Originally Posted by
swag
Is the (1) Barter different fundamentally from the Coupon Connection forum here on Flyertalk?
Both CC and LoyaltyMatch are essentially services that facilitate bartering. If you are signed up (qualified) to use them, they help you find a partner for barter. One does this via a system of posting and PMs, the other is more automated. I see them as quite similar from the perspective of the companies that offer the rewards with respect to their T&Cs. Neither, as mentioned before, is illegal.
CC is a restricted barter. The restriction is that you trade travel for travel. Not travel for car repair, travel for house cleaning, or travel for cash. This way the travel companies do not lose business on balance.
I haven't noticed the T&Cs of any loyalty program making a distinction between barter of travel-for-travel and the barter of travel-for-non-travel. Therefore, if considering T&C violations within CC versus LoyaltyMatch, I don't think there is any difference.
I'm not a lawyer, but in my opinion most CC trades violate the letter of the program T&C's. IMHO, CC exists because it complies with the spirit of the programs by restricting trades to travel for travel. Still, if you get busted for a trade, it won't help you to say "But I did the trade on Coupon Connection". Same for any barter site. If you trade with a genuine friend, you may have a defense.
I agree. The "spirit" might be different. but when it comes down to it, the exact same violation of T&C is happening. LoyaltyMatch only differs in its mechanism of "matchmaking".
You can think about both CC, LoyaltyMatch, and any similar service as being akin to P2P networks and file sharing. P2P networks have been upheld as legal (some have not, but because of distinct IP-related issues) because they are simply matchmaking for barters, not responsible for what is being being bartered.