Monday 26 January 2015

The Safety Of Swapping Websites

By Janine Hughes


Before money was used, services and goods used to be exchanged by bartering. Swapping websites are now being used in the same way and people can easily and efficiently exchange unwanted goods for those they desire. Computers, cars, household goods, clothing and many other items find new homes in this way without any money at all being exchanged. Registration on such sites is usually free and clear instructions are given on how to use them.

Some of the marketplaces are large and well established as they have already been in existence for some time. They have thousands of categories and listings under these categories. Others are more specific such as those where only clothing and accessories are traded or those where only services are exchanged. Most of these sites offer free membership and as soon as the rules have been accepted, a member can start dealing.

A member posts a listing, giving a heading and a detailed description of the item they are offering. They choose a specific category and this makes it simple for other users to view what is being offered and what is wanted in exchange. Images of the item can be uploaded too by using built-in software.

When someone is interested in a swap, a proposal is made. It is up to the person who has listed the item to accept the proposal. When a proposal has been accepted, the users make contact. The other user may be taken to a screen where a delivery address is filled in. The one listing may also be prompted to fill in a delivery address so that the items can be exchanged.

Once an item has been delivered, the other party is obliged to follow through with delivery too. Before this point it is possible to withdraw from a swap. If an item is posted, the date of posting, method and tracking number is usually recorded. Once items that are posted have been received, confirmation is necessary. Personal accounts or dashboards are often used to keep track of transactions.

A method used by many of these sites to increase the confidence of users is by rating swaps. Users who have a good record of describing items accurately, communicating clearly and sending items speedily will have a good rating. Someone whose ratings are low will probably battle to arrange future swaps.

Some people may have doubts as to whether bartering like this really works and fear being ripped off by unscrupulous users. Of course some measure of trust is needed and there are opportunities to be dishonest. However, precautions are taken to ensure the safety of users and as long as caution is exercised, most transactions happen without a hitch.

A bartering system in which participants in online communities trade items of comparable value does involve an element of trust. However, many of these communities operate according to strict guidelines and do everything they can to verify users to enhance confidence and security. This is a fun way to find exactly what you want without having to part with money.




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