I want to get a bit of bodywork done on my van and thought a bit of bartering might be a good way of sorting it whilst cash is tight (Just cost me a fortune for a gearbox rebuild which used my bodywork cash and a fair bit more).

So anyone know of any bartering sites?

Alternatively any car bodyshop peeps on here who are interested? Maybe a weeks holiday in return??

I would get several quotes and maybe give someone the opportunity to price match if I was keen for them to do it, but I wouldn’t argue with them over the price.

The fact that you’ve had to spend money on a gearbox rebuild really isn’t the concern of whoever ends up doing the bodywork repairs to your van.

My girlfriend will barter with anyone who’s not English!

Apparently it’s not worth the bother as it’s not part of our culture, she’s forever getting money off stuff in shops with african/european shopkeepers though!

Does work in procurement though, which helps.

Maybe find a garage with an african owner 😀

Do people still understand the term “barter”? Clearly not… (apart from the OP)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter

If money is involved, it’s not bartering.

I’m talking “Barter” as opposed to “Haggling” guys.

My understanding is to barter is to exchange goods or services for other goods or services without the need for money, where as to haggle is to negotiate a discount / price for goods or services.

I’ll take your weeks holiday to repair your van.

How hard can it be. I own a hammer and a screw driver and duck tape.

*do not let me near your van.

If money is involved, it’s not bartering.

Sorry I misread the OP, he’s suggesting bartering not getting the best price.

btw “a weeks holiday in return” is a bit vague

LOL @sandwicheater. I’m quite proficient with the duck tape myself, but decided this needs a more skilled approach 😆

I have bartered a few times – mostly when doing work for bike shops! It’s tricky though, you both have to have something the other wants and be satisfied the trade will be roughly equivalent in value. Normally it’s best to just get some cash in the bank!

I guess a barter matching forum/website might be quite interesting, although normally I’d choose tradesmen, etc, based on personal recommendations rather than whether they’d accept 3 chickens as payment so could be a bit hit and miss!

btw “a weeks holiday in return” is a bit vague

A weeks holiday where? What’s included? What does your van need? Lets try and nail down some specifics here 🙂

based on personal recommendations rather than whether they’d accept 3 chickens as payment

What about some magic beans ?

That always seems to end up as not a bad deal.

@geoffj are you a panel beater?
I hadn’t really thought about it yet as I was really asking if there was a site to match barterers up.

But my van has a dent and scrape on the sliding door and onto the rear panel which is also cut by the scrape.

Holiday…..Maybe a weeks self catering for 2 with a weeks biking? I dunno, that’s the idea of bartering I guess.

Not quite a website or forum for bartering, but we use Bartercard for business to business bartering and it’s great.

We’ve had holidays, car servicing, hotels, cleaners, a freezer full of meat etc etc etc.

There is pretty much anything you could want, if you have something other people will want, it’s brilliant.

A quick google shows that there are a few sites out there. Here is a random listing from u-exchange.com:

What I Have To Offer : Plumbing and heating/ bathroom design and construction

What I’m Looking For : Dental implant surgery 😯

I can produce eggs more easily than most, would like to barter for veg as not good at producing them.

Thanks @nealglover. Bartercard looks very intersting. I’ve sent them an enquiry. I’m assuming there is a membership fee, although I can’t see any reference to it on the website. Otherwise I can’t see how they make their money.

Thanks for the u-exchange find too. Hadn’t found that site.

The sign said £140 for Hope Evo on 721 front.

Offered £100, paid £110.

Ft.Bill WC pits, great barter destination.

Think that’s haggling rather than bartering cfinnimore. Kind of where the thread lost its way in the first few posts.

Thanks @nealglover. Bartercard looks very intersting. I’ve sent them an enquiry. I’m assuming there is a membership fee, although I can’t see any reference to it on the website. Otherwise I can’t see how they make their money.

There are fees yes. It works very well though.

As you don’t need to match with anyone.

You get barter “credit” for your services, that you can use to buy whatever you need.

ernie_lynch – Member

based on personal recommendations rather than whether they’d accept 3 chickens as payment

What about some magic beans ?

That always seems to end up not a bad deal.

Too right.. I up the ante wiht a whole tin of aforementioned beans…

When we ran out of money doing our house up then bartering was the answer.
We did it through friends and just putting the word out, for the services we needed and what work I could do in return. E.g. a joiner friend helped fit a couple of doors and showed hubby how to do the rest. I made all the Roman blinds for his house.

nealglover – Member
Not quite a website or forum for bartering, but we use Bartercard for business to business bartering and it’s great.

We’ve had holidays, car servicing, hotels, cleaners, a freezer full of meat etc etc etc.

There is pretty much anything you could want, if you have something other people will want, it’s brilliant.

<miserable fecker mode>
Shirley HMRC would take an interest in this sort of thing?

<miserable fecker mode>
Shirley HMRC would take an interest in this sort of thing?

Of course they do.

Paying tax is part of running a business. This is no different.

Declare it if you want an easy life, don’t if you don’t.

Same as any other business transaction.

I once swapped 2 dead squirrels for a pound of mature Cheddar. Both parties were happy. Any one want squirrels? Plenty spare.

You get barter “credit” for your services, that you can use to buy whatever you need.

When barter takes over the world and money is redundant, I can see this above developing into a system where if you provide a service they give you the credit on the form of a voucher or token. Obviously the voucher or token needs to be a reliable verified method of promise, perhaps they could use all the discarded notes and coins from the now redundant cash system…

Check out swapright.com

Where i used used to live had a LETS scheme that allowed people to exchange services with each other
Not sure what happened to it though

I do it all the time. Only last night I collected a couple of small lathe turned parts done by an engineer mate in return for shearing his 2 pet sheep. In reality barter only makes sense in small tight knit communities where everyone knows everyone else. Otherwise it is too open to abuse IMHO. I guess that is ultimately why the cash society took over. At least everyone is in the same boat and you know exactly where you stand.