Ever since eBay was created in the 1990s, the act of buying and selling used or homemade goods on the internet has never gone away. Popular websites and apps these days include Etsy and Depop as the craze enters the 2020s.
Many people have turned to selling used or homemade goods to earn extra money, with new apps to sell stuff like Karrot becoming more popular.
Karrot app review – Initial thoughts
The latest app to provide this marketplace style of service is Karrot. The app is designed for both sellers and buyers and its main focus is to connect people within local communities rather on a grander scale like eBay and Etsy do.
This is to ensure that the collection of goods is easy and convenient for the buyer. In this review, we are going to take a in-depth look at the Karrot app and analyse some of its key features. Let’s get stuck in.
When you first download the app, it feels like there are a fair few hoops to jump through before you actually get access to the main page. Once you’re there, allow the app to have access to your location and you’re good to go.
From this point on, the app is really easy to use for both buyers and sellers. From a buyers perspective, all all local listings are instantly available to you with users also having the ability to narrow the search down using their filters and categories.
From a sellers point of view, there’s an orange call to action that stands out to you when you land on the home screen simply called ‘sell’. From here, you just have to enter a few details about what you’re selling, categorise it and add in a couple of pictures.
It’s a fairly quick process and your item(s) will be up for sale on the app in no time. There are no fees to list your items on Karrot and they take absolutely no commission, which is fantastic and unlike some of their competitors.
It has some really cool features, which we’ll look at in greater detail later on, including a favourites list, a Karrot score for every user and the ability to personalise/customise your feed.
Pros
- No fees involved.
- Easy and quick to list items as a seller.
- Get alerts when certain words or phrases are listed nearby.
- Get alerts when anything in your favourites list drops in price or is sold.
- A good scoring system to weed out the scammers.
- The ability to personalise/customise your feed.
Cons
- Take a short while to set up an account to gain access to the app in the first place.
- Some of the text on the app isn’t formatted properly, making it unreadable at times.
- Not yet as popular as similar apps so the options aren’t as plentiful.
- They don’t have a delivery service attached to the app so you have to arrange that yourself.
If you want to find free stuff in your area, then Karrot can help you do that. It can also help you sell locally to others that may find use in your older stuff, from home decor to kids toys.
The real downside and challenge that Karrot has is keeping up with other services like FB Marketplace, that already have hundreds of millions of active users. Let’s take a look at some of these features in greater detail.
Search alerts
One of my favourite features on the Karrot app is the search alert function. If users use this feature then they will receive notification alerts every time certain items are listed on the app.
All you need to do is select the ‘search alert’ button on the ‘my Karrot’ page and type in any words or phrases that you want to be notified for.
For example, if you are after a bike then type in ‘bike’ into the search alert section and every time a bike goes up for sale in your neighbourhood you will be notified.
This means that you will essentially go straight to the front of the queue to purchase the item.
Favourites list
Another great feature of the Karrot app is the favourites list.
This feature is a way of keeping tabs on any items that you want but perhaps want to wait for the price to change or wait until pay day before committing to the purchase. To add an item to your favourites list simply click the love heart attached to the advert.
A really cool aspect of the favourites list is the fact that the app will send you a notification every time there is a change to any of the items on there.
For example, if one of the items on your list drops in price then the app will let you know straight away, giving you the perfect opportunity to snag a bargain before anyone else notices.
Karrot score
Each member on the Karrot app receives a ‘Karrot score’ depending on their activity and behaviour while buying and/or selling on the app. The score is calculated using a mix of reviews, praises and disapprovals – all of which can be given to users from other users during or after the sales process.
Each member starts their Karrot journey with a ‘Karrot score’ of 30 so if you see anyone without a Karrot score under 30 then it’s probably best to avoid doing business with them.
The Karrot score is a great feature in my opinion because it lets you know in a quick and easy way how reliable and safe other users on the app are.
When you are buying items off strangers it’s always a worry that you may be on the receiving end of a scam, but through this score you can be reassured that you are dealing with a legitimate individual.
Neighbourhood management
Another feature of the app that’s worth pointing out is the neighbourhood management feature.
This feature allows users to select up to two different ‘neighbourhoods’ and subsequent radiuses to search for items within. This means that you aren’t just limited to your immediate surroundings and can select another area that you’d like to search for items within.
This feature is useful for those with a car who don’t mind travelling a little further afield to collect items or for those who use the app while away from home. One thing I would say is that it would be nice if you could have unlimited ‘neighbourhoods’ on the app as opposed to just two.
However, the main selling point of the app is the fact that it’s buying and selling within your local community, so it’s understandable why Karrot have elected to limit you to just two neighbourhoods.
To create your ‘neighbourhoods’ select the ‘neighbourhood settings’ on the ‘My Karrot’ section of the app. From here, press the ‘+’ icon on to the top of the screen to add a location.
Customised feed
The final feature of the app that we are big fans of is the customised feed. This features gives you the ability to customise and personalise your home feed, allowing you to shape what you see on your feed based on your interests and what you are looking for.
To customise your feed, select the icon in between the magnifying glass and the bell on the top right hand side of the home screen. Once you have selected this option, you will be able to select which categories you do and don’t want to see on your feed.
This is a great way to avoid the endless scroll through baby clothes and musical instruments if you’re only on the app for furniture, for example.
Common questions about the Karrot app
What is the best way to secure a sale on the app?
Typically, the most successful sellers on the app are those who do the following things on their adverts:
– Add multiple images of what you’re selling on to the app, using various angles.
– Provide key information about the item in a clear way in the description (use bullet points where relevant).
– Do your research and set a reasonable price that is in line with competitors.
How much do Karrot take when you make a sale?
Not only is the Karrot app free of any subscription charges, it also doesn’t take any commission from sales. This means that every penny you earn on the app is yours to keep.
How do I chat to other users on the app?
If you are wanting to discuss an item with another user on the app then you can use the chat function on the Karrot app to do so. You will see a ‘chat’ button on the bottom right of every listing which will enable you to discuss the item with the seller before deciding whether to purchase or not. You can also use this function to discuss delivery/collection, as this is a secure private chat.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Karrot app clearly has its merits as a platform to sell and buy used or homemade goods.
It is unique to its competitors in the sense that it focusses entirely on selling within your local community. However until it reaches high levels of popularity then it will unfortunately always lag behind the likes of eBay, Etsy and Facebook Marketplace in terms of volume and quality of content.
With more professional sellers and verified users joining Karrot, there’s potential for it to become a solid secondhand marketplace. And if shopping locally is preferable to you, though, then give the app a go and see what you think.
