So the name is crazy, yes, but the idea behind it is brilliant – Yerdle. In a nutshell, members post pictures of items they don’t need anymore, with a trade value attached, then others can ‘buy’ the items with the credits they have earned. The currency is Yerdle Reuse Dollars (YRD), so no money changes hands, making it feel much like a swap. Buyers pay shipping plus a small service fee to keep Yerdle up and running, and Yerdle provides the seller (aka Giver) with a UPS shipping label.
The beautiful part is that things junking up your hall closet can go on to be loved and used by someone who needs them, freeing up space for you – and you can get something you actually do need or want in return!
There are a few tricks to getting the most from the site:
- Bundle. The flat rate for shipping right now is $5, with a service fee of $1-3 depending on how new the item is, etc. So those neon sticky notes that caught your eye aren’t going to be worth the shipping – by themself. This is where “bundling” is key. Always check the Giver’s profile, sometimes multiple pages long, for other items that you would like to get. Bundling those sticky notes with a jacket for your husband and shoes for your daughter is much more cost-effective, and helps you get the most bang for your buck.
- Act fast. No, faster than that, seriously. If you see a high-value item just posted or something that you’ve been really needing or wanting, grab it NOW. The great deals will be scooped up in a matter of minutes, so often there isn’t time to mull over the color of that designer bag, or email with questions. You can always “Reyerdle” something that you change your mind on – basically relist it on the site for someone else to buy, regaining the YRD you spent. You would just be out the shipping & fees.
- Go Pro. Not the WNBA, Pro-Yerdler! Members who have successfully given 25 items on the site are granted Pro-Yerdler status, complete with gold star! 😉 More importantly, Pros get special perks, like listing, giving, and referring incentives. Yerdle loves its Pros, and it will be easier than you may think.
On that note, here are a few tips for being a conscientious Yerdler. Not all are created equal, and there are certain habits that will make you a much nicer person to deal with, on Yerdle at least. 😉
As a Giver:
- Ship quickly. The deadline is 7 days, including weekends, so watch your dates. If you don’t ship on time, you’ll receive a “flub” which will influence your ability to reach pro status.
- Respond to emails in a timely manner. Because of the oftentimes fast pace, it’s important to answer any questions about your listings right away. Someone may request a measurement on a piece of clothing for example, and before you have a chance to respond, a different member may come along and buy it instead. It happens, and I’ve been on both sides of that scenario, but we do our best to respond quickly.
- Package well. No one wants to receive a broken item, so be sure to package your shipments the way you’d want to receive them. Use bubble wrap, newspaper, egg cartons, etc as a buffer around the item, and tape all edges of the box. Pro-tip – create a free UPS account for clear label pouches to save yourself some tape!
As a Getter:
- When you bundle on the desktop site, you will be paying shipping on the first item, and selecting “Local Pickup” for any others. This way you only pay for one shipping label, and the other items can all go together. Please keep in mind the general weight of your items. There is a 10# shipping limit, so a year’s worth of magazines isn’t going to be able to bundle with a coffee maker for example. 🙂
- The biggie when bundling – Please be sure to mark your pickup items as received as soon as you get the tracking info for the one you paid shipping on. This is really tough when you’re new, because we don’t want to be taken advantage of – what if the giver doesn’t include one of the items, and I’ve already marked it received?! While that seems like a worst-case scenario, rest assured that Yerdle support WILL take care of it. Because of the exponential growth of the site, a response may take a few days, but they always come through. Love ’em!
- Always thank your giver. This is how feedback is received, but also spreads the love on the site. It’s not a requirement, but a very nice gesture when you’ve gotten something you needed! On that note, Yerdle does not have an enforcement policy like eBay for example, so do use caution. If you see that someone has received negative feedback in the past, feel free to reach out to them, there may be two sides to that story.
Finally, for both Givers and Getters, familiarize yourself with the Yerdle Basics, which will cover everything better that I ever could here. 🙂
If you’d like to be a part of all this fun, come on in, the more the merrier! And if you’d like to check out the items I’m personally giving away, you can see them here.
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