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Aside from what you're asking, I'm also wondering how a traveler/courier would avoid a shakedown/arrest by local authorities for participating in what appears t

Aside from what you're asking, I'm also wondering how a traveler/courier would avoid a shakedown/arrest by local authorities for participating in what appears to be a pretty overt scheme to bypass normal importing processes and restrictions.

kwadwon 11y ago
The process of buying items in the US and carrying it back home to Ghana or Nigeria is one that is already pretty common. It is true that occasionally people are detained however. Any lost goods would most likely need to be replaced or money will be refunded to shoppers until we can work out a fair and sensible agreement with local authorities. This will be a pretty big issue for us to address.
- amazon_not 11y ago
  Detained. Do your couriers really know what they are getting themselves into? There is a non-zero chance of them seeing the inside of an African prison cell. "Do not accept parcels from strangers, make sure you pack your own bags and not to leave luggage unattended."
  - sithadmin 11y ago
    >Detained. Do your couriers really know what they are getting themselves into? I do, but that's mostly because I travel a fair amount, and have some indirect professional exposure to international trade compliance/regulations. That's also precisely why I would probably never participate in a scheme like this, especially when travelling to countries with flaky civil or human rights records (in this case, Nigeria in particular).
    - amazon_not 11y ago
      While not trying to give offense, this service can easily be seen as taking advantage of the desperate, uninformed and/or gullible. For your sake I hope you are very explicitly informing your couriers about the risks associated with carrying parcels for you and that you are seeking and getting informed consent. Any other case and you are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
      - denna91 11y ago
        Hey amazon_not, of course there are a number of kinks to be worked out re the security and legality of the shypmate service, and hopefully they can do so in a timely fashion. However, as a resident Nigerian I can attest to the dire need for such a service. On various occasions I have had to wait months on end until someone I am acquainted to, however loosely, is coming back from the states for me to buy items that I otherwise have no access to. From what I can tell, shypmate is looking to open up the american retail market to African consumers in a service that for many, is an answered prayer. Do they need to look more into the safety and legality of the platform? Of Course!! And I am sure they know this. But I am very happy they have gotten this service started. I'm sure they'll figure things out as they go.
        amazon_not 11y ago
        In this instance, a timely fashion means you sort out the security and legal issues before you start shipping. I don't care how much anybody wants or needs this service. If you mess this up you will completely fubar a person's life. You do NOT start a service like this by winging it. You start it by talking to lawyers, lots of lawyers, and government officials. You dot your i's and cross your t's and then when you have a complete handle on the issues you start executing. You'd have done better joining a law firm and not a startup accelerator.
      - kwadwon 11y ago
        No offense taking. You bring up very valid points and concerns and they are all things that we've considered and are working on. We have answers to some, and there are still a lot of questions we don't have clear cut answers to but the fastest way to have something safe and secure for people to use is for us to expose all the cracks and quickly fix it. We appreciate all your questions amazon_not. Please keep it coming.
        amazon_not 11y ago
        Now, I haven't even been trying to poke holes in your operation, but even with this cursory overview of your business, it's obvious to a mere layperson that your whole setup has enough holes to drive a truck full of C4 through. I urge you to stop and halt all operations, before somebody gets into trouble, has legal issues or get sued. Only when you are reasonably sure from a legal and regulatory perspective that there are to lingering or contentious issues should you proceed. Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. This is not one of them.
    - kwadwon 11y ago
      Yes, for the most part the travelers are people who go back and forth between Nigeria and US, and Ghana and US often and already practice this behavior, but now have an option to make extra money from it and potentially make it safer than the behavior they practice now.
      - amazon_not 11y ago
        For you the problem is that once you insert yourself into the process, you will have liabilities.
  - tcokoro 11y ago
    Travelers pack their bags themselves and fully inspect the items that they are placing in their luggage.
    - amazon_not 11y ago
      How do your customers feel about your couriers unboxing their iPads, activating them and taking a screwdriver to them to make sure they don't contain anything nasty? How is it even possible for your couriers to fully inspect the items if they come in your sealed package?

kwadwon 11y ago

The process of buying items in the US and carrying it back home to Ghana or Nigeria is one that is already pretty common. It is true that occasionally people are detained however. Any lost goods would most likely need to be replaced or money will be refunded to shoppers until we can work out a fair and sensible agreement with local authorities. This will be a pretty big issue for us to address.

amazon_not 11y ago
Detained. Do your couriers really know what they are getting themselves into? There is a non-zero chance of them seeing the inside of an African prison cell. "Do not accept parcels from strangers, make sure you pack your own bags and not to leave luggage unattended."
- sithadmin 11y ago
  >Detained. Do your couriers really know what they are getting themselves into? I do, but that's mostly because I travel a fair amount, and have some indirect professional exposure to international trade compliance/regulations. That's also precisely why I would probably never participate in a scheme like this, especially when travelling to countries with flaky civil or human rights records (in this case, Nigeria in particular).
  - amazon_not 11y ago
    While not trying to give offense, this service can easily be seen as taking advantage of the desperate, uninformed and/or gullible. For your sake I hope you are very explicitly informing your couriers about the risks associated with carrying parcels for you and that you are seeking and getting informed consent. Any other case and you are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
    - denna91 11y ago
      Hey amazon_not, of course there are a number of kinks to be worked out re the security and legality of the shypmate service, and hopefully they can do so in a timely fashion. However, as a resident Nigerian I can attest to the dire need for such a service. On various occasions I have had to wait months on end until someone I am acquainted to, however loosely, is coming back from the states for me to buy items that I otherwise have no access to. From what I can tell, shypmate is looking to open up the american retail market to African consumers in a service that for many, is an answered prayer. Do they need to look more into the safety and legality of the platform? Of Course!! And I am sure they know this. But I am very happy they have gotten this service started. I'm sure they'll figure things out as they go.
      - amazon_not 11y ago
        In this instance, a timely fashion means you sort out the security and legal issues before you start shipping. I don't care how much anybody wants or needs this service. If you mess this up you will completely fubar a person's life. You do NOT start a service like this by winging it. You start it by talking to lawyers, lots of lawyers, and government officials. You dot your i's and cross your t's and then when you have a complete handle on the issues you start executing. You'd have done better joining a law firm and not a startup accelerator.
    - kwadwon 11y ago
      No offense taking. You bring up very valid points and concerns and they are all things that we've considered and are working on. We have answers to some, and there are still a lot of questions we don't have clear cut answers to but the fastest way to have something safe and secure for people to use is for us to expose all the cracks and quickly fix it. We appreciate all your questions amazon_not. Please keep it coming.
      - amazon_not 11y ago
        Now, I haven't even been trying to poke holes in your operation, but even with this cursory overview of your business, it's obvious to a mere layperson that your whole setup has enough holes to drive a truck full of C4 through. I urge you to stop and halt all operations, before somebody gets into trouble, has legal issues or get sued. Only when you are reasonably sure from a legal and regulatory perspective that there are to lingering or contentious issues should you proceed. Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. This is not one of them.
  - kwadwon 11y ago
    Yes, for the most part the travelers are people who go back and forth between Nigeria and US, and Ghana and US often and already practice this behavior, but now have an option to make extra money from it and potentially make it safer than the behavior they practice now.
    - amazon_not 11y ago
      For you the problem is that once you insert yourself into the process, you will have liabilities.
- tcokoro 11y ago
  Travelers pack their bags themselves and fully inspect the items that they are placing in their luggage.
  - amazon_not 11y ago
    How do your customers feel about your couriers unboxing their iPads, activating them and taking a screwdriver to them to make sure they don't contain anything nasty? How is it even possible for your couriers to fully inspect the items if they come in your sealed package?