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Worried about the many dangers of selling on the internet? A Melbourne-based company has created the perfect solution.
“I have three young children, so I’m especially wary of having people come to my home to collect things, says Anna, 36, a nurse from Brisbane. “I’m just not sure how safe it is to sell online these days.”
Anna is one of a growing number of Australians who are nervous about using internet-based buying and selling platforms because of safety concerns. And it’s not surprising. In January this year, a 29-year-old man in Adelaide handed over fake money in order to buy a scooter, driving off before the seller could stop him.
Before that, headlines were made when a Sydney woman had her phone “snatched” from her hands during a handover of an online sale at her home. It’s clear that with online transactions, any fears for our personal safety aren’t unfounded.
However, with the restrictions and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic still being felt, many Australians are beginning to rely on the second-hand goods trade to help with bill payments, debt reduction and household expenditure.
And, unsurprisingly, in a recent survey, over 40% of those questioned admitted that since the pandemic hit they were more likely to sell personal items online. Yet, with the rise in online fraud, stolen credit card details and in-person safety at collection time, many people are looking for an alternative to the usual “unregulated” platforms.
“My husband had his hours reduced last year,” says Anna, “and we’re still playing catch up with our finances. Any money we could make through selling things online would really help, but I don’t really know where to start.”
It was this consumer need that intrigued the two Australian founders of new marketplace app, Warrp – available to be downloaded on iPhones via the Australian App Store, with cross-platform versions for all other smartphone and web devices to be released at a later date. Conceived in the middle of the Melbourne lockdown – one of the most restrictive in the world – Warrp was created to change the way we buy and sell online.
Put simply, the easy-to-use app is an online marketplace, with a difference. Well, with three major differences, actually. And they all relate to the buyers’ and sellers’ safety.
The first is the fact that Warrp doesn’t store any financial details from either the buyer or seller – all payments are made using secure PayID.
Secondly, payments are held by Warrp until both the buyer and seller are completely satisfied, avoiding unsatisfied users and “dodgy” sales.
Finally, Warrp have created the first ever “Safe Meetup & Pickup” delivery method, offered through the Warrp Trusted Partner network of cafes, retailers and local businesses. No need to meet at your home, place of business or random park. All partner locations are secure and can be trusted.
But that’s not all. The founders of Warrp have also solved one of the biggest hassles of online selling – the setting and negotiation of the price. Through dynamic pricing that takes the stress out of determining an item’s price and haggling with buyers, Warrp provides a unique experience.
A process of user valuations and Warrp’s pricing algorithm creates a price-point for sellers to begin selling their products, known as a PriceWarrp, with an updated PriceWarrp for each product every 12 hours.
Warrp Co-Founder and CEO, Matthew Ng, said this was the first time a system like this had been used in an online marketplace environment.
“Warrp’s dynamic marketplace takes the time and worry out of trying to determine a price for your item, making it possible to create a listing in only 18 seconds,” Mr Ng said.
“The system determines a price based on what the market deems fair and equitable through aggregated valuations from buyers and experts on the platform.
Using Warrp, you can either send an offer or use the community/crowd valuations to find the right price. And if you’re a frequent user, the Loyalty Rewards Pass program is generous and appealing.
Warrp Co-Founder and CTO, Roman Granovskyi, said customer security was at the heart of its community-oriented delivery program.
“A lot of consumers don’t feel comfortable meeting strangers at their home address or by themselves to deliver or pick up items they’ve bought from online marketplaces,” said Mr Granovskyi.
“The Safe Meetup & Pickup delivery option provides users with pre-approved Trusted Partner locations to conduct their Warrp transactions, creating a relaxed, sociable and safe environment for everyone.”
Warrp users can also access the platform’s Loyalty Program with exclusive partner deals that can be redeemed at any Warrp Trusted Partner business anywhere.
Warrp is the game-changing platform that consumers have been crying out for. And with so many offerings and safety backstops, plus the growing interest in buying second-hand goods, this app is set to become a favourite on all of our phones.
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