Would You Use a Community of *Things*?

LOnce on 27/06/2023 - 09:31

Imagine a platform where you paid a small monthly fee (let's say $1) that grants you access to a community of open sharers. You can both lend out your things and borrow from others. The fee covers the platform's maintenance.

What do you think of this idea?

Join in the poll + conversation and share your thoughts! 🤝🌍💡

Notes:
Things can be anything an owner is willing to share, like a mower, a camera, or a formal suit. This saves you money from having to buy that thing as you might only need it once. It's also one less "clutter" to accumulate.

There would be safeguards for the owner - such as pre-auth of the value of the item on the borrower's card, so if it's not returned, the pre-auth is activated and the borrower effectively bought the item. Any material damage is also deducted off the pre-auth (relative to the value lost). There would also be ratings and reviews on both owners and borrowers to increase trust and reliability.

For the most part, things are shared freely (benefiting the environment and less waste). But the owner can also decide to charge a fee to rent out the item if it's higher value (eg. a drone vs a book).

Poll Options expired

  • 33
    Love it! I'd be eager to join and start sharing/borrowing.
  • 120
    Sounds interesting, but I have some concerns/questions.
  • 245
    Not for me. I prefer owning things outright.
  • 6
    Unsure. I'd need more details to decide.
General Discussion

Comments

  • iDroid on 27/06/2023 - 09:43
    +15

    What happens when something breaks or someone doesn't return it or someone just disrespects items and ruins/damages/soils/etc them?

    Who manages that, how are issues resolved?

    • Once on 27/06/2023 - 10:22

      The idea is that every "borrow event" is secured by a pre-auth of the things market value on the borrower's card. And just like renting a car, a statement of condition is also agreed to.

      So come time for return, the pre-auth is settled (cancelled if all okay). If there is material damage, then cost of repair or loss in value would be taken into account and deducted from the pre-auth.

      Any incidental wear and tear is just accepted, as that's part and parcel of a used thing. But any material issues will have safeguards.

      • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 11:03
        +30

        Any incidental wear and tear is just accepted

        Your definition of wear and tear is not the same as someone elses.

        If there is material damage, then cost of repair or loss in value would be taken into account and deducted from the pre-auth.

        There is so much to unpack here that it's clear you don't really understand the complex human, business and technological processes that go into this single sentence.

        • Surfer Dude on 28/06/2023 - 20:55
          +2

          Your definition of wear and tear is not the same as someone elses.

          This x10000

      • pjetson on 27/06/2023 - 14:01
        +13

        What if I borrow a thing, and the thing breaks down but not due to anything I did?

        • TiredKitty78 on 28/06/2023 - 22:02

          So many people will say 'it was fine when i had it'.
          Some will know they did something to screw it up. Some will just have it not work (possibly because of the previous guy) and don't want to be accused of breaking it by some overzealous person who wants their item replaced.
          Sometimes things just break, or wear out.

          It'd be a bit like a gym. They sell more memberships then a gym can accomodate, because most people won't use the service - or at the same time - and those memberships go towards upkeep and eventually machine replcement/repair.

        • [Deactivated] on 30/06/2023 - 18:55

          Wear due to other peoples usage and then it breaks on your turn. Who will keep checking every little part of the thing ?

      • juki on 30/06/2023 - 14:17

        how do things get shared physically ? I dont want to wait 3 weeks or even 3 hours to use stuff
        if these are tools and so on, whats different to just going down to bunnings and renting it

  • tallkid123 on 27/06/2023 - 09:45
    +13

    I've heard this working really well for new parents where they acquire things for their babies and then eventually share it with others once their infant has grown big enough.

    A lot of Facebook groups already doing this sort of thing.

    • hothed on 27/06/2023 - 10:00
      +20

      It's called a Toy Library. There are lots of them around, confirming they are great as kids get bored of toys quickly.

    • Chandler on 30/06/2023 - 09:15
      +1

      In my experience parents just buy the used items off other parents who don't need them any more, and then sell it when they don't need it themselves any more. Sometimes items are free. Mostly done through Facebook groups or marketplace.

  • apsilon on 27/06/2023 - 09:55
    +12

    There's already several of these "library of things" that exist. I've never used them but I'd consider it if one were nearby enough to make it convenient.

  • JimmyF on 27/06/2023 - 09:57
    +25

    Imagine a platform where you paid a small monthly fee (let's say $1) that grants you access to a community of open sharers

    Lots of these places around if you start looking. Local library's lend out lots of things, even thermal cameras, plus lots of 'Men Sheds' or similar have a tool sharing arrangement or even a workshop for you to use.

    Your $12/year fee won't cover the overheads for running the platform. Insurance will also be a must, if I 'loan' my drill out and it comes back broken, who is paying? The borrower? If they have to buy a new one, then they might as well have done that in the first place.

    Wear and tear seems to be the biggest issue in these things. What does the person who is always lending out things get out of this? Other than worn out tools.

    But the owner can also decide to charge a fee to rent out the item if it's higher value (eg. a drone vs a book).

    So no different than any other rental place or the hundred facebook backyard hiring companies that have popped up recently.

    I'm not saying it isn't a good idea, I'm just saying you have to look at it from the 3 parties sides for what they get out of it at the end of the day. The person lending the tools, the person borrowing the tools and the platform owner all need to be getting 'something' out of it to make it worthwhile for them.

  • Switchblade88 on 27/06/2023 - 10:20
    +11

    Closest you're thinking of is a Tool Library which are becoming quite popular.

    • Once on 27/06/2023 - 10:27

      Thanks for sharing this. Can you imagine a scenario where this would be "at scale", like an airbnb of things? Most tool libraries seem to be local.

      Of course there's a logic to local, as you'd have to pick up the item.

      But what if the platform turned people's homes into mini tool libraries so to speak, and the platform facilitated the exchange. As opposed to a depot style method.

      • Switchblade88 on 27/06/2023 - 10:56
        +12

        Anything wider than local doesn't work. Shipping or freight for a mower doesn't make sense, for example.

        Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree is also the biggest competitor. I can buy a temporary item, use it, then sell with no fees/insurance/subscriptions.

        The idea is interesting, but immediately breaks down when you try to identify who is funding/supplying the process - I certainly couldn't afford it, and I wouldn't contribute my tools to the pool since I actually need them on demand - and that doesn't work if some grifter has borrowed my drill and not returned it. I wouldn't be the only person like this. Then you're back to a local & centralised pool like the ones I linked.

        Assuming all others with quality tools would think alike and would not share, then you're left with a 'library' of junk like old car seats that nobody actually wants - when then leads straight back to selling on Facebook as a better option that provides cash to the owner instead of having an item sitting there waiting to be borrowed.

      • JimmyF on 27/06/2023 - 16:24
        +1

        Most tool libraries seem to be local.

        Have you seen the price of postage!? Of course it has to be 'local'.

        • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 21:00
          +5

          lemme just auspost you a lawn mower real quick

      • morse on 28/06/2023 - 05:46
        +3

        Tool libraries make more sense as they have volunteers for maintenance, know how into how to use the product, the liability if something is broken sits with the community. If it’s and individual you’re borrowing from presumably if it’s broken the liability would sit with the individual borrower. If the equipment isn’t probably maintained who is at fault if there is an injury?

        The other thing that is quite common is just local community Groups that can be ‘buy nothing’ sometimes people ask to borrow on these groups too. Not to mention just having mates. People get to know each other and lend things to one another pretty routinely. Then there’s hire places and buying second hand, or buying then using and when done re-selling.

        Given all of the above I don’t know about the utility of it. You’d probably need to make local pick and option, but that might put some people off - same way marketplace does.

        • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 21:00
          +3

          Yeah but all of these ideas get in the way of OP being the CEO of the "airbnb for things"

      • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 20:59

        The tool library that was linked including an inner west one is literally what you are wanting to offer as a service. It even uses the same verbage you are using "library of things" "borrow rather than buy" etc. The difference is in how it's implemented. You're expecting the individual homeowner to be the library, and that just will not work.

        As opposed to a depot style method.

        Please go away, think about this, and come back with answers to all of the concerns I and others have raised about your idea. If you're unable to do that, then this idea is dead in the water (well, not really, because it exists already).

  • GordonD on 27/06/2023 - 10:23
    +6

    if it's not returned, the pre-auth is activated and the borrower effectively bought the item

    A problem with the idea is that the people who are most likely to want into a scheme like this are the ones who are least likely to have the money available to "pre-buy" them.

    Plus there's the issues JimmyF points out.

    There's maintenance costs. Every time something is used it gets closer to being worn out and there's a chance it will break. Especially is its being used by people who don't own it, and can just leave it for someone else to fix or replace as needed.

    And there's administrative costs of running a scheme like this. Its not going to be anythink like as small as $1/month.

    Sorry, its an idea that would be great if it worked, but its just not practicable.

    • Gaz1 on 28/06/2023 - 14:52
      +2

      Wow - that is a great implementation.
      $85/year is the only cost, run by volunteers, online search & booking and the "library" owns everything.
      Great for sustainability & ideally these places could be setup around the country - possibly even getting small grants from the Government.

  • Once on 27/06/2023 - 10:43
    -2

    Thanks for the discussions so far! Lots of really valid points.

    I want to hone in on a more broad vision of the platform:

    1. What if it also allowed you to rent out and sell things as well (ie gumtree but includes sharing; ebay without the heavy fees)? But sharing is still an option, especially for those who are inclined to be more sustainable and support a circular economy? So the owner can choose to rent out or sell the item if they want as well, instead of sharing for free.

    2. Things more likely shared might be things which aren't necessarily expensive to repair or replace, like books, non-electrical things like big pots for big events or car booster seats for kids or a non-expensive bike someone wants to use for a fun run. We all have things in our home that just sit around and sharing them out might be satisfying in itself and build new community.

    3. Just like Airbnb, there would be a strong emphasis on personal verification, ratings and reviews. Apparently Airbnb has a very low theft/damage rate for owners things, even though many Airbnb homes have nice things in them.

    4. The platform could provide automatic insurance up to a certain value. And restrict from sharing things out that are high-value to prevent complications.

    Thanks for helping explore this idea. Critical feedback is good, it helps to kill the idea or pursue it, but it would also be good to discuss possible solutions to the problems, if the idea has some merit (some seem to say "it would be good it it worked").

    I love this story from someone, esp the having coffee part and building a new friendship:

    I live in a small village not far from where I grew up and my parents still are. I personally don't have big tools. Recently, I needed a power washer and I called up my dad who told me that one of my childhood neighbours has one. One phonecall later, he turned up with it at my door. We had coffee together before he left. I used the washer the next day and brought it back. It's great, the whole neighbourhood my parents live in share tools, appliances and produce like eggs and stuff they grow in their gardens. Life's good.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 11:00
      +9

      I love this story from someone, esp the having coffee part and building a new friendship:

      Your app does not facilitate this wholesome experience. Your app idea creates an environment where consumers are putting themselves at huge financial risk for very little reward.

      • CrowReally on 27/06/2023 - 12:17
        +2

        Yeah, Once, the "this person knows my dad and there's larger repercussions of things going wrong" is a thing that doesn't cross from powerwasher anecdote to app business model.

        It feels like you're targeting the part of the market that doesn't want to/can't afford to rent a powerwasher from Bunnings/Kennards/etc. If and when things go wrong, you're going to get a feel-bad sobstory and no cash.

        Small tool local libraries and such (Men's Sheds etc) already exist and do this well enough (because we're back to the "local from my neighbourhood" social cost).

        As others have said, it's a nice concept but it's not a scalable business idea.

        • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 13:15
          +1

          It feels like you're targeting the part of the market that doesn't want to/can't afford to rent a powerwasher from Bunnings/Kennards/etc. If and when things go wrong, you're going to get a feel-bad sobstory and no cash.

          Ironically they are also expecting these people to have a pre-auth hold for the amount of the tool on their card lol

    • blitz on 28/06/2023 - 09:31

      I want to hone in

      "home in".

      • Eeples on 28/06/2023 - 12:12
        +1

        Thank you for correcting this typo/mistake.

      • BartholemewH on 29/06/2023 - 12:29

        Hone in is correct in this instance.

        'to move toward or focus attention on an objective'.

        • blitz on 29/06/2023 - 14:56
          -2

          Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide
          Most usage commentators consider hone in to be a mistake for home in. The use may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or it may have developed simply because of the influence of hone, with perhaps an underlying sense that "honing" figuratively involves a narrowing or sharpening of focus. Whatever the explanation of its origins, it has established itself in American English and has begun to make a few inroads into British English as well. Even so, your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in is an easy alternative.

    • sheebies on 01/07/2023 - 15:11

      Car booster seats for kids sounds like a terrible idea.

      There are so many factors that can weaken car seats.
      Sun damage, accidents and that doesn’t even include the 10 year expiry window. You can’t really guarantee the safety of those kinds of items and a lot of parents I know wouldn’t trust them.

  • Once on 27/06/2023 - 10:51
    +1

    Highlighting some key demographics:

    • Uni students who are more inclined to borrow or rent
    • People living in a location temporarily (eg. for work), and don't want to buy/accumulate
    • Travellers who need things temporarily, even for example borrowing the washing machine/dryer for 2 hours (and have a cuppa with the local while at it)
    • As pointed out, parents who are happy to share toys to increase variety…
    • Small businesses looking for more sustainable ways of using things, as they also may not want to consider the storage / upkeep of buying things
    • Senior citizens who also don't want to be accumulating, but may want to pick up new hobbies (borrow a camera for the weekend)

    Just like before Airbnb there were already many options for stays, Airbnb made it scalable and efficient. That's what I'm trying to explore, to "universalise" tool libraries so to speak.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 10:59
      +3

      Uni students who are more inclined to borrow or rent

      These people also don't have thousands of dollars to have pre-auth on their accounts or accept the risk of losing it entirely with your business model.

      As pointed out, parents who are happy to share toys to increase variety…

      You want people to share toys for kids via your app?

      Senior citizens who also don't want to be accumulating

      Yeah this is rife for abuse

    • rumblytangara on 27/06/2023 - 11:39
      +2

      Senior citizens who also don't want to be accumulating, but may want to pick up new hobbies (borrow a camera for the weekend)

      Just picking up on this one because cameras have been mentioned a couple of times. I have some fairly good camera gear sitting around that hasn't been used much recently.

      There is no way on earth that this gear is going to end up in the hands of an unvetted rando. Even in my circle of friends, there are probably only 3 people who know how to use gear like that properly. Two of those three people already have better/more equipment than mine. One of my cameras, I dropped about 2 feet when new. It's fine but now has a scratch in the casing- when I dropped it I was okay with it but thought "well, that's knocked about $300 off the resale value. Good thing I'm not planning to sell it."

      Conversely, bang a $2000 zoom lens around and you might not leave marks, but you can bump internal lenses out of alignment. Servicing to fix this would cost… I don't know. $300-500 at a guess, and it would be impossible to prove who was responsible for the damage. There are business that exist to rent out camera gear- daily rates are not cheap, because these businesses exist to make money, but also because they would have ongoing maintenance/servicing costs for their inventory.

      Anything high tech, that requires careful handling or expertise (drones would be another one that's been mentioned), would not lend itself to this kind of idea.

      Personally, stuff that I am happy enough to lend out to a random stranger is stuff that I would probably be happy just to have out of my life. I just give stuff away instead- would not want to be constantly interacting with strangers or keeping track of it.

      I've seen one type of equipment on Gumtree that I though "hey, maybe I'd hire that" but it's fairly specialist. Rooftop luggage boxes for car trips. Fairly expensive to buy new, useless most of the year. But they are the opposite of delicate tech- they're simply big sturdy boxes that are well nigh impossible to destroy.

    • morse on 28/06/2023 - 05:53
      +1

      Travellers who need things temporarily, even for example borrowing the washing machine/dryer for 2 hours (and have a cuppa with the local while at it)

      Laundomat.

      Even invited guests in my house have make a mess of my dryer in the past. I don’t want randoms rocking up at my house to use my washer or drier. I’d do it for a friend if theirs broke or they were travelling, but that’s it.

      • ihbh on 30/06/2023 - 20:52

        Not to mention billing them for 2 hours of your time for the cuppa.

    • SpicyStew on 30/06/2023 - 23:50

      if its scalable then start small with low risk and scale out as needed.

      airbnb started with a single loft turned bed and breakfast, complete with a sleeping mat and breakfast to "make a few bucks".

      you're thinking way too far ahead

  • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 10:58
    +4

    This is one of those "great in theory but bad in practice" ideas. pretty sure there's already a community website like this and it's not big.

    Things can be anything an owner is willing to share, like a mower, a camera, or a formal suit.

    So for $1 a month I can borrow as many things as often as I like? What if 10 people want to borrow my lawn mower but I don't really want to borrow anything, I'm at a net loss due to wear and tear on my items?

    such as pre-auth of the value of the item on the borrower's card

    So if I want to borrow a $1000 suit I'm outlaying $1000 for a pre-auth that I may lose? LOL no thanks

    Any material damage is also deducted off the pre-auth (relative to the value lost)

    Who decides the value of the material damage? Is a tear in a $1k suit worth $250? How do you determine damage on a lawn mower? What if a freak accident causes damage to the product and now I'm out thousands of dollars?

    if it's not returned, the pre-auth is activated and the borrower effectively bought the item

    Huh? So how are you going to deal with the abuse that this is going to create where a seller says the item wasn't returned but the buyer insists it was? Is everyone going to have to video record themselves handing things back and forth? What about condition of items that people disagree on? If an item is returned with a scratch that was there before etc.

    This is fraught with issues that I can't see being viable from a business perspective or a consumer perspective.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 27/06/2023 - 10:59
    +3

    Following on from JimmyF's comment. Say I get a drill that's been used 100 times before I borrow it, I take it for the weekend and through pure wear and tear and no fault of my own the thing breaks. I now have to front up for a new drill which I then have to hand over. So for me the yearly membership fee is now $12 + the cost of a new drill. A drill would be on the low end too, things would get messy quickly with people pulling the short straw on a $1k+ piece of equipment.

    For this idea to work you would have to average out the lifespan of items to create a cost per use and work that in somehow. Maybe you pay a membership fee which allows you to access cost price rentals, the rental fee then goes into a pool of money, once an item breaks or it has reached the end of it's averaged lifespan the original owner gets paid out. If you pull your item out of the rental pool before the end of it's lifespan/it breaks you don't get anything.

  • onetwothreefour on 27/06/2023 - 11:16
    +3

    Wouldn't everything end up in the bottom of a river like the shared bicycles?

    • Cluster on 28/06/2023 - 17:06

      Not everyone is a raging a55hole. Plus the bikes end up in rivers because anonymous people throw them in there, not the renter themselves.

  • payless69 on 27/06/2023 - 11:17
    +1

    If the admin is NOT corrupt and every member has their current card registered this could work.

    But rules are rules. Becoming slack is not an option.

    When somebody started Car Next Door it actually worked. But when Uber took over they have the draconian power to enforce rules.

    • Once on 27/06/2023 - 11:26

      Thanks for the feedback.

      Airbnb and Canva had their fair share of naysayers. And mind you I don't mind the critical comments they're really helping me think through everything!

      There are lots of rental solutions out there, I'm just trying to explore the sharing aspect. As I said, the solution would cater for sharing, renting and selling, so there are different economic opportunities available. I know it's a bold to try compete with the giants, but that's what Airbnb did in their early days, despite people saying "who would stay with strangers, what about creeps, what about theft", etc.

      And again, I'm perfectly good to kill this idea, just want to see if anyone thinks there are avenues for it to work. If not, all good I'm really grateful for everyone's contributions - really good to have this community to talk to!

      • payless69 on 27/06/2023 - 11:47
        +1

        Sadly if it comes to money collection, Australia is a sort of "puppet" of Visa and Mastercard. Now Europe fears far worse. No card for the European Central Bank. Nothing to make the Euro attractive.
        Both India and China are working hard on their own payment systems.
        Look at Amazon: In a nutshell they are just a drop shipper. BUT: Draconian rules!
        Jack Ma got rejected 14 times as a kitchen cleaner of KFC so he went out to do a Bezos on his own.
        If you are thinking of starting a hire company meh it is a TOUGH world!

      • coffeeinmyveins on 27/06/2023 - 16:51
        +2

        Airbnb and Canva had their fair share of naysayers.

        They are the exceptions. Your idea would likely fall in the other 99.9999% of startups and ideas that never make it past seed funding round A.

        but that's what Airbnb did in their early days, despite people saying "who would stay with strangers, what about creeps, what about theft", etc.

        TBH I would get it out of your head that your idea for a sharing economy (which, has been done already btw) is on the same level of AirBNB or any of those companies.

        Everyone here has given you more than a dozen things you need to figure out how to solve before this even gets off paper.

      • gromit on 29/06/2023 - 16:22

        Airbnb still loses billions of dollars, it is a success as it has huge investors willing to take those losses in the hope of one day getting a payday. these are also success stories that are tiny successful specks of sand on a vast beach of failed startups.

      • SpicyStew on 30/06/2023 - 23:58

        you can't think through everything, you have to do things through everything.

        look at how airbnb and canva started not how they are now.

        start small less risk. success will determine if you want to scale out or kill the idea, not discussions.

  • tsunamisurfer on 27/06/2023 - 11:23
    +3

    Sharing / lending is not a great model.

    Just look at the people out there in Gumtree and FBMP land.

    There are just too many characters out there to ensure a reciprocal cycle.

  • djsweet on 27/06/2023 - 11:43
    +1

    I don't think its a bad idea. Obviously there are a lot of ins-and-outs to consider, just as there are with any business ideas. There are obviously going to be a lot of people pointing out every which-way it can go wrong, but I wouldn't let that discourage you. Just need to make sure to take into account various pitfalls which people have already mentioned. Who dares wins. Many successful businesses are built despite people negging the idea to oblivion. Good luck to you

    • Once on 27/06/2023 - 11:48

      Thank you. I’m not trying to force this idea just trying to get all the angles and everyone here has helped! Negging is fine it’s better than platitudes. Really appreciate the encouragement.

    • SpicyStew on 01/07/2023 - 00:01

      who dares wins

      who dares could win

  • Benoffie on 27/06/2023 - 12:10
    +5

    It's called family. Pass it around, stash it at someone else's place, then recall it when needed. Problem solvered.

    • djsweet on 29/06/2023 - 11:09
      +1

      Yeah lending the bbq to family and then not picking it up again till required for the next party etc is the best. All the pros of having a bbq, none of the cons.

  • FirstWizard on 27/06/2023 - 13:07
    +1

    I've used carpet shampooers from Bunnings a few times. It's about $40/24hrs and something I'd never buy for myself.

    Hiring a professional cleaner with the tools is way more expensive. Of course, you do pay with your time, but if want to DIY, then good to have the option.

    So I do wish this could be the case for many other things.

    • afoveht on 27/06/2023 - 13:54
      +5

      I've always thought a "street lawnmower" would be a good idea, with optional full service if someone is so inclined to offer. The number of lawnmowers just sitting around most of the time…

      • morse on 28/06/2023 - 06:04
        +1

        I’ve thought the same, it comes down to the local community being organised. In reality most people already own one, so when someone new moves in they’d have to take the initiative as most others are sorted. Of course over time they break or need upgrading, but it needs that one person to start it and let others know.

        • afoveht on 28/06/2023 - 09:00
          +1

          Looking at the poll results and comments here it's clear why this isn't being done. I would have expected more "sounds good in theory but have concerns" but it seems "I just want my own" to be the dominant force. It's such a waste of both personal and common resources. "Believin all the lies that they're tellin ya, buying all the products that they're sellin ya."

          • morse on 28/06/2023 - 17:26

            @afoveht: True to a point but I think more people here are commenting that there are already community tool libraries which might make more sense than this much larger online platform. There is one in my area, but I’m waiting until I really need something before I join. Unfortunately like many others I’ve already bought most of the things available in the tool library - I guess that’s where this idea could be good, for great diversity of things eg I wouldn’t mind having a thermal camera to check for leaks and termites every now and then, but it’s expensive and I wouldn’t use it often, I’d join a tool library if it had that.

          • BartholemewH on 29/06/2023 - 14:57
            +1

            @afoveht: I think most of these would be, "it's a nice idea, but I have an overwhelming amount of concern".

            OP didn't include such an option, because the idea is a goer, in their mind.

  • ozhunter on 27/06/2023 - 13:36
    +1

    Depends of the item.

    If needed frequently - buy outright
    if needed occasionally - can ask family/friends
    if needed rarely - hire

  • samyall on 27/06/2023 - 13:37
    +1

    This idea like lots of the "X for Y" type struggles with the problem of how do you get a critical mass? Most people will prefer to go on FB Marketplace because they already have FB installed on their phone.

    If you do decide to go ahead with it, you should try and partner with some student accommodation or a similar captive audience to prove the worth.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 09:45

      If you do decide to go ahead with it, you should try and partner with some student accommodation or a similar captive audience to prove the worth.

      This suggestion has been thrown around by OP and others but given their 'business model' can a student pay $500 on a pre-auth to use a drill for the weekend? Plus accept the risk that they may lose it? I don't think so

  • JIMB0 on 27/06/2023 - 14:21
    +2

    So like a swingers group but for stuff. Lend something out and it comes back screwed.

  • pinchies on 27/06/2023 - 14:51
    +2

    One word: Insurance

    I run my own online rental business for a few things I own that I don't use often. Easier to do it myself, define the rental price, terms, location, policies etc, than join a rental service, but the downside is that I made the decision to self-insure. Even then, there are things I own (e.g. my good camera) that are more fragile, that I would not feel comfortable to rent out unless the hosting service offered external insurance could be arranged at a reasonable price.

  • brendanm on 27/06/2023 - 16:32
    +1

    No thanks, I don't like my stuff being ruined.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 09:45

      Imagine lending your drill only to find out that they built a house with it over a weekend so they burnt the motor, ruined all the drill bits and scuffed it. LOL

  • mitt on 27/06/2023 - 18:39

    Some librarys are already holding tools for loans under the existing borrowing system.

    Sounds like an idea to pitch to your local council/library.

  • poboy on 27/06/2023 - 21:23
    +1

    I like you striving for an idea. There may be a reason a service such as this doesn't exist.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 09:46

      It does exist, just google it, but it's not as big as OP wants it to be.

  • morse on 28/06/2023 - 06:00

    Is there a points system in this scheme, or can some people only take and not offer anything to borrow? What if they just offer random stuff that no one wants to borrow, but borrow all the good stuff. Tradies could just sign up and borrow tools instead of renting or buying taking advantage of others good will. It seems like people would need to get something out of it to want to participate.

    If there’s a pint scheme it become very similar to bartercard or just currency, plain old AUD.

  • Sinnerator on 28/06/2023 - 08:33
    +4

    You forgot the biggest problem in your good idea

    HUMANS !

  • jacross on 28/06/2023 - 10:37
    +3

    I'm a member of a tool library. It's very good but slightly different to the idea you have presented as the tools are owned and maintained by the library. I've donated a few things to it.

    Seperate to this I'm about to lend a $200 item to someone I don't know. I find people are pretty trustworthy for the most part and I'm willing to take the hit if it doesn't work out. I think a key element for your idea is ensuring there is a mechanism for ensuring users can be charged for losses/breakages. If that was covered, is be interested in your service. You may find you have some administrative business costs you'd need to investigate.

    Ozbargain culture is pretty covetous and greedy so this site may not represent your target market. May represent some problem people you would need to deal with though.

  • Cave Fire on 28/06/2023 - 14:15

    Yeah thinking about something similar with secondhand market. People probably have stuff lying around but can't be bothered listing etc. So a gap exists between seller and buyer. Or would be willing to lend, perhaps for a fee? Gumtree etc kind of locked up with shadow results etc.

  • Gaz1 on 28/06/2023 - 14:58

    I've sometimes looked at all the stuff I've bought over the years, often only using once (but really needed it at that time) & thought it would be great if there was some way of sharing the seldom used item in the local community as it seems so silly everyone buying one. Of course most of these things are cheap, so we all just buy them for the convenience.
    I like the Sydney Library of things concept mentioned by John above - community run & if they get things by donation solves a lot of the issues.

  • Herbse on 28/06/2023 - 15:12
    +1

    It's a nice thought but people are (profanity) and they barely respect their own shit let alone other people's shit.

    Having a damage clause is nice but people will just refuse to pay, or provide a credit card with no balance if asked for. And chasing people up endlessly and getting debt collectors is pointless because people just have to refuse to pay and eventually you have to give up.

    Asking for the value of the item up front is also useless because if people had that much money to spare they'd probably just buy it themselves.

    It could work if you have one or two things you want to rent on gumtree or marketplace to people who you think you can trust. I've seen this on marketplace and used other people's lawn aerator and dethatcher etc.
    But as a business (if that's what you are considering), unless you have a large range and deep pockets to accept the losses and make up for it elsewhere like Kennards Hire do. Then I think relying on the goodness of people to do the right thing is a bad choice.

  • showzen on 28/06/2023 - 15:35
    +1

    The Olio app allows you to lend and borrow things.

    Although perhaps it wasn't popular as it isn't the app's main focus anymore.

  • joelmuzz on 28/06/2023 - 16:28

    There are already a bunch of these and always have been.
    The government libraries for one.
    Lots of clubs or co-ops ranging from toys, tools, farming equipment, warehouse space, holiday houses, supercars, yachts, aircraft, fashion clothing/items.

    Assuming non-free or tax funded, you usually buy into the club and then pay monthly/yearly dues, maybe a wear and tare fee eg a clothing club might require drycleaning fee every usage. If damaged then you get the bill for repairs or value loss. You are basically a shareholder of a non-profit business.
    Like any business they will go bankrupt if dues arent covering the operating costs or they suffer a string of expensive asset losses.

    The problem with loaning/sharing anything is that some people have zero respect for items and they get wrecked real fast.
    You end up needing staff who are either volunteers or employees to deal with the administration of damage checks, maintenance and admin paperwork for insurance etc.

  • H3R34TH4C0MM3NTS on 28/06/2023 - 17:54
    +1

    We already have this in some form in terms of shared public services and assets, it often doesn't end to well because collectively and culturally we lack personal accountability.
    Some things just don't work well under a "Shared ownership" model just look at the state of our public transport assets.
    This is why we can't have good things

  • witsa on 28/06/2023 - 18:56
    +2

    Like many say, I don't think the idea on its form will scale. All risk and no rewards for "sharing" an item and too many complications.

    However maybe just needs the right pivot.

    Instead of a library of things, maybe create a system to create small local shared ownership groups. So maybe instead of buying a lawn mower, it helps you find a group of people nearby who is willing to pool their funds together to get one or you can buy into an existing group and get access to that lawnmower.

    Obviously there would still be issues like where would it be stored, who would use if two people needed at the same time. I guess your app would need to have rules to manage this.

  • RolandWaites on 28/06/2023 - 20:43

    Works better if there is a central location from which people borrow. A tool library, for example. That way the collective income from rentals is enough to cover any damage and issues with items when they are returned. That's the only way I can see it working on scale. Otherwise if I'm renting out my $200 tool, at $10 a time, I need to rent it out 20 times before I have the security of knowing that if and when it breaks I am not out of pocket. A company can cover that more easily with scale.

    Not saying I wouldn't like it to be a thing. I would. I just think it wouldn't work.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 28/06/2023 - 21:02

      A tool library you say

      Not saying I wouldn't like it to be a thing

      There are many more but this is one. http://www.innerwesttoollibrary.com.au/

      • Hangryuman on 29/06/2023 - 12:34

        yair - I just checked that out - looks like a shared attraction with maybe the Petersham Lawn Bowls club - where the club is looking to attract paying visitors, and see sharing their commercial space as helping attract members

        the tool library members become a kind of social club where locals can walk up and borrow and have a friendly chat - so the social licence from a local community

        yair as an old retired DIY guy looking to downsize I have many tools I'd happily donate to such a local thing if I could feel comfortable with, but so far I've not found it.

        as for a scalable business model, I loved free Couchsurfing, and having tried too many AirBnb places, found that I loathe that business model so no longer use it.

        Doing business with friends - you tend to lose both …

  • freelife on 28/06/2023 - 22:11

    Reading the posts seems most comments revolve around major financial loss, esp power tools, high value tools etc. As the post suggested, the platform would also offer renting and selling, so suggests there are other ways to make money to cover subscription fee, and maybe contribute to costs for things shared for free. It would definitely be uphill competing with marketplaces/gumtree/ebay.

    Seems like the main idea is to make people share more, while still providing options for income. For sharing, maybe it's simple stuff like books, cheap furniture (plastic chairs for events), props (maybe local play), plants (contractor staying in a location for a month), or clothing (nice clothes for uni students applying for jobs). Tools, expensive items, etc. can all be excluded or at the discretion of owner. Tools, electronic gear etc make up some % of "things". Traditional libraries with books have nothing but books, so it seems the post suggests everyone can share other things (one person might not make a dent, but maybe collectively have impact).

    As someone pointed out, in the current situation of increasing global population and everyone amassing things for self, it seems so wasteful. And it's being milked by big companies constantly pushing ads to buy more. Charities can't even accept all donations they get and landfills are overflowing. Things pile up in people's home and some even pay for external storage just to keep stuff! Lots of these are valid.

    Would imagine there are those who just wouldn't use tool libraries (not their vibe) or can't access one, but would consider a trust transaction via an app for the odd thing every now and then, especially if there are ratings/reviews and verified users, just as many sharing platforms have implemented to promote trust and security. There's also the financial benefits, borrowing instead of buying - I guess only borrower benefits here, but the owner/sharer could equally be a borrower.

    So yeah, lots of angles to the idea. Definitely not straightforward and lots of issues to iron out, if even possible to…

  • scanuck on 28/06/2023 - 22:55

    Haven’t read all the replies - but the cost of consumables? Oil, petrol, blades, bits etc

  • Davo1111 on 29/06/2023 - 06:03

    FB group "Buy nothing (suburb name)"

  • Thaal Sinestro on 29/06/2023 - 06:53
    -1

    I like the idea of people sharing things they only rarely use, but unfortunately a lot of people don't take care of things they don't own. For instance, rental or library DVD or music CDs can have a lot of scratches that prevents them playing at certain points. It horrifies me when I see someone open a newish book and then press down hard on the open book, breaking the glued spine.

    • Hangryuman on 29/06/2023 - 12:36
      +1

      'people don't take care of things they don't own'

      reminds me of David Letterman's Late Show from NYC

      'what's the fastest car ? a RENTAL car - you can go anywhere, at any speed …'

    • leiiv on 30/06/2023 - 15:23

      a lot of people don't take care of things they don't own

      This. And there are also a lot of people who don't take care of things, regardless whether they own it or not.

      And some people throw away a lot of stuff that are just a little bit broken (and can be easily fixed), or stuff they don't need anymore.
      Because for them selling or even giving away causes too much trouble.
      Even our shops and supermarkets throw away a lot of things instead of giving them away for free.
      Can we do something with that first?

  • idonotknowwhy on 29/06/2023 - 09:10

    So someone borrows my Switch Pro Controller for a weekend, returns their one with stick drift, claims it's just wear and tear?
    Pass.

    Also, hate lending people things. You know what i buy people for presents? The $10 drill-bit set from bunnings, so they stop borrowing my drill bits!

  • THICKnSLOW on 29/06/2023 - 09:38

    For the chance some random person breaks your things, no thanks.

    Community verges with fruits and vegetables is a better idea, we need to become more self reliant in our communities and less dependent on imported fruits and vegetables 'because it's cheapa'

    • ferguson on 29/06/2023 - 18:53

      And the same few people will come and raid them all and contribute nothing back.

      • THICKnSLOW on 29/06/2023 - 20:31

        Nothing a pitchfork and shovel cannot fix 😁

  • Wiede on 29/06/2023 - 10:01

    You just invented timeshare

  • plmko on 29/06/2023 - 10:10
    +1

    Lol at everyone here giving free focus group feedback

    • DONMAI on 29/06/2023 - 15:15

      i would never use a service like this

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