Review Insights · App Store
OLIO
Olio Exchange Limited · 761 ratings · ★ 4.6
4.6
★★★★★
761 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 37 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"work"
11 negative reviews mention this · 30% of all complaints
★★★★★ "No listings. Not a single listing in the whole state or WA or OR?? Not sure if its an app issue or it just has no active users, but kinda needs listings for the concept to work…" - tmmmmmm19
2
"idea"
10 negative reviews mention this · 27% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great idea but…. Needs ambassadors, it’s useless right now in my area." - LSD209
3
"area"
8 negative reviews mention this · 22% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great idea but…. Needs ambassadors, it’s useless right now in my area." - LSD209
4
"concept"
7 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "No listings. Not a single listing in the whole state or WA or OR?? Not sure if its an app issue or it just has no active users, but kinda needs listings for the concept to work…" - tmmmmmm19
5
"sign"
6 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So buggy I couldn’t sign up. I downloaded the app and tried ti make an account, but it wouldn’t let me sign up via email or activation link. Right below sign up there’s an option to contact them if there are any issues. The contact/help link did not work either. There …" - Stvvya
6
"nothing"
6 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Probably a good app. But nothing pops up ever no matter where I am I could be cities over and Nada its almost like I'm the only one who ever downloaded this app" - PinkNinjaBunny
7
"account"
5 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So buggy I couldn’t sign up. I downloaded the app and tried ti make an account, but it wouldn’t let me sign up via email or activation link. Right below sign up there’s an option to contact them if there are any issues. The contact/help link did not work either. There …" - Stvvya
8
"listings"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "No listings. Not a single listing in the whole state or WA or OR?? Not sure if its an app issue or it just has no active users, but kinda needs listings for the concept to work…" - tmmmmmm19
9
"users"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "No listings. Not a single listing in the whole state or WA or OR?? Not sure if its an app issue or it just has no active users, but kinda needs listings for the concept to work…" - tmmmmmm19
10
"right"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great idea but…. Needs ambassadors, it’s useless right now in my area." - LSD209
11
"buggy"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So buggy I couldn’t sign up. I downloaded the app and tried ti make an account, but it wouldn’t let me sign up via email or activation link. Right below sign up there’s an option to contact them if there are any issues. The contact/help link did not work either. There …" - Stvvya
12
"downloaded"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So buggy I couldn’t sign up. I downloaded the app and tried ti make an account, but it wouldn’t let me sign up via email or activation link. Right below sign up there’s an option to contact them if there are any issues. The contact/help link did not work either. There …" - Stvvya
📋 All 37 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Great idea but…
Needs ambassadors, it’s useless right now in my area.
So buggy I couldn’t sign up
I downloaded the app and tried ti make an account, but it wouldn’t let me sign up via email or activation link. Right below sign up there’s an option to contact them if there are any issues. The contact/help link did not work either. There was no way to use the app
Pay
You have to pay to give away stuff? Would not allow me to sign up for basic
Probably a good app
But nothing pops up ever no matter where I am I could be cities over and Nada its almost like I'm the only one who ever downloaded this app
Buggy
It said I could set photos to limited setting and just pick a profile photo. But then that didn’t work, so I had to give full access to photos and it’s still telling me there’s an error. Also, it keeps asking you to turn on notifications each time you open the app even if you already said no. And when I try to go into the notification settings on the app, the whole thing closes.
Sounded good but
I’ve used Too Good To Go for a few years, and when I saw Olio I thought great - more good things. But the reviews seem to be on track: it showed I don’t know how many hundreds (500 or so?) of other people “in my area”, but in the several weeks I’ve been trying it, just the same 4 offers: used grocery bags, toiletries, and the like. No activity. I live in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the US, and nothing? App must be dead.
Can not get past the initial registration
I’ve paid for the app and it keeps asking me to set my location at pay. Then it congratulates me and takes me back to step one. The concept is great, however I can’t use it and that stinks.
No-one near me used it
Great concept as others have pointed out but after downloading it and paying for a year service after two weeks of trying to get it to work, nobody in my area uses it, so it doesn’t even serve any purpose for me
Does not work
They made me pay a subscription fee upfront, then I sign on and there’s absolutely nothing available, nobody in my area, app won’t let me delete, works terribly. Maybe this works great for some but not in my case.
Great idea - Terrible app
While this is a great idea, if the app freezes what good is it? Uninstalled and also tried in another device. Same result.
Struggling to understand what I am missing
Perhaps no one uses this app in my area, in which case it’s not an app problem. But whether I search in N. Georgia or W. NC, there are zero postings. In N. Georgia there are two instances of an icon that looks like a desk lamp, but I wouldn’t know what this means bc there’s no map legend and tapping them doesn’t open them. When I search in any given area, the map zooms in to an impossibly small radius so to find out whether there was anyone looking for or giving things away in a decent sized area I would need to search 10-12 times. Is this a support to unlock situation? How am I supposed to know what I’m paying for? Update: I went to a more active map area and found that indeed, we have to pay to open posts about free food. Yeah that’s a no.
WRONG
I downloaded the app. It shows locations near me in The UK! I’m in The US!
How to submit bug reports?
How?
Also the interface was written by someone without the concept of orthogonality
Also the interface was written by someone without the concept of orthogonality
sign up doesn’t work
I tried the magic link sign up on both my phone and laptop- neither works. Why put the sign up screen before I even have a chance to scroll through the app?? unnecessary friction
Magic link
Magic link didn’t work on computer or phone
Great idea but fix your app
I shouldn’t have to delete and re-install an app just to get the basic function of notifications to work, and then ultimately fail at the next update. Especially for an app in which notifications are important.
Buggy
Signed up with my email. App asked me to log in using a link via email. I tried several times and every time it shows “page not found”. So called “magic link” is so stupid and buggy.
Trouble logging in
I used to love this app but I haven’t been able to use it lately because of login difficulties. I took FB off my phone (where I had logged in previously) and it won’t let me use FB or my email to login anymore. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed!
Awesome concept however it automatically shares your location when you post an ad
Awesome concept, I love it because just last night I wasn’t allowed to sell an unopened Haakaa (breast pump) for $5 on FB. So I just wanted to give it away. That being said, I also have organic lactation tea that’s factory sealed as well that I couldn’t sell on FB. When I agreed to share my location (to locate others around me) it said “we’ll never share your location”, great! Because I wouldn’t have signed up if it did because obviously I have kids. After I posted my first ad, it dropped a pin right somewhat near the location of my house! Great looking out for the privacy of your users and customers! Deleted ad, and uninstalling! Never again will I be using this ap nor will I recommend it to anyone!!
I’d like a way to use “Sign In With Apple”
It’s a requirement of the App Store if you use sign in with Facebook and also a good thing for users. Please consider it. Thank you.
Waste of time for people in the US
Great idea, but don’t advertise in the US when you don’t have any products listed. Maybe advertise for people to post and do some marking in specific states and then launch. Really disappointed that I wasted all this time and was forced to create an account, but you had nothing to offer me. Some force of change. Get it together.
Mixed feelings
September 8, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this app. There are good and bad intentions.
I hate how its required to make an account to see what the app is like. Especially forcing a verified number in the begin before starting.
Also, please please make the person giving the item a limited posting time. I dislike the idea of someone being ghosted, not messaging back to the reply. I can see that you read it but you don’t even give updates.... If you don’t have it then say so, or update that its gone!! Don’t go wasting peoples time.
I have mixed feelings about this app. There are good and bad intentions.
I hate how its required to make an account to see what the app is like. Especially forcing a verified number in the begin before starting.
Also, please please make the person giving the item a limited posting time. I dislike the idea of someone being ghosted, not messaging back to the reply. I can see that you read it but you don’t even give updates.... If you don’t have it then say so, or update that its gone!! Don’t go wasting peoples time.
Breast milk???
Yeah, saw an ad on Instagram so I thought I’d check it out since campus food can be expensive, saw someone listing their breast milk, instantly deleted the app and I wish I never downloaded it
Useless in USA
Great idea but poor execution.
The newest security feature is to get verified via your mobile number. However, when adding my number, the app says it’s not valid. I even used the country code (+1) and exit code with no luck.
Since verifying your phone number is required to use the app, it is worthless at this point.
The newest security feature is to get verified via your mobile number. However, when adding my number, the app says it’s not valid. I even used the country code (+1) and exit code with no luck.
Since verifying your phone number is required to use the app, it is worthless at this point.
Demands Account Immediately
Getting tired of these apps that won't let you progress without creating an account. Seems like a great concept, but if I can't even see what's going on around me, what's the point? Deleted.
NOT FOR UNITED STATES
This star is only to call attention to Americans that the app appears to serve the UK and not the US. The developers should make this clear in the description. Otherwise, it seems like a good idea.
Horrible.
I can’t even get the app to load properly and it keeps popping up with an error. Also, the one time it did load the app, there was nothing there.
Stranger Danger
“As kids we are taught not to take food from strangers, as adults we should already know better.”
Interesting concept in theory, but is it really wise to take leftover food from strangers on the internet? I think a trusted and established grocer or bakery would be fine, but not from random people off the street.
Interesting concept in theory, but is it really wise to take leftover food from strangers on the internet? I think a trusted and established grocer or bakery would be fine, but not from random people off the street.
No listings
Not a single listing in the whole state or WA or OR?? Not sure if its an app issue or it just has no active users, but kinda needs listings for the concept to work…
Worse than Facebook marketplace (right now)
Download it and signed up for this app just to find out there are zero listings in my area. I tried to create a listing but it won’t let you create one without a photo. Then, it won’t let you upload a photo without giving full access to your camera and complete photo library (just doing selected photos won’t work) so for the lack of listings and bad privacy standards this was an immediate delete for me sorry fam
Consistently freezes in map mode
Freezes in map mode every single time. Have to close and restart. Severely limits the accessibility of the app.
Good intentions, subpar app experience
To piggyback another review, well intentioned but the app experience really holds it back. I first learned / started using Olio about 5 years ago and the app seems to have gotten worse over the years.
A lot of this would probably be solved with a tighter, native app replacing the existing one. Notification badges don’t clear, navigation is very clunky, heavy handed game mechanics, and so on.
A lot of this would probably be solved with a tighter, native app replacing the existing one. Notification badges don’t clear, navigation is very clunky, heavy handed game mechanics, and so on.
Good intentions
I appreciate what the founders were going for, but the app experience falls short. It's really hard to schedule pick-ups, and managing listings is a pain. I want to choose default values for all new listings I create rather than having to set them every single time (e.g., number of days to stay listed, availability). Even if I need to work around this problem by manually setting it on each of my listings, the values I choose don't always persist (e.g., number of days listed keeps saving as 5 days rather than the value I selected).
Great idea…but not much in the US
Almost everything I saw listed was over 8000 km away. Saw one thing 800 km away. This is a great idea but I don’t have time to sift thru listings in other countries. Why can’t they just show me what’s local? Deleted. Maybe I’ll check it out again at a later date.
Great idea poor execution.
Users should be able to see how the app works without creating an account. That drops 3 stars for me. My area isn’t really covered and I had to sign up to see that.
Great idea but app is frozen
Would be nice to get past my location settings
Buggy app, nothing happening in my area
I really wanted this to be cool. It looks like the developers are trying to do too much and every part of the app is suffering. The signup process kept sending me in a loop. It didn't look like anyone had posted anything in my area. The map for my area didn't seem to work at all-some sort of loading problem. They are really shooting themselves in the foot by trying to take on the whole world all at once. They should play it smart by focusing on a specific feature like food sharing (not non-food), limit the regions they service until each region is running smoothly, and fix major bugs before adding new features.
Sentiment summary
88%
Positive (4-5★)
3%
Neutral (3★)
9%
Negative (1-2★)