“Gumtree is an online store that stocks everything, but there has always been an offline element to it; the delivery and payment of the goods you buy,” says Johan Nel, director-GM of Gumtree South Africa. “While some individuals prefer to handle the transaction and delivery themselves (as buyer and seller), others want the e-commerce experience of online payment and door-to-door delivery. Now, we can cater to both preferences.”
The new feature will appear on ads in the Phones, Computers and Sports and Leisure sections and will allow buyers to pay for items safely and securely without having to carry cash or meet the seller in person. Shepherd will handle the safe delivery of the item.
“This minimises the risk for both parties. Customers click on the Pay with Shepherd button when it appears on an ad and they will be redirected to the paywithshepherd.com site, where the ad details will appear in full. The money will be held in a secure trust account. Once the buyer receives the item via our courier, he or she can accept or reject it. The funds are only released to the seller when accepted. The seller in turn will be notified via SMS and email of the funds that were reserved. Sellers can verify the legitimacy of the SMS on the paywithshepherd.com website or by calling +27 (0) 21-886 7055 if they need added assurance,” concludes Nel.
To use the feature, look out for the Pay with Shepherd button on Gumtree ads, or sign up for Shepherd at paywithshepherd.com.
