swapitshop.com > Reviews > Hopit to swapit!

Author's product rating:   

Layout & Design	Excellent
Navigation	Excellent
How fast is this website?	Fast
Quality of the Content	Good
Range of Services / Products	Average

Advantages:	Great for kids  -  safe auction site
Disadvantages:	Not enough members in my opinon

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Did you hear about the American guy who started a journey into the world of swapping? He started with a paper clip and now has a house!

Well this review is not about him but about a UK website swapitshop.com. As the website title says 'swap it'. Swap what? You may ask.

Well on this child friendly website: swapitshop.com you can list items in any of the following categories:

Books
Cards
Collectables
Gadgets
Games
Movies
Music
S port
Stationary
Style
Toys
Vouchers

Underneath the categories there is a section titled 'FRENZIES'. These are from what I can gather a list of items you can bid on which are brand new and listed by the Swapit team.

At the time of writing this review the following categories are listed under 'FRENZIES':

Barbie Girls
Crash Bandicoot
Flying Pterosaurs
Funkeys
Halloween
Offers
Rare Funkeys
Raven
Spider Man 3
Spider Man FOF
STABILO pens
The Sweet Shop
Youth Music

From first impressions I would say you'd need to have quite a lot of swapit points saved up to bid on any of these items (higher value). So you might consider selling some of you items first!

…Signing up…

If you decide to sign up to the website it's a pretty painless process. Only asking a few general details and of course a username and password. After you're registered navigation around the site is fairly simple with the following links at the header of the page:

My home
Add swap
Bids
Swaps
Completed
Get Swapits
Help (if you are new this section is a must for your first visit).
Sign out

…Listing items…

If you decide to list something on this site, you do not have to swap your item as such you item will be auctioned and then rather than earning cash you earn swapitshop points. These points can then be used to buy something from the site.

As other auction sites there is a feedback system so you will have some idea about how reliable the seller is.

I am yet to sell something on swapitshop.com however I have bid on items. How did I score points? Well this is what I personally think is the best bit about this site.

…Swapit Points…

You can save up swapit points. How? Well most of my 800 points (£8.00) have been voucher codes I have been able to access on internet forums and then redeem on the swapit website. I know you can find swapit codes in some magazines such as Top Of The Pops (I don't buy this) but people are kind enough to list them on websites such as moneysavingexpert.com. Where a forum has been created listing all the codes found on the internet (shame the site is down at the moment).

The swapit site itself also has links where it asks you to sign up to certain things and in return you'll receive extra swapit points.

…Redeeming Points…

So what I have bought with my points?

I have actually bid on several items. I have only won one of these. My one win was a £5 Wh Smith voucher which I bid 205 swapit points (£2.05) for. I am very happy with this as I'm putting together a book hamper for my father for Christmas.

I'm not a parent but as this site is aimed at younger people I think one of huge bonuses of the website is the fact that instead of the seller (person with an auction up) knowing your address. If you win their auction they have to send the item to swapitshop.com and then swapitshop forward it on to you. So no weirdo's will find out your address. This might cost a little extra if you're the seller but what a great safe way of running a child friendly site.

…Conclusion…

I really like the website. It's easy to use has a nice design to it. I personally think I've picked up a bargain. The only let down is the amount of auctions it would do far better if more people visited the site and listed their items (I should take my own advice sometimes!).

My recommendation: Start stocking filling now ready for Christmas. You'll pick up some great small items for next to nothing. So really you have nothing to lose.

Hopit to swapit!