First of all, welcome to SwitchPlanet! This is just a quick start guide to the site to get new users up and switching quickly and efficiently. The beauty of this site is that unlike many sites you do not have to find another switching partner to complete a trade. When someone wants something that you have they will request it and give you switchbucs in compensation. Although they are called SwitchBucs, they are not redeemable for cash, they are a form of credits so that you can now go out and find an item that you want and request it from someone else. You also have a Switchbuc calculator on the left hand side to give you an idea of the current trade value of a switchbuc

Now that you are a member, take a moment to add some items to your profile. take a moment to click on the tab for the type of media you want to trade away and then search for the title you have. This will pull back all items that are listed in the system with that name or keyword. You then locate your Widescreen, unrated copy of Saw 2 (for example). Instantly you can see how many switchers have it in their inventory, how many switchers have it on their wish list and how many are currently set as available to switch. Any one that has an item on their wishlist will receive a notification through email that there is a new copy available when one is added to the system. Now click on the title of the dvd at the top of the box. This opens a much larger box of information that tells you the prices of copies that are currently available, release information, a synopsis of the item and the price to purchase the item new at Amazon. If there are other copies available, take a moment to note the listed prices. I also would recommend that for the first few items that you switch, take a look at similar items this way you can get a better feel for what things are being switched for so you do not over-price or under-price your stuff! Once you know what you intend to ask, go ahead and click on the Have it link. This will open a screen that lets you set the price, mark as available, note what is included and add any additional notes. When you are done, click on add item and your SwitchPlanet Shop now has inventory! Note: If you cannot find your titles searching through the main screen as described above, then your item is probably not in the SwitchPlanet database yet. That is easy to fix as the site has access to Amazon.com’s media database, which is quite exhaustive. Click on the Add your Items star in your dashboard and search for your items there.

The next step is waiting for someone to request your stuff. That is always a bit of a drag but there are things you can do to “advertise” while you wait. First off, head over to the New Members forum and start a thread introducing yourself. This is always a good way to get that initial switch done as a lot of veteran switchers are good about checking out what you have. The other thing you can do is go back to the Home page and clicking on the Groups Search Tab. Find a group (or groups) that share your interests and join up. It is a good way to meet up with like minded switchers who will probably be interested in what you are listing.

When someone wants something you have listed, they will request it from you. As soon as the request is submitted, the amount of the item is taken from their account and placed into escrow. This assures that they will have the switchbucs to give you once they receive the item. You then securely ship their item to them. (See Here for more on shipping.) When you ship, bear in mind that you do not need to use Fedex or next day air to get the package out. As long as it is securely packaged, media rate or first class is fine. As soon as the other switcher receives the requested item from you, they will mark it as received and you will have switchbucs to spend! I know a common question at this point is “what if my switching partner does not receive what I sent?” Well, that sometimes happens but neither party is penalized as SwitchPlanet guarantees your switches.

Ok, now that you have switchbucs, I’m sure that you can figure out how to spend them. One thing to remember though is this, shop around. If you see a dvd you want listed for 25 sb, make sure that you are willing to pay that for it. If you don’t care about format, see if the same title is available in wide/full screen for less.

If you have questions, use the Forums, there are a lot of veteran switchers who will be happy to help answer them.

Happy Switching!
Bulin