

BufferBox: We're Joining Google - paulgb
http://blog.bufferbox.com/post/36890312317/were-joining-google

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buster
I'm wondering.. It sounds exactly like what the german post service offers.
You order something, it get's delivered to some automated station where you
can pick up the package at any time.. Is this not common in other countries?

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alexsb92
Nope. The common option in the US and Canada is to get DHL or its equivalent
to come to your door and deliver it. The problem comes when you are not home
and they require a signature. In this case they usually attempt again. If none
of the attempts work, they store it in their warehouses for a bit, and if no
one comes and picks it up, it's returned to sender.

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jessriedel
Speaking of which, why don't someone just sell boxes for peoples homes? You
know, some reasonable size container that you can only put things into but not
take out of. Wouldn't that eliminate that reason for BufferBox? I think the
only use case remaining would be in urban areas where space is at a premium.

EDIT (in response to leddt since I can't reply): if you ask UPS to leave the
packages without signing, will they refuse to do this even if they are placing
it in a secure place?

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rpm4321
I've been thinking that this could be an interesting idea, especially when you
consider that the Webvan model now seems to be becoming a reality. A larger
size delivery box for everything from dry cleaning to packages, maybe with a
refrigerated portion for groceries. Maybe with some kind of access control so
they couldn't be targeted by thieves, with codes that could expire?

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jessriedel
Oh, I really like the idea of using this to launch home grocery delivery.

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rpm4321
Patent pending... ;)

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dpcan
Is this because Google suspects it will need to find a way to compete with the
Amazon lockers?
[http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=...](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200689010)

On a LOL side-note: The last line of the video on their site got awkward. "Let
us handle your package". Gutter brain.

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mikeevans
You'd think they would try to focus on a functional checkout process before
worrying about delivery/pickup.

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irollboozers
On the plus side, I can't wait to order my Nexus 4 off Amazon, and have a
choice of picking it up from my closest Bufferbox vs. Locker.

I just imagined 7/11's everywhere having both Bufferbox's and Locker's right
next to them. One of them should do a deal with Starbucks.

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josh2600
Kickass idea, great execution.

Personally, I think the paint scheme had a lot to do with the success :).
Great to see startups have success with tangible technology.

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moe
This has been available in germany for over 10 years by DHL;
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation>

I'm a bit confused what their strategy is (was?). Competing with the
established logistics multi-nationals, especially when at least one of them
already has the exact same product, seems a rather bold plan.

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rpm4321
Just curious if anyone has heard about the acquisition price? Not sure if that
sort of thing is verboten on HN for a YC co., so apologies if that's the case.

Also, is this the new launch-to-acquisition record for YC?

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gsmaverick
Depends on what you count as launch but BufferBox has been running at the
University of Waterloo for a couple of years already.

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rpm4321
Oh, I didn't know that. I saw YC S12 and assumed they had just launched.

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piyush_soni
Wow. What would Google do with this? I mean, if I understand correctly, it's
just a warehouse which emails you when your package gets delivered there. Free
for now(for publicity), and paid from next year.

Couldn't Google just open their own spare warehouses?

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fudged71
Picture this: BufferBox driverless cars - Automated mailmen. They can meet you
at your house (notify your phone), or they can intercept with your driverless
car while you're in transit to work.

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jobeirne
The "Locations" page looks broken somehow: it's telling me that the nearest
Bufferbox to NYC is in Toronto. Is that actually the case?

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ry0ohki
I think they were only in Toronto: [http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/sorry-we-
missed-you-yc-back...](http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/sorry-we-missed-you-
yc-backed-bufferbox-solves-the-problem-of-missing-packages/)

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tyang
Congrats. You guys were great at Demo Day but my wiser elder angel friends did
not invest so I did not pursue. Oops.

Unrelated: I can't believe Google is branching out to this kind of thing.
Competing with Amazon and Apple? Nexus, Glass, etc.

Google is adding a lot of hardware to its portfolio of products and services.

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justincormack
Not hardware per se but bridges between real and virtual. Streetview is in
that category too for example.

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tintor
What would happen to my package if BufferBox would happen to be full at the
time of delivery? :)

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michaelt
The courier doesn't deliver directly to the box, they deliver to BufferBox's
warehouse (where there's someone to sign for your parcel) then it's taken to
the box.

If the box is full, they hold your parcel until there's space. Presumably they
could offer to deliver to a nearby alternative box if it came to that.

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brackin
It's a little bit of a shame in my eyes. They could've built out a network and
been bought for a lot by Amazon, Rakuten, eBay, Best Buy, etc or have built a
big company. They obviously saw value in joining Google as they were still
early on.

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fraserharris
It gives them significantly more resources to fund expansion and educate
online shoppers about BufferBox. Based on some other Google acquisitions,
there is likely significant upside if they execute on their vision.

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ukd1
Congratulations guys :-)

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ardakara
Congrats guys!

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oh_sigh
Did bufferbox have any patents or other enforceable IP?

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squarecat
I suspect the catalyst for this acquisition was due to one thing: their blog
has an easily identified link to their product site. Startups should take note
of this oft overlooked detail.

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squarecat
WTF? Fuck "engaging in the conversation". What a crock of shit. You make a
demonstrably valid point and fuck it, who cares...

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rpm4321
I didn't downvote you, but I think whoever did assumed that you were mocking
Bufferbox or being sarcastic. I'm not sure how prominently linking to your
site from your blog, while generally good advice, would directly lead to an
acquisition.

