Good evening, dear readers! I have had something on my mind for a few days now, and I wanted to get my thoughts out of my head. I am a member of many exchange groups, and I have personally exchanged many bottles of nail lacquer, cookies, tea, other assorted snacks, and handmade goodies. Just about every week I have a swap package going out or coming in (often both), and it is certainly much more entertaining than the bills that insist on showing up in my mailbox every month! I have always had a wonderful experience, but I have been hearing more and more about people within my groups being cheated over somehow. Some people are never receiving their packages while others have been sent things that have been falsely advertised. Nobody likes to feel cheated, and it is upsetting to see people that I know have to deal with either of these issues. That being said, I do believe that these bad swappers are in the minority, and I don't want this information to prevent any of my readers from participating in something that can be so much fun. My advice is to choose your swap partners carefully. There are so many groups on facebook that one can join, and I encourage you to do so and to try to be active within the group. Once people know a little bit about you and you about them, you will feel much more comfortable making the decision to swap with someone. You will also see people post details regarding successful swaps and can determine who has established street cred within the community. Don't feel bad telling someone you have never heard of or seen before no. If you're new to the community and eager to start a swap right away, be prepared to be asked to ship your swap package out first. I know this can be intimidating, and this is where you have to use your own judgement regarding each specific swap. It can be a little nerve wracking, but given some time, you can become an established swapper. As long as you are honest and describe your items accurately, others are going to want to swap goodies with you, and who knows, you might end up making new friends!
Until next time, have a wonderful night, my darlings!
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Well said. This post sadly reminds me of why I left Swaptree (now Swap.com) -- enough people were sending out their item and never receiving any in return that they instituted a policy of needing to hold a credit card on file for security purposes. To me, that was the death knell of a trusting, open community and why I ended up leaving it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who out there values getting *stuff* over being part of a community and all the fun and friendship that entails, but a few bad apples can really ruin a good thing if you're not careful.
Thankfully I have always had a good experience, but I swap things so frequently now that it wouldn't surprise me if I do end up getting swaplifted one day. I don't know that I would want to be part of a group that requires a credit card, but I suppose I can understand why others would want that security.
DeleteI definitely agree with you: I would much rather be part of a fun community where I can chat and make new friends. You can always buy more stuff, but finding true friends is much more difficult!