I've recently been investigating some beauty box subscriptions, and most people tied into 6 or 12 month subscriptions are swapping items via Facebook groups. It helps people locked into subscriptions to get the products they want, as people post the items they wish to swap, and now extends to lightly used or pre-owned products. I've joined a couple, and it's a good way to swap items, but you should look for groups in your country and check the seller because like many things there are scammers.
Wow, this is something that I haven't tried. But it's definitely something that I do want to try, especially since I always get items that I don't like or are duplicated whenever I subscribe to beauty boxes. That's why for some time already, I have tried avoiding subscribing to them for fear that my money would just be wasted. But I did enjoyed receiving them for a while, I got to try samples of newer items for a fraction of the price. It's a great way to get acquainted with such products before deciding to buy the full-sized one. Plus, they usually have one-of-a-kind items that aren't available here in my country. The only downside would be loving the product so much but having no option on where to buy it. Otherwise, subscription boxes are definitely great for those who want to stay up-to-date with newer beauty products. And having this ability to swap items with other people, it's a great thing as well. It can save you money as well, instead of throwing the product away or giving it to other people for free.
I have seen some Youtubers post videos on how they sent out high quality products and got burned by people who were sending really cheap drug store items when they were sending out department store items. I think if it is done in the right manner then it might work.
Yes, anything like this is open to scams which is why most groups are closed groups so that the admins can check you out, as in see if you are on other beauty box Facebook pages etc. They also stipulate you must post in an open forum and not PM, with photos so people can see it all. That means if someone has seen that photos or knows someone is a scammer they can flag them.
I end up just giving away the items I don't want to my friends. It seems like these swaps are more trouble than they are worth. If I had a lot of money invested in these boxes or really wanted a particular product, I might go after one of these swap groups. But these products are usually half-size anyway, so it doesn't seem worth it to put all that time and effort into figuring out what you want and the logistics of the swap. It's just so much easier to just thrust my unwanted goodies at a friend when she's over at my place and be done with it