Helping a friend or family member celebrate a special occasion is easier than ever thanks to a website hitting Indianapolis.
It’s called Boomerang (rang.com). The website not only helps you remember events, but more importantly, it helps you give affordable gifts.
“I got a gift card from my brothers from Mo’Joe Coffee on Facebook. And that's kind of where it got started,” said Adam Rochford.
Customers like Adam can log onto rang.com and then use their Facebook account name and password. They can then send gifts to friends and family to celebrate a special occasion.
Boomerang owners said they make gift-giving easy. The site uses a person’s Facebook account to sign up. Using only public Facebook information, Boomerang determines your Facebook friend’s location and gender to come up with a short list of suitable gifts.
“Customers can choose from a list of different local and national options,” said Sascha Dhanjal, Boomerang’s co-founder. “So, anything from buying your friend a drink at their favorite local bar or buying them a skydiving adventure, are options.”
“It's really simple,” Dhanjal continued. “The website creates a list of different gift packages for each merchant that has signed up. It's usually three gifts: a good one, a better one and the best.”
Boomerang user Tara Deal says, the "good gift" is often free!
“For example, with one friend you might want to do a free $5 gift, but for someone else you might want to spend more because they are closer to you. So you can pay for a certain amount that you want to give them,” said Deal.
People give whichever option they choose. The recipient simply shows the voucher to the merchant on their smartphone or iPad—there are no coupons.
Businesses are also giving it a go.
“It seems to cover the younger demographic who are more comfortable with technology, which I like,” said Maggie Lee, owner of Naked Chopsticks in Broad Ripple. “It seems simpler. It seems easier, too.”
Boomerang also has a charitable side. The website adds partnerships with local charities, giving users the option to donate on behalf of their friend or family member.
Click here for more on Boomerang.
