To start swapping, post everything you are offering and make a list of goods and services you are seeking in return . As soon as you populate both your lists, Swapsity will generate local matches. Based on our swap suggestions, you can connect with other members and initiate swap offers. Once you reach an agreement online, you can meet in person to exchange or ship locally.
We occasionally organize swap meets in the Toronto area. You can learn more about our events and sign up for a swap meet mailing list here.
You can list your items here. You will be prompted to submit the following: title, category and subcategory, item description, your city, condition, item value, transaction terms and pictures or video. When you are ready, click the 'Post Your Ad' button. You can edit your ad at any time.
You can list your skills or services here. You will be prompted to submit the following: title, category and subcategory, skill or service description, your availability, hourly rate for your skill or service, your city, transaction terms and pictures or video. When you are ready click 'Post Your Ad' button. You can edit your ad at any time.
Listings are free. If you are adding any premium features (optional) such as links, top listings or listing showcase, you will need to purchase credits.
Assigning a value to the item traded gauges what your barter is worth and assists in negotiating a fair trade. It is especially useful when swapping items of unequal value or a combination of things.
Locate your item listing or skill listing then click 'Edit'. If you wish to remove the posting, click 'Delete'.
If you cannot find a suitable category, place your item in the 'Miscellaneous' Category. If you have a hard time finding the appropriate subcategory, place your items under 'Others'. Last but not least, you can always contact us to request the addition of a new category.
Certain items are deemed as illegal or questionable. Please refer to our prohibited items list for details. The list is a guideline and is not a substitute for your own judgment when providing or accepting items/skills for swapping. If you come across a listing which looks questionable please flag it.
We all have something to barter. For many of us it's skill or knowledge. Whether you excel at baking, home repairs, speaking a foreign language or offering real estate advice, your talents can be traded for something you need. At Swapsity, even your time is valuable. Offer your services as a dog walker, babysitter or administrative assistant and get something fabulous in return. In addition, take a look at your clutter. Those unwanted books, CDs and toys don't have to collect dust. Post them and get something you need instead! For more suggestions, check out our swap ideas.
Our matching tools will search for local matches based on keywords used the titles of your listing. For improved matching, please use accurate keywords in your title and avoid redundant words. Add details in the description.
After posting items, you will be asked to create a wishlist. In the wishlist, you should add all the goods and services you want to receive in exchange for goods and services that you are offering.
When posting, you have an option of uploading a video along with your ad. You will first need to upload your video on YouTube or Vimeo and then simply copy and paste the video link in your listing. Instructional videos on uploading video clips on YouTube or Vimeo are available here .
Yes. Adding videos and extra pictures is currently free.
The wishlist is a list of goods and services you want to receive in exchange for things you are offering.
You can create or edit your wishlist here .
Keep your wishlist titles simple, short and accurate. If you are seeking vacation up north simply add 'cottage' to your wishlist and elaborate in the description.
You need to login to your Swapsity account to contact other members. To send them a message, click on 'Send Message', which is available on each item listing or user profile. All messages are sent via our messaging system and your email address will is kept anonymous to protect your privacy.
If you don't receive a response within three days, follow up with the other swapper. You may also contact us if you don't hear from the other member for over a week. We will remove any inactive accounts or unresponsive members.
To check the other swapper's location and distance apart, view their profiles by clicking on their username in their listing. You will also be able to view this information on each listing.
Your profile location is tied to your postal code. You can update your postal code here.
Introduce yourself to other members by creating a profile. You will find it in your user account.
Swapsity offers numerous search options. You can browse items, try our quick search bar located in the header or use the Advanced Search. For a summary of all search options, go to your user account and click on 'Find Items or Skills'.
You can filter listings by location by selecting your city from the location pull down menu found in the listing summaries, use advanced search as well as review your local swap matches found right in your account. You can also find items in your location here.
You can select a variety of filters (e.g. location, picture, price, distance etc) when browsing listings and in advanced search to narrow down your search results. Use one or a few depending on your needs.
Go to advanced search , scroll down and enter the swapper's username in the required field. You will then be able to view the user's profile, check out his or her items, view the user rating as well as message the user.
The matching tool matches you up with swappers in your area. Instead of performing a manual search to find someone looking for what you've got to offer -- or someone offering what you need -- we do the work for you. The matches are selected based on keywords used in your title. You can read more about matching here.
You can review your local swap matches here.
By default, we show matches within a 25km distance from you. You may further decrease or increase the distance by using the pull-down menu.
If you are not seeing local matches, your postal code may not have been entered correctly. Please update your postal code.
Your matches are generated based on the keywords in the title of your listing. While we have fine-tuned our matching engine such as to minimize the possibility of bad matches, you will occasionally have inaccurate matches. In case you come across any invalid matches, you can delete them by clicking on 'Remove Match'.
Keep your wishlist titles simple, short and accurate. Also, try to avoid redundant words in your titles and instead include details in the item description.
Wishlist matches help you locate all the items and skills are you seeking. For example, if you are searching for guitar lessons, add it to your wishlist, and our system will automatically connect with swappers in your area who are offering guitar lessons. Reach out to these swappers and negotiate a barter arrangement.
Item skill matches connect you with users seeking all the items and skills are you offering. For instance, if you are offering artwork, our system will instantly connect with swappers in your area who are seeking art. Contact these users to negotiating a swap.
If Swapsity finds someone looking for your particular skill and they're offering something that you could use, we will notify you in our swap matches. This tab will only be visible in your account if we locate any matches.
You can see a sample swap transaction here.
Our swap matching tool makes bartering easy. Once you list your items and skills for barter, Swapsity instantaneously generates relevant local matches to jumpstart swapping. Browse the suggestions to find what you've been looking for. To send a swap offer, click on 'Swap'. If you want more information about the item before proposing a swap, click on 'Send Message' to contact the other member. When making swap offers, please select the items and/or skills you would like to receive from the other swapper and pick items and/or skills you would like to offer them in exchange. Remember, you can even out offers with cash and include transaction related comments. When you're ready, click 'Propose a Swap' and your barter offer will be sent to the other member. The other party can accept, decline or negotiate the offer. Once the swap is finalized, you can arrange to meet in person or ship locally.
When posting skills or services on Swapsity, members specify how much an hour of their time is worth. For example, a member can value his piano teaching skills at $50/hour for advanced students and barter it for two hours of private yoga lessons for beginners worth $25/hour. It's also possible to trade skills for items.
Yes. For instance, you can swap a CD, tie and your tutoring services for book, a dance lesson and $15 in cash.
The cash balance payment (to the other swapper) can be made in person in cash, via PayPal or email money transfer. Upon completing your swap transaction, we will direct you to all the three options.
Yes. We offer members the flexibility of swapping and selling, though swapping is preferred. When selling, users simply swap their items for cash.
Many members are open to any interesting offers, so don't be shy! Contact them and express interest in bartering with them.
First of all, inquire about the item or skill being swapped before committing to the transaction and discuss transaction terms. It's also advisable to review the swapper's rating and feedback when available. During the swapping negotiation process you can always request the other user's contact information (through Swap Form) and speak with the item owner on the phone prior to agreeing to the transaction. Most importantly, integrity breeds integrity. The best you can do to encourage honesty and dependability in your swap transactions is to conduct yourself in a professional, responsible and reliable manner and the other user will reciprocate.
The User Information box found in the user's profile, each item listing belonging to the user, and his or her feedback, summarizes the a few different indicators which can help you gauge the user's credibility better.
To build your trustworthiness through our feedback system, we encourage you complete all your swap transactions through our swapping system. When you are ready to make a barter offer, simply click on the 'Swap' link or 'Swap for This Item' button to send a swap offer (see example).
You can filter listings by location via the pull down menu, use advanced search as well as review your local swap matches found right in your account. You can also find items in your location here.
In a swap exchange, the items and services traded don't have to have the same monetary value. If the swappers involved agree on the terms of the swap, it's a fair trade. The option exists to equalize uneven trades with cash but that's optional and many swappers strike a deal without money changing hands, even if one item or skill is technically worth more than the other.
If you're exchanging items, inspect what you're getting when you meet your fellow swapper. If you're receiving the item or service at a later date, exchange contact information so you can stay in touch until the transaction is complete. Don't forget to leave feedback on Swapsity for the other user.
A picture is worth a thousand words so be sure to include pictures of the goods or services you are trading. Make your images inviting and add close-ups whenever possible. If you are swapping a skill or a service you may consider adding a video to jazz up your listing and present your service in a more compelling and engaging way. If you are looking for more exposure for your listing, check out premium features. For a nominal fee, you can showcase your listing on our member home page and browse pages or place your ad at the top of the searches.
It is in both parties interest to act honestly, however on rare occasions you might come across unprincipled and dishonorable swappers who fail to keep their end of the bargain. In case you encounter a dispute please first make every effort to contact the transacting party and try reaching a mutually agreeable resolution. If all communication breaks down and the party does not complete the transaction and/or refuses to rectify the wrongdoing, you may leave negative feedback in the user's profile. Stick to facts, do not get emotional. Last but not least, please notify us by providing factual details about the dispute or the violation through our contact us form, so we can monitor that user's behaviour and try to prevent future violations. We may suspend the user if his or her actions are deemed to have violated our User Agreement.
Check out our swapping tips page for more great suggestions!
The sharing tool is a feature that makes lending and borrowing items, such as camping gear, snow blowers or designer dresses easy. For example, an average power drill is used for no more than 13 minutes of its entire lifetime. Instead of letting it gather years of dust, you can offer to lend it out to fellow swappers on a barter basis and get other goods or services in return. To indicate that an item is available to borrow, simply check the 'Share' option when listing your item.
Favourite item alerts feature makes it possible to receive daily alert summaries for all newly posted item or skill listings from your pre-selected favourite categories or subcategories. Read more about the item alerts here. You can set up the alerts by going to our browse page and picking whatever categories or subcategories suit your fancy. Click on 'Add Favourite' to add it to your alerts. You can review your alerts here.
Use our shipping and meeting information form to provide shipping address or meeting location whereabouts to the other swapper.
We leave this decision up to you. Most typical item-for-item swap transactions will result in shipping costs incurred by both parties. In cases when only one transacting party is shipping the item, you can decide among yourselves who is going to bear the cost. If you wish to save on shipping costs you may elect to meet the other swapper in person.
We offer some shipping tips here.
Sure! While negotiating a transaction, you can indicate to the other swapper that you wish to meet up and specify meeting details. Use the proximity filter to help you locate item owners nearest to you.
Feedback is a peer review left by other swappers subsequent to completing a swapping transaction and receiving the item or skills bartered. Your feedback cannot be modified and it is made available to all other members through your profile. Reviewing another member's feedback allows you to gauge the swapper's trust level. Feedback comprises of a quantitative and a qualitative component.
You can only leave feedback after completing the swapping transaction with another member. You will be reminded to leave feedback in your user account. Please rate the other user subsequent to completing the swap transaction and receiving the good or service bartered.
Before jumping the gun and leaving negative feedback about another swapper, please make every effort to remedy the situation by communicating with the other user. If however, you objectively conclude that the swapper creates a risk to the rest of the swapping community please be tactful but informative when leaving negative feedback. Leaving and receiving negative feedback is a potential red flag serving as a warning to other swappers to proceed with caution when transacting with a negatively rated user. When writing negative feedback, be professional, objective, stick to facts and make your comments free from unnecessary emotions. Clearly justify with facts the reasons for your contentment or discontentment with the transaction or the transacting party. Please also refrain using upper case and long string of exclamation marks.
No, you will not be able to modify your feedback or another user's feedback. Please contact us if there is a problem.
Feedback scores appear next to a member's profile and help to establish their reputation on Swapsity.
Leaving post-transaction feedback is important and we strongly recommend that you take a minute to leave comments and rate the swap. Feedback informs your fellow swapper how you feel about the transaction. More importantly, it lets the rest of the swappers know what they can expect when exchanging with that member.
Feedback affects a member's reputation, so we ask that you take it seriously by leaving fair and honest ratings and comments.
For simplicity, all payments for Premium Features are made in pre-paid credits. You can purchase them in various denominations ($5, $10, $20, $50). Once you purchase credits, you will be able to access premium features.
Showcasing items costs 3 credits (equivalent of $3), Top Listings cost 2 credits (equivalent of $2) and links cost 1 credit (equivalent of $1). Videos listings and extra pictures are currently free. You can review all premium feature fees here.
Go to My Account and click on 'Edit Settings'. You will be presented with options to edit your personal information, change password, modify email notification settings, and update shipping address.
Please contact us with a request to have your account terminated.
It depends on the nature and frequency of your transactions. There is a non-taxable and taxable scenario. Please refer to tax FAQs for further information.
You can access site shortcuts here.
Check out our swap events at www.swapsity.ca/meets
