Zipflip, a web-based peer-to-peer marketplace for buying and selling used cars, beat out 17 other teams to win both the grand prize and Consumers’ Choice awards at Edmunds.com’s 2015 Hackomotive event.
Patterned after the tech industry’s problem-solving hackathons, Hackomotive is a competition where innovators and entrepreneurs in the car shopping industry re-imagine the future of car shopping. For three days in Santa Monica, Ca., the Zipflip team worked with mentors and industry experts and pitched to judges, consumers and students, all to develop ideas into products and services that improve the car shopping experience.
“Simply being invited to compete was a huge honor, but to win the Grand Prize and the Consumers’ Choice Award – we’re on cloud nine right now,” said Tim Kelly, Zipflip CEO and third-generation auto dealer. “Our team is making final adjustments in preparation for a beta launch in Chattanooga next month, and we can’t wait to hear what our friends and neighbors think about the Zipflip experience.”
Officials said, "Each month in Hamilton County, roughly 1,000 cars are sold person-to-person, through sites like Craigslist and shoe-polished “For Sale” signs scrawled on windshields. Starting in late spring, however, Chattanooga-area residents will have the first opportunity to experience a better car buying process using Zipflip during its beta launch."
According to Edmunds.com, Zipflip “adds a major element of trust to the [car-buying] process . . . so that private car buyers and sellers can feel more confident about the sale.” The app walks users through every step of the transaction, from setting a price, to seller and title verification, to secure payment options and conversations conducted through private messaging. Customized car stickers replace magic marker For Sale signs, and sellers even get to name their cars, making it a zip for interested buyers to remember the details about each car they consider.