Where are the Trade Me buyers?

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I do a browse every now and then, usually in the small hours when I can't sleep. My watch list grows hugely, then next day gets whittled back to sensible! But a woman can dream...

I have a Fritter Budget though, and am very disciplined about not breaking it!

[harm_less]

Trade Me's search functionality is utter crap. Its only real purpose seems to be to direct you back into more general search parameters so you may be enticed to impulse buy some piece of shit from their disfunctional international sellers.

We get the very occasional sale through TM (usually fabric sample packs) and then go on to foster ongoing relationships with those buyers outside of TM's money grabbing platform where our direct pricing is lower as a reflection of our buyers then not costing us extortionate success fees, which of course we pass on to our TM customers.

As a buyer I will always attempt to locate a direct connection with TM trade sellers to improve the communications I can have with them, to save them (and occasionally us) success fees and generally as a FU to TM.

TM is a business that has lost its way and its ongoing 'improvements' are misdirected and definitely member focussed. The likes of Facebook, Neighbourly and other more forward thinking and community orientated platforms will continue to threaten TM's viability and will eventually spell their demise.

[SueDonim]

Trade Me's search functionality is utter crap. Its only real purpose seems to be to direct you back into more general search parameters so you may be enticed to impulse buy some piece of shit from their disfunctional international sellers.

We get the very occasional sale through TM (usually fabric sample packs) and then go on to foster ongoing relationships with those buyers outside of TM's money grabbing platform where our direct pricing is lower as a reflection of our buyers then not costing us extortionate success fees, which of course we pass on to our TM customers.

As a buyer I will always attempt to locate a direct connection with TM trade sellers to improve the communications I can have with them, to save them (and occasionally us) success fees and generally as a FU to TM.

TM is a business that has lost its way and its ongoing 'improvements' are misdirected and definitely member focussed. The likes of Facebook, Neighbourly and other more forward thinking and community orientated platforms will continue to threaten TM's viability and will eventually spell their demise.

As a buyer that's pretty much how I work too. Buy something on TM then once I know who the supplier is, deal direct from them on. You are dead right about the search engine. If it's deliberate as you say, it actually has the opposite effect. Just means I don't spend as much time browsing because I'm sick of all the stuff that is irrelevant to what I want. I had always just thought that it was lack of competence on the part of their developers, or meanness in being unwilling to use Google searching across their site.

[alpha111]

As a buyer I pay a lot of attention to shipping costs. I now avoid some sellers. Have just been offered a large book for $20; however the seller (a charity) wants $14.40 to ship the book from Nelson to the Hutt Valley. Perhaps the cost is because it will be bubble wrapped?

[harm_less]

As a buyer I pay a lot of attention to shipping costs. I now avoid some sellers. Have just been offered a large book for $20; however the seller (a charity) wants $14.40 to ship the book from Nelson to the Hutt Valley. Perhaps the cost is because it will be bubble wrapped?

Shipping across Cook Strait costs. If the seller is using one of the more reliable couriers that price doesn't surprise me and charities aren't always the most astute business operators so they've probably just given you the easiest box ticked option for them.

[Underwhelmed]

Horace Pinker - that's exactly what I think. A lot of our stuff goes to the op shops now, rather than listing and selling to bottom feeders. I call them this because there is a certain predatory, turn the screws attitude out there, not pay a fair price.

It seems as though the "bargain hunters" (a more polite description) are now hanging out on Trade Me seeking those $1 steals that Trade Me likes to push. I have had three fixed price requests for $10 and $15 items in the past week. I am selling at op shop prices or less. Yes, courier prices have risen, but buyers are welcome to lurk at op shops for however long it takes, waiting for the same collectable to appear.

If an item under $20 is out of your price range, move along. Try a garage sale. Don't ask for a fixed price offer on anything under $20. Especially if that thing needs to be carefully packed (ie time expended). Do your research - I am selling some Crown Lynn for $15 and another trader is selling the same item for $28. Don't ask me to lower my price, especially when you live locally and benefit from pick up or $6 courier. (Yet, someone did).

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Well, I bought myself a treasure this week and the courier cost from Masterton was $21.18, which I paid happily because the seller has double boxed this irreplaceable bit of solid good luck, so I can dial down the worry about potential breakages. Picked up yesterday, and on the delivery van this morning, that has to be superb service.

I can't wait to rip all that tape off and see my prize. Glee will be written all over my wrinkles!

That's why I still love Trade Me, even though they are an evil bunch of motherfuckers for killing the boards.

[Praktica]

I've bought a couple of light meters off there recently. The first one didn't work - not really a surprise. The second hasn't arrived yet, and it's from a seller who's also in Dunedin, but who has "no pickups". Mail from Dunedin goes to Christchurch for sorting, then comes back...

[alpha111]

This gets my goat and puts one off going onto the Trade Me site:=
"Whoops!
Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.

Our technicians have been alerted. Try refreshing the page or you can go back to the home page."

[Oh_hunnihunni]

And that is happening way too often.

[harm_less]

My partner has made two purchases on TM in the last week. Both were from sellers with feedback of around 2,000 so not newbies but in both cases an email was required to get bank details so we could make payment (by bank transfer as both offered as a payment option).

Has Trade Me introduced yet another hurdle for those wanting to avoid their inhouse payment platform in not automatically providing these details or were we just unlucky to strike two sellers on the trot who are too slack to compose Payment Instructions?

[SueDonim]

My partner has made two purchases on TM in the last week. Both were from sellers with feedback of around 2,000 so not newbies but in both cases an email was required to get bank details so we could make payment (by bank transfer as both offered as a payment option).

Has Trade Me introduced yet another hurdle for those wanting to avoid their inhouse payment platform in not automatically providing these details or were we just unlucky to strike two sellers on the trot who are too slack to compose Payment Instructions?

I've had a couple lately where the seller thought the payment instructions were set up, but somehow didn't come through. When I let the seller know that I was waiting for a bank account number they were surprised. As a buyer I do prefer Ping, but understand that it costs so don't mind if I need to deposit to an account myself.

TM has a lot of inefficiency and annoyances, but in fact I'm using them more than ever for purchases. To "go shopping" costs fuel, time and risks catching viruses, so if I can buy what I want at the price I want to pay, I do it online and start with TM.

[alpha111]

Just this morning have another example after emailing the seller:- "Thanks for your email. I thought my details would be automatically sent through trademe. Apologies."

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Usually these sellers have not ticked the Send Payment Instructions Automatically box while building the listing...