At some point in their college career, students will want to get rid of the items they no longer need. In most cases, additional ?junk? is thrown away, or given to a friend because it is too difficult to deal with the existing methods of exchange. What if there was an easier way to buy, sell and trade items with other students?
Uflipit.com is an online marketplace where college students can go to deal with students from their own campus, or from schools across the United States.
Co-founders Jarrad Lewis and Greg Soroka realized the need for a site like uflipit.com when they graduated from college in 2004. Having tons of ?stuff? and not wanting to take it all home, Lewis said, ?There?s nothing out there. There?s no college marketplace where things would be so much easier.?
Instead of posting fliers around campus and hoping for a response, they decided to build a website.
Almost anything can be bought and sold on the site as long as it rests within the confines of legality. Essays, papers and class notes can also be listed and sold several times by uploading the product which enables a link once it is paid for. To prevent cheating, students must sign a disclaimer stating that they will not cheat or plagiarize and will use essays ?as a reference only,? Lewis said.
There are several methods of exchange available on the site. Students have the opportunity to auction their items, or they can list products for a fixed price by using the FlipitNow option. In addition, there is a trading option where people can barter their items with another product on the site.
?I?m a devoted Ebay user, but I love the fact that Uflipit.com gives me the choice to trade my stuff. When I see something I want on the site, I can just request to trade for it,? said Jessica Gardner, a junior psychology major.
Uflipit.com also offers a virtual mall, which can be directly accessed using the ?browse stores? link.
?There are about 70 stores, all different Internet companies that sell products related to college students,? Lewis said.
The stores ship their items to buyers. Store products are currently listed with the student items, but will be separate beginning in fall 2006 so they do not overrun the student listings.
There are currently about 150,000 products for sale on the site including everything from bedding to beer pong tables. Students from all over the country register every day as the site becomes more known.
?The website has every school in the country listed. As for our clientele, we don?t have that many students yet. We have students from about 20 different schools so far,? Lewis said.
Uflipit.com has been an active site since Jan. 18, 2006. The site is 100 percent free and students can buy and sell items by school to make the process easier.
As the end of the school year quickly approaches, students may find Uflipit.com a useful option to make moving out of their dorms and apartments easier. Registration only takes a few minutes, and the site is very straightforward with links to sell, buy and trade.
In addition to the stress brought on by finals, moving and summer plans, why add an extra hassle? With the push of a button, Uflipit.com whisks end of the year moving worries away.
