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Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | E-commerce |
Founded | Kansas City, Missouri (2010) |
Founder | Ben Edwards |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | Ben Edwards (CEO) |
Website | https://swappa.com |
Swappa functions as a peer-to-peer marketplace, facilitating the buying and selling of new and gently used technology products. The platform establishes a direct connection between buyers and sellers, emphasizing that all listed devices must be fully operational to be eligible for sale. Swappa has a dedicated customer service team responsible for reviewing listed devices to uphold this standard.
The purchasing process on Swappa is straightforward, with buyers transacting directly with sellers. Notably, the platform undertakes measures to verify the legitimacy of listed devices. This includes checking the device serial number to ensure it is not theft-related. Sellers must also upload photos of the device, which is powered on, alongside a custom listing code unique to each transaction.
Swappa uses PayPal to handle all financial transactions, utilizing the buyer protection mechanisms provided by the payment service. This approach enhances the overall trust and security of the marketplace for both buyers and sellers involved in the exchange of technology products.
Swappa was founded by Ben Edwards and launched on December 5, 2010. [1] Swappa is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and is a remote workplace with employees spread across the United States and around the world, including Ecuador, Greece, India, and Thailand. [2]
The Swappa marketplace was launched with the goal of building a safer and simpler marketplace, and to serve as an alternative to other online marketplaces such as eBay and Craigslist.
Swappa launched in 2010 as an Android only marketplace, but started expanding the available device categories in 2012. The first new category was added in 2012 and allowed sellers to create listings for iPhones. The Swappa marketplace now allows sellers to list the following:
Swappa users can purchase a listing from a Swappa seller with a Swappa account or by using a guest account. [3] The Swappa marketplace allows buyers to find items using the on-site navigation system or the search bar. Buyers pay the amount shown on the listing page, and the price shown to buyers includes standard shipping costs. After a buyer makes a purchase, they are given access to a private sale page to communicate directly with the seller and Swappa staff.
All Swappa sellers are required to have a Swappa account. [4] Swappa users can use a standard Swappa account to list items for sale. Swappa also has a Trusted Seller program [5] and an Enterprise Seller program. [6]
Listings from sellers using a standard Swappa account or from sellers who are part of the Trusted Seller program are reviewed by Swappa's moderation team before they are approved for sale. The listing review process includes reviewing verification photos, checking the ESN or Serial Number, making sure the device meets the required criteria, and the sellers account history. [7]
Swappa defines conditions as New, Mint, Good, and Fair. [8] The requirements for each category have been defined as follows:
Swappa requires all devices to be fully functional including all functions of the screen, buttons, ports, and camera. [9] Listed devices must have a functional battery that properly charges and discharges. Devices must have a clean ESN ready for activation, and they cannot have an outstanding financial obligation with a carrier or have any cracked or chipped glass, water damage, or other structural issues.
Swappa uses PayPal for Marketplaces to process payments. According to Swappa, PayPal is used for payment processing because of the protections offered for buyers and sellers. [10]
PayPal Purchase Protections for buyers include coverage for items that are damaged or lost in shipping and for items that are not as advertised. PayPal's buyer protections also include dispute resolution and are valid for 180 days from the date of purchase. PayPal protections for sellers include fraud protection and offer protection against unauthorized transactions and claims for items not received. [11]
Selling on Swappa is free for sellers. Buyers pay a sale fee already included in the displayed price on the listing. The Swappa sale fee is tiered based on the seller's asking price.
Swappa requires all cellular-connected devices to be fully functional, ready for activation, and have a clean ESN / IMEI / MEID. Swappa employs a team of moderators that review listings before they are approved to ensure listed devices meet the requirements. Swappa also provides a free ESN check service that is available to the public. [12]
The Swappa Repair Network originally launched in 2017. The Swappa Repair Network is a directory of 2,000+ repair shops capable of providing repair services for smartphones, tablets, and other technology. Swappa re-launched the Repair Network in 2020 and introduced a Repair Calculator [13] to assist users in determining the cost of repairing a broken phone.
Swappa partnered with Warranty Life in 2016 to provide protection plans for used phones purchased from the Swappa marketplace. In 2018, Swappa and Warranty Life began offering protection plans for used MacBooks purchased from the Swappa marketplace. The Warranty Life protection plans include 1 year of coverage and cover issues such as broken screens, water damage, and power surges.
Swappa Local was introduced in June 2019 as a way for buyers and sellers to connect and meet up locally but was discontinued. Swappa no longer supports local pickup arrangements as this can void the payment protections offered by PayPal. However, if both seller and buyer agree and understand the limited protections, local pickup can be arranged on the private sale page.
In December 2019, Swappa added carrier Phone Plan pages. The Phone Plan pages outline the wireless plans available from the three major U.S. wireless carriers, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, as well as those from MVNO carriers. The Phone Plan pages also include a section for Swappa users to review and rate wireless carriers.
Swappa facilitated $500,000 in seller proceeds in 2011 and reported $1,000,000 in seller proceeds for 2012. Reported seller proceeds for years 2013 - 2017 are as follows:
Seller proceeds for 2018 were reported as $92 million, and total over $300 million since Swappa was founded in 2010. [14]
A SIM lock, simlock, network lock, carrier lock or (master) subsidy lock is a technical restriction built into GSM and CDMA mobile phones by mobile phone manufacturers for use by service providers to restrict the use of these phones to specific countries and/or networks. This is in contrast to a phone that does not impose any SIM restrictions.
Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware". It has become a proverb in English. Generally, caveat emptor is the contract law principle that controls the sale of real property after the date of closing, but may also apply to sales of other goods. The phrase caveat emptor and its use as a disclaimer of warranties arises from the fact that buyers typically have less information than the seller about the good or service they are purchasing. This quality of the situation is known as 'information asymmetry'. Defects in the good or service may be hidden from the buyer, and only known to the seller.
The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a numeric identifier, usually unique, for 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone but can also be displayed on-screen on most phones by entering the MMI Supplementary Service code *#06#
on the dialpad, or alongside other system information in the settings menu on smartphone operating systems.
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Lemon laws are laws that provide a remedy for purchasers of cars and other consumer goods in order to compensate for products that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance. Although many types of products can be defective, the term "lemon" is mostly used to describe defective motor vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
Etsy Inc. is an American e-commerce company with an emphasis on the selling of handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home decor, religious items, furniture, toys, art, as well as craft supplies and tools. Items described as vintage must be at least 20 years old. The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs, giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a fee of US$0.20 per item. Beginning in 2013, Etsy allowed sellers to sell mass-manufactured items.
A mobile equipment identifier (MEID) is a globally unique number identifying a physical piece of CDMA2000 mobile station equipment. The number format is defined by the 3GPP2 report S.R0048 but in practical terms, it can be seen as an IMEI but with hexadecimal digits.
Phone cloning is the copying of identity from one cellular device to another.
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Pricefalls Marketplace was an online marketplace. In 2019, it was acquired by Loblaw Companies.
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