Skeptic's Corner: LetGo App can be a HUGE waste of your time

Skeptic's Corner: LetGo App can be a HUGE waste of your time

What is LetGo?

LetGo is very basic, in fact to get started takes very little interaction from a new user.  Other than the typical actions of downloading the app and creating an account, the process is little more than taking a photo of the item and listing a price.

The concept of selling your stuff is not novel.  The internet is full of websites like Craigslist, eBay, or OfferUp, that all enable anyone to sell. The most well-known site is eBay which has a firm sales structure and is well-adapted to the user. And then there are the more recent sites like OfferUp and LetGo which are the front-runners of the less structured selling methods.  LetGo is probably the least structured site and app.  All these selling sites are more similar to the Flea Market than a retail store, in that the prices are set and negotiated by the users, rather than a corporation.  But there is a definite difference between the Flea Market and LetGo.

The Hidden Details

Humans with money are not typically so naive or gullible to buy something without some discourse.  LetGo will allow the seller to post some further details on the item, but encourages that person to do even more than that.  It is apparent from the constant requests and pestering that the site does to encourage boosting a post, that LetGo makes money from further marketing to the seller.

Within the seller side of the app, there is a ratings system that each item includes to encourage the seller to at least include the option to boost a post.  No post will have the 100% complete level until the option to boost is included. Each item can be boosted in the marketplace for a small fee usually $2-$5.  Although the seller can offset the sale of the item by that fee, (by boosting the price by that amount) there is no guarantee it will work.  The boost merely pushes the item to the top of the list.

In addition, there are many other pitfalls to the LetGo app, that are not obvious from the advertising.

A Terrible Waste of Time

I hope dear reader that I can illuminate the issues that I have personally struggled with in my use of the LetGo app, so that you can avoid either the app or the issues in your attempts to sell through the app. It is important to consider how much time you are willing to waste on several factors, in the sale of your item.

(1) How much detail are you willing to include in the initial post?
This can be the specifications or problems that your item my include. If it is a used item, does it have any defects, like scratches or a part that is broke or missing?  To make all these concessions can take a lot of time.  If you have several items to post, you could find yourself still working on the setup 2 hours later.

(2) How much time are you willing to give to buyers?
There are so many ways that buyers can waste your time, this section could be an article all its own. However as I do not want to go into gross detail, I'll settle on my a just a few points.
(2a) Scams are a ubiquitous aspect of anything that can involve money.  It's a challenge to find them all, but I can assure you that at least half of all buyers I encounter are trying to pull one on me. It's probably the top reason that I do not like second-hand sales.
(2b) Flakes are common, if they're not already a scammer.  So many people ask one question regarding the item, and even if you respond immediately, may never reciprocate the conversation.   It's particularly annoying to go through the task of setting a price, a time, a meeting location, and then get an excuse 30 minutes  before the meeting, or to have that person disappear entirely without a reason offered.

I could wax philosophic for hours on these two buyer-types, but without a doubt they are a waste of time.  And I find myself asking rhetorically, "why do I bother trying to sell anything?"

Summary

The LetGo app certainly appears to be a simple tool for selling your second-hand items, but it is actually a ploy to waste your time and take your money.   Most buyers are not real either because they are scammers or because they are not serious.  Although there are many other apps and sites that do the same thing, LetGo draws you in with flashy colors and the promise that it will all be so easy.  DO NOT use the LetGo App, unless your time has no value or you are willing to give away your stuff. 

Realistically you could do better by selling to a Pawn Shop.