Ask HN: What kind of products would you rent after landing in a new country?

4 points by kseudo 13 years ago | 10 comments

I have a kernel of an idea that I was thinking about but I think I need some honest external feedback before I decide pursue it further. Basic idea: Enable people entering a country on holiday/business to rent items that they can drop off again at the airport when they are leaving.

So an example use cases would be: - A backpacker will be backpacking in the country for 10 days. Rather than having the hassle/cost bringing over a tent/sleeping bag they would like to rent them. - A business person visiting Dublin for three nights. This person would like an ipad for this time.

In both of these cases the person uses our website/app to create and account and make a reservation. They determine the pickup/dropoff (I.E city/airport) locations and a prices is agreed and paid with credit card. Upon arrival they pick up the item, show some id and use the product for the duration of their stay. They can drop it off when they are leaving at a booth in the airport or perhaps at other convenient locations.

My question is: would you see a market for this kind of service? If so what products would you see as potentially applicable?

I am pretty aware of the pains involved in running a rental company so I under no illusions that this would be an easy company to run. However, I would like to know is if there is a potential for this idea. I dont want to invent a solution for a problem that does not exist(as I have done a couple times in the past). I do feel there is some interesting aspects to it especially when you think about the many potential revenue sources and I would like to hear some opinions.

Brief note: I come from Ireland (though I do not currently live there), which I think is the perfect test location for this idea : a small island, very few entry points, lots of tourists etc. As I am a soon to be unemployed web developer who will be spending the next few months travelling around the world and I would like a project to ponder/work on while I'm away :)

chanced 13 years ago |

>> A backpacker will be backpacking in the country for 10 days. Rather than having the hassle/cost bringing over a tent/sleeping bag they would like to rent them

Maybe some but I suspect many climbers/hikers put a great deal of faith in their equipment. Rental equipment is often abused. Beyond that, they aren't comfortable with it which adds an element of risk.

>> A business person visiting Dublin for three nights. This person would like an ipad for this time.

A business person traveling internationally will have all the tech they need and then some.

kseudo 13 years ago | |

Good points. I think you are correct with the business user: also vpn/security would likely mean that it would be unusable for their needs.

Perhaps people would like to rent the latest tech products and use them while on holiday. They would get to try out the latest Ipad/nexus in the real road.

dgunn 13 years ago |

Think of what is already being rented to travelers. Cars, lodging, insurance, motorcycles, boats, etc.. It's usually large things that people simply can't travel with.

If you want to rent something to someone, you have to think of things which a person couldn't reasonably have brought with them or offer them something that makes them feel safe in a strange place.

kseudo 13 years ago | |

Agreed, or perhaps something that they would like to try out while on holiday. Thanks for your response I think you make a good point.

kseudo 13 years ago |

Thanks to everyone who responded. It is invaluable to have people to have people to bounce and idea off... it really helps to open your eyes.

gregjor 13 years ago |

Lots of airports in the US have stores/kiosks that rent DVDs and DVD players. I've also seen GPSs for rent through car rental agencies.

kseudo 13 years ago | |

Ok, so I'm not the first person to think of this :) Although I have not seen these kiosks yet I havent been in the states in a few years so it makes sense.

Im interested to know what is their target market though. I understand that people want entrainment while in the airport but I'm thinking about items that can be used during the course of a stay in a country: - Macbooks/Ipads(with 3g data access) - Bulky items like tents/sleeping bags. - Perhaps niche items like Binoculars,cameras etc..

I would like to know if there are items that people would be willing to pay to rent if they had a convenient method to do so... but perhaps there is not.

Thanks for your response by the way

ig1 13 years ago |

A smartphone with a local data sim.

rdouble 13 years ago |

There are already many places that do camping equipment rentals. I think even REI does it.

kseudo 13 years ago | |

Yep. Seems unlikely that someone would rent this type of equipment from a kiosk at the airport too.

Is there any product that this would work for.. that is the question I'm asking myself.