Update: FlipGraph has renamed to Coinjoos
FlipGraph is an online store for books, movies and music from Delhi-NCR based OnGraph Technologies. FlipGraph has all the usual features of an e-store and adds to it with an option to Flip your used products. Along with selling new products, the site offers an option to sell a used copy back to the site. 
Each product listing comes with a buy back price in terms of virtual currency, called Flips. These flips can be used to buy other used products on the site. Currently a book of Rs.400 would fetch you about 8 flips. All the second hand books currently listed(around 4500) are available for 10 flips or Rs.50 each, some of which are really a steal deal.
While the concept of second hand books does make sense (Infibeam started marketplace for used books recently) and would find many takers but i am not sure what would they do with second hand music/movies. More importantly how would they verify each copy?
Overall the site looks good with easy UI and competitive prices.
So what do you think of this model? Is the virtual currency thing feasible for sellers? Enough space for a new player?
Do give FlipGraph a spin and let us know your views.
[Naman is a startup enthusiast and has worked with couple of Indian startups as Product Manager. He writes at The Inspire Blog]
Do these guys have anything to do with FlipKart? I mistook them to be rebranded FlipKart. The logo looks very much the same, they are having similar categories of merchandise, they also use Axis and CCAvenue for payments. If they are not affiliated to FLipKart officially then they look copy-cats to me.
The founder is ex-Triology , ex-YourBillbuddy.
Don’t think there is any connection. Interview with team coming soon.
@naman i hope the interview will answer why their name and logo looks like flipkart.
@naman as you said they have good UI and compititive price.I doubt about the success of virtual currency (flip) ,but it will give them good marketing.
Now the trend of ebooks and e-readers are spreading in india,so the used book model and the virtual currency around it,may not have good future.
@Yash i had the same experience.
Although I like the concept – I am dismayed by their blatant copying of Flipkart. Agreed Flipkart is doing very well – and they want the success to rub off, but this indicates a certain “me too” in the mindset of this company which I personally do not like.
Hope they make up with a great ptoduct.
Hi,
I am not agree with you guys.I really appreciate the concept of flips. It is some kind of innovation which has never be done in India. ui is really good in comparison of Flipkart. I also ordered a book from them and their service is awesome. I got book within 2 days. Interesting part is that they follow their user continuously. I have never seen this part with FlipKart.
May be some person don’t like the site. but i am looking this site as a future of indian reselling market.
@nitin – u seems one from flipgraph team
+1 ha ha….Language detection
Good one.
I have really great experience with Flipgraph. I purchased a new book from flipgraph and they gave me that book in less price than market. (I dont know how they are making profit from that because shipping was free too. ) So I think they will take over the Books/Music market. Great service guys.
Hi Naman,
Who are the promoters of the website?
Can I get in touch with them?
Copying flipkart to the extent that they designed the logo in Comic Sans with orange-blue color! Hmmm, if you start off your site as a copycat, you don’t go anywhere but to the deadpool.
@naman Thanks for seeing and covering us at PI !
@yash @natsabari @Pratyush Thanks for your valuable comments. I will try to summarize a couple things :-
- We are an independant startup. We launched movies and music categories back in Feb 2010 when we launched v1 with limited operations.
. We contacted 5 different payment providers and CCAvenue/Axis were the first two who approved giving payment gateway to startup like us.
. I will post something on that on PI soon)
We could not have changed categorization of books anyway
(having a gig with different banks is really a must-have experience
- If you browse through us, you will definitely see what are we doing differently. There are a whole set of first-time-in-India features we are working to launch in the next few days
a) ‘VIP Request’ feature being launched this weekend – you would be able to order rare/out-of-stock books with us, delivered the “fastest” way
b) ‘Rent a Book’ – launching in 2nd week of August – first time in India, you would be able to avail renting services at door step
c) ‘Jeeto Flips’ – play interesting addictive games at FlipGraph, get into hall of fame and win Flips which you can use to buy used books for free!
d) ‘Peek@Earth’ – see real time who is reading/watching/listening what in the world!! If you find a like, you can buy it right there
e) and multiple innovative features..
As you already see, there is no other established service provider exploring new spaces like above.
Please do keep an eye on us
and we promise you would see us as “not just another eCommerce store” but evolving into a pleasant sticky channel that you can visit daily and not just when you want to buy a book lets say.
@Anuj Tyagi impressive design and lot of new concepts..all the best guys!! any way u could have choosen diffrent name
If somebody Copying some website and providing better service in lesser price then as a end user I am getting benefits and will support the copycat. and by the way monopoly always gives damage and competition always improves services.
Copying is another thing, but taking advantage of an established brand to meet your ends is another. The name is “Flip”graph, the logo is strikingly similar. What do you think is the reason for this? Fooling the customer into thinking that it’s an affiliate site of FlipKart?
@anuj…..Hi, I am Anuj Tyagi and I work at FlipGraph.
Since you posted your concern if we tried/trying to take advantage of an established brand, I thought that it would indeed be good to clarify. There is 0 intention to take any sort of advantage, believe us
.
When I joined FlipGraph in 2009, I actually asked the same question to our founder and here is what he had to say :-
1) http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/flipgraph.com
We registered domain name back in 2008, when our founder started his other company. He had the vision and idea to build this service for India and domain was registered back then!! Any other service was not even that popular. Is’nt it?
2) Why choose FlipGraph as the name? You might want to check out FAQ below. We allow “Flipping/Swapping” and we are promoted by “OnGraph Technologies (our parent company) and hence the name.
http://www.flipgraph.com/FAQ.html?topic=productSend#top
3) There is a very popular “Flipping” service in Germany as well (www.hitflip.de). We were inspired to do something similar but customized to India market (that was way back in 2008)
Every name has a reason and we knew our reason
. When we launched full fledged in Feb, we were in a huge dilemma whether we should consider changing the name. 90% people in team voted to change. 10% voted for keeping it the same. We went ahead with the 10% lot 
.
Well, we decided this is what we do and this is what represents us. Do give us a chance to serve you and we might just knock you off your feet!
@Anuj: Thanks for clarifying! I’d definitely give it a chance
Care to explain the similarity in logos as well?
@anujrathi Hey dude this comment of mine please mind is not an offence to ur view.
What I wld suggest is that you first of all try Flipgraph.
secondly Basic ideology of orkut and Fb is same which is social Networking. & both r completely different entities. As every one wld agree that Fb has gone past Orkut in evry single aspect be it UI be it utility or entertainment.
So I say the concept doesnt wins u fortune its hw u execute .
As far as similar logos is concerned I dont care if they provide me a better service Which they have.
Thanks
Abhinav
@abhinav: I agree with your point – the company which eventually gives you a better service wins in the long run.
But I guess you are completely missing my point here. What if orkut had chosen a name “fakebook” just to make its name sound similar to “facebook”?
[Question by Anuj] “@Anuj: Thanks for clarifying! I’d definitely give it a chance Care to explain the similarity in logos as well?”
We were hugely inspired by the colors used at http://www.hitflip.de (this is Germany based service established since 2005 or earlier)
Also, we are not emotionally attached to the logo as such really
. We actually planned to keep changing it every season/festival as well 
(love the way google does it)
And if more users ask us that they need a change there, we would not mind changing it to plain Arial black if asked for that
.
@Anuj Tyagi: Thanks for the info again! And after looking at hitflip.de, I must say even flipkart’s logo looks inspired by it
@Anuj Tyagi
Thanks for clarifying the confusion about your association with FlipKart. You seem to have a good service, but you see your name will get you all the wrong buzz. Most of the comments here are on the same lines of copying and less on your features, services etc. You surely would have chosen the name in good faith, and booked it way back in 2008, but FlipKart was registered in 2007 and was pretty much online by then. You are going to have issues going forward with the name. FlipKart is a VC backed company and I see some legal troubles brewing.
I am not trying to discourage you or scaring you or trying to belittle your service. All I am trying to suggest is that your young company will spend needless resources in dousing the fires that will arise from your name and logo being strikingly similar to your competitor. Since your service is new its best time you change your name and concentrate on the core product.
Just my $0.02. I will surely give your site a spin next time when I want to buy a book, movie or music.
Oh Please, Give the FlipGraph Guys a break… I dont see any reason why they should be answering to any stupid comments like this. Please, I think these posts questioning their genuineness are made by FlipKart guys to demean the service and create panic… @FlipGraph If you feel you need any IP lawyer or corporate lawyer to stop this kind of harrasment and corporate spy to find out who is typing these comments contact me.