For years I have cautioned home exchangers against posting swap requests on free classified ad sites. These sites attract scammers. They put your personal info and proposed time away from home where anyone can see. Home exchange clubs, which require verified credit card payment, are a much more secure way to find a home exchange.
I tried a hybrid approach to finding a swap in an area with few exchangers, Huntsville, Alabama. Though I put a free ad on Craig's List, I directed readers to my home exchange listing. I decided I would only exchange with a swapper I found this way if the family joined a traditional home exchange club as a paid member. If they refused to provide a credit card number and register their home like a regular exchanger, I would not swap with them. I hoped this would keep me off the radar of scammers.
Wrong! Of all the responses I got, two were from real home exchangers, though neither was located near enough to where I need to be. Both checked out my swap listing and one joined the club, however. The rest of the replies were variations of two types of scams: people trying to get me to give them personal information they could use for identity theft, and those hoping I would sell or buy a timeshare. The identity theft scam asked me to provide personal info in exchange for a "discount" on a "lease". The timeshare people told me they could get me more money than I was asking for my "timeshare" or sell me a timeshare so I could stay in one instead of finding my swap.
Based on the flood of scam emails I received, I have to stick to my assessment that it is simply unsafe to solicit a home exchange on a free classified ad site. Spend the $ to join a real club. Your credit report will thank you.
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