Whatnot is a live auction, eBay-style shopping app that provides an experience like no other in which you can bid on items you love, while the seller is showing them to you through your mobile device as a livestream.
The app launched in December 2019, with a focus on buying and selling collectibles, NFTs, Pokemon cards, watches and more. They now have over 50 categories in the app that you can go to watch live shows to make a purchase.
As a frequent user of the app, one of the features I love is that you can place a custom bid on an item, and, when you place the bid, the app will automatically bid up to the amount you want. Another feature I appreciate is that the app allows you to have your choice of payment – whether it’s a credit card, bank account or an alternative, like PayPal.
There are also a lot of sellers who will use giveaways to entice people to join their show, and if you win a giveaway, you’re shown the item and get discounted shipping on any items you buy from that live show. I think this app is a great way for people who love to show off amazing items rather than listing them on a platform with only pictures.
Whatnot also lets you make offers on store items if there is something you really want but can’t afford the price the seller is asking for.
As a seller, this app is wonderful. I love how Whatnot already prints up the invoices for my customers, so I don’t have to take the extra time to create them. The app also has a feature for certain sellers to get an early payout, which would make the money go into your account right after you print the invoices out.
Despite everything I love, there are lots of issues for Whatnot to fix. For example, the shipping costs and fees are quite high. I would like if Whatnot would let me use a different company to print shipping labels, because I could get my customers even cheaper shipping with the other site I use.
I would also love if sellers could respond to negative reviews, because some reviews get posted for something that wasn’t described properly, but maybe the person came into the show late and didn’t catch what you said about the item earlier. Lastly, I wish Whatnot would have more buyers, because the ratio of sellers to buyers is way off. That is what networking and advertising is all about.
Overall, I highly recommend Whatnot if you love the thrill of getting a second-hand item or have a love for vintage items. Whatnot’s future is bright, with many sellers coming on to the app every day to give a great experience for every first-time buyer.
