OfferUp is an online trading app that was initially launched in 2011 and is a direct competitor to eBay and Craigslist.
History
OfferUp was founded by Nick Huzar; Arean Van Veelen and has 218 employees. In 2015 the app was named one of the hottest start-ups by Forbes magazine, and currently claims to have over 33 million subscribers online.
While the company is large and has broken the top 50 most downloaded apps, it is not a household name like its competitors e-bay and Craigslist. The company has not reached global awareness levels that make it synonymous with online trading, yet it has managed to raise over $221 million in 6 years and is now rated at around $1 billion, making it a very large contender in the online trading scene.
The App
So what’s OfferUp all about?
Well, it’s a simple system that you sign-up to, using only your name, email address and you’re in. You can change your settings to include a link to your Facebook page. The app aims to connect people selling products to people buying products in person. A peer to peer marketplace for real-life transactions, so when you go into the app, you get a search section that focuses on your search location. You then decide to add what you want to find and presto you get a list of all the items being offered within the location you set. You can also set the mile radius from the location, so you can either walk to the trade or drive there.
Since some people are wary of live trades, safe locations are also offered including outside police stations and such. These safe locations enable trades to be performed without either side feeling insecure.
The filters are simple, with only three: Price, Location, and Category. If you feel like buying something and don’t know what, just place your price limit and let the site give you everything within that limit.
Once you have found a product or product, you can either make a bid, ask a question, or save it to your favorites. You can also click on the person selling the item, and the site will jump to their page, showing you all the items that the individual is offering online.
There are icons under the seller’s name that gives you a confidence level of that person’s integrity, and they include reply rate, Facebook confirmed, and e-mail confirmed. You can also follow any individual on the site. If you click on the number of followers, the site will pop up a list of the followers, so you can weave around the network looking at different buyers and sellers. (Creepy)
The platform is free; it works on iOS, Android, and PCs. Sellers only need to upload their products photo and prices; the rest is handled by the site. Since this is a mobile app more than a desktop one, you can phot anything with your smartphone, upload it to the site, and presto, your product is online and ready to sell.
Trading and Paying
There are two methods to trade, in cash in person, or pay upfront online through the app payment platform. Before you buy or sell, you get to enjoy bidding, where interested buyers can offer prices for the product, once you have reached a price you want to sell, you contact the bidder and close the deal.
For a small fee you can bump up your item, so it appears at the head of the list since some lists have thousands of items to choose from, you might consider this feature if the product is worth bumping up.
More on Security
Due to concerns by women, OfferUp initiated collaboration with over 800 police departments and over 450 community centers for arranging public meet places. These spots are located with a donated placard that shows prospective traders where the spot is located, and it is always covered by CCTV security.
The PC Environment
The computer-based site that supports the mobile app is also well designed with an easy GUI. The combination of PC at home and mobile while out, makes this app an exceptionally easy to use platform and is why this company is so successful.
Conclusions
If you are interested in trading in goods on a personal level, such as buying online in bulk and selling individually, Offer is a perfect platform. This app is used by anyone that wants to buy and sell used goods, artisans seeking local markets online, and wholesalers seeking ways to trade out bulk items individually.
Download the OfferUp app: App Store or Google Play
