trooQ, The New Internet Marketplace

Clearly with the rise of sites like Ebay we have seen the immense popularity for online marketplaces and the ability to buy and sell goods online.   But along with that has come a list of issues ranging from security to just plain fraud.  How many stories have we heard, or been witness to, where someone was scammed out of money or merchandise on Ebay ?  Let me answer that for you, A LOT.  Services like Ebay are impersonal and create a chasm between buyer and seller leading to distrust of the community and the system.

Enter Trooq.

trooQ is the social marketplace. We give you a place to find what you are looking for, by giving you the ability to leverage your existing social networks to create networks of trusted people to buy and sell with. Not only do we provide you with the level of trust that helps make the purchasing process easier, trooQ is reliable, cost-effective and fun. And, who doesn’t like a little fun!

trooQ is the brainchild of one our very own local DC tech crowd Will Kern, Director of Product Management at Mixx, and Bill Kocik, Principle Software Engineer at Mixx as well.  I was really excited when I learned of their new effort and have been patiently waiting to get in and try it out.  I cant help but tell you the more and more I poked around, the more I began to realize what a huge impact this could have.  As I stated above, buying goods on a number of other online marketplaces is just plain scary.  You have no idea who you are doing business with.  trooQ aims to change all that with the ability for you to create a more social network of trusted people with whom you can buy and sell goods with and trust that you will get what you pay for and also get for what you sell.  It takes that impersonal issue out of the way and allows you to just worry about what you want to buy or sell.

The sales concept is unique as well.  It is kind of like a quasi auction you see on Ebay, but better.  When the seller places an item for sale, they list things like description, condition, tags, shipping costs, and a price.  Buyers that are interested can then Make and Offer.  Posting and item for sale could not be easier, with a simple one page view and viola, item for sale !  Of course there is a means to message the sellers to ask any questions about the item as well as simply place it on a watch list.

Another really cool idea that I love is the use of communities.  What a great concept to be able to not only build a broad network of friends to buy and sell good with but make it even more granular by using communities.  There are a few set up on the site now, one being a Mountain Bikers Community.  Now insode of your broad social marketplace you have these other niches that are a great resource to be able to buy and sell to like minded and trustworthy members. Brilliant !  Have a old bike you are looking to sell ?  It very well will get lost in the wash on other sites.  But in the trooq community, you have an immediate and willing audience.

And finally they have a really cool widget for you to spread the word about your inventory you need to sell.

OK, in English now. To put it simply, the trooQ widget is a little snippet of code that you can copy and paste onto your blog / website / group that gives your viewers the ability to search your inventory on trooQ. But wait, it gets better, not only does it give people the ability to search your inventory, but also all the listings of your friends, as well as all of trooQ.

Overall I think there is huge potential for trooQ to fill a void that honestly I hadn’t thought that much about until I began playing wth the site.  So many times we all just consider the incumbent and stray very little, but then an innovative idea comes long and knowks the big kid on the block right off his bike.  trooQ is that idea and I think they can and will make an impact in the space.  Head over, sign up and report back to let us know what you think !

Good luck Will and Bill …. thats a funny one to say huh .