OfferUp launches SafeTradeSpots.com in conjunction with AIM Group

Provides consumers with a resource to find designated locations for safer transactions

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Jul 12, 2018, 09:00 ET

SEATTLE, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace in the U.S. for local buying and selling, today launched a new public resource, SafeTradeSpots.com, the largest national database of police and sheriff's departments and other law enforcement agencies that have designated locations for in-person transactions.

SafeTradeSpots.com was created in conjunction with the AIM Group to encourage safer peer-to-peer buying and selling. The AIM Group is a business intelligence consultancy specializing in marketplaces and classified advertising worldwide.

SafeTradeSpots.com combines the locations currently available as Community MeetUp Spots in the OfferUp app and from the AIM Group's SafeTradeStations.com. The new site is the largest repository of safe-exchange locations in the U.S with more than 1,300 verified locations. OfferUp will continue to host and grow this database in its app and will manage and update the new site as law enforcement agencies join the program, as part of the companies' goal to educate individuals and law enforcement professionals how transacting at public, monitored locations can keep buyers and sellers safer.

"Building safety features into our app and programs in our communities to tackle the issue of trust in in-person transactions is paramount," said Nick Huzar, CEO and co-founder of OfferUp. "We've always been committed to being the most trusted marketplace, and that starts by encouraging people to use resources such as SafeTradeSpots to give anyone -- regardless if it's an OfferUp transaction or one that's facilitated elsewhere -- the peace of mind they want and deserve. Creating and championing trust is our priority, and we'll continue to raise the standard of trust, accountability, and transparency by introducing innovative features and partnerships. We also hope to inspire and ultimately join forces with other classified sites and marketplaces for the greater good."

"We developed SafeTradeStations.com more than three years ago to promote safety and security for individuals making in-person transactions," said Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of the AIM Group. "When we started, there were only a half a dozen participating police departments. Today, there are thousands because law enforcement agencies see the value and importance of designating safe-exchange locations. Our goal with SafeTradeSpots is to encourage safe, secure transactions to help protect users who use any classified or marketplace site or app."

OfferUp launched its Community MeetUp Spots program in the summer of 2017, designating public, well-lit, and surveilled locations for people to exchange items with confidence. Setting a new standard for the peer-to-peer commerce industry, the program is a partnership between OfferUp and local law enforcement agencies and select retailers nationwide.

To find a monitored safe-trade location, visit SafeTradeSpots.com, and for more info on OfferUp's Community MeetUp Spots, please visit their blog. Law enforcement agencies can request a free sign at https://offerup.com/meetupspots/ or email [email protected] to be added to the list of SafeTradeSpot locations.

About OfferUp
OfferUp is dedicated to building the simplest and most trustworthy way for people to buy and sell in their communities. As the largest and fastest growing mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S., the company offers iOS and Android apps that make selling an item as easy as snapping a picture from your mobile device. The privately held company is based in Bellevue, WA. and backed by top investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Warburg Pincus, GGV Capital, T Rowe Price and Coatue Management. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About the AIM Group
The AIM Group, formally the Advanced Interactive Media Group LLC, is the world's leading business intelligence provider in the digital marketplace / classified advertising industry. Its services include Classified Intelligence Report, known as "the bible of the classified advertising and marketplace industry." It operates AutosPlus and RecPlus, annual conferences focused on innovation at automotive and recruitment advertising companies, and jointly operates the Global Online Marketplaces Summit. Its consultants provide marketplace, media, technology and investment companies with strategic and tactical support and custom research on a global basis. Founded in 1998, it is based near Orlando, Fla. To learn more, see AIMGroup.com or call 407-788-2780.

Media Contact: Lisa Chan, [email protected]

SOURCE OfferUp