Click on a category to see what you can get on Zunafish:

DVDs CDs Paperbacks Video Games VHS Audiobooks

Frequently Asked Questions

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Getting started

  • How do I get started?

    The first step is to pick a screen name and password. You'll then be taken to the "Post My Stuff" page. Here you'll post the DVDs, CDs, paperback books or other items you're through with and would like to trade for something new. All items you plan on trading must be playable or readable, and you'll be asked to honestly rate their condition. (See Guidelines on Item Condition for more details.)

  • How do I make a trade?

    Once you list your media items, they join the master list of the entire Zunafish community. At that point, you are free to search the listings and click on any title you'd like to own.

    When you click on a title, you automatically inform all the people who own that item that there's someone out there who wants it and is willing to make a trade. These members are then invited to browse your media collection to see if you possess anything of interest to them. (They only see your screen name at this point; no other info about you is revealed.) If they choose something, you're informed of their trade offer.

    Sometimes you will receive several trade offers for the same item. You should review them and decide which one you consider to be your best trade. For example, when given the choice, you may prefer to trade away a less popular item rather than something many other people are likely to want. And you might choose to trade only with people who have good or excellent user ratings.

    Once you agree to a trade, a dollar will be charged to your account and you will be given instructions on fulfilling the trade. Included will be notification that both parties should send their items to their new owners within three days, for arrival in no more than 21 days (though they usually come much faster). Both parties are given the chance to contact each other by e-mail if there are any problems or questions about a trade.

  • Does it cost anything to participate?

    The only time you're charged anything is if you successfully make a trade. And then there's only one charge, which is one dollar per trade. If you choose not to make any trades in a given month, then no charges will be billed and nothing will appear on your credit card or debit card statement.

  • Is there any limit to the number of times I can trade?

    No limit, so feel free to trade away! Then, after you're through with the stuff you've acquired, trade it again! Why hold onto media titles once you're finished with them? Instead, just keep new titles rolling into your home - at almost no cost.

  • Why can you only trade like-item for like-item? For example, why only CDs for other CDs?

    It's exciting when you find out someone wants your DVD, and is offering any of their DVDs in return. That's how Zunafish works. But what if every time someone wanted your DVD, they were offering a paperback book in return? You might find those offers to be a waste of your time.

    The spirit of the Zunafish community is one-for-one trading: like-item for like-item. For example, we both have a book, but I've read mine and you've read yours. By trading, we each get to read something new without both having to buy it.

    Therefore, to keep things simple and fair, the system is like-item for like-item only.

  • Isn't it a pain to have to mail these things?

    Quite the opposite. Not only does the site provide you with a mailing label with your trading partner's address, but it also tells you exactly how much postage you need to affix to your package for almost every item on the site! So for virtually every trade you make, there's no need to weigh the item or visit the post office.

The User Rating System

  • What's the User Rating System?

    Before making a trade, you'll see the user ratings of your prospective trading partners. Under this system, users are considered to be in good standing prior to their first trade. After the first successfully completed trade, the user will be rated for that trade by their trading partner, either Positive, Neutral or Negative. Ratings will accumulate over time, with the person's trading history easily viewable at a glance, in a snapshot of green thumbs-up, red thumbs-down, and yellow neutral symbols.

  • How do I see the full trading history and comments on a given user?

    Just click on their user name wherever it appears as a blue underlined link.

  • How do users get these ratings?

    You provide them - after you've completed a trade and the item has arrived. And at the same time, the people you trade with are asked to rate how you fulfilled your end of the trade. To leave feedback, visit the "My Completed Trades" page. Here users can also leave short comments following a particular trade, and the user who's being commented on will have a chance to respond.

  • How can I see my own trading history and comments?

    Visit the "My Completed Trades" page and look for "Feedback about Me."

  • What if the person who wants to trade with me has no trading history?

    Go ahead and give them a chance. The vast majority of Zunafish users are highly responsible, so you should assume that new members will turn into members in good standing. (And aren't you glad someone gave you your first chance to take part in a trade?)

  • What happens if the user I'm trading with fails to follow through?

    While the vast majority of Zunafish trades are trouble-free, very occasionally a user fails to complete their end of the bargain. To try to remedy the situation, you're first asked to e-mail the user you've agreed to trade with. E-mail addresses are provided when a trade is agreed to, and can later be accessed by going to your "My Completed Trades" page and clicking "Get Info" under Mailing Details for that particular trade.

    If your attempt to resolve the situation has failed, you're free to leave negative information on your trading partner. But users are usually very interested in retaining a positive user rating and will almost always do what's needed to resolve the situation.

    Under the general guidelines, neutral feedback might be given if a member:

    Negative feedback might be left if a member:

    • Sends an item that's in substantially worse condition than promised.
    • Sends an item that's damaged and unacceptable.
    • Fails to send the item at all.
    • And most importantly, fails to remedy the situation when asked by the offended member.

    Positive feedback is the most common feedback that's left - it means the member sent the item in a timely manner and in the condition promised. For more information, see User Rating System.

Posting Your Stuff on Zunafish

  • How do I post more items to trade?

    Click the "Post My Stuff" link found in the upper left of any page.

  • I posted some items, but I don't see them on the system; what gives?

    Don't worry--there is up to a 10-minute delay in seeing your new titles appear on the red "master list" pages. This is because these pages are "cached" to increase the site's speed. Just check back in a few minutes--your titles will show up! (And of course you can always see them--with no delay--on your personal Stuff I've Posted page.)

  • If I've posted, say, five items, can I only ask for five items?

    No. As long as you have at least one item in a particular category, you can ask for as many titles as you want in that category.

    But having just one or two items listed in a category can present a few problems.

    First, if you end up trading away your last item in a category, then all your outstanding requests in that category will disappear. That's because you must have something to offer other members in order to ask for the titles they own.

    And second, you should remember that by asking for titles, you're inviting the owners of those titles to visit your collection and see if there's something you own that they want in trade. If you have only a small number of items listed, the chances that they'll find something may also be small. So you should always make sure you have as many items posted as possible. And this should include items you've received on Zunafish that you're now done with and would like to trade away again.

  • Can I remove an item from Stuff I've Posted if I no longer want to trade it?

    Yes. Just click on the "Stuff I've Posted" link, find the item, and click on it. You'll be prompted on how to remove the item. But you can't remove the item if it's become involved in a trade offer - at that point, it becomes frozen for up to 72 hours. If the trade fails to go through, you may then remove the item. But if the trade succeeds, you must send the item to its new owner.

Making Trades

  • Can I withdraw a trade offer after I've chosen something from someone's collection?

    No. Once you've chosen a title from someone else's collection and have a purple clock next to your item, your item is frozen from all system activity for 72 hours. Your trade offer cannot be withdrawn, and you are obligated to fulfill the trade if your offer is accepted.

  • What if an item I want to trade (or received in a trade) doesn't match any of the versions
    shown in the database?

    Sometimes the same title of a media item has multiple editions or releases, with different cover art or ISBN numbers. This is particularly true of paperback books. The database is designed to bring up the vast majority of these different versions but occasionally you might not be able to find a perfect match. So long as the item in question matches the database listing in terms of content, it's OK to post it under that listing. And a person receiving such an item shouldn't use superficial differences like cover art as the basis for negative feedback. Also, the UPC numbers in most categories, and the ISBN numbers in books and audiobooks, can be used to verify the item you're posting.

Your "My Zunafish" homepage

  • What if I'm not getting any trade offers?

    The best advice is to make sure you're as active on the system as you can be.

    The more items you've listed, the more likely you are to receive a trade offer. And the more items you've requested, the more members will be viewing your collection, and hopefully finding something of interest.

    But you should remember - if you went to a swap meet and only had a table of dusty old travel guides to part with, you might not do much business. And Zunafish is no different - the quality and popularity of the items you have to offer can certainly influence how active your My Zunafish page will be.

  • What's a Zunalert?

    The red arrow symbol, known as a Zunalert (pronounced ZOON-alert), appears on your "My Zunafish" homepage whenever you have a brand-new offer for a particular item. You should click on a Zunalert right away to see what new titles have become available to you.

  • How long does a completed trade stay on my "My Zunafish" homepage?

    The trade, with a green check next to it, will stay on your "My Zunafish" page for 3 days. You should be sure and mail anything you've traded within this time period. Trades can also be found on your "My Completed Trades" page. They'll be there immediately after you complete a trade, and after 3 days that's the only place you'll be able to find them.

  • I had a clock next to my item, but now it has an "X" through it. What happened?

    The "X-ed Out Clock" symbol will appear if one of the following has happened:

    1. The 72-hour time limit on a trade offer has expired.
    2. A trade you proposed was not accepted.

    After you click on the item, the X-ed Out Clock will disappear and your item will be available for trading once again.

  • All my requests for a certain kind of item (DVDs, for example) have disappeared from
    my "My Zunafish" homepage. Why did this happen?

    If, for example, you trade away all the DVDs you've posted, and your collection drops down to zero items, then your outstanding requests for DVDs will disappear. That's because you have to have something posted in a given category in order to ask for something in the same category. And this works the same for all categories of items (CDs, video games, etc.)

    To try and keep this from happening, the system will warn you when you've traded away your second-to-last item in a given category. You'll be told that you have to post more titles or your outstanding requests will disappear after your next trade. It's a good idea not ignore this warning. And remember: having so few items posted will also reduce the number of trade offers you get, so there's every reason to keep your collection of titles well-stocked.

Search for stuff you want

  • What are ISBN numbers?

    ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. These numbers are printed on the back of virtually every book and audio book. You can use them to verify that the version of the book or audio book you'd like to post matches the database listing you've found under Post My Stuff.

  • What are UPC codes?

    UPC codes are unique numbers found on the back of most products sold in the United States. You can use these numbers to help verify that the item you're posting matches the database listing you've found under "Post My Stuff".

  • On a Search Page, what does the sub-heading "Newest Releases" mean?

    By clicking "Newest Releases," you'll see the titles you're viewing in order of release date. That means the titles that most recently became available for purchase in stores will appear first, followed by titles that came out at earlier dates. This option allows you to create a list of available titles similar to the "Just Released" section of a video or music store.

Your privacy

  • Will my information be kept private?

    Zunafish is committed to protecting your privacy. We will not sell or rent your name, information about what media items you own, or any other information about you to any third party for marketing purposes, and we will only use your information as described in our Privacy Policy.

  • Can't all the other members see the stuff I own?

    Once you sign up and choose a unique screen name, you are anonymous to all other users. No one knows your real name or address. It's only after you've made a trade that you agree to provide this information, and then only to the person you're trading with (so they can send their item to you). To further protect your privacy, trading partners are limited by the User Agreement with respect to other uses of this information.

General Tips

  • How often should I visit the Zunafish website?

    You can visit as often as you'd like, of course. But in order not to miss anything, you should visit frequently, and at least once every 72 hours. Here's why:

    Trade offers (which show up on the left side of your "My Zunafish" homepage) have time limits on them. As soon as a user chooses something from your collection in exchange for something of theirs, a 72 hour clock begins to count down. If you don't click on the item you've asked for before the clock expires, the offer will disappear.

    At the same time, the right side of your homepage shows items you own that other people are now interested in, and what they're offering in return. While there's no countdown clock at this point, you may still want to act quickly. That's because the same offer has gone out to everyone who owns this same item. Before you select something from this person's collection, someone else may have both chosen something and had their offer accepted, leaving you without a trade.

  • What if I've lost the address of the member I'm supposed to mail my item to?

    The member's mailing information, and what you're supposed to send them, are always available to you. For the first 3 days after you've finished your trade, you can find the information by clicking on the item you traded, which will have a green check next to it. The information can also be found on your "My Completed Trades" page, by clicking the "Get Info" link under "Mailing Details."

  • What if I've forgotten what item I'm supposed to send to a member?

    The member's mailing information, and what you're supposed to send them, are always available to you. For the first 3 days after you've finished your trade, you can find the information by clicking on the item you traded, which will have a green check next to it. The information can also be found on your "My Completed Trades" page, by clicking the "Get Info" link under "Mailing Details."

  • It's been two weeks and my item still hasn't arrived from my trading partner. What should I do?

    Media Mail is a very cost-effective means of mailing items. But it is not as fast as first-class mail. Zunafish advises you to wait up to 21 days to receive your item before considering that it hasn't arrived. And remember - when you complete a trade, you're given your trading partner's e-mail address. If you're wondering when your item should arrive, you can contact your trading partner and ask. And you should certainly do so before leaving negative feedback, which cannot be retracted.

  • I haven't made a trade for 2 months, but there's a charge on my credit card statement this month. How come?

    To minimize the fees we have to pay each time we charge your card, the site uses an algorithm to "decide" when to bill you--sometimes one trade at a time, sometimes "bundling" several trades at once. So while your trade fee will usually show up on your next month's statement (just like when you charge something in a store), sometimes it will be delayed until the month after that.

    Even though the charge may be slightly delayed, you need not worry--you're only ever charged $1 for any one trade you make! The charge you're seeing is for the most recent trade (or trades) you see on your My Completed Trades page. Still not convinced? If you add up all the Zunafish charges on your credit card statements, you'll see that the # always equals the # of trades you've completed on the site.

  • How come there's a $3, $6 or $8 dollar charge on my credit/debit card--I thought each trade was just $1!

    Each trade *is* just $1. But the site does not always bill you for every trade individually. Using an algorithm that would make you head spin, it "decides" when to bill you--sometimes one trade at a time, sometimes "bundling" several trades at once. But fear not--you're only ever charged $1 for any one trade you make!

  • I believe there's an unscrupulous member who's violating the rules. What should I do?

    Click Contact Zunafish, either from this page or from the link at the bottom of each page. Provide all relevant information, including your screen name, the screen name of the suspected rules-violator, and the bad behavior you have observed. NOTE: Do not use this just to report someone who's performed poorly on a trade. That's what the User Rating System is for. The site administrators only want to hear about someone who you believe is perpetrating significant fraud on the community.

  • Why can't I trade hardcover books?

    Hardcover books are bulkier and cost more to mail than most other items on the site. That's why we've currently limited book trading to paperbacks only. But coming soon, we plan to add a separate section for hardcovers, with specific mailing instructions including the number of stamps required to mail each book.