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Ask HN: Review my startup, ziptango.com

4 points by ziptango ↗ HN
Hello,

After several months of sleepless nights, today I am finally able to launch my startup in limited beta.

https://www.ziptango.com

facebook.com/ziptango

plus.google.com/+ziptango

Ziptango is a peer-to-peer marketplace for personal courier that connect travelers and service buyers to deliver items around the world. Travelers would earn money while traveling by carrying buyers' goods while service buyers would get their items faster, safer, and cheaper.

Ziptango is founded to improve shipping by eliminate borders in e-commerce industry. Ziptango intends to broaden e-commerce peer-to-peer seller market without significant investment in logistics. This can be achieved with sellers mailing their item to the travelers (usually local), travelers inspect goods are in as described condition, then the travelers carry the item to the service buyers destination.

Ziptango seeks to improve shipping time and further extend shipping location reach.

Currently the site is in limited beta (invite only).

If you want an invite, please email me at contact@ziptango.com

I appreciate all critiques and inputs to improve the site.

Thank you.

7 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 22.3 ms ] thread
minimaxir
The "invite only" growth hacking tactic (i.e. generating impression of exclusivity) only works if you have great demand. By limiting registration without the demand, you're making it too much effort for people to check your startup out.
ziptango
Thank you for your input. I am still contemplating about this. On one hand, I want to be able to limit spammers from signing up freely, but on the other hand, it's the reason you just mention.

I am still on the fence here. Once I opened up a fake page just to test out and within 24 hours, I got many spammers signing up for no reasons.

sueogrady
So you're like Shyp, but for international travel. Cool.

Have you heard of "Banged up Abroad"? How do you allow travellers to check the goods before they travel with them, and ensure that goods don't get damaged?

ziptango
Yes, I heard about it before.

I recommend that the travelers check the goods thoroughly before accepting the order. If the service buyers who want their goods ship do not allow their items to be inspected by the travelers, I recommend the travelers NOT to take the items with them as it is not worth the risk.

This is somewhat eliminate service buyers privacy, but from what I understand, most people who are using this service would buy items that are either cost too much in their local market or item availability is rare to none. Example, PS4 or Xbox One. iPhones, iPad, used laptops, bike parts, electronics, limited edition items, etc.

People who are using this service are also people in emerging markets with corrupted customs system (that delays items clearance or must bribe to get the item cleared), so with travelers carrying the items with them and declare as personal items, then it will make the shipping faster vs ship it traditional way (FedEx, DHL). Example can be seen for most electronics items like phones or laptops.

Everyone knows that in Asia especially, customs can be troublesome (i.e Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand). Items are always backlogged and if you are shipping to remote city, it will take weeks to ship the item. This would eliminate that delay as well, so people in remote city can get their item faster.

kohanz
Ziptango is not liable for depreciated item value, loss of items, stolen items, or broken items due to courier mishandling, nor are we responsible for replacing items carried by the users of Ziptango.

I understand that the rating/rep system may help to figure out which couriers are reliable, but this still feels very risky to me. What recourse would I have if the courier damages or just plain steals my PS4?

ziptango
Thank you for your comment. Yes, I recognize this shortcoming and currently we are implementing few ways to reduce this risk for the users that would be launched in few weeks time.

But in my opinion, if you are in Asia countries with corrupted customs, as of now, you are taking as much risk as shipping it via FedEx or DHL because either the item will get stuck in customs or you must pay at least double the money to get it out of customs.

we are going to change this in near future on how to minimize this risk.

ziptango
Ziptango have now open sign up registration for everyone.