MyTAG Wants To Make Local Selling Safer And Simpler

Spotted in the Startup Alley at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2013, myTAG is a soon-to-launch online platform for local selling that aims to make the e-commerce experience more transparent between buyer and seller by adding “social proof” into the equation. That is, instead of only looking at anonymous postings on a community board like Craigslist, myTAG users pull in their eBay and Amazon ratings as well as their social media profiles, and add them to their account to gain legitimacy.

Of course, many of companies have tried to take on Craigslist, and have failed to gain traction. But, explains myTAG co-founder Tony Pham, his platform is differentiated not only by the introduction of social profiles and seller ratings, but also because of its support for video. Buyers and sellers can integrate videos into their posts, instead of just photos. The service has some gamification elements, too, as users can earn “vouches” as others leave them ratings and reviews, and earn badges for reaching specific milestones, like the number of videos they create.