But what about the trades?
Swaptree's engine does all the trade work for you. Based on the items in your Have and Want lists, like in you see in Figure B, it finds other users with compatible matches.

FIGURE B


A user's Want list. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Sometimes trades will be direct; you send an item to the person sending one to you. More often than not though, they are a three-way trade; you send an item to one user, who then sends an item to another, who then sends an item to you.

You're not pigeonholed into only trading a book for a book, or a movie for a movie. When you add an item to your Have list, as in Figure B, the system will tell what items you can get by trading it.

FIGURE C


The items on a Have list. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Some items, such as PS3, Xbox 360, and Disney movies have higher value and therefore present more available items; but you're still only trading one item for one item. You're just less likely to be able to get a high-value item unless you have one to offer.

By no means are you restricted to only letting the system present you with trades. If you see an item that you can Get Now, you may initiate a trade yourself; just you may be presented with this type of trade from another user.

The only money involved in trading is for the shipping of the item you are sending. You can print out a USPS (United States Postal Service) shipping label with tracking number and delivery confirmation right from Swaptree; your credit card will be charged once a month for all of the shipping labels you have printed in the past month.

Or you can pay the postage straight from your pocket at the Post Office. I've tried both to see if there were any difference, and if there is, it's only about a dime at most. Considering the convenience of being able to drop your parcel in a mailbox, or leave it for your Postal Carrier, and not having to battle the lines at the Post Office, it's much easier to just print out the label from Swaptree and pay for it later.

What if I get stiffed on a trade?
Just as with other Internet-based e-commerce communities, a user's rating is based on feedback from other users. A feedback profile can be seen in Figure D.

FIGURE D


A user's reliability is reflected by ratings from previous trades. Roll over picture for a larger image.

It is for this reason your descriptions should be complete and you should ship in a timely fashion.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, not everyone lives up to their obligations. In that instance, Swaptree has a complaint resolution system, much like that of eBay, wherein they will attempt to intercede on a user's behalf to complete the trade. However, also much like eBay, Swaptree bears little responsibility or liability for any trades. The most they are able to do is suspend a user's account for failing to complete a trade. Much to my dismay, I've had to use the complaint resolution system on a few occasions. In all but one instance I eventually received my item.

However, when it came to general support, such as a question not answered in the FAQs, I found Swaptree's response to be nonexistent. Out of three inquiries via the site's contact form, I never once received a reply. In that regard, don't expect to hear from the Swaptree staff. In a pinch though, when you need them to be there (as in a trade gone wrong), Swaptree has your back.