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BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

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Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#41

Post by pokoleo »

rodly wrote: post #27

What if the package doesn't fit in any of the available compartments? Does the customer get notified they're package is about to arrive in X (hours, minutes, etc)? This could lead to an angry customer who decided to plan their day around retrieving said package at the estimated arrival time and they find out it's not there? For select distributors, the customer gets to use BB for 'free'. How is this possible? Doesn't…

Based on the ones that I've seen around UWaterloo, they have different sized compartments for differently sized shipments. I'd feel comfortable shipping a snowboard through their box.

You punch in the key code they give you, and the box your package is in pops open.

Apparently they take a percentage of the charge that FedEx/etc would take - it saves the shipping company tons of money not having to have an office/make multiple trips.

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#43

Post by pokoleo »

agotterer wrote: post #36
rodly wrote: post #27

What if the package doesn't fit in any of the available compartments? Does the customer get notified they're package is about to arrive in X (hours, minutes, etc)? This could lead to an angry customer who decided to plan their day around retrieving said package at the estimated arrival time and they find out it's not there? For select distributors, the customer gets to use BB for 'free'. How is this possible? Doesn't…

Also: How does the parcel service get into the locker? Are the lockers inside a retail store front or more like a vending machine that could be (outside) anywhere?

The box in UWaterloo is in a public building in high-traffic area. (almost like a vending machine).

The delivery man (based on some sort of arrangement) fills up the lockers, telling BufferBox what's in each one.

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#45

Post by davidpayne11 »

Thats it..this is getting on my nerves.Look at HN's homepage, of-late, there's been too many articles on un-interesting YC startups (most of them) and worse yet, most of them, from TechCrunch. TechCrunch gets paid for featuring YC start-ups or what?

http://i.imgur.com/imXhb.png

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#46

Post by samstave »

rmc wrote: post #39
samstave wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, can I drop a package in one bufferbox and have it delivered to another? You want to borrow my snowboarding helmet, goggles and gloves. I drop them in my box, select a destination, and buffer box teleports them to your box. Reverse the process when your done with it. Also, I let it be COD - meaning that you, the borrower, pay for the round trip buffer transfer cost.

You mean like a post box?

I have never seen this process work with a post box. Please package in box SFO-03-01-AA and select it to be delivered to NYC-12-02-AC.

While the logistical process is the same, its much more like an inter-office mailstop than it is a post box.

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#48

Post by nchlswu »

agotterer wrote: post #36
rodly wrote: post #27

What if the package doesn't fit in any of the available compartments? Does the customer get notified they're package is about to arrive in X (hours, minutes, etc)? This could lead to an angry customer who decided to plan their day around retrieving said package at the estimated arrival time and they find out it's not there? For select distributors, the customer gets to use BB for 'free'. How is this possible? Doesn't…

Also: How does the parcel service get into the locker? Are the lockers inside a retail store front or more like a vending machine that could be (outside) anywhere?

Packages are sent to a "central" BufferBox address and BB staff fills the locker

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#49

Post by hnriot »

These are ugly things, and I'm sure that it wont be long before they are used for nefarious purposes.

So instead of going to the UPS offices to pick up the package for free, I instead go to one of these for a fee. I don't see the advantage, there are UPS locations everywhere and are easy enough to get to.

This just seems like an ugly solution to a not real problem, and with a WebVan like costly infrastructure before it's even remotely useful. There has to be enough of these ugly green boxes to be more convenient than the just going to the shipping depot, the cost to get to that point seems prohibitively high, after any significant number of boxes they will become targets for theft and vandalism too, another operations cost to deal with. Webvan revisited.

Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages

#50

Post by kineticflow »

hnriot wrote: post #49

These are ugly things, and I'm sure that it wont be long before they are used for nefarious purposes. So instead of going to the UPS offices to pick up the package for free, I instead go to one of these for a fee. I don't see the advantage, there are UPS locations everywhere and are easy enough to get to. This just seems like an ugly solution to a not real problem, and with a WebVan like costly infrastructure before…

>I don't see the advantage, there are UPS locations everywhere and are easy enough to get to.

You must not live in Canada, or any place that isn't super urban. Also, not everyone has a car. I can imagine myself using this if I lived in a dorm, especially far away from home (speaking out of experience).

On theft an vandalism, from what I see in their current installations, they're installed in busy areas inside train stations and school buildings. That's a lot better than hiding things under your door mat or tossing things over backyard fence.

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