RULES
The Secret Scrapper (SS) program is a once-a-month secret pal gift exchange between members of the
Scrapbooks board. Secret Scrappers are required to send a gift to their pal each
month and to acknowledge the gifts sent to them. Please be committed to upholding
BOTH ends of the bargain if you decide to participate.
This round will begin in March and continue through May, with the last package
to be mailed no later than May 7th. Please note that this round is only for THREE
months. Your first package is due to be mailed out no later than March 7th.
SENDING GIFTS
Gifts must be mailed by the 7th of each month and received by the 15th. Be sure to post when you have mailed a gift.
If a gift is not received by the 15th of the month and you have not obtained permission of the SS coordinators for a
delay, YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM SS with no further warnings. This is the only way to make sure people are not kept waiting
indefinitely.
In the event of a true emergency (e.g., death in the family, hospitalization, serious illness) that
prohibits you from sending a gift by the 7th, you must contact the SS coordinators.
We will work with you as long as we are contacted. If you are unable to
contact us and are dropped from the program, we may, in our discretion, reinstate you upon your return after any missed gifts
are made up.
If you have mailed a package and believe it has been delayed or lost by the postal service, you are
required to inform the SS coordinators of that fact. Again, we will work with
you to resolve any problems outside your control. Please bear in mind that regular
posting of when you have mailed gifts will add to your credibility if this type of situation should arise. We strongly encourage all participants to use a valid return address (not the same address as you are sending
to!) to prevent unnecessary delays due to ongoing mailing issues to, from and within the US.
If you are at all concerned about your package getting lost, you may wish to insure it (for domestic mail, I believe
the USPS charges $1.30 for up to $50 package value).
If you are mailing internationally or from the continental US to Hawaii or Alaska, please allow some
extra time for delivery of your gifts and mail early. We truly appreciate those
of you who are willing to go the extra mile and allow our international members to participate, but it is more of a responsibility. Please consider that before you agree to mail internationally.
While we recognize and appreciate that we all live busy lives, the group has become too large to allow
late or missed gifts to be made up later. You cannot skip a month and send a
double gift the following month. If you are in a time crunch, please consider
sending an online gift certificate or ordering from an online store. If
you place a last-minute online order, one that will likely not arrive by the 15th of the month, please forward
a copy of your purchase confirmation to your coordinator. If you do so, we will
consider you to be complying with the program so that you will not be dropped.
** When ordering online, you may wish to order in your husband's name or verify with the store that
they will keep your identity secret. **
The price range for gifts this round will be $5-10 US for the first 2 months (March & April)
and $10-15 for the final month (May), excluding postage. Please abide by these
limits. DO NOT exceed the spending limit!
If you wish to purchase a more expensive item, you may send 2 months worth of gifts at the same time provided it is
sent in the FIRST month it is meant to cover (i.e., you may send a gift for both March and April by March 7th). Hand-made items should be priced according to their value.
Please be sure to PRINT OUT or WRITE DOWN your pals information, particularly their name and mailing
address. In the event of a computer crash or a DH deleting all your emails or a similar disaster, you will still have
the info you need to send your gifts. All participants will be given cl-suvel's
and cl-girliemom's home telephone numbers. If you are unable to get online for
an extended period of time, you may contact Susan or Barb that way. Please
be sure to record that as well (it won't do you any good if the only place you have it is on your computer).
**It is your responsibility to verify that packages you have sent have in fact been
received.**
RECEIVING GIFTS
Be sure to post when you have received your gift (this is what we will use for record-keeping). If you have not received a gift by the 15th, it is your responsiblity to advise the SS
coordinators by email at ppscrapnswap@yahoo.com. If your SS states that a gift was mailed and you do not post nor
reply to the SS coordinators inquiries concerning receipt of your gift by the 25th of the month, we will assume
your gift was received and will NOT allow a make-up. If you do not post nor reply
to the SS coordinators inquiries for a second month (by the 25th of the month), YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM SS with
no further warnings.
** Please be sure to advise the SS coordinators of any email address changes. It is imperative that we have a valid email address on file for you. **
DROPPING OUT/EXTENDED ABSENCES
If something happens that requires you to drop out of the program, please let the SS coordinators know
as soon as possible. Please use your common sense and judgment as to whether a situation is of a temporary nature and you
can continue in the program or whether you need to drop out completely. If
you drop out with advance warning and have fulfilled your obligations up to that point, you will not be banned from participating
in future swaps. Even if you have simply lost interest in the program, we would
rather you back out graciously than blow it off.
If you have a planned event that will make you absent from the boards for a long period of time during
this round of SS (e.g., giving birth, extended vacation), you will need to plan ahead to fulfill your obligations on time. Please notify the SS coordinators of any extended absences. If you don't feel that you will be able to do that, please sit out this round.
POSTING ANONYMOUSLY
You may post anonymously to your pal with the user-id "secretscrappers". The password for the secretscrappers id will be emailed to each participant. You should not post or share the password with anyone else. This
is the ONLY acceptable use of this user-id. Please DO NOT use it to post in any other capacity. Do not use it to post a SS-related problem or complaint. If
you have any problems whatsoever with the program, you must contact the SS coordinators.
We will do our best to resolve any problems that arise, but we need to know there is a problem. If a problem cannot be resolved, we will reassign you if necessary.
BOARD PARTICIPATION
Try to be as active on the board as you can be. Part of the fun of this program is
getting to know each other. Of course, some of us have more time on our hands than others but try to participate when you
can. Please try to post or email your pal once a week at least. Don't be shy!
Check the SS thread on each board for messages to you and make every effort to reply.
The SS coordinators are more than happy to forward messages, if asked. You may
remain secret for as long as you'd like, up until the last package is sent, at which time you should reveal yourself.
If you and your pal prefer to be known sooner, that is fine! Whatever you like best!
