locations.
Place pages
Each place at /place.php?slug= may include photos, reviews, check-in button (once per day), and favourite place toggle.
Other discover pages
Games
The Games hub includes casual games such as Island Match 3 with leaderboard scores. Sign in to save scores. Mobile: Games.
Safety tips
Read the full Safety tips page. Key points:
- Meet in public, well-lit places; bring a friend when possible.
- Inspect items before paying; beware overpayment and shipping scams.
- Keep communication on LOCORA until you trust the other party.
- LOCORA never holds buyer payments — anyone claiming otherwise is scamming.
- Report suspicious listings via the report widget or contact locoracanada@gmail.com.
Mobile site & app
The mobile site (/mobile/) includes browse, shop pages, listing detail, messaging, account menu, and a subset of dashboard tools:
- Dashboard home, listings, add/edit listing, renew, mark sold, review, favourites, Connections Friends, profile settings
- Connections hub, profile creation, and friend management
- Hide shop, hide account, and delete account in Profile/Shop Settings → Privacy & account
- Billing, statistics, import, and some directory tools link to desktop URLs
Install as an app from Install app (PWA) for a home-screen shortcut.
Share this guide: How it works · Mobile version