You already have a neighbourhood group, where someone asks whose bike is blocking the door. You have a family group, where your aunt sends photos of soup. ツamsterdam is the third one: the market group. You send one message with what you are looking for or want to get rid of, and you get one name back. Since 1 September that happened 760 times, for 709 requests.
What is the market group?
It is a habit you already have, used for asking and offering.
You do not open a website. You do not make an account. You do not download anything. You write a message in the chat app that is already on your phone, the same way you would ask the neighbours if anyone knows a good plumber.
The difference is who is on the other side. The neighbourhood group knows your street. ツamsterdam knows the city: more than 500 people who offer something, from cleaners to piano teachers.
Why one message and not ten?
Because searching is work.
The usual way goes like this. You look up a cleaner. You get a long list. You write to five of them. Two answer, one is full, one is on holiday until spring. A week later you still have a dirty kitchen and five open chats.
With ツamsterdam you write it down once. Something like: "Hi ツamsterdam, I am looking for a cleaner in Oost, one time, three hours, on a weekday, someone who speaks English."
That is the whole job on your side.
Why only one name back?
Because choosing from a row is work too. Ten names means ten conversations and nine times saying no. ツamsterdam does that part and names one person.
If the name is not right, you say no and ask again. You are not tied to anything.
How fast is it?
Usually within the hour. Not always. People are involved, and people have lunch.
The city so far, since 1 September:
| What | How many |
|---|---|
| Requests | 709 |
| Times a name was given | 760 |
| People offering | 500+ |
A name was given more often than there were requests. One reason: an asker who says no to the first name gets another.
What do people ask for?
Mostly the ordinary things. Massage comes first with 409 requests, then a cleaner with 100 and a handyman with 84. After that it gets smaller and stranger: a flute teacher, a pet sitter for large dogs, a bicycle mechanic for a bottom bracket, jiu jitsu private lessons.
One request was for a freestanding walk through closet for an event, inspired by the Barbie film. We did not make that up. We could not have.
What does it cost?
Asking costs nothing. You agree with the other person on what, when and how much, and you pay each other directly. ツamsterdam adds nothing on top.
And who gets named is not for sale. Nobody pays to be the name you receive. Sorry.
What makes a good message?
The more you say, the less goes back and forth. Four things cover nearly everything.
- What you need. "Hang a lamp on a concrete ceiling" beats "small job".
- Where. Your neighbourhood, and the floor if stairs matter. In Amsterdam stairs usually matter.
- When. This week, or it can wait.
- Anything special. A language, a budget, a cat, a key at the neighbours.
One sentence is fine. It is a chat, not a form.
Does it work for things too?
Yes, and that part is new. You can also say what you want gone: a sofa, a bike, a stroller, a wardrobe, a winter coat. Same idea, one message and one name back.
We have no numbers on goods yet, so we will not pretend. From our ad, to give you the tone: "Sofa. Free. Carry it down three floors."
What does ツamsterdam not do?
It does not set prices. It does not take payments. It does not see what you pay in the end. It names a person, and from there it is between the two of you. Like in the neighbourhood group, only the answer comes faster and nobody replies with a thumbs up and nothing else.
In short
One message, one name, usually within the hour. No account, nothing to download, asking costs nothing. Since 1 September Amsterdam asked 709 times and got a name 760 times.
Read on: ツamsterdam, the market group of Amsterdam and What Amsterdam asked for since September.