Introduction
On OLX India, buyers can chat with a seller in the app, and in many cases also call them. Phone calls close deals faster, especially for older or less app-savvy users and for cars and bikes. But exposing phone numbers also brings spam calls, harassment and off-platform scams that OLX cannot see or stop. The trade-off: should OLX India make in-app chat the only contact channel, using masked calling through the app, or keep showing real phone numbers to buyers? I'll work through this with a structured trade-off framework.
Clarify → classify the trade-off → understand the product → hypothesis → metrics → experiment → analysis → decision rules → recommendation. Throughout, weigh deal speed against safety and data visibility.
Step 1
Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)
Why it matters: Safety complaints and lost visibility imply different goals. Expected answer: Rising complaints from sellers about spam and fraud calls, plus fraud that starts with a phone call and moves to WhatsApp. Impact on approach: Safety is the primary driver; speed is the main cost.
Why it matters: Dealers pay for leads, and calls are their preferred lead type. Expected answer: Car and bike dealers value calls; individuals mostly use chat. Impact on approach: The decision may differ by category and seller type.
Why it matters: Sizes the potential loss. Expected answer: About 30% of contacts in Cars are calls; under 10% in Mobiles and Furniture. Impact on approach: Cars need special care.
Why it matters: Masked calls keep speed while hiding numbers. Expected answer: Yes, through a telephony partner, at a per-minute cost. Impact on approach: The real option set is chat-only, masked calls, or open numbers.
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