Hey there Netta,

I tried an exchange once. Sent a wonderful box and met a lovely gardener, but my pal never sent anything. I found out that I don't deal well with that kind of risk. I still felt good about sending a quality gift to someone else, though. Swaps and Round Robins work better for me.

First, check out ideas on these sites as to how others have run successful swap\robins.

Second, I like to keep a robin under 10 players. This way the wait is not too long and is less confusing. Sometimes people go out of town or have an unforeseen emergency just when the package arrives. Then they forget about it.

Third, using a tracking number is always a good idea.

Fourth, I like to personally email my players in addition to posting here, so that we all are on the same page. Also, by their responses I know that they use their email frequently.

I know there are other ideas out there, so bring them on! SB

This is a touchy subject, and one that I don't think you can provide a solid black & white answer to.

It's very much like playing on the playground...at the outset you can't say to someone "I don't like you, so you can't play in my game," because that just creates hate & discontent. On the flip side of that, if there is REAL justification (not just hearsay) for not including someone, it needs to be dealt with carefully, tactfully, and sensitively so as not to either hurt someone's feelings if they truly had problems that were beyond their control previously, and also to not come across as a playground bully yourself.

There has to be concrete proof of previous poor performance or ill-intent- the latter being harder to prove, obviously.
It is very important, IMO, to keep whatever information you have either to yourself, or just keep it objective. That is to say that there's no reason to sling mud on the boards regarding players. Private emails certainly might get a little heated, but there's no reason to broadcast this stuff. Situations CAN be handled tactfully, even if your first instinct is to come out with the gloves on.

Although I am a cynic by nature, I try to go back and re-read emails and posts and use the delete key often if I'm addressing a situation. I don't like confrontation. Unless you are a politician, my guess is a lot of people don't.

If faced with the situation that you have been provided with information on a player, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Research the person...google their username or anything else you know about the person; you'd be surprised what you'll find. Don't base your opinions on hearsay. Proceed with caution. If you have to eliminate a player, provide clear, concise reasons why, and not just because "I heard..." If you don't want to trade with someone, simply tell them you'll pass this time, but thank them for their offer just the same.

Make your trades & swaps as idiot-proof as possible. There may still be the chance that things might get messed up, but unless you have reason to believe otherwise, give the person the benefit of the doubt and a chance to redeem themselves.

Getting caught in a lie: This is a tough one, too. Is it really a lie, or did they simply forget? Do they have a history of 'excuses?' Did they not have the information they needed as they stated, or did they intentionally mess up? Did they provide some lame excuse, or was there really a death in the family? (Again, hard to prove the latter, but as seen on a popular reality show, who's going to question someone saying their grandmother died? It's a popular excuse. If you've ever traded on eBay, it seems that that's a good place to kill off your relatives...can't pay? Tell them someone died. Planning on screwing your buyer? Wait til 7 days before they can file for their Paypal fees back, and tell them you've been out of town handling a dead family member's estate...who's going to question you???)
Sorry, went a little OT there.

Bottom line is you have to remain objective, do your homework, be tactful in any dealings with individuals or the group if all are aware of a situation, and you have to deal with situations as they arise instead of just throwing your hands up and saying "I quit" the second you are faced with confrontation, or creating a riot on the boards.

GW has a wonderful group of "neighborhood crime watchers." People watch out for other traders, and point out suspicious activity. It seems to work for the most part. Gives traders a chance to step back and assess the situation, process the information provided, and act accordingly, objectively, and tactfully.