A new classified site is launching in Southern California in an effort to provide a safe environment for private-party sales.
Sellwild went public on Cyber Monday, offering more than 1 million listings ranging from used cars to Christmas trees to pets.
The launch comes as local newspapers have largely abandoned the market and safety issues have arisen in connection with online sites like craigslist.
To get around the safety challenge, Sellwild works with PayPal to hold payments in escrow until a shipment is made.
“We don’t think users should have to meet up and risk theft, injury, or worse,” the company said. “We leverage our PayPal relationship to make it all safe and seamless.”
There is no charge to post an item, but there is a transaction fee upon successful sale..
