 "Photo: Karl McDonald")
Uloop invaded the University with its active advertising on sidewalks, kiosks and lecture hall blackboards this week.
Uloop.com is an online service that provides a "trusted and transparent" environment for students seeking anything from textbooks to roommates, said co-founder Ryan MacCarthy. The service was initially launched at the University of California-Santa Barbara in spring 2007.
"It's a classified site for students at school who want to buy or sell their textbooks, find rides, furniture, housing, jobs - things that are typical of a college environment," MacCarthy said.
Uloop has launched its Web site at 50 universities in the past year, said Skip Hopkins, campus representative manager. The sites' founders are hoping to create a presence in larger universities and state schools before launching elsewhere.
"We're a young company," Hopkins said. "First, we're trying to reach out to schools that attract the most attention from employers or any local landlords. The site is free for students, so the only funding we receive is from employers wanting to post their job opportunities on our site."
Linda Trinh, a public relations senior, and Nancy Tran, an advertising and French senior, serve as UT's on-site Uloop representatives.
Some UT students are hesitant to buy their books from online distributors because of their allegiance to the University Co-op, said Plan II junior Chelsea Coburn. The Co-op is safe and convenient, and there is no additional online research or charges required, she said.
The Co-op does not feel threatened by Uloop and feels it offers comparable services, an assistant to the Co-op's president said.
Uloop has saved students about $650,000, selling textbooks at an average of $37, whereas they would have been around $100 elsewhere, Hopkins said. He said the company hopes to reach about 8 percent of UT's students by the end of March.
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