Local Buy and Sell App, VarageSale, Helps Avoid Stranger Danger

"Buying and selling online can be intimidating for a lot of people, especially women," says Angus Tucker, Executive Creative Director at john st., the agency behind the campaign. "That whole 'having some total stranger come to your house to buy your stuff' thing is a real pain point."

In a survey of 1,000 Americans conducted by VarageSale, 51% of respondents reported discomfort with using a local buy and sell site because they feel unsafe meeting anonymous buyers and sellers in person.

Tami Zuckerman, Co-Founder of VarageSale, had the exact same pain point. Zuckerman initially felt creeped out shopping on other local buy and sell sites because she never knew who she was dealing with. She felt there had to be a better way to buy and sell, so she and her husband built VarageSale based on members using their real identity so that families could have a better and safer buy/sell experience.

The app uses Facebook-verified profiles to ensure members use a real name and photo, along with a personal bio and reviews (called Praises) from other members. VarageSale also relies on a dedicated group of people, called admins, who vet members and moderate their local buy/sell communities to ensure a friendly experience.

"VarageSale is the only buy/sell app made up of private local communities, creating a trusted shopping experience," says Zuckerman. "Our members tell us VarageSale makes them feel comfortable doing transactions on and offline because we've removed anonymity--they know who they're dealing with."

Survey results show that Zuckerman and VarageSale members aren't alone in their feelings. A whopping 90% of respondents said seeing someone's full name and a profile photo would make them more comfortable buying and selling online. 73% of respondents said they'd be more comfortable if able to read members reviews.

VarageSale's member base is 85% females who are buying and selling items for their family such as clothing, accessories, baby gear and home decor. The app has local buy/sell communities across US and Canada.

About VarageSale
Designed by a mom, VarageSale is the family-friendly app to buy and sell used items locally. Founded in 2012, it has millions of members in local communities across the United States, Canada and beyond. VarageSale is free to use at varagesale.com and on the mobile app, which is available on iOS, Android and Kindle devices. The company is based in Toronto and funded by investors including Sequoia Capital and LightSpeed Venture.

About john st.  
john st. was launched in 2001 by partners Arthur Fleischmann, Angus Tucker, Stephen Jurisic, Emily Bain and Jane Tucker. A fully integrated agency, john st. offers advertising, strategy, design, digital and social marketing to a roster of clients in consumer goods, beverage alcohol, retail, automotive, financial services and pharmaceuticals.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_gWDtheHAk 

SOURCE VarageSale