OfferUp Review: One Stop Shop for Secondhand Selling (2022)

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Why keep that old piece of furniture in your storeroom? Oh yeah, because it was a wedding gift. But is the sentimental value really worth the space that some of your old stuff takes up?

When you want to get rid of unwanted items and make a little extra money, that’s where OfferUp comes in! 

In this OfferUp review, we take a look at this handy mobile app that offers you a one-stop solution for selling your pre-loved items to local buyers looking for good deals.

​How does OfferUp work?

True to its name, the OfferUp app connects you to an online marketplace where you can list items up for sale.

Most of the items we own are either financial or emotional assets. Discarding these items is challenging. After all, it’s not trash! And a lot of people are looking for an easy way to find used items in good condition. 

OfferUp gives you a better choice – why not “offer up” those available items to someone who is willing to pay you for your used stuff?

A couple of good photos of your items, a reasonable price, and a short description is all you need to give OfferUp a try.

What is OfferUp?

In 2011, Nick Huzar, former co-founder of Konnects, Inc. and Arean van Veelen launched OfferUp as a mobile-driven online bazaar in an effort to capture the market of e-commerce giants like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay.

It gained its funding from venture capitalist Jackson Square Ventures, and others, and quickly gained traction.

As of 2022, OfferUp is present in almost every major city in the United States and plans to roll out internationally in the near future

Getting Started with OfferUp

Creating an OfferUp account gives you immediate access to one of the biggest online marketplaces in the United States.

You can either choose to post an ad to sell something, or you can browse the thousands of items on sale in the app. 

However, you should keep in mind that OfferUp is a location-driven app. This means you can only sell and buy local items. Going beyond that is not advised and might be a waste of time.

Buying on OfferUp

OfferUp is very convenient.  Using your specific location parameters, the items displayed to you will be within a certain radius of your position.

Users can narrow down their search using the app’s filters and categories. This feature helps you target exactly what you are looking for.

For example, if you’re in the market for a used car, you can simply go to the automobile category and set the price and model parameters. Your results will show you all the ads in your local community that fall under those conditions.

If a certain ad catches your attention, click on it to view more or favorite it for later.

Once you open the listing, you can browse through the pictures and information provided by the seller to get a better idea of what’s being offered.

OfferUp has a convenient in-app chat feature that allows you to message sellers. Drop a message that shows you’re interested and when the seller replies, discuss things like where to meet, the price, etc.

Do make sure to check out the seller’s profile to see how reputable they are.

Selling on OfferUp

The selling process is easy on OfferUp; their algorithm does most of the work for you! All you need to do is upload pictures of the specific items you’re trying to sell and give some additional information on the product.

For example, if you are trying to sell an old couch, your listing will fall under the furniture category. Post a few pictures of your couch and include a description – its dimensions, the fabric, etc. Once your listing is complete, you are ready to post your ad.

The app also allows users to keep track of multiple postings. So go ahead, put up a bunch of stuff for sale! OfferUp has got you covered!

Additional Features

• Free Service: OfferUp is 100% free for potential buyers and sellers. There is no payment system or any hidden/commission fees.
• Secure Messaging System: OfferUp boasts one of the most secure messaging systems around, giving you complete security in your transactions. This is a valuable feature as the people you will interact with on the app will be complete strangers.  In order to avoid any complicated situations, OfferUp advises all users to use the in-app chat service for all communication.

Signing up for OfferUp

Signing up for OfferUp is pretty straight forward:

• Download and install the OfferUp app on your device from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.
• Register on OfferUp through the options given. Use a valid email address and a powerful password.
• Once you have successfully registered on the app, OfferUp allows you unrestricted access to one of the biggest e-commerce platforms around.

Who is OfferUp for?

OfferUp is for you, your friends, family and anyone else you can think of!

OfferUp can help you sell unwanted, second-hand items online, without the hassle of setting up a yard sale.

The app is also for you if you’re on a budget and are looking for a bargain deal.

Items featured on the app are second-hand or used products. The fact that the items are pre-loved means that buyers can also negotiate the price of the item for sale.  

Is OfferUp legit?

OfferUp is a well-renowned company that has been mentioned in respectable publications like Forbes​​​​. Make space, make money – what could go wrong? 

Well, a lot, by the look of all the negative reviews left online by disgruntled users.

However, further inspection into these reviews that claim that the app is a ‘scam’ will tell you that the problem is in fact, not with the app itself but that the negative OfferUp review was posted by the victim of a scam.

Those who jump into using the app without taking basic precautions often suffer at the hands of people who are looking to cheat others.

People aren’t clear on how they should conduct themselves on OfferUp, aren’t familiar with safety features or selling guidelines, or what the best practices are, which is why they fall victim to scams – they are simply misinformed.

Unfortunately, the app is blamed for all the trouble.

OfferUp disclaims all liability in the case of a wrongful transaction. But this isn’t enough.

In order to make sure that users have a safe and memorable experience on the app, OfferUp’s customer support department could try a more direct approach.

Read the Terms of Service and Selling Guidelines

People usually ignore the terms and conditions and aren’t likely to read through the entire Help section of an app. This is why OfferUp needs to make their Community Guidelines section a bit more visible.

The app features selling guidelines and a mini-tutorial teaching users how to set up a listing. A similar approach where users are trained to handle the app effectively may prove to be very helpful.

And it might help cut down on the number of bad reviews too!

How to use marketplace apps like OfferUp safely 

If you’re registered or looking to register on OfferUp, here are some tips to help you stay safe on the app:

• Always meet with the other person in a public place and inspect the item.
• Be wary of people who make odd requests. 
• Always check the users’ ratings.
• Never ship items- always conduct your transaction in person.
• Use the secure messaging service provided by the OfferUp app to avoid giving out your personal information.
• Make all payments through PayPal or cash and absolutely avoid using credit cards, checks and pay orders.
• Ignore and block people who send spam messages.

If you feel like someone is in the wrong or is looking to scam you, report them to OfferUp. The offending user will be removed and banned permanently.

Pros of OfferUp

• Easy to Navigate: Instead of text clutter, the app display is an image feed which is much easier to navigate. After selecting your filters, you can easily scroll and find the item you need.
• Location-based: Because OfferUp works only in your vicinity, this means that all the items you can see can be inspected and bargained for in-person. Plus, no shipping fees!
• Ratings: Everyone on OfferUp has a rating that showcases how trustworthy and reliable the user is as a buyer and/or seller. So a buyer always knows which seller to go for, and vice versa.
• Seamless Communication: OfferUp has one of the most user-friendly and secure in-app messaging services. It emulates the layout of WhatsApp and allows you to communicate with other users instantly. ​

Cons of OfferUp

• Location-based: Being able to work in a locality is as much a disadvantage as it is an advantage. As OfferUp restricts your listings within your preferred area, you have limited reach when buying or selling.
• Sub-par Customer Service: OfferUp’s customer service needs a lot of work. The app has done nothing to address its users’ complaints. Imagine buying a fake laptop and upon complaining, you are told to report the crime on 911! OfferUp needs to do more than just repeatedly state their “zero liability” disclaimers.
• Pay-to-sell: In order for your listing to show up first, you have to ‘bump’ it. Bumping your ad means you have to pay for it to be featured first. Otherwise, regardless of your rating, your listing is likely to get lost in an endless ocean of ads.
• Can’t delete your Account: One of the most frustrating things about OfferUp is that you can’t delete your account wholly. You can only deactivate it, which means your information is permanently saved on the OfferUp servers.​

Wrapping up our OfferUp review

While the app does provide a good alternative to giants like eBay, our OfferUp review found that it has its fair share of pros and cons.

The concept of offering up what you don’t need, at a price, is a good one because it gives you a sense of satisfaction that the item you’re selling is not going to waste.

Such practices also help reduce the amount of trash we make as a society. There are other apps that boast a similar platform but they might not be free or as convenient as OfferUp.

The main thing OfferUp really needs to improve upon is their customer support. In order to make sure that everyone uses the app to its full potential, OfferUp will have to find a way to make sure that every user signing onto their app is guided through a best practices tutorial before they jump into the buying/selling process. 

Besides that, OfferUp is a great app and a great service- making life easier and better. Spring Cleaning will never be the same again!

So, if you aren’t using it, won’t ever use it, but don’t want to throw it away, offer it up!

Tried OfferUp? Love it? Or not so much?

Share your experiences with us in the comments section below!