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!
That is actually a very good idea, it is something I have pondered myself so maybe that is why I think it is a good idea :)
Of course there are massive challenges associated with international commerce, which means probably only the big dogs (Amazon et al) can tackle this one.
If you just consider exotic foods, the safety issues alone is enough to scare the hell out of any regulator.
One way that this could work would be to perhaps build an Etsy-like network of individual expat/immigrant entrepreneurs who will basically setup shop via your site and be responsible for moving the products.
For instance I have friends who are immigrants and ship products from their home countries and sell them here in the states. So you could set up a service for these people to sell their goods to Americans.
Very good suggestions and thank you for the encouragement.
About your point 'set up a service for these people to sell their goods to Americans.' - Never thought about this. So you are saying that there be dedicated businesses selling to americans, and 'shipped by' people who are travelling? Have I understood your view correctly?
Yes, basically offload all logistic concerns to the entrepreneur and simply provide the online store service.
You would handle things like payment and verifying the identity of your buyers and sellers, but the actual procurement and shipment of goods would be handled by the seller/entrepreneur.
I have a friend who ships handmade handbags from Senegal and sells them in NYC in the summer. She's responsible for dealing with the production issues in Senegal (not fun) and the shipment to NYC.
Now your service would be to offer this person a popular online space to sell the bags to a broader audience.
*It looks like what you are thinking of is for the person doing the traveling to basically buy the stuff and bring it back or vice verse take it with them?...
"It looks like what you are thinking of is for the person doing the traveling to basically buy the stuff and bring it back or vice verse take it with them?"
Not a stupid idea, but I think this will be infeasible largely due to customs.
There are many things that an individual traveler simply cannot bring through customs. Many agricultural products, meats, cheeses, etc. I would guess there are also issues with collection of duty on tech products like iPhones especially if they are being transported for ultimate delivery to another party, and not just the personal property of the traveler.
This is an awesome idea. I live in the UK and often find products available in America that have exorbitant shipping fees or are impossible to buy over here. (e.g this TV http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-SE39UY04-39-Inch-Ultra/d...)
The current option is package forwarding companies. They usually charge a pretty high fee so they're not worth it. But this is definitely something I'd pay for, so long as it's priced well.
Thanks for the encouraging words. ok, maybe I should post a Ask HN to get feedback on this, so that I don't interrupt this discussion. However I do want to ask you if you believe that someone could be incentivized to bring a TV from America to UK? This is exactly what the idea is - but I always thought 'small easy to carry items' (not TVs). But interesting comment. Thank you.
I would guess the main problem with your idea is that unless you can find a way to cover customs logistics you are effectively encouraging people to break the law. How will you cover people needing to pay import duty and taxes on the goods they are bringing into the country?
Good point. What if it is restricted to items bought in duty-free shops? Eg a nice scotch bought in a duty-free for a friend. Is that still encouraging to break the law? [serious question]
For just about every reason that chaz (above comment) has given. The idea that strangers will bring stuff for you sounds a bit too fantastic. I am still working things out. Would love to hear your views.
I just made this page 2 hours ago, and took a break to see whats up on HN. As I was making this, I was thinking "This is a stupid idea" :)