Two brothers have developed an app called Trader Rater that allows users to review online sellers and buyers in order to keep people accountable and safe.

Users can go to the app to see if people on secondhand marketplaces like Craiglist and OfferUp are trustworthy, app co-creator and WSU alumnus Jordan Miller said.

Jordan said these types of apps hide negative reviews, and with Trader Rater people can see all the comments. The app is a third party online discussion forum where people can anonymously vent frustrations or give compliments to sellers. Reviews are also protected from being commented on, he said.

The goal of the app is to bring transparency and accountability to these marketplaces, Jordan said. One hundred people have been murdered through Craigslist throughout the past couple years, and Jordan said he wants his app to keep people safe.

He said he got the idea for the app when he was working on cars and was using Craiglist to buy parts. After multiple bad experiences, including one where he lost $800 in a transaction with a bad seller, he wanted to do something about it.

“[There] had to be a better way to keep people accountable,” he said.

Jordan started working with his brother Dallas Miller to make the app.

Dallas said he started to build the app with a defined goal, then learned how to use Android Studio. From there he realized he needed a database, and by using Amazon servers the app started coming together.

He said there was a lot of change throughout the process before getting it right, and once he finished with Android he made the iOS version of Trader Rater.

“[It was] not the worst thing in the world to develop,” Dallas said.

Dallas said he and his brother had been working on the app since January, and it launched Aug. 31 on Google Play and the App Store. The app is free and can be used by signing up with a phone number.

Jordan handles the business side of the company like marketing and communication, Dallas said, while he works on the technology side. He does everything from software development to database work.

The brothers said they plan on continuing to build the app. Jordan said they are looking to add some more features that will continue to help keep people away from scams.

Jordan said Trader Rater is looking to hire WSU graduates who are interested in working for the company.