WeGoLook
WeGoLook is an Oklahoma-based company that dispatches in-person “lookers” to verify claims made by Internet sellers about their products or properties. The service is designed to help people avoid scams on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and online dating sites, especially when purchasing big-ticket items such as a car. The company is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and run by co-founders Mat Smith (CEO), Robin Smith, and Mark Caywood.
History
The WeGoLook idea began when co-founder Mark Caywood wanted to purchase an expensive projector on eBay. Unable to travel to another state to look at the item himself, he talked to Mat and Robin Smith about how he wished he could pay someone to “go look” for him to verify the existence and condition of the projector. The team, which had successful business ventures in the past, realized that no businesses existed that did what they envisioned. In 2009, they formed the company to service consumers nationwide. WeGoLook.com launched in June 2010. (WGL) The company was self-funded, with no investors or debt. It also received a $100,000 “proof-of-concept” award from i2e, a non-profit corporation that supports Oklahoma entrepreneurs.
WeGoLook spent over a year building its network of 7,000 “Looker Inspectors” (up to 7,400 as of August, 2012) across the United States. Lookers are the contractors responsible for actually going into the field to examine items, properties and people. They collect information like model numbers, request a demonstration of the object in action, and record the cosmetic condition of the item. Early challenges in building up the company included struggles with tech developers to create the WeGoLook platform, both to produce what the founders wanted and to launch the business in a timely fashion. Robin Smith also expressed the difficulty of getting attention from media outlets, which she had believed would jump onto what she sees as a useful and different service. In lieu of a large advertising budget, Smith stated that they have relied on “Guerilla Tactics.”
In 2011 Chuck Wepner, the boxer who inspired the “Rocky” movie series, partnered with WeGoLook, speaking in several interviews about consumer fraud and appearing in public events on behalf of the company. Wepner connected his life experience as the authentic version of a character to the company’s services, stating that when you used the company, “you are getting the real deal.” In 2011 and 2012, the company formed several partnerships with other companies interested in fraud prevention, including Escrow.com, auction site Proxibid, Assetbuyer.com, and Scam Detector.
WeGoLook Services
Upon ordering a report, WeGoLook dispatches one of its Lookers to physically examine the item, property or person. Looker inspectors are independent contractors who personally visit the item in question, record details, and assemble a report. Lookers are lay people and cannot offer expert evaluations of an item, but they do undergo a background check. A basic report includes verification of the entity’s existence, a recording of brand, manufacturer, model number, and similar markings, 10 digital photographs, and answers to questions requested by the client. Additional report upgrades are available, such as item history, video, a working demonstration of the object, heavy equipment ACI inspection, and other custom tasks.
The most popular verifications requested are automobiles and heavy equipment, followed by property verifications and online-dating verifications. Property verifications are used by renters, especially of vacation homes or condos, to confirm descriptions match reality before sending a check. They are offered as a way to help renters avoid Craigslist scams in which scammers posed as the owners of properties that weren’t theirs, using pictures and information from genuine listings and offering to send a key after receiving money. Property reports are also used by property owners to check the current condition of a property after storms or tenant departures.
An online-dating report is typically ordered before investing in a trip to meet an online date in person. In a dating report, the Looker meets the date in a public location, takes photos and confirms photo ID, and asks a few customized questions. Reports have been issued on the condition of such diverse matters as a loved one’s gravesite, an antique bayonet, cell “pine tree” towers in California, and items of interest to attorneys in lawsuits. Typical turnaround time for reports is two to three days, depending on the location of the item, property, or person. WeGoLook also offers logistical shipping services. As well as coordinating shipping, WeGoLook provides packaging and shipping supervision to ensure the item is not substituted at any point.