Wallapop Review: Virtual Flea Market App

Wallapop

Wallapop is a website and free app which simulates a virtual flea market, allowing you to buy and sell items in your local area.

Claims & Features

• Sell anything easily
• Totally free
• Public profiles and reviews
• No shady business or scandalous deals

Cost & Availability

Free, Available on Google Play, App Store, and is now available with limited options on the web at wallapop.com. A buggy version Windows Phone appears to have been recently removed from distribution.

Wallapop Commercial

The TV commercial below has been airing as of this writing.

Transcript:

There is cash all around you. People are nearby who want to pay for the things you don’t use. Wallapop makes it simple to sell anything. Just download the free app, snap a picture of your item, and it’s instantly listed locally, free.

Wallapop users have profiles and receive reviews so you’ll always know just who you are dealing with. Make some space and earn some cash. Start selling. Download the free Wallapop app today!

Wallapop Reviews

Wallapop could be described as a next-gen Craiglist in the form of a smartphone app. The website allows you to search listings, but asks for you to install the Android or iOS app in order to communicate with sellers or post listings.

It allows sellers to post items, which can be browsed or searched by buyers. Everything is posted and sorted in terms of proximity to the user, so you will be shown items geographically closest to you first.

The app is presented in an attractive Pinterest-looking interface, with options to chat with the seller and see where the item is being sold. In most cases, users are expected to meet up in person to avoid shipping expenses. This, of course means that all users need to exercise cautious safety measures, such as meeting at a public place to finish the transaction.

Merely browsing the app will yield many items in your own neighborhood. A wide variety of items can be found, from kids clothing to cars. Searching for specific items may not provide as many nearby results. A search here in Las Vegas for some items showed results from over 170 miles away. Some listings were also months old.

Although there is a place for sellers to be reviewed, this seems to be under-utilized in some areas, with many sellers having no ratings whatsoever.

Some users have stated that they felt the pricing was higher than would be expected for the same items at a garage sale, but this is certainly going to vary from transaction to transaction. There is also little assistance from Wallapop in terms of arbitration in the case of a disputed transaction.

The fact that Wallapop is free and provides an excellent interface means this app is a true winner. While the app itself has overall high marks, there are a number of complaints regarding no-shows by users who have negotiated a sale but simply do not show up.

As of January 2016 it holds a 4.3 star rating on the Google Play store, and a 4.5 mark at iTunes.

History

The chart below shows search popularity on Google for the term “Wallapop” from 2013 through January 2016. As you can see, the service began to receive significant attention at the end of 2015 when an advertising campaign began.

Epic Conclusion

Wallapop is an app which allows users to buy and sell items locally. It has an attractive interface and offers a large number of items in most areas. The fact that the app is free means this is worthy of a try for anyone who likes to buy and sell used goods.

If you’ve used Wallapop, please give it a star rating and comment below.

This review has been updated since its original publication in October 2015.