More Swap Site Updates!

ByLiz CadmanJan 9, 2018 | 18 comments

We're still working on a lot of your suggestions for improving the swap site, but I thought I'd do a quick post on some changes we made today.

Swap Site Listings

The first change is now when you are listing an item you can add a link to the product if you want. That way when someone else is considering the item, they can go check it out (on Sephora for example), and get all the extra information they might be interested in. When you've listed an item with a product link it will look like this:

Michael Stars hat

Clicking "Learn More about ..." will open a new window with the product detail information. This isn't a required step, but if you have the time to do it I think it will make the listings more helpful!

Also, based on the comments from the last update post, we've added an expiration for swap requests. I hope the logic decided on is a good balance that will work for everyone, but if you have any concerns please let me know!

How it works: Swap requests will expire after 10 days if no action is taken. (If you comment on a swap request, the 10 day counter will restart).

(In the email you get about a swap request, we also let you know when the swap request expires).

I'm hoping this gives everyone enough time to review swaps, but also helps clear out old swap requests. (If you aren't sure about a swap, and don't want it to expire in ten days, just comment on the swap letting the other swapper know! Any comment will keep the swap from expiring for another 10 days).

Let me know what you think about these changes, and if you have any questions or additional feedback. Hopefully we'll have another update for you soon!

Posted in Subscription Box Swap News

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

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18 comments

Shana

How do we get off the swap site wait list?

Becky

I myself never keep a swap open for 10 days, but I see why some people might want to. I look through and either propose a swap of what I want or decline because there is nothing I want at the moment. I think the idea of a Not now button would be great, Maybe name is: Save for Later button? Just a thought. Also I think there should be a way to counter a feedback. I recently swapped with someone whom claimed I falsely traded the wrong size, which I did not and it was in my description the size. Thankfully for your new update it even shows it in our trade, Yet I got a neutral feedback because she didn’t read the sizing before swapping with me. Her communication was horrible and she had other bad/neutral on her swap feedback. I was nice enough to give her a positive because I got what I swapped for as did she. I feel like I have to pay for her mistake. She wouldn’t even respond when asked what to do about her being unhappy I would have returned if she wanted. But she didn’t bother with anything until I gave her positive feedback then she left me neutral. Wish there was something us honest people can do about people like that.

Miranda

I agree with the first commented that the 10 day expiration is a big bummer. I sometimes leave swaps open (after letting the other person know) so they can add new things to make the swap possible. It seems like quite a hassle to have to comment to keep it open. Why not just let people cancel when they see fit?

Liz Cadman

Thanks for letting me know! I get a few emails everyday from swappers wondering why they aren’t hearing back on their swaps, so it’s clear we have a lot of different swapping styles on the site. We’ll work on something that will better suit swappers who like to keep swap proposals open.

Not sure if this is possible, but what do you think of this: in addition to the accept or decline buttons, a “Not Now – But Keep Swap Open” button? (I’ll work on better wording).

I’m thinking that way it would quickly communicate to the other swapper that you’re not interested right now (without having to comment), and they can always cancel the swap if they are looking for that item immediately.

Let me know what you think!

Lisa

I think that button may be a good idea. Then those swaps wouldn’t be automatically cancelled after 10 days? I’m always open to trading but sometimes they just don’t have anything that I’d like at the moment. Which is why I leave the trade open. That way I can occasionally check back to see if they’ve added anything new that I’d like. In general I feel like the 10 day cancellation is a big pain. I’d prefer to be able to control when my trades are cancelled. But I appreciate you trying to think up a solution that would work for everyone.

miranda

I LOVE the idea of a “Not Now – But Keep Swap Open” button. It seems like it would be acceptable to both ends of the spectrum on leaving trades open.

Lisa

I know! I really am dissapointed. It’ll make things so much more difficult. I don’t see why people just can’t cancel their trades themselves. It’ll be a huge pain to have to go through and comment on any existing trades just to keep them from not canceling. Liz, please please please reconsider that change.

Mary Beth

I agree. I’m not a fan of the 10 day expiration. I love this site so much and am so grateful for all of the hard work that Liz puts in, so I wasn’t going to say anything. However, I felt like maybe the changes are based on our comments, so if people don’t like the change they need to speak up.

Love the site, I’m going to keep loving it no matter what. But…. please reconsider the expiration thing.

Lisa

I absolutely HATE that trades will automatically expire in 10 days. Is there a way to choose to not have our trades cancelled (other than being forced to comment)? I often have trades that I leave open. Mainly if someone wants to trade with me, but doesn’t have anything that I’d like. I would leave the trade open. That way I can choose to go back and periodically check in to the trade and see if they’ve added any new items that I might like. It’ll be an absolute pain to have to go through and comment just to avoid it being cancelled. I’m not happy at all about that addition 🙁 I wish we had the choice/control to cancel our trades as we see fit.

Liz Cadman

Lisa,

Thanks for letting me know – I’m learning that everyone has different swap styles! It seems like we have some swappers who aren’t sure what’s going on if they don’t hear back from someone, and other swappers who are OK with leaving a swap open for as long as needed. We’ll work on a solution that hopefully gets both swapping styles covered. I really appreciate the feedback!

Lisa

Thanks Liz,
I love the site and have had over 150 great swaps. I understand about the different swap styles. I really hope you’ll reconsider the 10 day auto cancel. For me it’s just easy to be able to leave a request open so that even if they don’t have something that I want, I can still have the option of checking back to see if they add anything in the future that I’d like. It’s just convenient and less confusing for me personally to do it that way. People have the option to cancel a trade at any point, so I don’t see why there’s a need for a force auto cancel. Also, maybe I’m missing it but is there a way to see at what date a trade will be automatically cancelled? I’m not seeing it listed on the trades anywhere (I’m on the mobile site).

lily

Liz: I’m just the opposite – I would rather have someone accept or decline the swap within 2 business days ( I don’t count weekends ). My personal swap style is either accept or decline a swap within 2 days. If someone wants to send me a new swap request one they have new items they are welcome too. I’m just to busy to see if someone has new items on a regular bases to keep the swap open. So I end up canceling the swap. ——- Liz: to me it seems like that there are inactive swappers out there that still have listed items —

Jess Stephan

Small suggestion- would it be possible to incorporate a small packaging & mailing tutorial somewhere on the site? Unfortunately it seems that a lot of swappers don’t have much experience with shipping. My main problem with swaps has been damage in transit- I have found about 25% of people use plain paper envelopes with no bubble wrap or protection at all. Most people don’t realize just how rough the USPS (and their sorting machines) are, even on small packages.

Thanks for the recent improvements, you’re really making the swap experience better!

Audrey

I don’t get an email my counter over was accepted. Didn’t know until I got a comment saying thank you for the swap. Can we stop get those emails? Thanks

Sasha

Great updates and I wanted to say thank you for creating this site for all of us sub addicts out here.

Nycki

I’m no longer receiving emails about swap requests or comments/cancellations. Is there a way to turn this back on?

Kelly

Great changes and thank you.

lily

Liz: Thank You – I will still probably cancling a swap after 3 -4 days. By then I’ll probably already have purchased the item. I’m inpatient that way. Also I look at response time as an indication on how someone may or may not respond to an issue with a swap or shipping. I just placed a few items up for swap and noticed your changes – thank you they are very helpful.

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