Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does Multiparty Barter mean?

Bartering used to be between two parties, but if one of them didn't have what the other needed, then there was no trade to be had. It's called the mutual coincidence of wants, and it's why bafter has not been scaleabe...until HaveNeed introduced multi-party barter. With multiparty barter, HaveNeed can offset the haves and needs of up to 5 people in any transaction in what we call a Barter Loop, and we can create these Barter loops from a virtually unlimited number of people. For instance, if Gina has an orange and needs an apple, and Josh has an apple but needs a lime, there is no barter to be had. But if Katy has a lime and needs an apple, HaveNeed can match everyone's haves and needs so they all get what they need! In this way, HaveNeed is able to create barter opportunities that were not previously possibe.



What is a Barter Loop?

A Barter Loop is a proposed or actual group of between 2 and 5 people that may result in a complete set of transactions such that everyone involved gets what they need. You may join as many proposed Barter Loops with your item as you want, and those are now considered Joined Loops specific to you. When all of the other participants of that Joined Loop also join (between 1 and 4 other people), that Joined Loop is now considered a Closed Loop and the other JOined loops are instantly deleted. For the transaction to be complete, all members of the Closed Loop must fulfill their barter obligations, at which time it is considered a Fulfilled Loop.



What happens if I don't receive my good or service?

We hope that never happens, but at some point it probably will. For now, the answer is: a) Do your due diligence with your trading partners to get a level of comfort that they will likely follow through on their obligation. b) If a trading partner does not fulfill their obligation, then contact HaveNeed Customer Support either directly in the app from the Loop Detail screen or by emailing support@haveneed.org. We will reach out to the other party and do what we can to rectify the situation. If the other party does not make good, we will suspend their account until such time as they do. At this time, we are not able to insure barter transactions so we really want our members to communicate to the extent necessary to feel comfortable about trading.



Can I join more than one Barter Loop at a time?

Yes! With any single item, you can join as many Loops as you like. Those Loops will appear in the Loops section of the App under the Joined Loops tab. You can leave any Loop while it is in the Joined Loop state. When all of the other participants in a Joined Loop also join, it will then be considered a Closed Loop and move to that section of the app. All of the other Joined Loops for your item and everyone else's will be deleted immediately. Also, once a Loop becomes a Closed Loop, all of the participants are obligated to fulfill their transactions and can no longer leave the Loop.



How much does it cost to use HaveNeed?

Free for a while. Eventually, we will charge a small fee for each succesful barter transaction in the public HaveNeed network.



Can I donate my goods and/or services without requiring anything in return?

Absolutely! When listing any Have (good or service) you may choose to make it available for free. Other users may request your item in the app and it is upto you to determine whom you would like to give it to.



Can I cancel my HaveNeed account?

If you no longer wish to maintain an active account with HaveNeed, please contact support@haveneed.org and we will delete your account.



Can I leave a Barter Loop after I've joined it?

You may exit any Joined Loop. However, once all participants have also joined a Joined Loop it is considered a Closed Loop, and you are obligated to fulfill your transactions within that Closed Loop. If you do not fulfill your transactions or otherwise make good with your fellow Closed Loop participants, HaveNeed reserves the right to suspend your account.



Can I edit a Have or Need after I've posted it?

Once you have posted an item (Have or Need) you may edit its Description field. However, because of how the multiparty matching technology works, it is not possible to edit the Title of Category on your own. You would need to delete the item and re-post it, or contact customer support at supprt@haveneed.org for assistance.



Can I delete a Have or Need after I've posted it?

Yes, you can delete a Have or Need at any time up until it is part of a Closed Loop. Once it is in a Closed Loop, you are no longer able to delete the item and are obligated to fulfill the transaction.



Are barter transactions taxable?

Yes. The IRS barter site which is focused on business barter is here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/four-things-you-should-know-if-you-barter As of 2020.03.04 the IRS no longer updates this page or their Bartering Tax Center website. HaveNeed can provide you with a list of your barter transactions, but for tax advide, please consult a tax professional.



If I donate goods or services, can I get a tax write-off?

At this time, if the recipient of your donation is a non-profit, you can request a donation form directly from them. HaveNeed will look to automate this process in the future.



How do I contact support regarding issues or questions related to HaveNeed?

You can either initiate support from within the app or email HaveNeed Cutomer Support at support@haveneed.org



How can I see all of another user's Haves and Needs?

Click on the User's name from any Item from the Home Screen or a Loop Detail screen which will take you to that User's Profile Screen. On the Profile Screen you will see one blue circle with an "h" and another with an "n". Bly clicking on either of the blue circles, you will be taken to a list of that User's active Haves or Needs.



If I have listed an Item in a private group, can I edit it so it is visible to the public?

During our initial launch phase, all users are in private groups and there is no public HaveNeed access, so your posted items are only searchable and put into Loops within your private group. Once we open HaveNeed to the public, you will be able to move your posted items from private to public access.



What if I post a Have but don't know what I Need?

That's OK! If you only post a Have, we will present Loop options to you that will let you know of Items that you could possibly receive in exchange for that Have. If any of the proposed trades make sense to you, you can list the displayed Item as a Need and then join that Loop.



What if I post a Need but don't know what to post as a Have?

That's OK! If you only post a Need - and if it exists as a Have in the system - we will present Loop options to you that will let you know of Items that you could possibly give in exchange for that Need. If any of the proposed trades make sense to you, you can list the displayed Item as a Have and then join that Loop.



What if I find a Need via search, but haven't listed any Haves?

If you find an Item that is another user's Need via search, on the Item Detail Screen for that Item you can scroll down and select the "What can I Give to receive this?" button, and HaveNeed will let you know what Items you can post in order to join possible Loops for that Item.



How do I post a Have and/or a Need?

Select the Post icon on the app's bottom menu bar. This will take you to the Post section where you will select whether you want to post a Have or a Need, and whether it is a Good or a Service. When posting items, we require you to provide a name, category and description for search and Loop matching purposes. We give you the option of adding a sub-category in order to aid in further filtering of search results. When listing Needs, we also have an optional field where you can explain why you need the item. After all, we are creating a barter community and the reason you need someting may be the difference between you geting it or not.



If I have listed an Item in one private group, can I move it to a different private group?

During our initial launch phase, when you post an Item to a specific private group, you may not change that Item's group association. If you are a member of more than one private group during this phase and need to move an item to another group, please delete the Item and re-post it to the other group.



What do I need to know about the Need Feed (app home screen)?

We call our home screen the Need Feed. Each of the tiles shows other users' Haves and Needs, and they are all indexed against your Haves and Needs which makes the Need Feed uniquely relevant to you. For instance, one tile states "Agnes Has gas lawn mower" and there is a complete loop icon that is half blue and half orange. The blue represents Agnes' Have, and the orange means that you have listed something Agnes wants, so there is a possible barter opprtunity for you to get the gas lawn mower. Another tile states "Trey Needs Canon EOS digital camera" and the loop next to Trey's name is half blue because you listed a Have for a digital camera but Trey hasn't listed anything you need. By clicking on this tile you can look at Trey's Haves and see if there is anything you would be willing to trade for your camera, and if so, you can list a new Need in order to create a complete Barter Loop. You can also chat with Trey first to see if he would be willing to close that loop before you list the Need. Another tile states "Crystal Has IPad 64gb" and the loop next to Crystal's name is half orange because you listed a Need that matches her iPad but you haven't listed anything Crystal needs. By clicking on this tile you can look at Crystal's Needs and see if there is anything you would be willing to trade for her iPad, and if so, you can list a new Have in order to create a complete Barter Loop. You can also chat with Crystal first to see if she would be willing to close that loop before you list the Have.