Internet personal shopper for internet-free homes

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 5:37 am

Many years ago, maybe before smart phones were a common thing to have, I remember someone told me that in certain communities where internet is banned, the ladies call someone to place their online orders and they pay a few dollars per item or per order.

I'm thinking to do this as a way to earn some money.

Is this service still a thing? Or has it lost its usefulness?

If it's still a thing, which publication would be a good place for listing my service?

Thanks!

33055

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 6:07 am

amother wrote:

Do yo speak Yiddish?

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:25 am

How will they know what to order if they don't have internet? Perhaps a service where you drive to their house, drop off a laptop for an hour and then come back.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:27 am

amother wrote:

Perhaps a service where you drive to their house, drop off a laptop for an hour and then come back.

How would that be helpful if there's no wifi connection?

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:28 am

amother wrote:

How will they know what to order if they don't have internet?

The same items they get at the local pharmacy, such as disposable diapers for babies, shampoo, soap, detergent, sanitary pads, etc.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:33 am

It's not too hard to create a wireless hotspot.
Why be limited to ordering what you already know? I figured that women who don't drive or use the internet would love the opportunity to browse.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:36 am

amother wrote:

It's not too hard to create a wireless hotspot.
Why be limited to ordering what you already know? I figured that women who don't drive or use the internet would love the opportunity to browse.

Maybe so. I thought the idea is to not have internet in the home. Whether for an hour or a month.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:40 am

amother wrote:

Maybe so. I thought the idea is to not have internet in the home. Whether for an hour or a month.

I didn't know that the issue was having it in the house. In that case, have a service where you pick up your clients, bring them to your office or house and let them use the computer themselves. You can hover in the background for tech support and to act as a sort of mashgiach.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:46 am

amother wrote:

It's not what I have in mind. What I have in mind is similar to calling in a grocery order or pharmacy order. Woman calls me, tells me what she needs, I order it for her on Amazon or wherever, and have it shipped to her. Zehu.

amother

Yellow

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:54 am

I really can’t see such a service working.
Most no internet people today have (hidden)internet.

And the ones who don’t, are too fanatic to order from you anyway.

But it may be worth a try, I may be mistaken.

watergirl

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:55 am

You may have hit on a good way to make money with an internet shopping service.

By the way, someone was recently featured in one of the frum magazines for making a business with uber/lyft. People without smart phones call him and he orders the car for them. They pay him an extra few bucks for his service and pay him for the car also. He pays uber and keeps the extra fee. Hes been so busy, he has had to hire employees, and hes ordered cards for people in almost every state and in more than one country. This may be an idea you can copycat on a smaller scale.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 7:58 am

amother wrote:

Years ago it was a thing. I had a friend who asked me to order for her all the time.

amother

Yellow

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 8:00 am

amother wrote:

Years ago it was a thing. I had a friend who asked me to order for her all the time.

Makes sense. But this isn’t years ago anymore. Most Chassidim have internet access somehow.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 8:08 am

amother wrote:

Makes sense. But this isn’t years ago anymore. Most Chassidim have internet access somehow.

That's why in my original post I asked if it's still a thing.
I like the uber idea. How is payment processed? I understand how uber is paid, but don't understand how I'd get paid. Unless I set up a way to process cc payments.

watergirl

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 8:13 am

amother wrote:

I assume he has a credit card processor and people give him their cc numbers and he enters it. Then he pays uber himself and pays himself back with what he charged on their cc. Keep a file safely somehow so they only have to give you their cc number once.

watergirl

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 8:16 am

Here is his website. In the frum magazine, he mainly talked about the people who don’t on smart phones for hashkafa reasons who use him. His website seems like it’s marketing towards older people who don’t have smart phones. Either way, take a look at how it works. Make sure his idea doesnt have a copyright.https://www.fruber.net/

amother

Tan

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 8:59 am

Squishy wrote:

Do yo speak Yiddish?

Why does she have to speak yiddish??

crust

Fri, Mar 23 2018, 9:05 am

Thanks Yael.

OP if you want, I can give you a lead to the couple that used to do it.

Perhaps you can ask them why they stopped doing it.