BarterQuest is a cashless trading site. A trade occurs when a user makes an offer, another user Accepts the offer, and the first user Confirms the trade (or, in the case of a MultiParty trade involving three or more users, when all of the users have Accepted their trades and the MultiParty trade is then automatically Confirmed). The following explains how to use our site to successfully trade:

• You can Browse through the site for the HAVES and WANTS of potential trading partners and Search using keywords.
   
• But you can only start trading after you Post at least one item that you HAVE and may wish to trade. Posting an item does not commit you to anything. However, the more items you post, the more likely it is that you will begin to receive offers. At least once every 90 days you must update the availability of each item that you HAVE to trade or the item will be removed from your post.
   
• You will be asked to estimate the market value of the goods you HAVE to trade. This estimate will be expressed within a broad range of value and will be used only to calculate the fee that you will be charged when your trade has been Confirmed. There is no charge for posting goods. You will be charged a listing fee for posting services or real estate that will vary with the duration of your listing.
   
• After you have posted one or more HAVES, you will be asked to Post one or more items for which you may WANT to trade. You will also be asked to link your WANTS with specific HAVES so that the BarterQuest Matching engine can do its job. If you do not post and link WANTS with HAVES, you will be able to trade, but you will not be able to Match.
   
• You can now Match your HAVES and WANTS. The site will automatically identify potential trades that Match your HAVES and WANTS with the HAVES and WANTS of other users. Matches will be listed from those that most closely satisfy your trading criteria to those that are more generally responsive. Whether or not there is a Match, the site will provide you with a list of users who either HAVE what you WANT or who WANT what you HAVE and have linked their items in anticipation of a Match. Matching will not find the HAVES and WANTS of other users unless they have been linked. You must use the Search function to identify all the HAVES and WANTS of other users.
   
• If at any time you identify items that you want to track for future trades, you can add these items to your Watch List. Your Watch List can be accessed from My Dashboard.
   
• Make an Offer. Remember, a trade consists of an offer, the Acceptance of the offer, and a Confirmation of the trade by the user who first made the offer. You can and should make many offers involving the same items. This will increase your possibility of a successful trade. An offer can be made for any other user’s item. There is no charge for making or receiving offers.
   
• Accept an Offer. When you Accept an offer you are making a 72 hour commitment to trade your item, pending only a Confirmation of the trade. During this period your item is exclusively available for that trade. If the user who made the original offer does not Confirm the trade but Accepts another offer within the 72 hour period, your Acceptance will convert to an offer for that user’s item.
   
• Q&A is your venue for questions and answers related to posted items. Communications with other users can be public or private, at you option, but you are strongly encouraged to publish questions and answers involving items that are available for trade. This will create a level playing field and lead to better trades.
   
• My Account provides continual access throughout the site to your current trading activity, including details of your Active Trades and the actions that may or should be taken in connection with your active trades, and certain personal information.
   
• My Dashboard is your personalized “taskbar” that alerts you to any new trading activity and, to facilitate your trading activity, allows you to instantly determine whether there is a Matching trade for one of your HAVES by simply clicking on that HAVE. You can “drag and drop” items directly onto your Watch List.
   
• Confirm a trade. This finalizes a trade by responding affirmatively to an Acceptance within 72 hours. (In the case of a MultiParty trade, the trade will be automatically Confirmed when all the parties have Accepted.) You have now entered into a trade agreement. It is only at this time that a fee will be charged.
   
• Complete the trade by arranging for delivery of your item and providing feedback on your trading experience so that your trading partner can establish an accurate User’s Rating. Once your trade for goods is Confirmed, you are expected to ship your item within 72 hours.
   
• Consult your Trading History for a record of your past trading activity.
   
• Any remaining questions you may have on using our site may be answered by visiting our FAQ.