6 ms·

Why hasn't AirBnB, CouchSurfing, or similar companies started disrupting the global shipping business yet by using their users as shippers. They don't even prov

by cpcat 10y ago

Why hasn't AirBnB, CouchSurfing, or similar companies started disrupting the global shipping business yet by using their users as shippers. They don't even provide an API for building such apps. It's a huge opportunity i think.

myroon5 10y ago
Not one of these companies mentioned, but a company called Roadie is trying this idea.
- cpcat 10y ago
  Roadie still has to build the network, and it doesn't seem to be cross-continent. I'm talking about international shipping. It makes more sense for those companies because they already have a huge network.
patio11 10y ago
What type of package is small enough to fit in someone's luggage, light enough to not cost extra baggage allowance, tolerates non-delivery well enough to lose 10% of shipments to flaking non-professional couriers, and is not well-served by UPS, FedEx, or airmail, and cannot be transported at rock-bottom costs with mild latency via a shipping container? I have an answer to this question: illegal drugs. I don't have a second answer to this question. This makes me think that you'd have difficulty finding 1,000 of legal packages to run through a proof of concept, to say nothing of scaling to the millions you need to have a viable logistics business.
- cpcat 10y ago
  How about legal drugs, Pharmaceutical products, etc. I do not know a single person who doesn't ship items with friends. It's not a new idea i'm proposing, but a way for non friends to make money, and for it to be more often. When Uber first came out i thought it won't work because of all the kidnappings and robberies that would happen. I wonder if you have the same skepticism about travellers becoming carriers. Edit: not disagreeing, it's a totally valid reason.
  - argonaut 10y ago
    My guess is that's cheaper to ship via containers (over sea).
    - irq11 10y ago
      also, legal drugs that are transported in strangers' luggage quickly become illegal drugs.
      - afandian 10y ago
        Legal? Illegal? You'll never create a disruptive startup with that attitude!
  - stdbrouw 10y ago
    But now you've gone from "huge opportunity" to "maybe something that can be used for some pharmaceutical products".
  - lmm 10y ago
    > I do not know a single person who doesn't ship items with friends. Huh? Where/in what culture is that? I don't think I know anyone who does ship items with friends with any kind of frequency. I think I've shipped an item with a friend once in my life (a figurine that I could only find on sale in the US), and there are proxy buyer services that cover that use case in a much easier (and safer for them) way.
    - napoleond 10y ago
      Counter-anecdote: I live in Canada, and it is not at all uncommon to ask friends who are visiting the U.S. to pick up items on their behalf (either alcohol and tobacco, which are often significantly cheaper at the border's duty-free stores, or e-commerce purchases that would not ship into Canada--there are several places close to the border that will receive and hang onto such packages for a fee). Maybe that doesn't count as "shipping an item with a friend" but it's quite similar.
- MichaelBurge 10y ago
  You could mitigate the non-delivery risk by making the courier post a security deposit.
- nodesocket 10y ago
  To be fair there are lots of small items that have great value. Jewelry, watches, etc. Though your points about economics are still valid. Pay FedEx $15 to ship a $4,000 Omega watch, or give it to a complete stranger that is traveling via AirBnB? FedEx wins.
- huac 10y ago
  There is a pretty healthy "Japan proxy" market, especially for higher-end Japanese designer clothes. You could ship it already, but these would also fit in with that business model.
estsauver 10y ago
Shypmate is basically doing that.
- cpcat 10y ago
  Fantastic, but again, the network. I'll try it out actually and see how long it takes them to find me a traveller.
  - cpcat 10y ago
    Turns out only available from US to Ghana
pjc50 10y ago
Shipping is really cheap. It's highly optimised and fast. Only the last mile is a mess, and that's where companies like Yodel have moved in. Luggage by contrast is expensive. The marginal cost of a checked bag is far more than just posting the thing to the destination. So the only value might be in ""disrupting"" local customs enforcement. Brazil has a 50% import duty on electronics, for example. So you might be able to do something there - although the customs people are already alert to this possibility.
visakanv 10y ago
It's on Brian Chesky's radar, I'm sure: https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/813800346116128769 https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/813800346116128769
soneca 10y ago
In Brazil a startup was founded to do this, people travelling would bring packages to strangers. Most common use case was people bringing phones (electronics in general) from the USA, as our importing taxes are real high. Our "IRS" shut down the company, even with they claiming every traveler would declare and pay proper taxes.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
Ntrails 10y ago
"Hello mister security person" "Did you pack this bag yourself sir" "Oh yes" "And all the contents is yours" "Well, no. I mean, there's a package in there that I'm taking with me that's somebody elses" "But you wrapped the package yourself?" "Well, no" "So you didn't pack the bag yourself?" "Yes I did, there's just one brown paper wrapped item I'm couriering for a friend" "So your bag contains a package that it not yours, and that you've not seen inside which was given to you by someone else?" "Yes. But it's fine. I got it via an App..."

by cpcat 10y ago

myroon5 10y ago

Not one of these companies mentioned, but a company called Roadie is trying this idea.

cpcat 10y ago
Roadie still has to build the network, and it doesn't seem to be cross-continent. I'm talking about international shipping. It makes more sense for those companies because they already have a huge network.

patio11 10y ago

What type of package is small enough to fit in someone's luggage, light enough to not cost extra baggage allowance, tolerates non-delivery well enough to lose 10% of shipments to flaking non-professional couriers, and is not well-served by UPS, FedEx, or airmail, and cannot be transported at rock-bottom costs with mild latency via a shipping container? I have an answer to this question: illegal drugs. I don't have a second answer to this question. This makes me think that you'd have difficulty finding 1,000 of legal packages to run through a proof of concept, to say nothing of scaling to the millions you need to have a viable logistics business.

cpcat 10y ago
How about legal drugs, Pharmaceutical products, etc. I do not know a single person who doesn't ship items with friends. It's not a new idea i'm proposing, but a way for non friends to make money, and for it to be more often. When Uber first came out i thought it won't work because of all the kidnappings and robberies that would happen. I wonder if you have the same skepticism about travellers becoming carriers. Edit: not disagreeing, it's a totally valid reason.
- argonaut 10y ago
  My guess is that's cheaper to ship via containers (over sea).
  - irq11 10y ago
    also, legal drugs that are transported in strangers' luggage quickly become illegal drugs.
    - afandian 10y ago
      Legal? Illegal? You'll never create a disruptive startup with that attitude!
- stdbrouw 10y ago
  But now you've gone from "huge opportunity" to "maybe something that can be used for some pharmaceutical products".
- lmm 10y ago
  > I do not know a single person who doesn't ship items with friends. Huh? Where/in what culture is that? I don't think I know anyone who does ship items with friends with any kind of frequency. I think I've shipped an item with a friend once in my life (a figurine that I could only find on sale in the US), and there are proxy buyer services that cover that use case in a much easier (and safer for them) way.
  - napoleond 10y ago
    Counter-anecdote: I live in Canada, and it is not at all uncommon to ask friends who are visiting the U.S. to pick up items on their behalf (either alcohol and tobacco, which are often significantly cheaper at the border's duty-free stores, or e-commerce purchases that would not ship into Canada--there are several places close to the border that will receive and hang onto such packages for a fee). Maybe that doesn't count as "shipping an item with a friend" but it's quite similar.
MichaelBurge 10y ago
You could mitigate the non-delivery risk by making the courier post a security deposit.
nodesocket 10y ago
To be fair there are lots of small items that have great value. Jewelry, watches, etc. Though your points about economics are still valid. Pay FedEx $15 to ship a $4,000 Omega watch, or give it to a complete stranger that is traveling via AirBnB? FedEx wins.
huac 10y ago
There is a pretty healthy "Japan proxy" market, especially for higher-end Japanese designer clothes. You could ship it already, but these would also fit in with that business model.

estsauver 10y ago

Shypmate is basically doing that.

cpcat 10y ago
Fantastic, but again, the network. I'll try it out actually and see how long it takes them to find me a traveller.
- cpcat 10y ago
  Turns out only available from US to Ghana

pjc50 10y ago

Shipping is really cheap. It's highly optimised and fast. Only the last mile is a mess, and that's where companies like Yodel have moved in. Luggage by contrast is expensive. The marginal cost of a checked bag is far more than just posting the thing to the destination. So the only value might be in ""disrupting"" local customs enforcement. Brazil has a 50% import duty on electronics, for example. So you might be able to do something there - although the customs people are already alert to this possibility.

visakanv 10y ago

It's on Brian Chesky's radar, I'm sure: https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/813800346116128769 https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/813800346116128769

soneca 10y ago

In Brazil a startup was founded to do this, people travelling would bring packages to strangers. Most common use case was people bringing phones (electronics in general) from the USA, as our importing taxes are real high. Our "IRS" shut down the company, even with they claiming every traveler would declare and pay proper taxes.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

Ntrails 10y ago

"Hello mister security person" "Did you pack this bag yourself sir" "Oh yes" "And all the contents is yours" "Well, no. I mean, there's a package in there that I'm taking with me that's somebody elses" "But you wrapped the package yourself?" "Well, no" "So you didn't pack the bag yourself?" "Yes I did, there's just one brown paper wrapped item I'm couriering for a friend" "So your bag contains a package that it not yours, and that you've not seen inside which was given to you by someone else?" "Yes. But it's fine. I got it via an App..."