How ScoutRun works

ScoutRun connects you with real local people (called Scouts) who'll find and deliver hard-to-find items for you. Here's the flow:

• You submit a hunt — describe the item, set your budget, and pick how you want it: same-day local delivery, USPS shipping, or either
• Scouts in your area get notified — your hunt opens to approved Scouts whose ZIP codes match your fulfillment preference
• The first Scout to find it wins — when a Scout is physically at a retail store with your item, they tap "Found it" and verify with a photo + GPS. That locks the hunt to them for 30 minutes.
• They buy it at retail — no markup ever, just the actual price they paid
• You get it — same-day if a Scout is in your area, USPS Priority shipped if not

You'll see the actual photo your Scout took at the store as proof, so you know your item is real and on its way.

Local same-day hunts are typically completed within 2-4 hours of submission, though it depends on what you're looking for and where it's likely to be in stock.

National shipping hunts typically take 4-9 days total: 1-3 days to find at retail + up to 36 hours for the Scout to ship + 1-3 business days for USPS Priority transit. You'll see an estimated delivery window once the hunt is claimed.

If no Scout finds your item within 3 days (or 7 days for items over $100), the hunt automatically expires and your card hold is released — no charge to you.

Pretty much anything sold at retail in the United States. Common hunts:

• Sold-out toys, collectibles, and limited drops (Labubu, Pop Mart, Funko, Lego)
• Last-minute groceries or pharmacy items (local hunts only)
• Specific products from a specific store (a particular wine, a particular cut of meat)
• Birthday and holiday gifts you forgot about
• Hardware, craft, and hobby supplies
• Items where you know what you want but don't know who has it in stock

What we won't hunt: alcohol, tobacco, vape products, cannabis, prescription medications or controlled substances, firearms or weapons, hazardous materials, live animals, adult products, anything illegal, and items over $2,000 (contact us directly for high-value hunts).

You pay the actual retail price of the item, plus a tiered finding fee, a small service fee, delivery or shipping, and an optional tip. Finding fees scale with item price (same for all membership tiers):

• Items under $20: $10 finding fee
• Items $20–$49.99: $15 finding fee
• Items $50–$149.99: $20 finding fee
• Items $150–$299.99: $25 finding fee
• Items $300 and above: $30 finding fee

Service fee: 3% of item price (1.5% for VIP).

Delivery: Free pickup, $7.95 Scout local delivery (FREE for Members and VIPs).

Shipping: For national hunts, you pay the actual USPS Priority shipping cost the Scout pays at the post office (typically $8–12). This isn't waived by membership tiers because it reimburses your Scout for what they actually spent on postage.

Member ($14.99/month): Free Scout local delivery on every hunt, plus your Scout earns more (70% payout instead of 65%).

VIP ($29.99/month): Free Scout local delivery, 1 free hunt per month (finding fee waived, opt-in at checkout), 50% off the service fee, priority Scout matching, plus 75% Scout payout.

Tipping your Scout is optional but appreciated — 100% of tips go directly to your Scout.

When you submit a hunt, your card is authorized for the estimated total — but not actually charged. This is just a hold (similar to how hotels and gas stations work).

The actual charge happens after the Scout finds and purchases the item, based on the real price they paid. If the item costs less than your budget, you're charged less. If your Scout can't find it, the hold is released and you're not charged anything.

You'll only ever pay more than authorized if you approve a higher price — we won't surprise-charge you.

If no Scout can find your item at a regular retail store, a couple of things can happen:

• Hunt stays open — other Scouts can keep trying for up to 3 days (or 7 days for items over $100)
• A Scout requests an alternative source — sometimes a Scout knows where to find the item outside of retail (a Facebook Marketplace seller, a local hobby shop, etc.). They'll send you a request with the source and price. You can approve or decline — totally up to you.
• Hunt expires automatically — if nothing works out, the hunt expires and your card hold is released. You don't pay a cent.

Either way, you're never charged for an item that wasn't delivered. We'd rather have a hunt expire cleanly than charge you for half a result.

Yes. You can cancel any time before your Scout has purchased the item — full refund, no questions.

If you cancel after the Scout has already bought it, the item cost stays with the Scout (so they're not stuck eating the cost), but the finding fee, delivery fee, and any tip are refunded.

To cancel, open your hunt detail page and tap the cancel button, or message us.

Refunds go back to the original card you paid with, typically within 5-7 business days (Stripe's standard timing).

If you got the wrong item, a damaged item, or a counterfeit, send us a message with photos and we'll make it right — usually a full refund plus we'll cover return logistics.

Scouts are real local people across the country — not gig workers shipped in from somewhere else. Every Scout goes through an application and approval process before they can work on hunts.

We review their experience, coverage area, and reasons for joining. Once they're approved, customer ratings and verification metrics keep them accountable. Scouts who consistently underperform lose access.

You'll see your Scout's first name and rating once they've verified at the store with your item.

When a Scout taps "Found it" on your hunt, they have to be physically at a retail store with the item — they take a photo and share their GPS location, both of which we verify in real-time before locking the hunt to them.

You'll see the actual photo your Scout took at the store on your hunt detail page. It's real-time visual confirmation that someone has eyes on your item and is heading to checkout.

This is our trust mechanic — Scouts can't just say they're working on your hunt. They have to prove they're at the store with the item before they can lock it.

Sometimes the best place to find a hard-to-find item isn't a regular retail store — it might be a private seller on Facebook Marketplace, a small local hobby shop, or another non-retail source.

If a Scout knows about a non-retail source, they'll send you a request to approve the alternative source through your hunt. You'll see exactly where they want to source from and what they'll pay, then you can approve or decline.

• If you approve: the Scout gets 60 minutes to complete the purchase (a bit longer than the 30 minutes for retail, since private pickups take more time)
• If you decline: the hunt reopens for other Scouts to try at retail

This is always your choice. You'll never be charged for an alternative source unless you explicitly approve it.

That's a good thing — more eyes mean a better chance of finding hard-to-find items.

Hunts stay open to all Scouts in your area until the first Scout who's physically at a retail store with your item taps "Found it" and verifies. That Scout wins the hunt and locks it for 30 minutes to complete the purchase. Other Scouts move on.

You only ever pay one Scout — the one who actually found and delivered your item.

Your delivery address is shared only with the Scout assigned to your hunt — not other Scouts, not other customers. Once a hunt is complete, the Scout no longer has special access to your information.

Your full contact info (phone, email) is never shared with Scouts. Communication happens through the in-app chat.

For more details, check our Privacy Policy.

Charges from us appear as SCOUTRUN LLC on your statement. If you see a charge you don't recognize or think is wrong, email us right away at scott@scoutrun.app and we'll sort it out.

Open your profile in the app, scroll to the membership section, and tap "Cancel membership." Your access continues until the end of your current billing period, then doesn't renew.

You can keep using ScoutRun without a membership — you'll just pay the Single Hunt rate per use.

Yes — both can be updated from your profile page in the app. For email changes, we'll send a confirmation link to your new address.

Email scott@scoutrun.app with the subject "Delete my account" and we'll remove your data within 30 days. Any pending hunts will be cancelled and refunded first.