Media Release
22 August 2006
Swapclub.co.nz
Swapclub is pleased to report that New Zealand’s only dedicated online swapping site for books, music, movies & games continues to grow at a rate far exceeding expectation. Recently added and proving popular are easy to use message
boards that give members a place to discuss new ideas for the site or post reviews and comments.
At first swapclub may appear to be a trading site but look closer and you will see it boasts a unique twist. Swapclub
takes the term in the old sense of the word where goods are actually “traded” without money changing hands. Swapclub
members just swap their goods with other members.
Because direct trading of items would be a little impractical & slow, swapclub has designed a simple and safe swapping process for its members. For each item a member posts out, they
earn points. When they see an item they want they just request a swap and redeem points. Members only pay for postage on
goods they send out while items they request arrive postage paid. This makes for quick and efficient swapping since no
payments need to take place between members.
Unlike similar overseas sites, a swapclub member is able to swap dissimilar items giving greater flexibility and choice.
For example, sending out a couple of paperbacks and swapping a CD is a popular choice. There are safeguards in place to
ensure the process is safe and reliable. Even if the item is lost in the post no member will be disadvantaged if they
follow the swapclub system.
Adrian Penman from swapclub reports that the concept has proven popular with all sorts of people. “We keep receiving
great feedback with ideas for new categories and suggestions. At the moment we are rushed off our feet developing the
site and we have some really exciting developments yet to come. Swapclub appeals to a niche community of users and our
aim is to create a totally unique place to be and I think we are well on the way to do this”
In addition to earning points for sending out items the site is also offering free points for new members plus bonus
points along the way for positive feedback from other members. Swapclub can be found at www.swapclub.co.nz/
Background
What was started as a spare time project by a husband and wife team has taken on a life of its own. The website was born
from a desire to give it a go and to find a better way for bookworms and the like to trade goods without it costing a
lot of money. The cost & fees of traditional auction sites can become significant for high users so the main motivation was to reduce costs and
create an online community for people who would rather trade their items than make money from them. Kiwis rank high when
it comes to reading especially and it doesn’t make sense to have large collections of books collecting dust when they
could be put to good use and swapped for unread titles. The swapclub founders are committed to making the website a
unique online community whilst keeping the standard level swapping servicing free for all members.
For more information please contact admin@swapclub.co.nz