Describe what you can show, measure or support, and make each statement only as broad as your evidence allows. Before publishing, ask: “If a buyer challenged this sentence, what would I show them?” A measurement can support a size claim; a relevant product record can support a material claim. If you have neither, replace the claim with a useful detail you can establish or leave it out.
You can still write an appealing listing. Swap “unbeatable quality” for the details that make the item worth considering: its dimensions, construction, included accessories and precisely described condition. Keep personal taste clearly subjective, and check claims about composition, origin, grade and performance before presenting them as facts.
Start with the promise each sentence makes
Read your draft from the buyer’s side. What would someone reasonably expect to receive after reading it?
“Solid wood”, “made in Kenya”, “unused” and “fits a 15-inch laptop” each make a different factual promise. A photograph might help show appearance, but it will not necessarily establish the material, manufacturing location, history or fit.
This matters in the Kenyan context. The supplied 2012 revised edition of the Trade Descriptions Act prohibits false trade descriptions and covers materially misleading descriptions, including attributes such as quantity, size, capacity, weight and number. Commercial communications can apply those descriptions.[1]
Use that as a practical editing prompt: review the whole impression your listing creates. A careful sentence buried at the bottom will do little to clarify an overconfident headline.
Separate observation, opinion and claims needing support
An observation is something you have directly established: “The package contains four cushion covers” or “The zip opened and closed during my check.” State the observation accurately and keep its limits visible.
An opinion expresses taste: “I like the simple shape for a small reading corner.” It can add warmth without pretending to be a measurable product advantage.
A claim needing further support reaches beyond what you can directly observe. “Pure cotton”, “imported from Italy” and “commercial grade” call for evidence relevant to that particular statement. Adding “I think” to a specific material or origin claim does not give the buyer a clearer basis for choosing. Resolve the uncertainty or describe the item another way.
Match the evidence to the exact claim
Build a small evidence folder for each product or identifiable batch. Keep the relevant photographs, measurements, labels, supplier records and your own dated checks together. The purpose is to make accurate writing easier and give you something useful to consult when a buyer asks a question.
Different statements need different support. Avoid treating one document as evidence for everything about an item.
Materials and composition
For a composition claim, look for records that identify the actual product and its stated material. Check whether the information concerns the whole item or only one part, such as the outer fabric rather than the lining.
If your information comes from a label, you can say so precisely: “The sewn-in label states 100% cotton.” That tells the buyer the basis of your description. If the label conflicts with other information, resolve the conflict before using a firm composition claim.
When you cannot establish the material, leave out the composition claim and describe what you can establish, such as colour, dimensions and visible construction.
Origin
Keep the supplier’s location separate from where the product was made. Buying an item from a business in Nairobi does not establish its manufacturing origin.
Before writing “made in Kenya”, look for information that specifically supports manufacture in Kenya for that product. If your record only identifies the supplier, keep your wording within that fact. You can also omit origin entirely when it adds little to the buyer’s decision.
Quality, grade and features
Replace broad quality language with the reason you find the item useful. Instead of “premium storage basket”, describe its measured size, handle design and included lid, where those details are accurate.
Treat grade labels with care. If you cannot explain what “Grade A” means and show why it applies to this item, use a direct condition description instead.
For features, distinguish a brief check from a broad performance promise. “Both brightness settings worked during a five-minute check” describes what you observed. It does not establish battery endurance or long-term reliability. Only include those wider claims when you have suitable support.
Turn an attractive draft into a checkable listing
Consider this hypothetical example. A seller drafts: “Luxury genuine leather handbag, imported, perfect condition, fits every laptop.”
Each phrase creates work. What supports the material? Does “imported” describe this particular bag? What does “perfect” mean? Which laptops have actually been checked?
Suppose the seller can establish only the bag’s dimensions, visible condition and the contents of the sale. A more useful version could read:
“Brown handbag measuring approximately 38 cm wide, 28 cm high and 10 cm deep at the base. One main zipped compartment and one internal pocket. Light rubbing on the lower corners, shown in the close-up photographs. Bag only; no shoulder strap included. Please compare your laptop’s dimensions with the opening and internal space before choosing.”
Those measurements and details are illustrative. For your own listing, replace them with checks of the actual item.
The revised description gives the buyer concrete reasons to consider the bag and concrete limits to assess. It also avoids using an external width measurement as a promise that a laptop will pass through the opening.
There is a tradeoff: precise wording may feel less dramatic than “luxury” or “perfect”. It gives you a stronger answer to “What exactly am I buying?” You can bring personality back through a clearly subjective styling suggestion or a friendly explanation of the layout.
Make photographs and messages support the same description
Choose photographs that help the buyer inspect the details you mention. Show the actual item where possible, include a close-up of relevant labels, and photograph any wear you describe. Keep captions consistent with the text.
Then review the places where you repeat the claim: the title, image text, description and replies to enquiries. If you remove “solid wood” from the description because you cannot support it, remove it from the image caption too.
Use buyer questions to improve the listing. If someone asks whether a pouch is waterproof and you have no suitable support, a useful reply is: “I have not established waterproof performance, so I would not recommend it for keeping valuables dry.” That answers the purchasing decision without inventing a capability.
The Competition Authority of Kenya describes fair and honest advertising, and protection against false or misleading claims, as consumer rights in online transactions. Give buyers enough clarity to choose on that basis.[2]
Carry that clarity through to delivery
Before accepting the order, confirm the exact item or variant, quantity, included accessories and any condition detail that matters. Keep the agreed description with the order so you can refer back to what you are packing.
Next, prepare the parcel and establish its actual details. A product’s display dimensions are not necessarily the dimensions of its packed box, so use the packed measurements when checking delivery.
Moveka Send lets you check currently available delivery options and prices using actual parcel details and selected locations. Availability and price depend on those inputs. Once the buyer knows what they are buying, this gives you a concrete next step towards agreeing how it will reach them.
Moveka is your best move for turning a clearly described sale into a practical delivery decision: use your packed parcel details and agreed locations to check the available options and price, then give your buyer a concrete delivery choice.
