When you hear “OfferUp,” what’s the first thought that pops into your head? Awesome deals on cars, furniture, clothes, decor and other treasures in your area? An easy way to clean house and make money at the same time? Absolutely. But OfferUp wants to be known for something more. Our daily focus boils down to one little word with a whole lot of power:
Trust.
We’ve been working on ways to help our buyers and sellers build trust with each other — and we know first-hand that trust isn’t just given, it has to be continuously, determinedly earned. OfferUp’s Sarah Parker, Senior Manager with Safety Operations, says it best: “Any good company will care about trust — building trust with their customers and their users and building trust within the experience.”
We’re excited about building the go-to marketplace for sellers, for buyers, for seekers of unique and treasured finds, but more than anything, we want to help our community members make better, safer connections with each other both online and offline. Our Community Meetup Spots are critical to that mission.
The OfferUp Community Meetup Spots program is a partnership between OfferUp, local law enforcement agencies nationwide, and participating Ralph’s locations. The Community MeetUp Spot signs designate well-lit, public, surveilled locations for buyers and sellers to complete their transactions. “If we can support law enforcement agencies who are already working on helping their community by providing these safer locations for people to meet, that makes the overall experience of buying and selling locally on OfferUp that much better,” says Natalie Angelillo, VP of Community at OfferUp.
These Community MeetUp Spot locations can be found right in the app (learn how), and buyers and sellers can coordinate meetup time, date and place all through the scheduling feature in chat.
“I think at the end of the day, we’re really empowering people to live their best lives locally,” says Angelillo, “and by working together as a coalition to make our neighborhoods and our communities safer and more trusted, that empowers everyone involved. I think as a company that’s what we’re passionate about and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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 www.offerup.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/offerup and www.facebook.com/offerup.