Sharing Is Good: How to Save Money, Time and Resources Through Collaborative Consumption (13 page)

sumers to consume even more. The sharing economy operates on a

completely different basis. Instead of constant conflict between producers and consumers, the sharing economy views individuals and

businesses as members of the same ecosystem. Those who make and

those who use operate on a level playing field and can often fluctu-ate between roles, depending on the situation. Instead of hoping for something good to “trickle down,” the sharing economy brings everyone onto the same level, encouraging the lateral movement of goods and assets so that everyone has access to what they need.

One major fear people have about collaborative consumption is

that it requires them to interact with and depend on people they

don’t know. Sometimes complete strangers. This is the opposite of what we’ve been taught about society. We’ve been trained to see others as competition — potential thieves and kidnappers. We’ve been taught to trust no one. We’ve become convinced that the only way to get what we need is to fight for it, or to buy one of whatever it is we want, and then hoard it away from the eyes and fingers of the world.

Collaborative consumption breaks down those mental barriers.

It forces us to see people as people, just like ourselves. We have to learn their names and faces and even where they live. We have to acknowledge that everything’s not perfect, that we all have needs, and that others might be the key to meeting those needs. In short, we have to trust people. But we also have to be equally worthy of other people’s trust.

The best way to be a successful sharer is to incorporate the Golden Rule into everything you do, online or off. Don’t share something you wouldn’t want to borrow. Don’t be the kind of guest you wouldn’t

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collaborative consumers understand that what goes around, comes

around — literally. Although there are still those who abuse the

system, or make bad decisions, the overwhelming majority of col-

laborative consumers understand that to get good results, you have to be good people.

While the Golden Rule is a good guideline for life in general, in the sharing economy, it’s even more important. Word travels fast in the sharing economy. Nearly every collaborative consumption website is synced with social media. Most have mechanisms through

which individuals on both sides of a sharing transaction can provide feedback on each other and the experience. This feedback isn’t hidden or swept into a corporate data-crunching machine. Instead, it’s displayed on the profiles or activity logs of both individuals for all the world to see. If someone drops the ball along the way, the community is going to find out about it. If a sharing participant abuses the system, or behaves in a way that hurts or takes advantage of others, it instantly becomes a part of their public reputation. Too many incidents of harmful or selfish behavior, and their equity takes a nosedive.

In this way, both on- and offline sharing communities are self-

governing, rooting out those who aren’t in it for the right reasons.

While these checks and balances are one of the beautiful things

about the sharing economy, it’s necessary to point out that they, too, require participation in order to work. Reviews and feedback can

only help improve a collaborative consumption service if members

take the time to provide them. Social capital can only be used as a deterrent of negative behavior if we all agree to build that capital. A high caliber of behavior can only be expected from fellow sharing community members if we, too, demonstrate a high caliber of behavior each time we participate in the sharing economy.

Chapter 5

What Can Go Wrong

Sharing is smart, and it can do a lot of good in our communi-

ties. Collaborative consumption helps people reconnect to their

community, boosts the local economy, and reduces waste and harm-

ful carbon emissions. We’ve also seen that collaborative consumption moves our perspective from ownership to access, and saves both time and money — two things you can never have too much of.

Although sharing isn’t new to our species, we’re definitely out of practice as a society. We’ve clutched money and possessions close to our chests for so long, the idea of opening up to welcome in friends and neighbors can be scary. Some people say the sharing economy is too idealistic — that we can’t expect to share space and resources without something going wrong. According to these skeptics, strangers can’t be trusted; given the opportunity, they’ll take advantage of our kindness and trust. Some even say that collaborative consumption can put you or your property in danger, and they’re partially right. As in life, nothing is guaranteed in the sharing economy. Sometimes things go wrong or people make decisions that hurt us. But before getting too carried away, try looking at the real risks and very probable rewards of sharing.

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Potential Problems with Sharing

Remember how I said that sharing requires community? Well,

communities are made up of humans, and humans don’t always be-

have. Sometimes people cheat, steal, or accidentally break things.

Sometimes people take advantage of the trust others place in them.

Occasionally, albeit rarely, human nature can create an obstruc-

tion to successful sharing. Sometimes these bumps in the road are small (“oh, the sweater I got on Yerdle is a totally different size than what was listed”) and sometimes they’re big, like when Kickstarter campaigns raise a ton of cash and then never deliver the promised product.

Uncertainty about how others will act might make you feel like

sharing isn’t worth the risk, but don’t toss it aside too quickly! There’s risk in almost every single thing we do each day. How many times

have you heard about a car rental company losing a reservation, or the post office smashing a package before it arrives? Despite the potential for things to go wrong, sharing isn’t more dangerous than any other type of service, provided you use your head and listen to your instincts.

You wouldn’t get into an unmarked cab or let a stranger babysit

your kids, and the same commonsense rules apply to collaborative

consumption. While writing this book, I spoke with many people

who run sharing companies or who actively participate in peer-to-

peer sharing ventures. You’ll be happy to know that there were very few reports of shared items being damaged or stolen. Most reported overwhelmingly positive feedback from their communities, with

zero instances of “sharing gone wrong.” Where there were cases

of disputes or negative experiences, the common theme was that

community members typically rose to the occasion, reacting with

patience and understanding, working together to find a solution.

Using the responses of these experienced sharers as a guide, following are some of the most common problems that arise when sharing, as well as tools and tips that can help protect you and your property.

What Can Go Wrong

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Misrepresentation

One distinct advantage of face-to-face sharing is that you have a chance to meet the sharer in person before finalizing a transaction.

When you sell or trade in person, you have an opportunity to inspect both the person and the item so that you know what you’re getting into. The same thing is true with sharing, bartering, and swapping.

However, many of the most popular collaborative consumption ser-

vices operate only on the Internet, some internationally. While this greatly expands your potential sharing circle, it limits your ability to meet a sharing partner in person. Instead, you have to rely on pictures and profile information to get a feel for who and what you’re dealing with. Pictures, while worth a thousand words, don’t always tell an accurate story. Items and services can be misrepresented, sometimes intentionally. Sizes, colors, condition and quality are hard to convey through an image and short description. As the old adage states, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” If an online listing seems incomplete or suspicious, it’s best to advance with extreme caution, especially if you’re swapping or lending something of value in return.

Know your rights and responsibilities for reversing the transaction should the delivered item or service not meet your expectations.

Unintentional Accidents

Humans can be clumsy, careless beings. We break and lose things on a daily basis. Although we may go to great lengths to take care with shared items, accidents still happen. Accidents are disappointing, but they aren’t the end of the world. Often, they provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate compassion and learn patience. Meg

Murray, of peer-to-peer car-sharing service, Getaround, tells a great story about an unfortunate accident with a happy ending: A renter in Portland borrowed a car to pick up some house paint at the hard-ware store. Unfortunately, the paint can opened and spilled in the trunk, making a huge mess. The renter was mortified and immediately contacted Getaround support and the car owner, requesting

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to extend her rental in order to clean up the mess. When the owner received his car back the next day, it had been fully detailed, with not a drop of paint to be found.

“I love when users in our community can work together to solve

a problem,” Murray said. “It’s what helps build stronger human connections in our community.”

The best way to avoid unfortunate incidents when participating

in the sharing economy is to be prepared. Familiarize yourself with the sharing company’s liability policy and/or make sure you have

preset terms about who will be responsible if an accident occurs, especially when the item in question is very valuable.

Theft or Vandalism

Not everyone realizes what an honor and privilege it is to be granted access to the home or car of a fellow human being. While very rare in comparison with the number of sharing success stories, there have been instances where property has been intentionally damaged or

stolen.

One of the most well-known abuses occurred in 2011 and in-

volved the international lodging sharing company, Airbnb. A San

Francisco woman named “EJ” rented out her apartment while on

vacation. When she returned, she found her home trashed and van-

dalized; documents related to her identity were missing, as were

some of her most treasured personal belongings. Thankfully, at least one of the offenders was eventually arrested, and Airbnb publicly apologized for its contribution to EJ’s distress. The incident prompt-ed the company to develop a guarantee that offers up to $1 million in protection against theft or vandalism.

In 2012, using stolen identities, thieves joined luxury car-sharing company HiGear to steal four members’ vehicles worth a total of

$400,000. The fact that HiGear did not employ a remote door un-

locking system or immobilization technology like other car-sharing companies facilitated the thieves’ unsavory plans. Although some of What Can Go Wrong

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the vehicles were recovered by the police, HiGear eventually closed up shop rather than install the proper deterrents.

There will always be a few bad apples out there to spoil the experience of sharing services for the rest of us. If the potential for theft or vandalism has prevented you from sharing, take some time to research past incidents on the national and international scale. You’ll find, as I did, that they are truly few and far between. The key is to be sure you are adequately protected before sharing. Never continue with a sharing arrangement that makes you feel uneasy or unsafe.

If the sharing involves travel or meeting someone new, be sure that you inform friends or family about your plans; have your emergency numbers with you, whether it’s the answering service for the sharing company or just a friend who can be trusted to pick up the phone in the middle of the night.

Bad/Too Few Reviews

Yelp and TripAdvisor are popular websites because they allow users to learn from the experiences of others. We’re far more likely to visit a restaurant with five stars from 50 people, than one with two stars from four reviewers. Simply put, we trust the crowd. If lots of other people had a good experience, we have more confidence that we will too. The same thing applies to sharing services, especially those that are accessed online. Most online sharing services require users to fill out a profile, including pictures and information about where they live, interests, and experiences. Those that allow users to register via Facebook or Google+ often reflect how many “friends” that person

has, each one of whom is a potential reference. Reviews and references are invaluable when you’re new to the sharing economy, and

many people take great pride in composing them. Look for users