Our goal is to bring Swapboxes close to people who need them and add some really cool technology to the process. One advantage our users see is that they are notified immediately via email / text when the package arrives and can pick it up on their own time. They're also not tied into a monthly plan since we dynamically allocated space. No keys, no hassle. Some people have already figured out solutions that work for them, we just feel that there's still a lot of pain points that are unaccounted for! Hope that sheds some light for you :)
You're totally right :) these prototype boxes don't make financial sense with the model you accurately described. These were the first generation of swapboxes, the ones currently in production have quite a few more compartments. We'll have a bigger update at demo day that should answer your questions, thanks for looking out though!
Some people have definitely figured out ways to fix this issue (sounds like you have), but for others the service that Swapbox provides means the difference between getting your package ontime and maybe never getting your package. I don't think that this solution is right for everyone, but I think that there are so many pain points in this space and Swapbox can solve some of them. Also, if there's ever anything perishable or you don't want to lug it home from work, check out Swapbox :)
Hi, we never wanted to insinuate that BufferBox wasn't around, they are alive and well and we've spoken with them. However, we're not sure what Google's plans are and we know this solution is necessary in the US right now, so I think there is room for multiple players in this space. BufferBox also doesn't exist in the US.