Not to jinx it… but I’ve had no problems with swapping directly via the forums, as well as random requests which is not surprising since I did indicate an interest in direct swaps on my profile.
In fact, it’s been really really fun doing so because this has allowed me to send and receive so many more postcards and letters than if I were to rely solely on the official system. Especially with CoVID-19 slowing down postal services significantly, it takes so much extra longer for my postcards to get registered… I would be quite inactive as a result.
So the round robins and direct swabs have been really wonderful in allowing me to send and receive postcards with greater frequency and regularity.
And again not to jinx it… but I’ve received every single one of them and so speaking from my own personal experience, there hasn’t been a problem at all.
When I started here, I was too very surprised, that only so few members wanted direct swaps, but now I know why. If you are participating in the tags in the forum, there really is no need for it.
It’s much better and easier to just put on a new post, say: “I want to swap cards with s/o who also collects cards showing The Beatles”…So whoever is in the same game, can answer you.
I have had some request about direct swaps, but they all came out some kind of odd.
Hello, I have done a private swap with a member in Europe, but I never got anything back. I know post is sometimes slow and after a month (6 days ago) I asked if my cards were recieved and saying I hadn’t recieved his yet, but he never replied to this message even though he has been online sometimes since. This makes me unhappy because so far I have only met great people here. I would also understand if someone went “oh no, I completely forgot, will send it soon”, because I am a scatterbrain too sometimes Can I report this member for a private swap?
Thank you 🫖
Direct swaps are your responsibility.
If you engage in a direct swap with another member, please keep in mind that it is not tracked by Postcrossing in any way. We will not be able to help you if you have problems with direct swaps you participate in. Some members are not interested in direct swaps (as displayed in their profiles), so please respect their wishes and do not contact them for that.
I moved your question to this Topic here.
I can’t give you an answer because I didn’t do direct swaps, but maybe you find already an answer her in that Topic or someone can tell you what’s to do.
Same here. Four times over the course of a few months, when I was new and excited about making new friends, I received very specific swap requests and I went out of my way to get exactly what they wanted. For one swap, I sent a package of small gifts along with the postcard (we had both agreed to do this). After mailing them, I never heard another word and never got anything in return. Like you, I learned (way too late) that if someone wants to swap, you need to wait for their card first. But I decided not to do swaps anymore. It really changed my opinion of Postcrossing and I didn’t want any more negative experiences.
What a horrible experience! I don’t know why people are like that. It’s very sad because you sound like a nice person. Most people here are not mean like that.
I wonder if there’s a way to report people who don’t fulfill the swaps they promised to. I know that in the old forum, people could get banned for it. I think you could probably contact the admins, but of course they couldn’t do anything to make them send their part. Maybe it helps if multiple people report the same person, though.
So far I’ve only had good surprises, except for one card. In this case, I asked the person if we could make an exchange and he asked me to send my letter first. Afterwards, I asked him if he had received my card, but he did not answer… But well, maybe he has a health problem and he will answer me in a few months (I am optmistic )
I am tempted to reply to this person in the thread he replied in when wanting a swap, nothing mean, but just so other postcrossers can be weary. I think it is fair in a thread to double check that the person’s DM is working. What do you think?
I would do as you say. The person might have just forgotten to answer you. Some people get a lot of notifications. Either way I think asking in the thread is a good way to make yourself seen.
Interesting topic. I never ticked off the direct swap option. But I had one direct swap and it worked out well. Took them a while (were busy) but they always answered my messages and sent messages themselves either. They have a history of being a long-term postcrosser for several years.
I really wonder, if it might help to check the asking person out: For how long have they been a member of postcrossing. Any expired cards (with that I mean a lot (!) of expired cards, not just a few).
But finding out, how trustworthy one is, is quite difficult. And sometimes life happens, so to speak.
I have a couple of bad experiences, but all swaps based on photo proofs were ended up nicely. So I only do direct swaps with photo proofs in future. However, my financial status is preventing me from do much direct swaps .
I have done only a few direct swaps for now, and they were all good experiences: I always received the cards and they were what I chose etc. I also always have received pretty fast anything!
But, to be fair, I am more worried that what I send to others can get lost.
I always send proof, take a picture of the card and sometimes also a video showing the front (if it’s not a surprise) and the back. The first time I swapped, I also took a video while I was inserting the card in the mailbox at the post office, just to reassure the other person…
But I know that Italian postal services can be reeeeeeally slow, especially in this period, so I don’t feel like accepting swaps because I fear that the other person can feel scammed when taking so long to receive.
I don’t know if this makes sense, but for sure I am an anxious person
I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with direct swaps on the forum. I have it mentioned in my profile about interest in direct swaps, but I don’t believe I’ve ever been contacted about a swap there… All of my swaps have been through a thread I created the very first day I joined. I’ve swapped with some very kind people. I don’t have a way of showing off what I have for swaps (I’m just not sure exactly how to do that and I have so many postcards I don’t really know where to begin), but they all swapped with me on good faith that I would send them postcards that matched up with their likes.
I am relatively new to Postcrossing (couple of months) and have the “not interested in direct swaps” ticked on my profile. However, Following a posting on one of the forums, I was messaged by a member asking for a card along with “small ornaments”. On his profile he asks members to send cash (to feed stray animals). He said he would send the same to the people who send him cards +cash.
Perhaps I am too suspicious/cynical but I won’t be sending him anything, for sure.
I have some swap now that i love but i received a lot of messagges for swap from people that disappeared as a Phantom. I would say…you asked me to swap. I told you ok let’s try but it’s not good to disapper. Anyway,i wait for some other goood swaps around the word.
Thank you for all the answers!
A few months ago I switched to “not interested”. I’ve met very kind people through swaps on the official website but recently I’ve been deceived. One man asked me for 5 Blue Cats cards for his sister promising to send me a nice surprise and I’ve never heard of him again.
So I think I’ll only be doing swaps on the Forum from now on because it allows you to send photo proofs.
I don’t mean to say that all the postcrossers are inevitably bad and I know there are honest people looking for swaps on the official website too but this experience made me sad.
Currently I have it turned off and I still get requests. I know many people want to have cards from rare countries but I have a budget and limited time. I wish I could have unlimited resources and please everyone. I do swaps from time to time but I mostly focus on the official cards which it’s max out (14 cards). I will try setting a lottery, to see how it goes.
I’ve done a couple of direct swaps through the forum, but sometimes people seem to be quite rude and that has discouraged me from exchanging postcards with them. I know that some are only interested in getting more and more postcards for their collection, and well, to each their own, but people could at least try to be nicer and not make a swap sound like a simple transaction. However, I’d say, in general, people are kind here on the forum.
Can I report this member for a private swap?
I think you could probably contact the admins, but of course they couldn’t do anything to make them send their part. Maybe it helps if multiple people report the same person, though. 
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