U-Sell

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Inspiration

Inspired by the frustration of seeing campus listings buried within Snapchat stories, U-Sell was created to offer students a dedicated, organized marketplace. Unlike Snapchat, where listings are mixed with unrelated content and lack verification, U-Sell provides a safe, .edu-verified platform focused solely on campus transactions. We've also eliminated the hassle of coordinating meet-ups, allowing students to connect effortlessly and securely over what they need most. It’s a streamlined solution to help students connect over what they need most—without the distraction of mixed social media feeds.

What it does

U-Sell is a marketplace app exclusively for college students, enabling them to buy and sell items within their campus community. Verified with a .edu email, students can list items like clothes, shoes, textbooks, i-clickers, electronics, and dorm essentials, browse by category, and make purchases with confidence. The app ensures listings are exclusive to each campus, eliminating irrelevant content from broader platforms and focusing on student needs. Users can also set alerts for specific items, make wishlists, bid on items (bypassing the one on one with the seller), and leave ratings after transactions, making USell a secure and efficient way to connect students with what they need right on campus. Users register using their university email (e.g., .edu email) to confirm affiliation. This also filters users based on campuses. Students can create listings with photos, descriptions, and prices, organized by categories like textbooks, electronics, furniture, etc. Users can rate each other post-transaction, ensuring reliability and accountability in the marketplace. Students can add items to a wishlist or receive notifications when specific items (like textbooks) are listed at their university.

A key idea behind U-Sell is that sellers and buyers have no interaction: sellers bring their item to a campus U-Sell office as a drop off location on campus with a label generated by us, then our team will verify the package to make sure the product is in the same condition it was listed as. After verification, our team will send off the package. For on campus students, we will utilize the RSD system that is already in place, minimizing the hassle of shipping. For off-campus students, we will utilize our on campus U-Sell office as a pick up location buyers. This setup helps us ensure security and mitigate the risk of scams as we can verify all products before processing payments.

Another cool feature we have is the ability to donate products that you don’t need. As a seller, you would list your item as a donation, and when someone orders it, you use the same process where you drop off and we handle the shipping.

How we built it

We created the UI mockups on Figma and proceeded to use HTML, CSS and React.js for the frontend and Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB for the backend and database.

We used MongoDB Atlas to store our data in collections and query them when we have to using MongoDB's various API functionalities.

Challenges we ran into

For smaller campuses, there might be fewer listings initially. Additionally, although users are verified, scams or misuse can still occur. Another limitation is the user base is consistently refreshed. To solve these problems we would: have a verification team, incentivize students to get on the app as a buyer and possibly a seller, try to get the campus to endorse us

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the fact that we identified the idea based off of personal problems we had faced, and of our UI.

What we learned

Till now, we learned about the audience, what the market looks like, and what our community needs. We ran a survey amongst our peers and they confirmed our suspicions about not being able to use Snapchat or any other marketplace effectively to buy/sell used items. Upon hearing our idea, they were very interested in the donate feature too, as they have a lot of items they want to get rid of and no place to do it.

Future Plans for U-Sell 🚀 Campus Kickoff: We're rolling out U-Sell with zero fees and exclusive student coupons to encourage new users to list and buy right away. Say goodbye to hidden charges and hello to a student-powered marketplace! National Expansion: Starting with five pilot colleges, U-Sell will soon be available nationwide, creating a unique marketplace ecosystem exclusively for campuses across the country. Beyond Just Stuff: We’re adding more valuable listings beyond just items! Soon, you’ll be able to find subleases, buy and sell campus event tickets, and even explore options for textbook rentals, tutoring, rideshares, and more—all tailored to student life. Categories That Matter: New specialty listings will make U-Sell a one-stop campus resource. Find everything from study partners to furniture, rideshares, and more. We’re growing with you and bringing every student essential right to your fingertips.