Facebook has purchased the social gifting app "Karma."
The move comes on the heels of the social networking behemoth purchasing Instagram and Lightbox, looking to expand their social footprint on mobiles.
Karma does not do all too much except let users connect to the network via the app and send others gifts.
Reads the press release:
We founded Karma with the goal of adding the ... [ read the full article ]
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Time to play with the monopoly money I guess. Karma sounds good on paper, but in reality, it is anything but useful. First, you have to buy an overpriced item from their catalogue. A $50 quart of ice cream or a $25 homemade candy bar are just two examples. Not novel at all. Second, if I?m going to spend that much on a gift, then they better be a close friend/family. No way I can afford to do ?little? events. Third, I have to pay shipping fees so the cost adds up pretty quick. And fourth, I can?t make this a group gift?.have others chip in. The only social aspect is that the gifting is done through Facebook. Wow.
For the past few months, I?ve been using EventSmart (www.myeventsmart.com) which is really what social gifting should be. It?s free, the recipient can buy anything they want, and I can invite others to chip in. You can also contribute as little as $5 for anything. For example, recently a close friend?s son had several surgeries on a broken leg. I started a gift, chipped in some money and then invited some mutual friends who contributed as well. EventSmart collected the contributions and then let my friend?s son transfer the funds onto a gift card. He ended up buying some video games through Amazon. No fees. No overpriced items from a limited catalogue. Several people all contributed. Now that?s social gifting!
Karma is good marketing with no substance. Their mobile app is nice, but their offering is terrible. I?d never use their restrictive service for overpriced stuff. Hope Facebook didn?t pay that much, but when it?s monopoly money, maybe it doesn?t matter.
