Founder of Buy/Sell Facebook group set to launch Buy/Sell app

When making the Buy/Sell Facebook group in November 2013, founder and then-third year Notts student Rebecca de Beukelaer never expected its rapid growth in five years.

"I only expected a couple hundred people to join," says Rebecca, but the group has grown to over 34,000 Nottingham students in just over five years.

After success in creating a space for students to sell tickets, advertise their houses, and hold bouncers accountable, Buy/Sell will soon switch into a mobile app.

Rebecca originally created the group out of a need to create a specific platform for students to buy and sell club tickets

The idea of creating a Buy/Sell app has been in Rebecca's mind for a while. For one, the group gets between 300-1,000 posts a day which is impossible to sort through. "Scammers is one thing," she said, "but the ammount of posts, tickets sold for 4 times original price, and fake accounts make the Facebook group problematic."

For users to join the app, they will need a university email address from Nottingham University or Trent, which guarantees no more fake accounts or scammers.

The app will be divided into 5 categories so users can find what they need quicker, which include Buy/Sell, lost and found, student housing and a travel/lift share section. The ‘search’ option will also allow users to do a quick search for something specific.

If students want a last minute Ocean or Crisis ticket now, they can request the app to ‘notify them when this ticket becomes available’ with a ping to their phone. Sellers will also have to agree that they are not selling above face value when the post a ticket.

When quizzed on Buy/Sell's banter, Rebecca said: "Over the years, Buy/Sell has developed into a place of student community. It’s where students post ‘banter’, post their views, events that happened, or warn others of things, such as burglaries in Lenton. When doing market research, students said it was vital that the app had a section for this, so a ‘The Wall’ category has been added for that purpose."

The Buy/Sell app will be launched on the 30th January, following a launch party at an Crisis all-nighter.

Students who download the app can expect free shots, glitter, free tickets and fun prize give aways!