Shipping a trade when you can't meet in person

Before either of you proposes or confirms a Handshake, settle the details in Messages:

• exactly what's being sent, including accessories, cables, caps and cases
• the condition of each item, with recent photos if you don't already have them
• who ships first, and by what date
• the carrier, the service and whether you'll add signature or insurance
• where each parcel is going

That gives you both the same record if something goes wrong. Only confirm the Handshake once you agree on every point.

Three common ways to settle it:

• The lower-value side ships first. If one item is worth noticeably less, that side risks less by sending first.
• The newer account ships first. Check both profiles for ratings and completed trades. A member with no trade history yet can build trust by going first.
• Both ship the same day. Agree a date, ship, and share both tracking numbers in Messages that day.

Whichever you pick, put it in writing. If your trade partner won't agree to anything reasonable, you don't have to trade. You can decline or withdraw before both sides confirm.

When a listing says "I'll ship", the receiver covers postage. That's the site's rule. If you're both shipping, you'll usually each cover the postage on the item coming to you. Agree how that's paid in Messages before anything goes in the post.

Most damage comes from loose movement inside the box. For fragile gear:

• Put lens caps on both ends.
• Wrap the item, put it in a snug inner box, then put that box inside a larger outer box with padding on every side. Double-boxing is worth it for anything breakable.
• Shake the closed box gently. If anything moves, add more padding.

Photograph or film the item as you pack it, from working condition to the sealed box. Get the serial number in the shot clearly. Photograph the shipping label too. If the other side says the item arrived damaged, or that it isn't what was agreed, that record is your best evidence. When you receive, consider filming the unboxing too.

Never ship a trade without tracking, and share the tracking number in Messages as soon as you have it. For higher-value items, ask the carrier for signature on delivery so the parcel can't just be left on a doorstep.

Carrier insurance is the only insurance available on a shipped trade. TraydStar provides none. If an item would hurt to lose, buy the carrier's coverage for its full value and keep the receipt. Check what the coverage includes before you ship.

• The sender files the claim with the carrier.
• Keep everything. Hold on to the postage receipt, the insurance receipt, your packing photos and the damaged packaging until the claim is settled.
• Tell the other side in Messages. Share what happened and what you've done about it, so the record stays in one place.
• Report the trade if it stalls. If the other member stops responding, or you can't agree on what to do, open the Handshake and choose "Report a problem with this trade". That pauses the trade and sends the details to us and to the other side.

We'll step in where we can, for example by removing a listing or suspending an account that breaks our terms. But we can't recover goods, pay for losses or force anyone to perform.

Mark the Handshake complete only after the item is in your hands and you've checked it against what was agreed. Not when tracking says it's out for delivery, and not because the other side says it's on its way. When both sides have marked it complete, you can review each other.

International trades are at the members' own risk. Customs forms, duties, import rules and longer transit times are all your responsibility, and some items can't legally cross certain borders. If you're new to shipping abroad, keep your first international trade small.

Agree it in Messages, pack it well, track it, and only mark it complete once it's arrived.

Join TraydStar

• USPS Postal Explorer — Preparing Packages — USPS primary packing guidance (cushioning, shake test, fragile items).
• USPS DMM 601 — Basic Standards for All Mailing Services — USPS mailing standards requiring fragile items be cushioned so contents don't shift.
• USPS — How to Prepare & Send a Package — USPS consumer packing and shipping checklist (tape, size, cushioning).
• UPS — Packing support — carrier primary packing guidance for preventing damage in transit.