Online Gear Swap FAQ

Internet Fraud and Online Scams:

Any time you buy or sell items over the Internet there is the risk you will encounter people wanting to scam you or someone else out of money.

Be especially wary of users attempting to gather your personal information, or buyers asking you to cash a cheque worth more than the asking price of the item you are selling. These types of scams are very common. The buyer will state that they will mail a cashier cheque to you for a value greater than the item you are selling. They will request that you wire the "extra" money not used for the purchase of the item to their account. The cheque they send you will be fake. By the time your bank discovers this, the perpetrator will be long gone leaving you to clean up the mess.

It is best not to respond to these inquiries, simply delete the emails from your inbox.

General Info

What can I use the Online Gear Swap for?

The Online Gear Swap was designed to help you buy, sell, and trade your used outdoor gear. You can also use it to advertise for and find activity and travel partners.

Is the Online Gear Swap really free?

Yes, MEC is committed to social and environmental responsibility – the Online Gear Swap is our way of encouraging people to recycle used outdoor gear. As long as people use the Online Gear Swap responsibly, MEC plans to keep it free of charge.

What kind of outdoor gear can I sell?

You can sell outdoor equipment that's intended for self-propelled (non-motorized) wilderness adventure and related to the backcountry activities we support: cycling, hiking, climbing, watersports, and snowsports. Examples of gear we allow are: climbing shoes, tents, and waterproof-breathable jackets.

We don't allow things like cars, dirt bikes, rental property, baseball stuff, hunting and fishing gear, or BBQs.

Can my company or organization advertise products or services?

No, the Online Gear Swap is for individuals, not commercial enterprises. Manufacturers, retailers, consignment stores, distributors, and other companies are not permitted to promote or sell products and services.

How does MEC use my personal information?

We only use your personal information for Online Gear Swap postings and administration. Your email address wil not appear on your posting, but we will relay replies to it. We won't sell your personal information to any third party. For more info, please read our Privacy Policy.

Where can I read all the "small print"?

Other than our Online Gear Swap rules, there are no conditions required to use the Online Gear Swap. In general, by using our site you are agreeing to follow the terms and conditions we've set out in our legal policy.

Online Gear Swap Rules

Outdoor equipment only
Keep postings limited to outdoor equipment that's intended for self-propelled (non-motorized) wilderness adventure. No cars, dirt bikes, rental property, baseball stuff, hunting/fishing gear, or BBQ's please.
Individuals only
The Online Gear Swap is for use by individuals, not commercial enterprises.
No bad language
Avoid nasty language, or we'll remove your ad.
No duplicate postings
Please don't submit duplicate postings. (Where appropriate, users may resubmit their posting in up to a maximum of two categories.)
Canadian or US prices only
List your price in either Canadian or US dollars.
Keep it legal
No illegal activities (i.e. no stolen stuff). Suspicious items will be investigated and removed.
MEC veto power
We reserve the right to edit or remove postings and/or photos at our discretion.

Tips for Buying and Selling Gear

What role does MEC play in the process?

We approve and post listings, but are not responsible for gear bought or sold or the transactions between parties. We do not administer, govern, or influence these relationships in any way.

Is it safe to do business with someone who doesn't live in the same area?

There is always a risk involved when you aren't able to complete a transaction with someone face to face. Here's what we recommend:

Communicate with the person you are doing business with, both by email and by phone, to help ensure that there is open dialogue. If possible, provide photos of the gear you are selling before shipping the product. Remember to make arrangements for who will pay for shipping and who will pay for return shipping in the event that the buyer chooses not to follow through with a purchase.
Consider using an online service, such as www.escrow.com, to help safeguard yourself against potential fraud.
If you choose not to use an escrow service, you may wish to take advantage of Canada Post's COD delivery option, (only available in Canada). COD is a domestic mail service where an amount due to the sender, up to $1,000, is collected from the addressee before delivery and returned to the mailer. For example, if an item is valued at $100 and shipping charges are $15, Canada Post can collect $115 from the person receiving the package and return this amount to the sender. See www.canadapost.ca for more information.

Practice Safe Swapping

What is an escrow service?

An escrow service acts as a third party that holds money or property for two parties until specified conditions have been met. When you use an escrow service, such as escrow.com, it works like this:

Either the buyer or seller starts a transaction with the escrow company.
The buyer pays the escrow company for the value of the purchase.
The seller ships the product to the buyer.
The buyer approves the goods.
The escrow company pays the seller.
The escrow company charges a small percentage of the total sale to either the buyer or seller.

How does an escrow service protect buyer and seller from fraud?

The buyer pays the escrow service, not the seller. The seller then ships the merchandise to the buyer, who inspects the goods before the escrow service releases funds to the seller.

The seller is guaranteed payment for their goods, as the payment is sent to them by the escrow service as soon as the buyer inspects and approves the purchase.

What is the relationship between MEC and Escrow.com?

There is no formal business relationship between MEC and Escrow.com. We simply recommend this service for users who'd like extra peace of mind when they're buying or selling goods remotely.

What do I need to know about Escrow.com?

It is an online escrow service operated by an American company (based in California) backed by the world's largest escrow and title insurance company.
Escrow.com supports international transactions, but only in American currency. (This means that Canadian users must convert their product's price into American dollars before starting a transaction).
Escrow.com supports several types of payment options, however, international users must either pay by credit card or wire transfer.
Escrow.com service fees vary between 0.85% and 6% of the purchase price depending on the value of the transaction and the type of payment selected.

Visit www.escrow.com for more information or to start a transaction.

Browsing For Postings

How do I limit the number of postings displayed on each page?

Click the "Show Items" drop-down menu located at the top of each listing page and choose the number of postings you'd like to display on each page. The default setting is 20 postings per page.

How can I filter postings to limit the results?

There are two ways to filter postings: 1) Region and 2) Type. Use the drop-down menus to select the type of postings that best match your needs.

How does the Online Gear Swap search feature work?

When you enter a keyword into the search box, the database searches all the posting titles in the main category you've selected and displays only the related postings. Good things to remember: search will only search for postings within the active category (e.g. Tents), and subcategory. It only searches the posting Title field and posting number, and it works in conjunction with the other filters.

To clear the search results and display all postings, set the filters (Region and Type) to "All" and remove any keywords from the search box.

How do I sort postings?

Postings can be sorted alphabetically by: Title, Date and Price by simply clicking on the underlined display header for each, located at the top of the page. The default is to sort postings by Date in descending order so that the most recent postings appear first.

Can I combine filters and sorts?

Yes. Fliter and sort can be combined to narrow your selection further.

I can't find the contact info for postings. Where is it?

We do not display email addresses within postings. This prevents addresses from being collected and used to send spam. To contact someone about their posting, click the "Email this person" link, and compose your email in the window that opens.

Can I view all the posting information?

Yes, click the image or Title.

Submitting New Postings

How should I choose my main category and subcategory?

Keep in mind that postings for activity-specific clothing, footwear, and gear belong in one of the main activity categories. For example, a men's waterproof cycling jacket should be posted in "Cycling > Clothing, Helmets & Armour" and not "Men's Clothing > Other".

What is the best way to title my posting so that the Online Gear Swap search will find my listing?

We recommend the following convention: [Brand Name] [Style/Model] [Product Type]. For example, "MSR WhisperLite Stove". Please don't use all caps or strange characters / syntax (e.g. *%$#") in your posting title and description (or search won't find your posting!).

Choosing a region

Use the drop-down list to choose either a Canadian province or "Other". If you are not from Canada, please select "Other" (located at the bottom of the list) and use the "City" field to also include the name of your country.

What else do I need to include in my product's description?

Remember to include any relevant sizing information and/or color descriptions.

Can I display a photo with my posting?

Yes – you can submit one photo in jpg format with a maximum file size of 4MB.

Can I submit my posting more than once?

Where appropriate, you may resubmit your posting in up to a maximum of two categories. For example, if you are selling a kids' bike trailer you may wish to add this posting to both the Cycling category and the Kids' category. However, we reserve the right to remove any duplicate postings at our discretion.

How long will take before my posting gets added to the Online Gear Swap?

We do our best to approve all new postings within two business days.

How will I know if my posting is approved?

Once your posting is approved, you will be sent an email notification to inform you that your posting has been added to the Online Gear Swap.

Deleting Postings

How long will my posting remain on the Online Gear Swap?

All postings remain on the Online Gear Swap for 15 days. After 15 days postings are automatically deleted.

I noticed an error on my posting. What should I do?

If you notice an error on your posting once it is on the Online Gear Swap, you will need to delete the posting and then resubmit the correct version.

How do I delete my posting before the 15-day automatic expiry period?

Please follow the directions in the email notification message we sent you when your posting was added to the Online Gear Swap. This email has a unique link that allows you to delete your posting.

I've lost the email notification message that was sent to me. Is there another way for me to delete my posting?

Please email us at gearswap@mec.ca and let us know what category your listing is under, what the product is, and the posting number. We'll delete your posting for you.

Feedback / Help

Where can I send questions or feedback about the Online Gear Swap?

Please contact us by email at gearswap@mec.ca to share your feedback and questions about the Online Gear Swap.