Craigslist’s bartering section is a wonderful concept, sure, but the fact of the matter is that there’s an inherent set of risks that comes along with it when you’re making deals with total, unverified strangers. But with Bondsy, which launches today, you can exercise your bartering skills and finally get rid of junk that’s been laying around — but with friends and friends of friends only. All the perks with none of the uncertainty.
What does it do?
Acts as a social network that lets you put items you’re trying to hock up for grabs and browse items that your friends (and their friends) are trying to get rid of in exchange for a hidden treasure of your own. You can choose to give Bondsy access to your Facebook, Twitter, and phone contact list, letting it show you any of your friends and/or followers currently on the network. Plus, when you post an item you’d like to trade, you can even offer suggestions for what you’d like in exchange.
Why do we like it?
Bondsy incorporates all the best parts of bartering classifieds with the benefits of a closed, social network. Trading your crap for another person’s treasure is fun in and of itself, but when you can do it and know that you’ll be getting exactly what you ask for (and that the person you’re meeting isn’t going to be the subject of a future Lifetime crime drama), it’s all the better. And the fact that your friends (and their friends) can comment on your posts is a nice little addition that makes the process feel like a casual conversation between friends.
Bondsy
Download this app for: iOS (free)
The best part: only friends and friends of friends get access
The worst part: not a large user base… yet