Ask HN: Rate my app: Gazaro Protect

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1966695

by wrath • 16 years ago

2 3 16 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Re: November Startup Sprint http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1773398

Hey All, sorry for the delay in posting my app. A couple days into writing the app I was having a coffee with my CEO and I was telling him about it. He got very excited about it and he thought it was so good that it might be worth putting more efforts behind it. So we did. It ended up not only being myself creating the app but 4 of us, 2 server dev, 1 designer and 1 iPhone dev borrowed from our friends at @select_start. From start to finish it took us about 3 weeks.

The app is called Gazaro Protect and it let's enter your purchases from Best Buy. Once you enter your purchase(s) we track the prices on a daily basis and if the price goes down we notify you so you can request the difference back from Best Buy (Based on their Price Match Guarantee). It's still up to you to call Best Buy to get the money back but at least you know about it.

There are three ways you can enter your purchases: 1) using our iPhone App, 2) by sending your receipt/confirmation to us, or 3) by entering it manually on our website.

The technologies used are the AppEngine and obviously the iPhone SDK.

We just released the app yesterday and would appreciate any feedback you all have.

http://www.gazaro.com/protect

Cheers,

Wrath

david_shaw• 16 years ago

I generally don't shop at Best Buy because of their exhorbitant prices, but I have to say that this app idea is awesome. Based on the site, it seems to be a really pretty app (again, I'd test it but I don't shop at Best Buy).

You consider extending this service to other well known retailers that operate under a Price Match guarantee. A lot of places advertise price matching (even retroactively), but of course will not go through the trouble to inform you if the price does, indeed, drop.

Very inspirational little app, looks like you developed it quickly and well. I wish you all the best!

dsmithn• 16 years ago

Having worked in retail for a number of years, I would always feel bad after seeing an item go on sale after I helped someone purchase it the day before. I know a lot of consumers would like this, and if I worked at BestBuy I would probably tell my customers to use it.

Does your app look at price drops of competitors? If I buy something at Best Buy and Staples sells the same thing cheaper, will I be notified? Do the notifications stop after the 30 days or however long they guarantee the price for?

wrath• 16 years ago

Not yet, 3 weeks is not a lot of time :) We have looked into it though and it has lots of complexities, not necessarily technically but from a business point of view. Many retailers (including BestBuy) have strict terms on which items can be price matched from other stores (e.g. it can't be an online item, or you have to include the shipping.) And every store has a different policy.

So no we don't do it, yes we'd like to do it, but assuming it really does fit in our plans, it'll be in the future.

Ask HN: Rate my app: Gazaro Protect

Related Stories