Lost password

If you have lost your password, just click on the link below the login field to ‘request a new password’. Follow instructions in the email you receive (check your spam folder too) to be sent a temporary access to your account settings, where you can immediately add a new password. Then save your settings and you’re good to go!

While you are at it, just verify we have your correct details.

Taxes

Any activity that you do professionally, is regarded as taxable by the IRD. Community Shares neither has the platform for, nor does it withhold any taxes, PAYE or other legally required deductions. Each business is responsible to pay GST (if registered) and income tax on their income, regardless of the currency they are trading in. If you are already trading in the private, you know where you stand.

Due care and caution

If you see an offer from another member that interests you, or another member contacts you on your request for a service, it is solely your responsibility to verify the integrity and trustworthiness of that member before agreeing to a service exchange. This may be less important if you just want your groceries delivered at home. It may be particularly important if the services you require involve vulnerable people (such as your children, elderly family members) or objects (your china cabinet or your car brakes).

There are a few options to ensure that you have a positive experience.

1. Look in the ‘members’ section if the details of the offering person are complete and credible;
2. See in the ‘transactions’ section if they have already successfully traded with other members for the same kind of services. If you know these other members, just call them to see how they valued the experience;
3. Meet with the member in person, and without obligation, to discuss the services and their requirements before going into an agreement. Make it clear that you’d want this discussion to be without obligation. Check that the offering person you are discussing the service with, is actually the person who will also provide the service. Match the person you see with their picture in the ‘members’ section;
4. At the time of receiving the service, again match the person on your door step with their picture in the ‘members’ section.

Liability

By using the Tots Community Shares software and systems through totscosht.nz, you agree that Tots Community Shares shall not be liable for any loss (whether direct, indirect or consequential) and/or damage arising out of your use of, or inability to use this website or from any error or omission in the information on the website.

Font too small

With simultaneously pressing the keys ‘Ctrl’ and ‘+’ or ‘-’, you can control the size of the font on your screen.

Can we join as a couple, or as a family?

Yes you can. The choice is yours. You can join as a couple or family. It might be that later on you decide to have separate member accounts. For example, sometimes families join up on one member account, but then the children decide that they want their own account. Time credits are transferable throughout the system, so it is also a simple process to transfer some of the Hours or Talents through as well, if you wish.

What is the Community Treasure Chest?

The Community Treasure Chest (CTC) is a community account. Here you can donate as many or as little of your Hours or Talents to the chest. You can do this as often or as little as you like. What happens to the Hours or Talents that you donate? At the discretion of the COSH Committee they will be given to any member(s) or community group that may be in need of them, for whatever reason, or they may be used to promote Community Shares to the wider public.

If you want to donate Hours or Talents to the Community Treasure Chest, just follow instructions from the top left block of your screen ‘Donate’. We are very grateful for your donation!

What if a service trade was only 15 minutes?

Time can be put through in increments of 15 minutes. Generally it makes sense to round them up, we encourage to the hour. You can agree the exact amount of time to put through with the person you are trading with. With Talents, you can use decimals.

How do time credits work?

One Hour = one hour. You spend one hour of your time doing something you enjoy doing for someone else, and you gain one Hour. You can then spend this on having something done for you. Hours do not expire. They are completely transferable to any other member or organisation on Tots Community Shares.

Time credits are usually traded for services involving time.

How do Talents work?

1 Talent equals the value of 2 medium-sized, free-range eggs. You can trade services or goods with Talents, as agreed between you and the other party.

So why would someone charge me both ways, or even in New Zealand dollars?

Let's say you're having your house painted. There are potentially three currencies to work with here.

1. There's time involved, of the person painting your house. These can be paid with Hours or Talents
2. There are costs involved that are not necessarily chargeable in NZ$, like transportation cost. These can be charged with Talents
3. Then there is the cost for the paint etc. These would usually be charged with NZ$
4. If the person doing the work has this as their professional business, they may also charge a taxable portion (GST/PAYE etc) in NZ$.

These will need to be agreed between you before the work starts, so everyone knows what to expect. Transactions in NZ$ will need to be made outside of our systems.

Who logs the transaction?

Either the receiver or giver of a trade can input the transaction. Either way, the transaction will be displayed in the ‘bank account’ of each of you. Depending on the initiator of the transaction, the payor will receive an email notification, and be requested to 'sign' the transaction before it is finalised.

Why put up a photo?

It would be great to have photo of yourself in the profile. The reasoning is two-fold:

• Being able to ‘see’ someone encourages more of a community feel to the website.
• Identification – when you are trading with a member for the first time, you can be assured they are who they say they are.

But we are aware that privacy is a big issue during these times, so do what feels right for you.

What if I trade with more than one person at a time?

I spent one hour teaching (including preparations) six people how to knit. Do I get six Hours?

Well theoretically you can, but it doesn't show much community sense. If you have only given one hour of your time, it's only fair that you claim one Hour. The remaining five Hours could be donated into the Community Treasure Chest through a transaction with the account ‘totscosh.nz’.

Can members be compensated for expenses?

The answer is Yes. Tots Community Shares is all about sharing! Sometimes there may be a monetary cost involved.

• Transportation – you are providing transport, perhaps to the airport, a medical appointment or grocery shopping. There will be a fuel expense.
• Baking / Cooking – you are baking / cooking for a member. There will be an ingredients expense.

For trades where there are expenses involved we encourage you to discuss and agree these with the member you are trading with prior to the trade happening. Then you can pay for those expenses either in cash or in Talents, and for the time in hours.

What if I don't have any Hours or Talents?

Time Banking is not about balancing the books. It is about trading skills in the community and reciprocity. You can still trade if you have not yet earned time credits. In fact, for the system to work properly, most traders will move in and out of debit and credit at some point.

With Talents, it is more important that you get to a point of balance. Your Community Shares Talents balance is not intended to be a stash, like in your savings account, but it is also not meant to just spend and spend without income. That is why there is a limit that you can be in ‘the minus’. We encourage you to trade sensibly, as you would with your normal finances too! Offer part of your harvest/produce or garage sale items via Community Shares, and all will be well.

How did time banking start?

Edgar S. Cahn developed the Time Banking concept in the USA. Since then, it has spread to many countries around the world. Time Banking acknowledges we all have something to contribute to our communities and that what we offer is valued. Project Lyttelton has set up New Zealand's first Time Bank. Tots Community Shares was launched in November 2013.

Where can I find more information?

For more information about Time Banking, we recommend Edgar S. Cahn's book, No More Throw Away People:

If we accept a market definition of work, there are a few omissions worth noting. The system states: Work does not include: raising children, taking care of one's elder parents, keeping one's family functioning, being a good neighbour, looking out for each other. So work includes everything – except family, community and democracy. Some of us think those things are rather important. If they can't be addressed as work within the market, it is clear we need a larger framework than that supplied by market (page 41).