youVerify is a new app for iPhone that aims to help reassure buyers that sellers aren’t just trying to scam them. Anyone that’s ever dealt with selling electronics on eBay or Craigslist is probably well aware of how many scammers there are out there. youVerify works by verifying not only you, but the products you’re trying to sell. In turn, buyers can be confident that your items are what they say they are.
Upon first downloading youVerify, you are asked to create a profile. You’re asked for basic information such as name, address, phone, and so on. You are also asked to link your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. These aren’t shown to buyers but used to verify that you are who you say you are.
After you’ve completed profile registration, you can then start verifying your items with youVerify. Just search for the item you’re trying to sell and you’ll be asked to take a series of photos of them. youVerify will provide examples of what kinds of photos are acceptable. After you’re done, youVerify will check the authenticity of your photos and email you a link to your youVerify report.
After you’ve got your report, you can embed it into any Craigslist, eBay, or any other kind of ad. A buyer can then check out your youVerify report by clicking on it. They can also get some information about you as well which adds an additional layer of peace of mind.
One thing I’ve noticed about youVerify is that there isn’t a huge catalog of items yet which greatly limits its usefulness. I’m hoping it’s updated regularly, especially with electronics since those are hot items for scammers to target.
The good and bad
- Great concept that could be very useful if it takes off
- Profiles and items for sale are easy to verify and manage
- No personal information from your social networks will appear to potential buyers, they’ll only know you verified yourself
- Product catalog is extremely limited at this time
- youVerify scores will suffer greatly for people that don’t have social networks
- It isn’t widely adapted just yet, it’s a barrier the company is going to have to overcome to really gain traction
The bottom line
youVerify is an awesome idea and I really hope the creators can pull it off. My recent encounters with eBay have made me very hesitant to use the service for high dollar electronics as listings lately seem to attract more scammers than they do actual buyers. Unfortunately, for this kind of service to take off, a lot of users are going to have to back it in order for it to really gain traction and credibility.
You can download youVerify from the App Store for free.
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