NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah (ABC 4 News)-It’s a sign of the times. Just last week, ABC's World News Tonight reported on the phenomenal rise in the number of people bartering their services for cash or other items.
The reason is money is tight, and folks are starting to become more creative in the way they obtain other items. But, there’s a Utah women who seems to be bartering for everything.
Sandy Seino redesigns websites for a living. And, Portal Tek out of North Salt Lake makes high clearance axles for off road and military vehicles. So it's simple, Sandy's tires on her car are down to the belt. She wants 12 tires for her three cars, a retail value of about $2000.00
And Jim Jackson of Portal Tek wants the company's website souped up. He wants more more hits and more business. That would cost him about 5-grand. Jackson says, "Naturally, we sell tires and wheels. So that works out for us. We can get her a good price on tires.” To make up the $3000 difference Portal Tek will be a reference for Sandy who is new in town.
Sandy Seino says, "It works, so the more you do it the better off you'll be.” Sandy says she's been bartering for more than 20 years. She claims she’s bartered for plumbing, lumber, sheet rock, medical, counseling, a septic tank, and even a urinal.
Sandy says she hates paying cash. She even bartered for her two dogs. Seino says, "This is Charlie she's an AKC American Bulldog, and this is Baxter she's is an AKC Pug.”
Sandy has even bartered for Botox, she has advice for ladies living in the Beehive State. Seino says, "There's so many Utah women here that are talented that have so much skill. Sewing, cleaning, things like that. They should be out there bartering for things that they want, clothing, shoes, glasses, whatever it is. Go and talk to them and say, you want to trade.”
Sandy says the key is to spell out everything in the contract. And, she says you have to have patience. Postings on the bartering section of the web site Craig's List have doubled in the past year. Another site called u-exchange.com which connects people who want to barter, says traffic is up nearly 200 percent.
