FAQs

How much do students pay on Techtain? Nothing. Absolutely free to students. How does Techtain work? Search for what you have or want. List what you have. List what you want. We send you email notifications when we find someone who has what you want or who wants what you have. From there, you can take the necessary steps to see that you complete the transaction. When you give an item "for free" to another member, we will give you 'points for being generous or cool'. Soon, you will be able to spend these points at grocery stores and airline websites. Please note that we intend to match you with only persons within your immediate environment. Can students buy and sell items/services on Techtain? Techtain matches supplies to demands. For the student dimension of the website, Techtain simply matches WANTS to HAVES and informs the concerned parties (providing permitted address/profile details) of the match. We hope that such students may meet in person somewhere on campus to bring closure to the match. The decision to involve money is up to the parties. We find that because student members are often friends, items/services are rather exchanged or even given without money involved. This provides a sense of fulfillment. Can non-students buy and sell items/services on Techtain? Techtain matches supplies to demands. For the non-student dimension of the website, we may - in addition to matching WANTS to HAVES - provide both a payment system and a mailing option so that users who choose to buy or sell an item may do so by simple transfer of payment. Further, those who wish to have the item mailed to them may have such privilege. Yet it still remains part of our goal to bring people together rather than have them mailing items across geographies. We want to do what eBay is not doing. What are examples of stuff on Techtain? Anything the users feed into the system. This could range from DVDs to CDs to Books to furniture to services. In fact, in order to satisfy our users, we are developing more categories to satisfy community needs How do I join Techtain? Go to www.techtain.com or search for the "Green" application on Facebook or ask a friend to invite you. How do I use Techtain? Join. Use the tools to create your TtCircles. Search! Invite your other friends into circles. Join other fun circles you like. Search! List what you have or want. Then...sit back. Why is Techtain unique? Faster; Better; Cheaper ... than any similar tool on the web today. Soon, you will be able to customize the platform to your desired language. We let you ask Techtain to search for what you want rather than have you spend time searching and scrolling for one item amidst a clutter of millions like is done on other website; a machine does it better. Even more, you get an email when our system finds an item that you want. However, those who derive more fun searching manually by themselves - rather than have our system do it - can do so (manual browse by clicking MediaFlow) too on Techtain. It allows them know who's giving or wanting stuff. How do I get an item to a requester? We believe users should decide how best to deliver an item. Because efficiency and sustainability are vital to our mission, we strive to match persons in close proximity so as to eliminate the need to drive (or mail), as conventional vehicular activities are known to pollute our environment. It won't hurt for requesting students to meet up with those willing o offer an item or service. After all, that's part of our goal. How fast will I get an item sent to me from another user? For on-campus student, mailing may not be the best option. It is one Techtain's goals to have students meet face-to-face and meet new friends. Students can use or PM (Private Message) tool to coordinate a venue for meeting. For those who must mail items, this typically should take about 3 days. For the non-college users, our system matches users in close proximity (e.g. neighbors)...and this often makes deliveries informal, snappy and really cool. Does Techtain offer a Free Trial and how long will it last? Once you are able to access the website, you will be able to revisit whenever you wish. What is Techbux? TechbuxTM represents the experimental code name for our "generous points". Think of them as "green points for being good". These are points given as a reward to persons who actually give another Techtain user an item instead of disposing of the item in some other way that is not environmentally conscientious. We are working to see that soon the TechbuxTM you accrue on Techtain can be tendered during purchase of certain airline tickets, and at certain stores. In essence, when you give an item to someone on Techtain, you get points which will soon serve as real cash discounts when you purchase things from our affiliated partners (e.g. airlines, stores, restaurants etc). We are working on the list of such businesses, and your suggestion will be great in helping us know your preferences. We will keep you informed. Give an item, and gain TechbuxTM. Take an item, and lose TechbuxTM. If you are short of points, you can ramp up your balance by being generous (i.e. giving away stuff on Techtain) or by purchasing from us. Students will not need Techbux per se since they get free services. The student version of TechbuxTM will be "green points" for community recognition; similarly, these points can be gained when a user gives an item or lost when a user requests an item. We are working on creating a trust-based integrity system so that these green points too, once accrued on Techtain, will serve as real cash for students. Techbux is a (singular or plural) term describing the emotional virtual currency on Techtain. What is the relationship between my Techbux balance and the Techbux value of an item? An item's Techbux value is its valuation in the Techtain community - determined both by an algorithm and the community of members. Your balance is your purse. When you give an item to another Techtain member, we reward you by increasing your Techbux balance. A low balance implies that you are more of a "requester" than a "giver" which is perfectly fine too. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. How is the Techbux value of an item determined? This is determined both by an algorithm and the community of members. The formal subsumes the neutral supply-demand model. e.g. an item with low supply and high demand will be assigned a high value. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. But I have no Techbux at the beginning. How can I start using Techtain? Yes, you will have Techbux once you sign up; we give every member equal amount of Techbux to start off. Consider this a gift from us. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. What is the range of available Techbux? We envision that Techbux are available as fixed discrete bundles from 89c to $4.99 and discount bundles from $5.50 to $12.50. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. How do I get Techbux? Techbux can be bought from Techtain or earned when you kindly send a requester an item. We also give you Techbux for any items you send to another user. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. Any advice on smart ways to earn Techbux? Sure; list a bunch of items under your "MyHaves". This way, when a requester is found for any of your items, Techtain gives you Techbux for such items you choose to send to the requester. Students will not need Techbux since they get free services. What and how does Techtain charge per transaction? Students are not charged. A transaction is made when: a match is found AND the item sender confirms to send the item AND the receiver confirms receipt. Transaction charges vary but are always less than $2. It is a fee charged for the service of finding you exactly what you want and in a place so close to you that you won't have imagined the item was available there had it not been for Techtain. Who pays the transaction charges? Only non-students are charged. The item requester pays, usually in the order of cents. In some cases (exchanges) where both parties are requesters, both parties pay. Why should I send an item to a requester when s/he is not sending me any item? Techtain has a mission to promote generosity. Also, friendship can start online; you never know. Furthermore, for any item you send, Techtain rewards you by crediting your account with the corresponding Techbux value. Why do we separate Student login from that of General Members? We believe students are less financially able to pay for their necessities. They deserve all the discount possible, and Techtain is determined to offer 100% free services to students. Does Techtain build a wall between student members and others? No, but the two groups are not fully merged on the same platform. We anticipate that in the future, students may use their EDU email addresses to sign in under the Students field or under the General Public field. What happens when a student logs in under the Student field? This is the normal thing to do. Thee student will have access to campus offerings at no cost. What happens when a student logs in (using an EDU email) under General public field? Currently, EDU accounts must login only under the student portion. If t he student logs in using a non-EDU address, the student will be charged for transactions made. Since students are not charged, will Techbux apply to them? Not initially. As we grow, we will allow students the option to deal in a fictitious Techbux system just for fun - with no monetary consequences, but just to see who's got the most Techbux; for kicks. We plan to reward the user with the highest techbux balance at some point. What is the sense in allowing Students able to log in as General public members? This is under consideration and is currently not feasible. If it were, students will be able to leave the campus-tailored ecosystem in order to be a part of the non-campus dimension. Very rarely, some offerings will be easily traceable in the public ecosystem than in the college ecosystem because the latter is a college-by-college system while the former is a larger zip code by zip code system. Can I back down after confirming to send an item? No, this will be against Techtain's trust-based system. Confirming to send an item means "an item must be sent." Can I later say I did not receive an item if I already clicked the "Confirm receipt" button? We understand that mistakes happen, but the system is designed to run close-to-perfection. As such, the burden will be on you to call in and let us know. Please, feel free. Can a really hot movie, for example, have low valuation on Techtain? Absolutely! The Techbux valuation of an item is determined by the degree of "MyWants" and "MyHaves" on Techtain. But if an item is really costly in the real world, it will probably be costly on Techtain. How do I add an item to MyWants or MyHaves? We make it easy. You can just search first, then list the item or you can see what's on Tehctain's MediaFlow section and click "Add to MyWants" or "Add to MyHaves" as the case may be. See the top right hand corner of the website for demos. What is the difference between private and public My TtCircles? Invitation into private circles is strictly from the person who started the circle. Invitation into public circles could be from anyone already in the circle. How can I join a private MyTtCircle besides mine? You can send a PM (Private Message) to the circle owner requesting to be added, but honoring your request is at the owner's discretion. Typically, we find that close buddies or family members do a good job inviting really close persons to private circles. What should I do if an item from a member never makes it to me in the mail? We have a "Suggestion Please" link at the top. We also have report systems in place. Quickly let us know using the various tools on the site; we are putting report tools in place, in conjunction with a community rating system. Let us know if the item you received differs from your expectation in terms of item itself or condition. How does Techtain verify a report? This is a trust-based system and we believe every member can be honest if they want to. Because this may not be the case, Techtain actually contacts the parties; if a considerable number of members has a problem with a particular person's conducts, it becomes easier for us to conclude an investigation. Will Techtain compensate me if a recipient breaks or loses my item? This applies to the case in which the item is lent/borrowed, not totally given. Firstly, we have to verify the report. At our discretion, we may give you free Techbux or a period of transaction-free membership, or some other means that makes you happy. What if I actually mailed an item but it never made it to the recipient? Techtain tries to remind the recipient to let us know about any developments (or the lack thereof). Yet, things could be expedited if senders also report to us, letting us know that they may have received a complaint from the recipient. Does Techtain kick out dishonest members? Like for any trust-based system, we are obliged to act in the best interest of users. Can I cancel my account? Absolutely; any day, any time. You can do this on the website, but we bet you won't have to.