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Sherry
09-19-2008, 02:37 PM
Hiya ladies,

It has come to my attention that we have an increasing incidence of users going outside of The Stamp Shack website to get their swaps filled.

I just want to remind you that when you post a swap on our board, it is intended (though not strictly enforced) for Stamp Shack members only. We have built a tight knit community and members are pretty familiar with the swapping habits of most other individuals on our site. When your swaps are based on a mix of Stamp Shack members and members from other websites, we have no way to control flakers or other unfortunate situations that might arise (which is something we take very seriously and is a security measure you pay for with your Shack Plus membership fee).

If, however, you do choose to mix your swappers, please be sure that you inform all players involved so that they have the option to back out if they so wish. And of course, this goes without saying, if you encounter a flaker while hosting a mixed swap our staff will be unable to assist you in recovering your items.

Thanks for understanding and Happy Swapping!!

logcabincreations
09-19-2008, 02:45 PM
wow...I didn't know this was happening. Thanks for the info.

MidwestStamper
09-19-2008, 02:55 PM
I'm pretty sure that whenever a Hostess would do this, she would personally ask Swappers that she knew and trusted from other sites to help her fill a Swap at this site.

I don't think there's been any problems so far, but Sherry just wanted to make the Swapping Guidelines clear.

ccstampin12
09-19-2008, 03:41 PM
WOW!
I doubt I would have thought of that!!! LOL
Joanie

Sherry
09-19-2008, 03:50 PM
I'm pretty sure that whenever a Hostess would do this, she would personally ask Swappers that she knew and trusted from other sites to help her fill a Swap at this site.

Absolutely. I didn't mean to imply that swappers who aren't Shackies are untrustworthy. I just meant to say that if something bad does happen with a player from another website we have no way to control it. If a user on our own website happens to flake, we take all measures necessary to rectify the situation. If we can't rectify it, the user is banned from swapping again.

iloveflipflops
09-19-2008, 04:23 PM
WOW I had no idea this was going on either.

limeyscrapper
09-19-2008, 04:29 PM
Good information to have - thank you Sherry.
I'm sure that in the swaps I've been in we were all Shackies. Anyhow - I've got some great little pieces of artwork in my ATC collection.

Nancy
09-19-2008, 05:31 PM
I am glad you brought this up, as I have seen names that I never heard of. Thank you. - Nancy

scraphappy908
09-19-2008, 06:10 PM
Wow. I guess I'm too naive. I've never had any problems with swaps on the Shack but I certainly have on others.

smkymtsu
09-19-2008, 06:18 PM
I'll be honest.....I'm currently hosting a swap here on the shack that no matter how much I tried and begged it did not fill. I had one participant. I PM'd her and asked her feelings on my asking some friends to help with the swap. She PM'd back and said she was totally fine with it and to go ahead. So I did fill the swap with friends that I trusted...in fact I already have all but one persons swap already and it is not due till November. So I won't be having a flaker problem. Since then though, another Shackie joined the swap. I did tell her I had friends that helped me with filling the swap but I did not tell her that they are not all SS members...half of them are but they chose to sign up throuh another site instead of here...not sure why though. If that recent person who signed up is offended then I am sorry. I guess this leads to 2 questions. If you can't fill a swap to make it work....what do you do? Close the swap and tell those who did sign up that it was canceled? If you do ask some non shack members to help fill a swap....of course with the permission of the shack members who did sign up....do you then close the swap here on SS so no other people can sign up?

Thank you in advance for the answers to these questions and I apologize for breaking the rules. I had no idea. I have been a member here on this site from the beginning and this is the first and only time I have done this....it won't happen again.

Firecracker
09-19-2008, 07:11 PM
I think that as long as you tell the swappers from the shack that you have other participants that are not from the shack that should be okay. I definitely think that it should be addressed by the hostess to inform shack participants. Thanks for the info Sherry. Hugs, Heather

Sherry
09-19-2008, 09:03 PM
To be totally honest, my one and only concern is flakers. If someone from another site flakes, I can almost guarantee you that *I* will be the one receiving complaints (you'd be surprised at some of the complaints we get!). I guess I'm just trying to address/squash it before it happens.

Like I said, if you do mix the swap participants, just be sure to tell your swappers so that they know whom they are swapping with and that they are participating at their own risk. :)

To smkymtsu: Oh goodness, no worries. You absolutely did not break any rules because, until today, I had no idea this was even something people did. I just assumed that all swaps were being filled by Shackies. My message was not sent out to you specifically because there are a few other individuals who have done the same thing.

Because we are a smaller community than, say, Splitcoast or Paper Crafts Magazine, alot of our swaps don't always fill to capacity. Another reason swaps do not fill is because the swap theme might not be what is popular at that time. Right now, ATC's are hugely popular so you might consider hosting a swap for ATCs.

If your swap doesn't fill, there are several actions you could take.

1. Post a message to the board asking for some angels to help you fill it.
2. Lower the number of participants
3. Consider changing the type of swap or the theme.
4. Remove the swap and maybe post it on another forum to see if you have any interest there.

I know you've probably already tried all of these but I thought I would throw them out there :)

cindi
09-19-2008, 09:08 PM
great info! we have had a lot of new members lately, and it's great to cover thsi so everyone is on the same page. Thanks Sherry for looking out for us.
:)

morgainegeiser
09-19-2008, 10:38 PM
I am glad you brought this up, as I have seen names that I never heard of. Thank you. - Nancy

Just remember there might be members that are newer and you might not recognize their names - like me for instance:wub:

Nancy
09-19-2008, 10:44 PM
And what name goes with morgainegeiser and since we look up everyones addresses, we do know. - Nancy

loobylou
09-19-2008, 10:53 PM
I think since we have lots of new members this year, and some who are feeling comfortable enough here to start swapping with us, it's a great time to bring up swap ettiquette. Nobody should take this personally. As a community we are constantly growing and changing, and happily accept new swapping friends. The more the merrier, I think.

Christie
09-20-2008, 09:30 AM
When I have a swap that doesn't fill I either beg for people to help fill it and if that doens't work then I will close the swap the number of people Ihave and just tell them to make less of what ever the swap is. Only once or twice have I had to delete a swap because it didn't fill.

directmailscrapper
09-20-2008, 09:33 AM
I am in one of Susan's swaps and she let me know that there were "non-Shackies" in it right away. I agreed -- so no problems with me!

workin4stamps
09-20-2008, 10:19 AM
Does someone have to be a paying member here to participate in swaps?

just curious.....

loobylou
09-20-2008, 10:44 AM
Does someone have to be a paying member here to participate in swaps?

just curious.....

yes, to be able to sign up for a swap on our swapbord you have to be a ShackPlus Member

spatten2001
03-13-2009, 03:53 AM
I have a question as I am new to the Shack -- how does one go about trying and begging to get your swap filled? I just read that in the post above (tried and begged) and was wondering as I haven't seen this kind of traffic and ....

loobylou
03-13-2009, 05:27 AM
I have a question as I am new to the Shack -- how does one go about trying and begging to get your swap filled? I just read that in the post above (tried and begged) and was wondering as I haven't seen this kind of traffic and ....
If you are having trouble getting a swap to fill, please post a new topic in the swaps forum asking if anyone would be interested in joining. You need to give some explanation of what the swap is about to get interest. As you are fairly new to swapping at the Shack, it may not fill as quickly as the more well known hostesses.

MidwestStamper
03-13-2009, 02:38 PM
Another suggestion is to look through the Current and Filled Swaps to be sure that you're not posting a Swap idea that has already recently been posted.

I know that even I can get overdosed on Cat Swaps! (I say that because I almost always will join a Cat Swap LOL!)