By Verla Roberts
Class notes scattered around your dorm room and unwanted furniture accumulated throughout the year can turn into some extra cash in your pocket for the summer. A new Web site makes it possible for college students to buy and sell items from each other and was created by a University alumna, Greg Soroka, and University of Maryland graduate Jarrad Lewis.
Uflipit.com made its debut this semester and is free for all college students; all you need is a college e-mail address to sign up.
The idea for a better way to sell unwanted items came about when Lewis was graduating from college.
“I was having a hard time selling my things,” Lewis said. “I thought there had to be an easier way.”
Soroka explained that the name U FLIP IT fit with the concept of improving the wants and needs of students. The U stands for university and the “flip it” is a slang term meaning to sell or trade, Lewis said.
“I think it’s a good site for students to interact and trade items,” Chris Baker, a sophomore political science major said. “If I were in need of something specific I may look on that site for it.”
Over the course of a year the pair researched how to create a Web site and put plenty of work and effort into making the idea a reality.
Members enjoy the benefits of making and saving money through connections to college students locally and nationally, Lewis said. The company does not make a profit from the items students sell.
“As more people get involved, the site will grow and more benefits will come,” Soroka said.
Materials such as class notes, scanned chapters of textbooks and PowerPoint presentations can be uploaded to sell. Lewis explained the uploaded material is locked into the system so the buyer cannot send it to someone else.
“I would use it because it’s like eBay except for college students, so there are more things oriented towards me,” Taylor Brandon, a senior dance major said. “Plus there are school supplies and materials for class that can be found through the Web site.”
Unlike other sites, UFLIPIT does not give out personal information to market research groups, Lewis said. The site also keeps personal information private between other members. They use PayPal, which is an online banking account that keeps an individuals information unknown during transactions. The seller has control over accepting payment options, such as credit card or check. Another option is a Campus Flip. A Campus Flip is when both parties from the same university agree to meet on campus to do the transaction. This option is best when you want to sell a fragile item or don’t want to deal with shipping.
The site not only sells items from college students, but has also made it possible for students to buy items form retail companies such as comfygirl.com, Go Ipods.com and Paintball 365.
“We spent a lot of time getting retailers to sell their items,” Soroka said “It makes people feel comfortable buying items from the site.”
Turn stuff into cash.