Upvote for trying something. I do think there are serious trust issues, though.
As the seller/traveller, I don't want to get screwed in terms of time and money. It's a hassle to around my city to pick up an item, and then to pack it, haul it through two different airports, get it through customs, and then to have to meet the traveller during my busy schedule (and who really wants to do this during their vacation?). It better be worth my while, and I'd like the money upfront so I don't have to take this thing back with me in case the buyer flakes.
As the buyer, I don't want to get screwed by the traveller. I'm sending them the money, and they may never show up.
I would consider trying to find a niche of small, portable products that don't present any customs/duty problems, and then try to scale up from there. Trust platforms like Facebook, PayPal, or escrow may help mitigate in some cases, but not all.
I would actually consider focusing on the very low end. For example, what if it was just a $5 candy exchange. It's actually a meet-new-people-platform, with candy as an excuse for traveller to meet locals.
Great points! You perfectly summed up all top-of-mind issues with this idea. All of this was running through my head as I was cobbling together this shoddy landing page.
(Btw, I just posted the question on Ask HN, is it ok if I reply there? - I thought the idea was so strikingly stupid that no one would care)
Anyway, I have some thoughts about the problems you laid out. I will post a reply on the ask HN thread - and would love to get your thoughts!
As the seller/traveller, I don't want to get screwed in terms of time and money. It's a hassle to around my city to pick up an item, and then to pack it, haul it through two different airports, get it through customs, and then to have to meet the traveller during my busy schedule (and who really wants to do this during their vacation?). It better be worth my while, and I'd like the money upfront so I don't have to take this thing back with me in case the buyer flakes.
As the buyer, I don't want to get screwed by the traveller. I'm sending them the money, and they may never show up.
I would consider trying to find a niche of small, portable products that don't present any customs/duty problems, and then try to scale up from there. Trust platforms like Facebook, PayPal, or escrow may help mitigate in some cases, but not all.
I would actually consider focusing on the very low end. For example, what if it was just a $5 candy exchange. It's actually a meet-new-people-platform, with candy as an excuse for traveller to meet locals.