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Proposing, countering and accepting

This is the negotiation half of a swap — everything before anything gets posted.

Making a proposal​

From a listing you'd like, open Make a Swap Offer. You'll see:

  • You want — the bottle you're after, with its equity value.
  • Your active listings — tick the bottle(s) you're offering. Only listed bottles appear here; your cabinet isn't put up automatically.
  • Sample credits (if you offer samples) — add a 2ml / 5ml / 10ml credit to balance a small gap.
  • Invite to Browse My Scents — let them pick from your collection instead of choosing for them.
  • Fairness — a live reading of how balanced the two sides are.
  • Message (optional) — introduce yourself or explain the offer.

When the offer looks right, tap Send Offer. The owner gets a notification and email.

Before your first proposal​

The first time you swap, two things happen:

  • You'll be asked to accept the swap terms (the current version). This is the binding agreement for trading on ScentSell — you accept it once and it's remembered.
  • Your opening message is checked for kindness and for off-platform contact or payment before the swap is even created. If it trips the check, you'll be asked to reword — nothing is sent until it reads right. (Swapping kindly)
note

You also need a verified phone number to propose, and your tier sets a per-swap equity limit until you've completed a few clean swaps. The screen tells you if you've hit a limit.

Counter-offers​

If an offer isn't quite right, counter instead of declining. A counter lets you propose a different bundle — swap in a different bottle, add a sample credit, ask for something else of theirs.

  • A counter creates a fresh offer and marks the previous one as countered.
  • There's no limit on rounds — you and your partner can go back and forth until you agree or one of you declines.
  • Each counter replaces the one before it, so there's always a single live offer on the table.

Accepting​

When an offer is right, the other party accepts it — you can't accept your own proposal or your own counter. That's deliberate: acceptance always comes from the person who received the offer, so no one can lock a trade in unilaterally.

The moment a swap is accepted:

  • Its status moves to Accepted, and
  • You each have 48 hours to post, and
  • The Shipping tab unlocks — that's where addresses are confirmed and exchanged. Addresses are never shared before this point.

From here you're into the shipping flow.

Expiry, declining and withdrawing​

  • Proposals expire after 7 days without a response.
  • Decline closes an offer; the other person can propose again.
  • Withdraw lets you pull back an offer you sent if you've changed your mind, as long as it hasn't been accepted.

Next steps: