My Testing Experience with Cars.ng: Ensuring a Seamless User Journey

Iyere Georgina — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:35:42 +0000

Testing Cars.ng: A QA Engineer's Experience

Introduction

As a QA engineer, I recently had the opportunity to test Cars.ng, a platform designed to make buying and selling cars in Nigeria easier. The experience provided valuable insights into the importance of thorough testing in ensuring a seamless user journey. My testing included functionality, usability, and performance evaluations. (For reference, you can visit the live site Cars.ng to experience its features firsthand.)

Understanding Cars.ng

Cars.ng is a marketplace that connects car buyers and sellers, offering a range of features such as vehicle listings and price comparisons. Given its role in the auto industry, the platform must remain fast, secure, and user-friendly.

Methodology

To thoroughly assess the website, I adopted the following methodology:

1. Test Planning & Scope Definition

I began by defining the scope of testing—covering both buyer and seller user flows. I prepared test cases that simulated real-life interactions, such as:

Searching for vehicles
Viewing detailed car pages
Attempting account logins

2. Functional Testing

I tested various features, including:

User Registration & Login – Ensuring users can create accounts, log in, and reset passwords without issues.
Car Listings – Checking that users can upload, edit, and search for vehicles smoothly.

3. Usability Testing

I observed how easily users could navigate the website and complete common tasks, including:

Assess the ease of navigation for buyers and sellers
Test the responsiveness of the website across different devices
Identify any UI/UX flaws that hinder the user experience.

4. Error Handling Verification

Special attention was given to scenarios where users encounter issues.

In one test, an unregistered user trying to log in using a Google account unexpectedly triggered an HTTP 500 error instead of a clear message. Screenshot

5. Bug Documentation

Every defect discovered was documented in detail in my bug report sheet. Bug Report Sheet

Screenshots were captured to illustrate key problems.
For example, see the Testing Screenshot showing the 404 error when clicking the "Car Prices in Nigeria" footer link. Screenshot.

Findings

Throughout the testing phase, several issues were observed:

🔗 Broken Links

The “Car Prices in Nigeria” footer link on the homepage returned a 404 error. Screenshot.
This misdirects users from essential pricing information and could impact their decision-making process.

⚠️ 500 Internal Server Error on Invalid Logins

When unregistered users attempted to log in, the system returned an HTTP 500 error instead of a friendly error message such as “Invalid Credentials.” Screenshot
This unhandled exception disrupts the user experience and risks exposing internal error details.

🚫 Error Handling in Login/Register Flow

Users are unable to log in/register using the Facebook option provided, as the link was not clickable. Screen Recording attached

🔑 Password Visibility Icon Missing

The password field does not display a visibility toggle icon, restricting users from viewing their entered passwords. Screenshot.

🖼️ Data Validation Issue

The system is not correctly validating uploaded images, allowing unrelated content. Screenshot.
Clicking on "Recently Added Cars" displayed random images unrelated to cars.

🔓 Logout Button Not Visible

The Logout Button is not visible on the Landing Page and Dashboard. Screenshot attached, Desktop View.
Users have no easy way to log out unless they manually clear cookies or close the browser.

📱 Profile/Dashboard Page Missing on Mobile

Users cannot access their Profile/Dashboard on mobile view. Screenshot.

Suggestions

Based on these findings, I recommend the following improvements:

Enforce Validation for Image Uploads
- Ensure only images of cars and specifications can be uploaded.
- Prevent random or unrelated images from appearing in the listings.
Implement a Password Visibility Toggle
- Improve UX by adding a visibility toggle icon in the password field.
Establish a Regression Testing Plan
- Ensure that new updates do not reintroduce previously fixed issues.
Make the Logout Button Always Visible
- Ensure the Logout button is present in the navigation bar or user profile menu.
Ensure Mobile Responsiveness
- Fix Profile/Dashboard page accessibility on mobile devices.
- Adjust CSS styles for smaller screens.
Fix Broken Links
- Update the "Car Prices in Nigeria" link to direct users to a functioning page with accurate pricing.
Improve Error Handling
- Provide generic error messages such as "Invalid credentials" for unregistered users during login attempts.
- This improves user experience and prevents exposure of sensitive server information.

Conclusion

Testing Cars.ng was a rewarding experience, highlighting the importance of rigorous QA testing in e-commerce and marketplace platforms.

The testing process revealed several critical issues that could affect user trust and engagement. By addressing:

✅ Broken links

✅ Improving error handling

✅ Optimizing performance

The website can significantly enhance its user experience.

For those interested in the detailed documentation of the testing process, please refer to:

📌 Bug Report Sheet attached.

I hope this blog post provides useful insights into my testing experience and underscores the importance of a thorough QA process in delivering a high-quality user experience.

DEV Community: Iyere Georgina