Just wanted to also add that it would be nice (and generally good manners) just to let your swap partner know that you have received their swap. It really isn't that difficult to leave a message here on swapbot for them or even to email them. I find that I am often very disappointed when I send what I think is a lovely swap package and never hear from my partner.

Also another small thing - a note with the swap item never goes astray. This makes it much easier for the receiver to identify their partner to thank them and also so they know which swap the item was actually for.

Ok end of rant! :p

Here is what I have discovered in my brief time here at Swap Bot.

One of the things that I noticed is that a lot of unwritten rules have come into existence on Swap-Bot. Till now I have found that:

• you need to fill in your profile 'fully' or else risk banning from swaps. So if you are a newbie, don't just enthusiastically sign up for swaps, do your homework first. People are not very polite or nice if they think you may be a fraud.

• people expect you to write a comment in the comments of the swap. They seem to prefer if you 1. write in the comments section that you have sent, and who you sent to. and then 2. once you receive your swap, you are expected to let the person who sent the swap know. They are not going to patiently wait for the rating they also expect you to do, they are sitting by their computer waiting until you let them know their package has arrived safely.

I am sure there are also people who swap because they enjoy the giving more than the receiving, but they are not very vocal about it.

Yes filling out a profile is a good idea, in my experience I have noticed that people without a full profile are usually the ones that don't care too much about the swaps they send out (or don't send at all). It's not an attack to newbies, just a precaution. I'm sure after some time on here you will understand that spending time and money on something to get nothing in return sucks for many people in a swap. I hope newbies can understand that.

I would also like to mention that user names and swap name on at least the package is a good idea. If they don't know what swap it's for how in the world are they going to rate you? If writing a note in all of the swaps is too much then consider on outside of the envie/box write something like- swap-bot flat goodies swap/from fairykiss.

Be patient, contact your partner if nothing is received first. At Christmas time it took up to 6 weeks for a card to get here from England. If someones profile is full of 5's then something may just be taking a bit longer to get to you. Ask questions, there is no harm in that!

It's also a good idea to get delivery confirmation on your packages, take pictures of what you send or get a receipt (those are free!). Most people have digital cameras and it's not that hard to snap a shot of what you send before it goes to the post. If it does get lost then you have some sort of proof. I never rate someone if they have proof and never make them send another package, they did what they signed up to do and it's not their fault so why make them pay twice?! Aside from that you should be proud of what you send out so pictures are always a nice way to remember you swapping experience (I have started to keep a little photo journal).

Just my advice, take it or leave it :)

I joined 3 swaps in here so far and i been ripped off from 2 of them

can anyone explain this to me? This site seems cool but why should people get ripped off...I mean I payed money to send a nice swap to the other person and i get nada

vicky

How do you know who is meant to be sending to you?

You have to wait until 7 days past the swap send date. This is when rating is open. Swapbot keeps the sender anon until then as a kind of surprise.

I to agree with the "Complete Profile".I am the worlds worse shopper, trust me.If you have a complete profile of what you like and don't like then i can do so much better.Some of the most obvious ones would be colors.What is your favorite color? Do you like cutesy stickers or more scrapbook type stickers? Some people love scrapbook stuff but don't actually do scrapping.Don't just say i knit.Tell me what kind of knitting needles you like and what color and brands of yarn.

I get partners a lot who just say i love crafting.There are a lot of crafts darling tell me which ones you do like.

Proof Of Postage:I also think is really important.You must have some kind of proof even if it's just from the receipt they gave you.Put some type of number or address on it and ask them to stamp it if you are International.

Let your partner know when you send to them.Let them know when you receive it.If you don't receive something let them know right away.I always re send swaps.

If they say they didn't receive it and you sent it twice then there is a problem.I had this myself with one particular swap partner.So always try to communicate.

Angeling Swaps:I would love to do this for every swap.I cant do it anymore though.So if you are not going to Angel be sure to include it in your swap details.I don't expect it because i know how expensive some of them can be.What i do try is swapping partners out if there is a problem with one of them.

I try to make a friend each time i send out a swap package.Remember though every one is different and may not like what you send.Try not to feel bad because the next swap you send your partner will most likely love it.

Ratings: I wont go there but do remember it takes time.Email wait for a response if none is forth coming then rate them.Do allow for mail time,mail mishaps and of course late sends....

Thats my imput..

I think the greatest proof of postage is what I was going to do recently! Take a picture of the post office employee holding the stamped package!

I think swappers need to be told it is a common courtesy to let your partner know you received the swap that was sent. I use an Excel database to keep track of my swaps and it drives me crazy, not knowing if they have received. The mega swap is really a bummer, I sent out a mass email to all my receivers (18) and only half of them answered. When you don't hear from them, you worry about getting a low rating because it never showed up. Thanks for reading this....lol

I think the best way to have a good swap experience is to:

• do unto others as you would have them do unto you
• fully enjoy giving and don't rely on getting for your joy
• communicate with your partners (via e-mail, notes, ratings)
• have an open mind and heart
• delight in new ideas and avoid judgment

good thoughts mediatinker-that should go into the swap mandate

I am new at this so, I have learned a few precautions on this. It has happened to me only that the package I had sent with in the states has been lost. It has been 10 days for it to fly to California and she has not received it yet. If it is lost, why haven't I received it back since I put my return address on it? Also, pictures will be taken and receipts will be filed away. Lesson learned. I had contacted my partner from the beginning and told her that it was on it's way, and have been in contact with her several times. Now I have a 1 rating from her to which I had sent the package and had personalized it especially for her.

Cloverst - you said a 3 rating was for something sent on time but did not otherwise meet the swap requirements (eg 2 instead of 3, or blue instead of pink). Somewhere else on the Swap-Bot site (but not in the FAQs) there was something said about giving a 3 rating if it met swap requirements but was sent after the send by date. Is that correct? I can see the logic in both.

On another topic - is there any way of seeing someone's profile generally? That is, if you know their swap-bot name but aren't necessarily in the same swap as them. Does this make sense? The only way I have been able to find people's profile is if their name is on a list of swap participants in a swap I am also in. Although I have just had a thought - can you click on someone's name that appears in the comment section on a swap - will that take you to their profile? I suspect it might (there is a small lightbulb glowing above my head). Even if that is so - and as soon as I finish this I am going to check it out - is there no way of generally browsing swapper's profiles like you can browse the swaps?? thanks. isis

Meeting swap requirements requires both sending the right things and sending by or on the swap date. Failing to do either of these things can justify a 3 rating. The 3 still isn't compulsory. If my partner let me know she (or he) would be sending a day or two late for a good reason (illness, postal problems), I would not rate them 3 for that.

iamonly new to swap bot but i have done a few swaps already. my tips from previous swapping on a cardmaking site: write onteh back of the envelope swap bot and the name of the swap eg. swap bot pet postcard. this also helps if you are packaging things in advance before you know who your partner is. you can have it all ready to go other than their name and address. always enclose a small note that says who you are with your swap bot name and the name of the swap you are sending. it makesit less confusing for the receiver. also start a spread sheet or something on your computer stating the name of swaps you are in, who you send to, when you send and when it is acknowledge and then when you receive your parcel from your partner. i know that the site keeps a track to say some of it but when the swap is long gone and over you can still refer back to all you have been involved in that way.

now, if you're a quick rater, i rated my first received swap immediately... is that a good enough way to show that you DID receive it or should you also contact the person who sent it to you?

A rating, and preferably a comment with it, is usually enough. Until a few months ago, you could not give any rating till 2 weeks after the send-by date, so if you got a package that was sent soon after partners were assigned it could be a month before you could rate. Back then, it was really necessary to send a private message to acknowledge receipt, but most people do not do so now unless they have an extra comment or question or wish to start a conversation.

Regarding the earlier comments about rating a 3 if someone sends after the deadline - I think it is important to point out to newbies that you should think very carefully before rating someone a 3 or 1 1. This could badly affect their chances of joining other swaps in the future. If they were several days late posting their parcel but have otherwise fulfilled the requirements, I think a '3' seems a bit harsh...

Good point, Kessie! A lot of swappers will give a 5 anyway if the package is good. Others will choose not to rate at all rather than give a 3 to someone who does send a good package eventually and communicates about the delay.

Hi! I'm a newbie here and I want to ask what's the best way to ship your swaps especially out of the country. I'm from the Philippines so I always prefer sending registered mail to ensure that the package won't go missing but I have gathered in our Post Office that there would be an allowance of 2 weeks. I also tried sending in cards and postcards in US in a regular mail and they received it in just one week, UK and Canada received it longer, 2-4 weeks I think.

So what's the best shipping option for swaps? Regular mail, registered or EMS?

Sending from the UK, I send airmail but not our equivalent of priority as I was told at my local PO that priority only gains a day or at most two. It speeds up the process a bit till it gets on the plane, but at the other end it doesn't get any priority treatment. I also don't pay for delivery confirmation unless it is a particularly expensive package as that costs an extra 3.50 GBP (about US $7).

I find delivery times are so unpredictable. I have had a surface mail package get here from the US in 3 days and airmail packages take 2 months. Generally, airmail to the US takes 7-10 days and from the US takes 10-14 days but I never start to worry till 3-4 weeks at least, and I'd never rate someone who said they had sent with a 1 till at least 2 months.

If someone doesn't rate you or write to say they received your swap, is it annoying to message them to ask if they received it? I haven't received ratings or been notified of the receipt of a few swaps I've sent and I just wanted to know the etiquette on that.

Oops, double post - deleting ths one.

The consensus sees to be that one polite PM after a reasonable time to ask if they received it is fine, but going on PMing if you don't get a reply or if they still don't rate after replying is felt to be harassment. A few people don't like receiving even one message, but most don't mind, and actually like being reminded if they have just forgotten to rate.