makeup alley madness

Y'all.  I hate for my first for real post to be all negative, but seriously. 

Who's heard of the make up swap community called Make Up Alley?  I've been a member on there since March and at first I was all about it.  Ask Tripp.  L and I needed a 12 step program for it.  Make Up Alley is an online community of swappers.  People swap cosmetics, clothes, accessories, movies, books, etc.  Some is used, some is new.  You list your items, people message you about them, you look at what they have to offer and *boom!*  You swap addresses and then items.  Simple, right?

Not so much.  There's things to look out for, such as theft.  No, really.  They call them "swaplifters."  Basically, they convince you to ship first, for whatever reason (typically, the person with the fewest tokens, i.e. feedback, ships first) and then never sends you their item.  And most of the time, they'll stop communicating or block you.  Happened to me.  Twice.  And I've only made maybe 25 swaps.  Not good odds.  The thing about swaplifting is that it is theft and prosecutable.  But good heavens, can you imagine the amount of red tape you'd have to go through for that????  So have I taken action against the two swaplifters?  Nope.  Wish I could, because, seriously, I'm ticked.  I'd just as soon have my MAC 15 pan pro palette and Spring Up eyeshadow back as opposed to the items they were supposed to send me.

Another thing to watch out for - lunatics.  Again, I'm not kidding.  I had two girls claim the products I sent them were not in the condition I described.  Um, hello?  Did you LOOK at the pictures in the listing????  No?  Fine.  Send me my stuff back.  Another one - I accidentally sent the wrong product.  She sent it back and I sent the right one.  No biggie, my bad.  Two days later, "I got my product, but it's been used!  The foil was peeled back and so it was all dried up!  I'm going to send it back, and can you send me the first product you mailed?"  I was fine with that part.  I suppose.  Not terribly, since she never mentioned that she was sending me four sample size products instead of one, but you know.  But the next line got me - "Maybe you could send me that MAC 15 pan pro palette, too?  Something for my trouble?"  For your trouble???  No, "for your trouble" would earn you a couple of extras and throw ins.  Samples (you know, like the ones you sent me?) and stuff.  NOT my pro palette that cost me $15.  Really!  

And here's my latest and final - cons, liars, and crankies.  Not sure which the latest one is, really.  I mailed her a MAC 187 brush that I purchased when I worked for MAC about four and a half years ago at the MAC store in Green Hills Mall in Nashville.  Purchased it in person.  Didn't use it so much anymore, so I swapped it.  She got the brush (and I'm assuming the fabulous extras) and messaged me.  And I quote: "Hi, I received your package today. I believe this MAC brush is fake and I would like to cancel/reverse the swap. I'm sure you didn't know as fakes can be very hard to detect, so I will not leave you a negative or neutral token. I'll also include money in the package to cover your shipping fees. So sorry this didn't work out better."  Um.  NO.  You just accused me of swapping a fake, and therefore lying about it (catch the scathing condescending tone in the "I'm sure you didn't know" comment).  So I simply said, okay, fine.  I explained that I could ASSURE her it was not a fake, but if she wanted to cancel the swap, whatever.

And so.  In conclusion.  I'm finishing up my swaps I've already started and as of June 15, I will no longer be a member of MUA.  It hurts me to do that, because I really have had a good time and gotten some great stuff I wouldn't have gotten any other way.  But I'm not willing to put up with the junk that goes with it.  Maybe you are.  And if you are, then by all means, become a swapper at Make Up Alley.  Just remember, I am not endorsing nor encouraging such a move.  If you've got make up and stuff you don't want, send it to me.  I'll use it.  And I'll send you something in return, provided you're not a crazy, a con, a liar, or a lunatic.

Monday Madness' final conclusion:  Swap sites are such a great idea!  Too bad there's no way to completely moderate them and make sure things run completely smoothly.  Well, there is a way, but if you take people (i.e. the problem) out of the equation, you don't have much of a swap site.  

My review - go to Sally Beauty and join the Sally club.  Use your coupon and discount to buy the stuff you could swap for and save yourself the hassle.  I vote it totally ungorgeous.