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While we still have a long list of swap site improvements and updates to get to, we made two small changes today that I hope will be helpful.
The first change is an update to the messaging once the swap has been accepted by both sides. Previously there had been no messaging on the site about expected ship times, and that caused unnecessary issues/misunderstandings.
Now the message requests each swapper ships their item within 3-4 business days, or communicates with the other swapper to let them know if that isn't possible.
The second is a fix for when you are browsing another swapper's item listings. Previously there was only a "Learn More" button, and that would take you to the main item page, and you would have to navigate all the swapper listings to find the swapper you were looking for. Now you can click "Start Swap" from this page and immediately start a swap with that specific swapper for the item you selected. (You can still add other item requests to the swap). (Thanks to Angie for this idea!)
I'm also behind on getting some additional boxes listed to the swap directory - but hopefully will get caught up soon! As always, keep the feedback and suggestions coming!
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!
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!
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Hi Liz,
How long is the Swap Wait List? I signed up a while back and again tried yesterday and still on the wait list. How long is the wait period?
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Karen
Same here. *sigh* I want to start swapping soon.
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Liz Cadman
It’s about two weeks.
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Judy
Great, thanks!
Emily
Hi Liz,
Love the updates. One thing I would love to see in the future is, when scrolling through potential swappers of an item I’m interested in, if there could be some kind of graphic or note on the profiles of people I’ve swapped with before. I have a hard time keeping track of past swappers, and would love a visual cue so that I can look back to see if I was actually happy with how that swap went. Thanks for considering!
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C
Those are great changes! Two things that are probably already on your list of possible updates which I would love are (1) to be able to unflag an item that’s been flagged as a non-sub box item. Maybe it’s just a link you click, maybe with space for a comment, and if enough people click that link, then that item can be checked out to confirm if it is or not. For example, I noticed recently that the Rosanna Alhambra Medium Vessel (from the Birchbox Vanity box) is flagged. Also (2) it would be awesome to be able to sort someone’s swap list by major category, “Beauty” “Fashion” “Home & Tech” “Mens” etc. So addicted to swapping — thank you for making it possible!
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Michelle S
Thank you Liz for all of your hard work and most of all for your excellent communication skills! You are so nice to go out of your way to make your site and MSA subscription a wonderful positive experience.
I don’t think KnitCrate is on the swap site, can you please add it whenever you have time?
Thanks
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Jill
Thanks for all the updates! Would it be possible to include the date that someone posted an item for swap? This would especially be good for food products (if they don’t list a best-by date) or natural makeup products that might only be good for a year or so.
Also, I think I tried e-mailing you about this–I have a swap that’s been in limbo since September. I gave my shipping info, but never got the other person’s. I tried contacting her multiple times but never heard back. She never shipped her stuff and obviously I can’t ship mine. I tried to initiate a “cancel swap” but she never responded to that either. Is it possible for you to cancel the swap from your end? I just hate that it perpetually lists me as having “1 swap in progress” when it’s been going on for months! Let me know if you need more info or if I should e-mail. And they are fairly in-demand items that I feel like I can’t relist because the swap is still technically in progress.
Otherwise, love the site and have done many (I think over 50 now!) successful swaps. Thanks for all you do!
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Liz Cadman
Sorry about that – just sent you an email!
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Amy
I sent a longer comment but I’m not sure it went through. If not – great work, Liz, and can you work on improving the search function? Thanks.
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Amy
Liz, the swap website is brilliant. It’s been working out really well for me and I’ve met lots of really nice people through the site. It was an amazing idea to create a place for people to trade.
I have one request for the site – there isn’t a workable search function. I would like to see a list of results by searching key words. As it is now, the search function only returns results that match the search words identically, and only a handful of results. I hope you can improve the ability of swappers to search more effectively for what they want. There are some terrific features though, and I don’t want my suggestion to distract from that. Thanks so much.
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Rebecca
Is there a way to remove myself from swapping altogether? I’m just not feeling it and don’t agree with the new guidelines. I work full time and go to school full time and feel a week is perfectly acceptable. This is a SWAP SITE not an online store with turn around and ship deadlines. We are all expending our own time energy and money to trade. If you can respond at my above email how to cancel that’d be awesome
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Liz Cadman
Sure I’ll reach out to you via email. The 3-4 business days is a recommended timeframe, with the expectation that if that’s not possible you can comment on the swap to let the other person know. My understanding of issues that come up with shipment time differences in swaps is not that someone expected the item to ship out within a few days no matter what, but instead just wanted communication to know the status of the shipment. I hope that makes sense – I think you will be fine shipping out within a week or so if you just let your fellow swappers know.
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Sneaky Burrito
Can’t you just stop going to the swap site? I’m signed up but I’ve never listed anything. I don’t feel the need to cancel or delete myself, though — I just don’t participate.
Also, usually you can print postage online from home, right from the USPS website, and then all you have to do is drop your box off at a mail drop. My office building has one and there was outgoing mail in pretty much every building on campus when I was still in school (department offices usually had it, or building mailrooms, and there was an actual post office on campus too).
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Rebecca
Yeah- my local po also now has automated machine for ship labels. No drop at my school but once I transfer to the college in the city I have just a several block walk. The reason I want to cancel is that the majority of my swaps have been funky or not up to par. I recently mailed two brand new pj sets and got an old wrinkled lint and pet hair covered chemise. I thought of just removing all of my items from my profile but don’t like the idea of a permanent profile on here that I can’t remove :/ but thanks for the options.
Loren
I understand the shipping time requirement, but it doesn’t apply when the other person has no feedback, right? If I swap with someone and it is their first time, the message comes up to wait for them to ship, and if they don’t give me a tracking number, I wait for it to arrive.
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Liz Cadman
Right – that message still remains.
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lily
Liz: Thank you for all thank you do. Suggestion in the future if at all possible: If the used and new tab could be in a brighter color that would be greatly appreciated. I have clicked “used” so many times by mistake when the items are new, I’ve seen many other items do the same thing. Also if someone is not USA based it would be great if it could be highlighted. International shipping even on light weight items is so expensive.
— Curious if anyone else has come across this: I swapped, swap has been accepted, I’ve given my mailing information, yet sometimes wait for a week for the other person to respond with there address. — By then I wonder if the person really wants to swap, and I dont go to the post office as often as I once did, so when someone responds a week later with their address, I don’t necisarly have the time to run to the post office the next day after they sent their information.
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Danielle
I’ve had that happen to me a few times. I’ll usually give them a few days, then follow up with another comment letting them know I can ship whenever they provide their address. I understand that we have busy lives outside of swapping, but really all it takes is some basic communication. If you have the time to initiate or accept a swap, you have the time to leave a quick comment saying “Thanks for the swap, I won’t be able to ship for a week, here’s why.”
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lily
Very true. If someone can send 1 email in one day, they can send a message, on if an item will be delayed, you are right we are all very busy, the most important thing is communication. Even if it just a sentence. Goes along with common courtsey. I’ve swapped so much I’ve gotten to the point I hate go to the post office, so now I go once a week. I normally mention that prior to someone accepting a swap, if they want to accept the swap knowing when I will ship next, that’s great. If not I understand. At that point the communication is done and it is up to the other swapper to accept, decline or keep the swap open.
Danielle
Thanks for the new message about expected swap times. I’ve run into a few swappers who thought it was acceptable to ship their items up to a week after they had already received their items from me! I understand stuff comes up, but a simple message that you’re delayed is all it takes.
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lily
This has happened to me more at least 1/2 the time. I could understand if I did not have any positive feedback, yet with many positive feedbacks and no negatives, I find it irritating. By the time I get the package from them I have no idea what I swapped for and have already purchased the item online
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Amanda
As a fellow developer, I just wanted to say thanks for all of the work you do on the site to improve our user experience. 🙂
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Liz Cadman
Thanks so much Amanda!! 🙂
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ashley
How in the heck do I see the items that I’ve put up to swap? I need to remove something!!
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Helen
On your ‘view your swaps’ page there is a section under listings called ‘swaps’. Click on that and you’ll see everything you have listed with the option to remove an item.
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Liz Cadman
Thanks so much Helen! 🙂
Rachel
Out of curiosity, what is the point of having a two week wait list?
Is there a way to block a swapper, or make a personal note for yourself that a swapper is not someone you want to swap with?
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Liz Cadman
We’re working on something to let you keep track of anyone you liked or didn’t like swapping with.
In regards to the two week wait list, there are a few reasons:
1) For potential fraud reasons, we didn’t want to make it super easy for someone to create an account, take advantage of other swappers, then ditch the account and immediately create a new one. I know it isn’t a perfect system, but it gives a little more time for someone to report that person to me.
2) Typically with every wait list opening, there are some questions, or requests that come up from new users, and I make sure I have some dedicated time when we open the wait list to help.
Hope that makes sense!
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Angie
Yay, now I can be even lazier than usual. 😀
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Emily
Great updates! Thank you!
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Linda
Hi Liz
I tried signing up for a swap and it says “invite only” did I do something wrong or is there a wait list?
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Liz Cadman
It is wait list only, but we open up the wait list approximately every 2 weeks. Make sure to add [email protected] to your email contact list so you don’t miss the invite!
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Michelle
Awesome!! Thanks Liz! 😀
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Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.