Goozex

Infobox Website
name = Goozex



caption = Goozex logo.
url = http://goozex.com
commercial = Yes
type = Online trading community
language = English
registration = Required
owner = Jon Dugan
author = Flavio Del Greco, Jon Dugan, Mark Nebesky, Valerio Zanini
launch date = July 10, 2006
current status = Active
revenue =
slogan = Your Game Trading Community

Goozex is an online trading community established in July 2006 which allows people to trade video games in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. The name Goozex comes from a shortened version of "Goods Exchanged."cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/05/AR2006110500815.html |title=Anger From 1 Ripoff + 2 MBAs = a Game Plan |accessdate=2008-03-02 |author= Mike Musgrove |date=2006-11-06 |work= |publisher=Washington Post] Goozex uses an internal point system as currency and works as a middleman matching buyers and traders instead of handling the actual games. In November 2007, Goozex was ranked as the best website for trading games online by video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly and GamesRadar.com.cite journal|author=Kyle Orland|first=Kyle|last=Orland|title=Learning a Trade|pages=40|journal=Electronic Gaming Monthly|month=November|year=2007] [cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/ds/nintendo-ds/news/get-games-from-goozex/a-20071220121441138078/g-20060308162345714070 |title=Get games from Goozex |accessdate=2008-03-02 |author=Eric Bratcher |date=2007-12-25 |work= |publisher=GamesRadar] Goozex trades games for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation, PSP, Wii, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, PC, and Macintosh. [cite web |url=http://www.macworld.com/article/57631/2007/04/goozex.html |title=Goozex game trading site adds Mac titles |accessdate=2008-03-02 |author=Peter Cohen |date=2007-04-30 |work= |publisher=MacWorld] As of March 2008, Goozex offers over 27,000 games available for trading.

History

The idea for the site began late 2005 as founder Jon Dugan was annoyed by the low prices he received when trading games in to a local used-video-game store. Dugan teamed up with two other graduates from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland and incorporated the company in March 2006. The site opened to a public beta on July 10, 2006. Within three months, Goozex had 1,500 users signed up trading over 7,000 games. In 2007, it is estimated that if the games traded on the site throughout were piled one on top of the other, the resulting stack would measure 2,132 feet, more than 450 feet taller than Taipei 101. [cite web |url=http://www.goozex.com/community/forums/p/18069/46113.aspx#46113 |title= Thought of the Day |accessdate=2008-03-02 |date=2008-02-18] More than 48.6 million points were exchanged during their first two years, representing over $2.1 million USD. [cite web |url=http://www.destructoid.com/happy-birthday-to-goozex-they-turn-two-today--94572.phtml |title= Happy birthday to Goozex, they turn two today! |accessdate=2008-07-10 |date=2008-07-10 |publisher=Destructoid]

Trading

Trading at Goozex is accomplished by a software algorithm matching buyers and sellers. Buyers request games with varying conditions and are then matched to sellers through a queue system. Each seller has 26 hours to accept the trade and another three days to ship the game to the buyer. After the trade is complete, buyers leave feedback in order to show how well the trade went and if the game was received as expected. This feedback comprises a seller's feedback score.

Trades are made using both points and trade credits. Points are the currency of Goozex and are currently valued at 20 points per dollar. Points are traded between users in exchange for games or bought directly from Goozex. Games are valued between 100 and 1000 points at intervals of 50 points. The game prices are set by Goozex and not individual sellers. The price of games can rise and fall due to a variety of factors. Prices can only change once a week and by a difference of 50 points. Trade credits are paid by buyers directly to Goozex as a commission fee. Each trade credit is good for one game and costs one dollar.

ee also

* Barter
* Electronic commerce
* Trade
* Online trading community

References

External links

[http://www.goozex.com/trading/asp/join.asp?idr=6134013403056 Goozex Website]