Feedback policy
Check out our feedback policy, and let us know if you have any questions.
Feedback is a tool for buyers and sellers – to share their trading experiences with the Trade Me community.
Want to dispute feedback you've received?
Find out how: I'm the buyer | I'm the seller
General guidelines
- All Traders are expected to maintain a feedback rating of at least 95%.
- We encourage members to place feedback for all trades.
- Feedback is a permanent part of your Trade Me account.
- Negative feedback can be disputed for up to 45 days from the date of purchase.
Although certain exceptional circumstances will result in feedback being removed or edited, feedback will remain a permanent part of your Trade Me record. Trade Me does not arbitrate negative feedback.
Feedback must:
- Be factual.
- Be about the specific trade.
- Not contain personal information.
As outlined in our code of conduct, members should not replace retaliatory feedback.
We may remove all or part of feedback if:
- The feedback isn’t relevant to the trade itself.
- It contains swear words or other offensive or inappropriate content.
- It contains defamatory statements.
- It contains the trader's private personal information, contact details or other means to individually identify the trader or any other party.
- The trader placing feedback has been permanently removed from Trade Me.
- The feedback contains unfactual statements or otherwise does not accurately reflect the outcome of the trade.
- The feedback refers to any ongoing investigation by Trade Me, the police, or any other authorised party.
- We receive a court order to remove feedback, or we consider it appropriate in line with Commerce Commission guidance to remove the feedback.
Take care not to post defamatory statements about anyone, as you can be held legally responsible for damaging another member's reputation. A widely used definition is:
A defamatory statement is one that tends to lower the person in estimation of right-thinking members of society, or which tends to cause him or her to be shunned or avoided, or which tends to cause a person to be exposed to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or which is a false statement about a person to his or her discredit.
We won’t review feedback if:
- There’s a lack of evidence.
- You haven’t met your obligations under the Code of Conduct.
- The feedback doesn’t breach the Feedback terms and conditions.
- It's been more than 45 days since the date of purchase.