Frequently Asked Questions

How does the rating system work?

Once you have received items from your swap partners, you can log back into Swap-bot and view the corresponding swap page. On this page you will see an option in the yellow option box to “Rate the partners who sent you stuff.” When you click on this option a list of all of the participants who were assigned to send items to you will open with a list of rating options and comment section for each. This option appears right after partners are assigned for each swap. However, only the most positive rating is available at first. The other two rating options appear one week after the mail deadline for each swap. This delay allows time for items to travel through the mail. It may take longer than a week to receive a package from your partner, so don’t feel like you must rate your partners right away. There is always the option of logging back into Swap-bot and changing your ratings at any time, even for old swaps.

Everyone’s average rating, as well as the total number of hearts and stars received, is displayed by their name on their profile page. The history of each participants’ ratings and comments they received are also displayed at the bottom of their profile page and on their rating pages. Click on the different swap statistics in the upper right corner of any user's profile to see a detailed list of that specific rating history. (For example, click on the number of hearts to see a list of all of the ratings the user has received which included a heart.) Swap coordinators can use this information to determine whether they would like an individual to participate in their swap.

Swap-bot recommends that swap coordinators contact a participant before they ultimately decide to ban them from their swap. Sometimes there is a good explanation as to why a participant couldn’t follow through on a previous swap. However, if a participant has multiple poor ratings, he/she is probably a poor swapper.

Swap-bot has now also implemented an automatic account suspension system. If a swapper receives four, or more, "1" ratings within the past six months, their account is automatically partially suspended by the Swap-bot computer. They are dropped from all swaps in which partners are not yet assigned and they are not able to sign up for new swaps until they get their low ratings rectified.

What are the rating criteria?

There are only three different rating criteria: I got my stuff and it met posted swap requirements (5 points); I got my stuff, but it didn't meet the posted swap requirements (3 points); I never got anything (1 point). Keep in mind that you are NOT rating your partners on whether or not you liked what you received, only on if it met the requirements of the swap. The fun thing about swaps is that you never know what you are going to get, and that means that sometimes you may not be thrilled with what you receive. Also, remember that everyone (including the person you are rating) can see who you are and what ratings and comments you gave. It is important to rate participants honestly, but it is also good to be kind even if you have to give someone the lowest rating.

What are hearts and how do I give them?

If someone sends you an extra special swap package that far exceeds the swap requirements, you can give that person a heart. The option to give someone a heart only appears when you give them the highest rating ("5 - I got my stuff and it met posted swap requirements"). Under this rating option a check box will appear that you can mark if you want to give a heart. You do not have to give anyone a heart just because you gave them the highest rating. We suggest that you reserve giving hearts to those swappers who you think deserve even more than the highest rating (more than 5 points). The number of hearts a person has collected will be shown on their profile page next to their average rating. Lots of hearts indicates a very special swapper!

What are stars and how do I give one to my swap coordinator?

The star system is slightly complicated, but it is a nice way to reward hard working, exceptional coordinators. When you open the rating window for each swap there is a Coordinator Star box at the top. In that box you can mark either that your coordinator deserves a star, or they do NOT deserve a star. Coordinators do not receive a star for every person who marks yes to the star option, instead they must receive stars from 75% of the rating participants in their swap. Meaning that of the people in the swap who give one of the two ratings for the coordinator, 75% must mark the positive option for a star to be received. If a participant does not rate at all they are not included in the equation. As the percentage of rating participants changes, a coordinator's star count may change.

Why a rating system?

The Swap-bot rating system is like feedback on how each participant performed on each swap for which they signed up. Swap coordinators can manually ban anyone from their swaps and they may decide to ban participants with negative ratings. Swap-bot has now also implemented an automatic account suspension system. If a swapper receives four, or more, "1" ratings within the past six months, their account is automatically partially suspended by the Swap-bot computer. They are dropped from all swaps in which partners are not yet assigned and they are not able to sign up for new swaps until they get their low ratings rectified.

The rating system is meant to help keep people honest and fair with their swaps. No one likes to send out lots of cool swap items and then get nothing in return.

What if I received a rating that I believe is unfair?

The great thing about the Swap-bot rating system is that you can see who gave you each rating. If you think someone gave you an unfair rating, you can go to their profile and contact them - via the Swap-bot messaging system - about your concerns. Sometimes packages get lost in the mail. It is up to you and your partners to determine how to remedy that type of situation. Ratings can be revised at any time, so it is never too late to try and work something out with your partners. You can also always contact your swap coordinator with your concerns.

Can I delete a rating given to me?

The only time you can delete a rating given to you is if the swapper who gave you the rating has had their account permanently and fully suspended by Swap-bot Admin. If a swapper's account has been fully suspended, the option to delete the ratings they have given will show up on the rating at the bottom of your profile. You do not have to delete any ratings if you would like to keep them, and the connected comments, on your profile.

Do my partners get a message when I respond to their rating on my profile?

YES! We have just improved the system so that the partner who left the rating will receive an email when you respond to their rating on your profile. The email will let the person know that their rating has been responded to and it will include a link to the page where they can view the response.

Users have the option to not receive these emails if they prefer. The "opt out" option is located within the profile edit screen under the "Preferences" link.

What do I do if I didn't receive a swap package for a swap I participated in?

First, think about the date. Is it at least two weeks past the mail deadline? You need to allow for shipment time because not everyone sends theirs out right away, some wait until the actual deadline date. You may also be receiving your package from someone overseas. International packages can take a very long time to arrive, sometimes up to four, or even six, weeks. Remember that you can rate your partners at any time, so unless you have some other reason to think your partner has not sent, you should allow four weeks before giving a poor rating. It is also good etiquette to contact your sending partner before rating them poorly.

If enough shipping time has passed, you could contact the participant assigned to send you items or the swap coordinator.

Not receiving a swap package can be a huge disappointment. There may not be too much your swap coordinator can do to force your swap partner into sending something, but it is still very important to let you coordinator know that you never received anything so that they can ban the bad swapper from future swaps. It is also important that you give all of your swap partners an accurate rating.

What happens when someone doesn't send a swap?

They will get a poor rating, and more than likely, they will be banned from participating in future swaps. The swap coordinators can see who everyone is sending to and receiving from in their swaps. If they receive complaints from participants about not ever getting a package, they can easily find out who dropped the ball. Many swap coordinators have a rating requirement for their swaps (such as higher than a 3.5 rating). It is the swap coordinator’s responsibility to ban the offenders from their future swaps.

Swap-bot has now also implemented an automatic account suspension system. If a swapper receives four, or more, "1" ratings within the past six months, their account is automatically partially suspended by the Swap-bot computer. They are dropped from all swaps in which partners are not yet assigned and they are not able to sign up for new swaps until they get their low ratings rectified.

How does Swap-bot deal with bad swappers?

Sadly, there are some people out there who choose to take advantage of the Swap-bot system. We do our best to stay on top of extremely bad swappers who continuously fail to send swap items to their partners. We reserve the right to temporarily or permanently suspend any member's account who we feel is taking advantage of the swap system. However, it is mostly up to the swap community to deal with bad swappers. The rating system was created to give swappers the ability to give feedback on their partners. Swap coordinators can require that all of the participants in their swap have over a certain rating in order to participate, but it is their responsibility to enforce their rating requirement and ban any swappers who do not meet it.

Swap-bot has now also implemented an automatic account suspension system. If a swapper receives four, or more, "1" ratings within the past six months, their account is automatically partially suspended by the Swap-bot computer. They are dropped from all swaps in which partners are not yet assigned and they are not able to sign up for new swaps until they get their low ratings rectified.

Extremely fraudulent and/or dishonest swappers will have their accounts fully and permanently suspended. When a user is fully suspended they can no longer log into Swap-bot and their personal information is removed from view. However, their rating history is still visible on their profile page. Their profile will also have a statement explaining that the user has been fully suspended.

What are the consequences for breaking Swap-bot's rules?

First, we try to work things out with users personally and privately. If this is not successful, the Swap-bot Admins will issue an official warning email. If the warning is not effective in curbing rule-breaking behavior, the user's account may be patially or fully suspended.

Extremely fraudulent and/or dishonest swappers will have their accounts fully and permanently suspended. When a user is fully suspended they can no longer log into Swap-bot and their personal information is removed from view. However, their rating history is still visible on their profile page. Their profile will also have a statement explaining that the user has been fully and permanently suspended.

What if another user is being rude to me in the forums or through messages or profile comments?

Each member is responsible for their behavior and for their relationships with other swappers. However, you can block users who you do not like by clicking on the "Block" button near their username on their profile page. Blocking users prevents them from sending you personal messages through the Swap-bot site and posting comments on your profile. At this time, blocking does not prevent you from being in a swap with, or being partnered with, a blocked user. It also does not prevent you from seeing what the blocked user posts in the public forums. If you are having trouble with users in the public forums we STRONGLY suggest avoiding the forums.

Swap-bot reserves the right to fully and permanently suspend any members who break our rules or Terms of Use. However, we do not interfere in personal disputes or arguments. We encourage you to report all user-to-user disputes to your local law enforcement, postmaster general, or a certified mediation or arbitration entity if necessary.

May I make a suggestion for a future swap?

Better yet, start your own! Anyone with a Swap-bot account who has participated in at least one swap (and received at least a 3 rating) can host their own swaps. Just remember that Swap-bot simply lists your swap on our site. Anyone can sign up (as long as you do not set it as private), but we do not advertise any of the swaps or recruit participants. You are responsible for spreading the word about your cool swap and sending people to the Swap-bot signup page.

What are the responsibilities of swap coordinators?

Being a swap coordinator is a lot of fun, but it does entail a little bit of work. Coordinators create swaps by writing the description and setting all swap parameters, such as sign up and mail deadlines and rating requirements. There is the option for coordinators to create "private" swaps. This means that participants will have to have a password to sign up for the swap. Private swaps are NOT listed on the list of current swaps, meaning that the average Swap-bot user will have no way of knowing that the swap exists. Coordinators are responsible for advertising their private swap on its own webpage, or by word of mouth, in order to get participants and make sure they have the required password. All public swaps will be listed on the current list of swaps, and on the sidebar lists (Top Swaps and Most Recent Swaps) if applicable. Over 2,500 people visit Swap-bot each day and many will join swaps simply by seeing it on this site, but that does not mean that the coordinators shouldn't advertise their swaps on their own webpage. Many coordinators set up separate sites or image galleries for their swaps.

Swap-bot gives the swap coordinators the ability to ban participants that have signed up for their swap. A swap coordinator might ban a person because they have a low rating or their address does not meet the location requirements of the swap (such as US only). It is the swap coordinator's responsibility to weed out bad swappers. Swap-bot does not automatically ban any participants. Swap coordinators are also responsible for initiating the assignment of swap partners after the signup deadline. Once the signup deadline has passed, the coordinator must come back to Swap-bot to check over the list of swappers who have signed up for their swap. Any unwanted swappers can be banned at this time. It is then the coordinator's responsibility to click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link. Swap-bot does all of the actual partner assignments, the coordinators simply initiate the process after they have had a chance to check over the list of swap participants. IMPORTANT: Partners will not be assigned for your swap until you click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link. Swap-bot will send you an email after the sign-up deadline reminding you to come initiate the partner assignment process. If the coordinator does not click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link within a week of the sign up deadline the swap will be DELETED!

Swap-bot users are able to contact coordinators via email if they have any questions or concerns about the swap. Swap-bot does not handle issues related to individual swaps. The coordinator is responsible for handling any problems, such as participants who do not receive packages.

How do coordinators assign swap partners?

Swap coordinators are now responsible for initiating the assignment of swap partners after the signup deadline. Once the signup deadline has passed, the coordinator must come back to Swap-bot to check over the list of swappers who have signed up for their swap. Any unwanted swappers can be banned at this time. It is then the coordinator's responsibility to click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link. Swap-bot does all of the actual partner assignments, the coordinators simply initiate the process after they have had a chance to check over the list of swap participants. IMPORTANT: Partners will not be assigned for your swap until you click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link. Swap-bot will send you an email after the sign-up deadline reminding you to come initiate the partner assignment process. If the coordinator does not click on the 'assign partners for this swap' link within a week of the sign up deadline the swap will be DELETED! All participants will get an email letting them know why the swap was deleted.

Can I delete a swap I have created?

Swap coordinators can delete the swaps they have created as long as partners have NOT been assigned. After partners have been assigned, you can no longer delete your swap. When you delete a swap, all of the members who have signed up for that swap will receive an email from Swap-bot letting them know what has happened.

What if someone copies my swap idea?

Swap-bot does not support the act of copying swap ideas or wording, however we do not have any specific rules against it. We simply cannot police swap copying because it is just way too big of an issue. So many swaps are very similar and it is hard to know where to draw the line.

If you like a swap idea you see on Swap-bot, and you would like to host a similar one, make sure you contact the original swap’s coordinator to ask politely for permission. It is also good etiquette to give credit for the idea to the original swap host and to link back to the original swap within your swap’s description.

If a swap has been deleted because the coordinator has not logged in for over a week and never assigned partners, we consider it perfectly acceptable for one of the swap's participants to start a similar swap.

You suggest that I use Bcc when contacting my swap participants. What does Bcc mean?

Bcc stands for "Blind Carbon Copy" and it is an option within email programs for how email can be sent. When writing an email to all your swap participants using the provided list of everyone's emails, use the Bcc option. If you put the email addresses of the recipients in the Bcc field (instead of just the To or Cc fields), none of the recipients will be able to see the other participants' email addresses when they receive the email. It is a way to preserve the swappers' privacy.

You may have to uncover the BCC field in your email program because sometimes it is hidden in a drop down if you don't use it very often.

Who can view the Swap-bot Discussion Forums?

The Swap-bot Discussion Forums are completely public and viewable by anyone on the internet. However, only Swap-bot members can comment or create new threads.

Are the Swap-bot forums monitored or censored?

Swap-bot does not remove, delete, or censor any forum content (except in extreme safety situations). The forums are a permanent record of all of our actions which anyone can access at any time. Bad language and/or indecent content offends some users. We do not censor it or remove it, but it does reflect on the poster's reputation. That being said, this is an adult site, so some adult language and content should be expected.

Please be aware that members could be held legally responsible for damages to another member's reputation if a court were to find that the remarks constitute libel or defamation. Because Swap-bot does not censor comments or investigate them for accuracy, Swap-bot is not legally responsible for the remarks that members post, even if those remarks are defamatory. However, this law does not protect the person who leaves the feedback from responsibility for it. Basically, you are just as responsible for remarks you make in the Swap-bot forums as you are for things you say to someone's face or print in a publication. I know that bad swappers make us super-mad and frustrated, but we all have to try our best to remain civil and kind.

What are the general etiquette guidelines for using the Swap-bot Forums?

The Swap-bot discussion forums are open to all users and can be used to discuss anything - swap-related, or not. We believe diversity is a strength and we believe it makes the forums a fun and interesting place. Simply being kind and tolerant is the number one etiquette guideline for using the forums.

Swap-bot does not encourage or support indecent or offensive content. However, we also do not censor any of the material posted by our users on this site except in extreme cases of fraud or danger. Determining what should be considered indecent is a major issue that even the US federal government cannot agree on! Please remember that there are all different types of people in this world and on Swap-bot. Many people may have differing opinions about what they consider indecent or offensive. If you are found to be posting explicit language or offensive topics in the forums you may be warned via email. If you continue to post indecent content you may be banned from posting in the forums, or your account may be suspended.

A few tips to consider when using the forums:

- Everyone has feelings - even those people who you believe to be thieves, or liars, or just plain rude.

- Swap-bot Administrators do not remove, delete, or censor any forum content (except in extreme safety situations). The forums are a permanent record of all of our actions which anyone can access at any time.

- Calling someone out in a respectful manner about their dishonest behavior is NOT bullying. Calling their mental health, intelligence, religious or lifestyle choices into question IS.

- There are always two sides to every story.

- Things written online may appear more harsh than the poster intended. Remember to take a deep breath and look at the situation from many different angles if something has made you upset.

- Have fun and make new friends!

For more information about using the Swap-bot Discussion Forums, check out the Forums Info page.

When is it appropriate to list someone in the "Questionable Swapper" category in the forums?

We all need to think long and hard before we accuse someone of being a "Questionable Swapper". The category was originally intended only for the most grievous offenders. The Swap-bot site has grown and changed since the category was first implemented, so it may not need to be used as often. If the person you are considering listing in the "Questionable Swapper" category is an active member it will obviously come to their attention and offend them.

The following Questionable Swapper Checklist was submitted by user, Coffeelatte, as a list of possible steps to follow when considering posting someone in the forum category:

- My partner has not marked "SENT"? (go to #4)

- My partner marked "SENT" but 4 weeks have passed since the last send date and I still haven't received. (go to #4)

- My partner "SENT" and I received, but it isn't what I thought I should get.

- I've read my partner's profile and checked to see if there is NO information on their health, travel status or other important info that leads me to believe they are unable to log on to their computer or send out their swaps.

- I've messaged my partner and have waited at least 48 hours but got no response.

- My partner has at least one "1" already listed on their profile (not by my own rating).

- I've already notified my swap coordinator and at least 48 hours have passed without a response from my coordinator with suggestions on how to proceed.

- I'm not sure what to do next. I choose to post a name to the Questionable Swapper forum category, understanding that other swappers may tell me I am wrong to post that person's name, and that other swappers may give me ideas on how to resolve this problem.

In the forums, what does "bump" mean?

In the forums, "bump" is used to update a forum thread and bring back to the main page. Forum threads are listed in order by how recently users have posted to them. When a thread gets "old" it drops from immediate view. Some users "bump" threads which they feel should be brought it back to the main forum page so that more users will read it.

How do I join a group?

To join a group you must find the group home page and click the 'Join this group' link. You can find group home pages by searching for them at the Groups page. Your request to join a group must be approved by the group founder before you become a member of the group.

What do the different group membership levels mean?

There are three levels of group membership: Founder, Officer, and Member.

Member: Group Members join group swaps and participate in the group-specific forum.

Officer: Group Officers have the same privileges as Group Members, plus they can create group swaps and invite other Swap-bot members to their group.

Founder: Group Founders are the creators of the group. They have the same privileges as Group Officers, plus they can approve group join requests, remove users from the group, and promote or demote Members, Officers, and Founders. In addition, Group Founders have swap coordinator privileges for any group swaps and they can also delete group homepage comments and close or delete group forum posts. They can also delete their groups if they are the only founder and there are no active swaps in progress.

Only those Swap-bot members that belong to the group can join a group swap. Group swaps are not listed on the public search page or any of the swap lists. Group swaps are listed on member profile pages. Group swaps are not meant to be hidden from non group members. In addition to forming niche swapping communities, Groups can be used to ensure you only swap with other members you trust. If you are a Founder or Officer in a group it is your responsibility to the group to ensure that only trustworthy swappers make it into your group. Swap-bot admin cannot help with any group conflicts.

How do I create a new group?

Go to the Create Group page. This page can be found by clicking on the Create Group button on the Groups page. Swap-bot groups were created to enhance the swapping community. You can create groups around any interest, demographic or anything you choose!

How do I invite others to my group?

If you are a Founder or Officer of a group, you can go to the Swap-bot member's profile that you wish to invite. You will find an "Invite" pull down under the member's Group list. After the member accepts the invitation, they will be a member of the group.

Can my group have two, or more, founders?

Yes! Group founders can promote other members of their group to the founder position. Co-founders will have all of the same privileges and responsibilities as the original founder.