Swapping Tips

POSTING ITEMS

Item Title:

When adding new item/skill:

• Optimize your title:
  • Use accurate keywords
  • Use the most common names for the item/skill
  • Give the most essential information right away
• Avoid spelling mistakes and poor grammar
• Avoid abbreviating important keywords
• Avoid space wasters, such as ‘great’, ‘fantastic’, etc.
  
• Use capitalization sparingly

Item Description – ‘Seller’

• Know what you are swapping/selling
• Be concise:
  • Use accurate keywords and include important details
  • Draw attention to attractive or unique features
  • Strike a balance between being descriptive and concise
  • Be truthful about imperfections and pertinent details
    
  • Be clear, do not confuse your audience
• Look at your title as a ‘buyer’ would
• Be creative
• Review your Stuff Statistics page frequently to view interest in your items

Item Description - ‘Buyer’

• Pay attention to what is not written
• Ask questions about the item

Pictures

When adding pictures of your item, consider the following:

• Make images professional and inviting
• Use an uncluttered background
• Position the item carefully
• Adjust lighting
• Edit image if necessary:
  • adjust contrast
  • adjust brightness
  • rotate
  • crop (e.g. excess background)
• Show close-ups, show item from different angles
• Please take your own pictures without violating copyright laws

Shipping Costs

• When swapping bulky or heavy items, make the effort to research approximate packing and shipping costs for the item. Your considerate gesture will help to minimize any surprises for the ‘buyer’.

Generate Interest in Your Items

If you do not receive any offers for weeks, consider:

• Revamping your posting:
  • Add detail, highlight strengths in your description
  • Spruce up your posting with a picture or two
  • Lower the asking price
• Research your ‘competitors’ who are swapping similar items and make your posting more compelling, though keep it truthful
• Do not place unnecessary restrictions on other swappers, be flexible
• Promote your item
• Place your item in the Showcase to showcase it on Swapsity’s member home page
  The more attractive and informative your posting is, the more offers you are likely to receive for your items.

Skills

Skills are any talents, favours, or services performed by competent amateurs or professionals

• Ask about the other person’s experience, portfolio or a reference
• If you arrange for someone to freelance for you, consider having a contract
• If you want to earn some extra money you can trade your time by helping others out with dog walking, snow shoveling, babysitting, grass mowing, running simple errands, pet care or other creative skills.

COMMUNICATION

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General

Provide Excellent 'Customer Service':

• Answer all questions thoroughly, promptly and succinctly
• Keep the lines of communication open
• If you have a delay for any reason, please let the other person know

Item Questions

• ‘Buyer’ - Ask questions before you commit to a transaction
• ‘Seller’ - Answers questions thoroughly, completely and quickly
• Archive or print messages correspondence in case of disputes

SWAPPING

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Offers

• If you receive an offer which is of little interest to you, do not leave the other user hanging, have the courtesy to respond promptly and decline it politely
• Upon agreeing to a transaction, ship the item within 2-3 business days at most
  

FEEDBACK

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General

• Build strong and consistent rating, feedback and overall credibility
• Complete all your transactions
• Do not post any comments which can be perceived as libelous or slanderous; stick to the facts and do not get personal
• Please do not leave feedback prior to receiving the item(s)
• Feedback may not include web links, personal information or obscenity

Spotting a Dependable Swapper

• Solid rating and feedback track record
• Active and dependable member of the swapping community
  (member has completed many swapping transactions and received positive feedback for most completed transactions)
• Clear, coherent and comprehensive item description
• Responds promptly to all questions

Boosting Your Rating

• Always meet or exceed expectations
• Describe item/skill accurately
• Respond to any queries thoroughly and without delay
• Ship promptly and pack with care
• Resolve problems in a courteous manner
• Thank your swapping buddy upon arrival of the shipped item

Feedback Spoilers

• ‘Forget’ to ship
• Poor packaging
• Major fib in item description
• Never responding to questions and/or offers
• Pestering the other swapper for feedback

SHIPPING / MEETING

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Saving on Shipping Costs

• Meet in person
• Use our proximity filter to find items nearest to you

Pre-packaging

• Clean item properly before packing
• Clothing, in particular, must be cleaned/dry-cleaned prior to shipping

Packaging

Protect the items you ship:

• Use bubble wrap, newspapers, cardboard, etc
• Fragile items:
  • Wrap items separately
  • Use extra padding
  • Include ‘fragile’ stamp
• Free boxes – supermarkets, stores, dollar stores

Shipping

• Notify the buyer when you will ship an item and when it is expected to arrive
• Include item description in your shipping

After Shipping

• Send a quick email to check if the other party has received the item and if he/she is happy with it
• Use that opportunity to request feedback from the other swapper

Additional Protection

If you want to put the other party at ease, consider the following:

• Offer Shipping Insurance
  Purchase shipping insurance to protect your package from loss or damage during shipping. (Note: Swappers decide how they share costs of shipping insurance)
  
  
• Use an Escrow Service
  Use third party escrow service. This may cost you a little more than a regular shipping option.
  
  
• Offer a Personal Guarantee
  • As a ‘seller’, you can choose to provide a personal guarantee for a refund in your Terms of Transaction if the item arrives broken or/and it does not work as described.
  • Useful for new ‘sellers’ who want to establish their credibility.
• Meet in Person
  • Consider meeting in person for items that are expensive, one-of-a-kind or extra bulky.
  • Use the proximity filter to locate the item closest to you.

Meeting

• Meet in a public place
• Bring someone along if you are meeting the person for the first time
• Trust your ‘gut feeling’
• Do not give away more personal information than needed
  (e.g. home address, financial information)
• ‘Buyers’ should inspect the item carefully

COLLECTORS

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General

• Get all the facts:
  • Original parts
  • Any flaws that might affect item value
  • Owner profile: amateur or savvy collector?