In a prior report on the status of sign up fees within the barter industry, I had mentioned, off-hand, that I had heard that ITEX had ended the practice of sign up fees for new ITEX members. This, in conjunction with the recommendation of the experts at the IRTA conference, suggested that two major players in the barter industry have distanced themselves from the cherished industry practice of having new members make a financial commitment to their trade exchanges.
To confirm the ITEX rumor, I had a conversation with an ITEX broker who is a friend of mine and former competitor of mine, Tinamarie Fowler of the ITEX office in Ogden. Not only did she confirm the heresay I had received before, but went on to say, “It’s something corporate has been encouraging us to do for a couple of years. They want us to increase our membership quickly, and they tell us not to charge a sign up fee to make it easier for people to join.” Tinamarie, a five-year franchisee of ITEX, had formerly charged as much as $995 to join her franchise as a member.
