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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Freecycling app Snaply – tried and tested | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| In the last few years, giveaway community websites such as Freecycle, MySkip, Freegle and LetsAllShare | In the last few years, giveaway community websites such as Freecycle, MySkip, Freegle and LetsAllShare |
| have been popping up, as people realise that a) we throw items away for | have been popping up, as people realise that a) we throw items away for |
| hundreds of reasons that have nothing to do with their functionality, | hundreds of reasons that have nothing to do with their functionality, |
| and b) passing on working items you no longer want is greener and kinder | and b) passing on working items you no longer want is greener and kinder |
| than chucking them away. | than chucking them away. |
| Snaply, which launched nationally last | Snaply, which launched nationally last |
| month, is an app that’s integrated with the established freecycling | month, is an app that’s integrated with the established freecycling |
| website, Freegle. If you have an item you want to give away or sell, you | website, Freegle. If you have an item you want to give away or sell, you |
| take a picture and upload it with a description. It’s automatically | take a picture and upload it with a description. It’s automatically |
| added both on the app and on the Freegle website, and your location will | added both on the app and on the Freegle website, and your location will |
| be taken from your smartphone’s GPS and listed. If anyone wants your | be taken from your smartphone’s GPS and listed. If anyone wants your |
| item, they can request it or ask you a question about it before they | item, they can request it or ask you a question about it before they |
| decide to take it. So far over 90,000 items have been listed, and they | decide to take it. So far over 90,000 items have been listed, and they |
| are looking to introduce a one-touch payment system for items you can’t | are looking to introduce a one-touch payment system for items you can’t |
| let go for free. | let go for free. |
| Online reviewers were overwhelmingly positive | Online reviewers were overwhelmingly positive |
| Five | Five |
| stars: “Very happy. Have collected a beautiful plant from a lovely | stars: “Very happy. Have collected a beautiful plant from a lovely |
| lady. Great for selling and recycling any unwanted items.” A common | lady. Great for selling and recycling any unwanted items.” A common |
| theme in the five star reviews was comparing it to existing selling or | theme in the five star reviews was comparing it to existing selling or |
| freecycling sites – “This is like a modern, easy-to-use Freecycle” and | freecycling sites – “This is like a modern, easy-to-use Freecycle” and |
| “Like a breeze of fresh air compared to bloated eBay.” | “Like a breeze of fresh air compared to bloated eBay.” |
| There are just a couple of negative reviews. This two-star rating came from one of you, I assume, since they called themselves Guardian reader on the go: | There are just a couple of negative reviews. This two-star rating came from one of you, I assume, since they called themselves Guardian reader on the go: |
| “Great app in theory! I had several listings and requests and | “Great app in theory! I had several listings and requests and |
| arrangements in progress and can’t access any of them. Seem to be wiped. | arrangements in progress and can’t access any of them. Seem to be wiped. |
| Left potential ‘takers’ hanging. They must think me really rude.” | Left potential ‘takers’ hanging. They must think me really rude.” |
| It | It |
| used to be the case that you could only sign into Snaply using | used to be the case that you could only sign into Snaply using |
| Facebook, but it’s since been updated so you can sign up with email. | Facebook, but it’s since been updated so you can sign up with email. |
| That should please the user who gave Snaply just one star, and made his | That should please the user who gave Snaply just one star, and made his |
| reason for dragging down the average iTunes rating abundantly clear with | reason for dragging down the average iTunes rating abundantly clear with |
| his eight-word review: “I don’t want to log in via Facebook!!” (I | his eight-word review: “I don’t want to log in via Facebook!!” (I |
| wonder if this was penned by the same guy who left my favourite review | wonder if this was penned by the same guy who left my favourite review |
| ever: “This product is rubbish, it didn’t fit in my satchel”?) | ever: “This product is rubbish, it didn’t fit in my satchel”?) |
| My own verdict: the minus points | My own verdict: the minus points |
| • The name “Snaply” doesn’t bring freecycling to mind. In fact, it sounds | • The name “Snaply” doesn’t bring freecycling to mind. In fact, it sounds |
| like the name of a children’s storybook character, “Snaply the naughty | like the name of a children’s storybook character, “Snaply the naughty |
| crocodile”. Snaply’s founder, Andrew Widgery, says the name is a double | crocodile”. Snaply’s founder, Andrew Widgery, says the name is a double |
| meaning – “snap” means both speed and snapping a photo (and also sounds | meaning – “snap” means both speed and snapping a photo (and also sounds |
| like “app”). An app to post a snap in a snap. Nice. (Is anyone else | like “app”). An app to post a snap in a snap. Nice. (Is anyone else |
| still thinking about crocodiles?) | still thinking about crocodiles?) |
| • I admit that the lamp and bookshelves that I was offering were pretty rubbish. But still no one wanted them! Even though they were free! | • I admit that the lamp and bookshelves that I was offering were pretty rubbish. But still no one wanted them! Even though they were free! |
| • An obvious drawback of | • An obvious drawback of |
| freecycling is you’re essentially buying from amateur sellers, and that | freecycling is you’re essentially buying from amateur sellers, and that |
| comes with problems that buying things new does not. If you fancy an | comes with problems that buying things new does not. If you fancy an |
| item you’ve seen on Snaply, you only have a picture and cursory | item you’ve seen on Snaply, you only have a picture and cursory |
| description to go on, and it’s amazing how many people don’t bother | description to go on, and it’s amazing how many people don’t bother |
| uploading a photo at all (come on, guys! You can’t leave the snap out of | uploading a photo at all (come on, guys! You can’t leave the snap out of |
| Snaply!). At least when you buy something new online, you tend to get | Snaply!). At least when you buy something new online, you tend to get |
| extra information such as dimensions, materials used, photos from every | extra information such as dimensions, materials used, photos from every |
| angle and customer reviews. | angle and customer reviews. |
| And the plus points: | And the plus points: |
| • Freecycling gives you the option of two different reductions in your | • Freecycling gives you the option of two different reductions in your |
| carbon footprint: giving items instead of throwing them away (after | carbon footprint: giving items instead of throwing them away (after |
| which they may end up in landfill), and buying perfectly functional | which they may end up in landfill), and buying perfectly functional |
| secondhand items instead of buying new. | secondhand items instead of buying new. |
| • It says “Great shot!” when you take a picture. Aw, shucks. Thanks. | • It says “Great shot!” when you take a picture. Aw, shucks. Thanks. |
| • It’s integrated with Freegle, so your Snaply listing is automatically | • It’s integrated with Freegle, so your Snaply listing is automatically |
| uploaded onto Freegle’s system – which has over a million users in the | uploaded onto Freegle’s system – which has over a million users in the |
| UK. So if you’re dying to get shot of something you’re not just relying | UK. So if you’re dying to get shot of something you’re not just relying |
| on the audience of a recently launched app. | on the audience of a recently launched app. |
| • If you sign up with your | • If you sign up with your |
| email address, you get an email alert when someone responds to your ad | email address, you get an email alert when someone responds to your ad |
| or request. I liked not having to obsessively check the app (the way I | or request. I liked not having to obsessively check the app (the way I |
| obsessively check my emails) to see if anyone was interested in my | obsessively check my emails) to see if anyone was interested in my |
| secondhand wobbly bookshelf (they weren’t). | secondhand wobbly bookshelf (they weren’t). |
| • It’s much more | • It’s much more |
| functional than the freecycling websites. With the app, you can list an | functional than the freecycling websites. With the app, you can list an |
| item in seconds because you’re on a device that can take and upload a | item in seconds because you’re on a device that can take and upload a |
| picture, type in a description, and your location services will take | picture, type in a description, and your location services will take |
| care of showing the item’s whereabouts. Compared to taking a photo, | care of showing the item’s whereabouts. Compared to taking a photo, |
| transferring it to a computer and then uploading, it’s a much quicker | transferring it to a computer and then uploading, it’s a much quicker |
| process on the app. | process on the app. |
| • When you come across an item that interests | • When you come across an item that interests |
| you, there are three buttons: watch, ask and request. These features | you, there are three buttons: watch, ask and request. These features |
| make user intentions very clear. “Watching” is a sideways glance across a | make user intentions very clear. “Watching” is a sideways glance across a |
| bar, perhaps a wink. “Asking” is for specific queries in order to work | bar, perhaps a wink. “Asking” is for specific queries in order to work |
| out whether you and the chest of drawers would really be a match. And | out whether you and the chest of drawers would really be a match. And |
| “request” is a big fat “Yes! I must have this item in my life!” | “request” is a big fat “Yes! I must have this item in my life!” |
| • There is also the option to “unwatch” an item on which you’ve previously | • There is also the option to “unwatch” an item on which you’ve previously |
| clicked “watch”. Essentially you’re retracting your interest. This is | clicked “watch”. Essentially you’re retracting your interest. This is |
| brilliant and I wish we could do it in real life with acquaintances and | brilliant and I wish we could do it in real life with acquaintances and |
| potential lovers, because you’re changing your mind without a) stringing | potential lovers, because you’re changing your mind without a) stringing |
| them along or b) having to send an awkward message that the “will | them along or b) having to send an awkward message that the “will |
| they/won’t they?” between their lamp and you is just not going to work | they/won’t they?” between their lamp and you is just not going to work |
| out, you’re just so busy right now, it’s not them it’s you … | out, you’re just so busy right now, it’s not them it’s you … |
| In summation: | In summation: |
| What | What |
| Snaply does isn’t new, but it’s improved upon an existing eco action. | Snaply does isn’t new, but it’s improved upon an existing eco action. |
| As with most green actions, the real hurdle is getting enough users to | As with most green actions, the real hurdle is getting enough users to |
| do it, and habitually. Freecycling would have to become a much bigger | do it, and habitually. Freecycling would have to become a much bigger |
| trend before it starts making a significant dent in the wasteful | trend before it starts making a significant dent in the wasteful |
| practice of needlessly chucking things away. But I’d say Snaply is a | practice of needlessly chucking things away. But I’d say Snaply is a |
| start, and a slickly-functioning one at that. You can declutter your | start, and a slickly-functioning one at that. You can declutter your |
| home and shop for things you need with a shallower carbon footprint – | home and shop for things you need with a shallower carbon footprint – |
| plus it’s always fun to legally sidestep the taxman. | plus it’s always fun to legally sidestep the taxman. |
| And best of all, it fits in my satchel. | And best of all, it fits in my satchel. |
| You can download Snaply free for iOS or Android. | You can download Snaply free for iOS or Android. |
| Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here. | Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here. |
| The Live Better | The Live Better |
| Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable living. All | Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable living. All |
| content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled | content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled |
| advertisement feature. Find out more here. | advertisement feature. Find out more here. |