Ping, AfterPay and Cash now only options from November

The longer this thread gets - with no apology and change of heart from TradeMe - the more steamed up I become. I'm going to make it my life's mission to not only migrate as many of my sales off this platform but to help other traders I know do likewise.

Anyone got any advice for selling on Facebook Marketplace in a way that minimises risk and timewasters? 

Jeffrey I've already got all my flotsam except clothes listed there. It much easier to list there but you do get lot of timewasters. I wish there was way to change the ' Is it available question ' u get so many of those. I reply yes and my Street name but not the actual # to pick up or say I can send ( if item is small enough to send ).

This is clearly going to become the most commented on post in the HISTORY of TradeMe's forum. Seriously TradeMe management. If you are not listening, you are fools. It's time to have another meeting and make a decision. Is this really a worthwhile move to make? You really really need to reconsider this decision.

@Jeffery, For us out in the regions Neighbourly is a safe and effective way to move items, particularly ones that aren't easily shipped.

Gosh I wish this forum had GIFs. 

<Popcorn GIF>

Jeffrey - that's the one.

HaHa! Trademe. Obviously getting desperate like so many other businesses, judging by the number of "promotions" they keep offering.

Don't know who thought of this brilliant idea to commit financial and reputational suicide, but they need to have a wee think quick, before this Forest Fire becomes a complete Firestorm!

It's already spreading globally, as I received notification of this new "improvement" from America. 

We hardly use TM these days, as for most of what we currently need, Facebook Marketplace gets rapid results. Yes, there are more time wasters, but Trademe has plenty of those anyway.

This new, Totalitarian-style rule should be an option that Sellers and Buyers can choose, so it's actually very useful to know that TM has showed its hand, and we now know what side of the fence it's really on.  ("Go Woke, Go Broke.")

As a Buyer, Ping is handy, but not always what I want, especially if it's going to be a Pickup, and a visual inspection before payment is warranted.

Good Luck, Trademe. I'll be sorry to see you go.

Has any one sent an email to Commerce Commission

For those interested. Here is how it played out in Australia when eBay tried to mandate paypal and remove bank deposits in 2008

eBay issued a notice that paypal will be mandated, bank deposit option removed. This led to significant complaints both directly to eBay, and to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) This is equivalent to our Commerce Commission. 

The ACCC agreed to investigate. They asked eBay to delay the introduction so they could call for submissions and then complete a final report on the issue. There were over 1000 submissions sent to the ACCC. These are available to read still online. In April 2008 the ACCC issued a draft notice (n93365) that they intended to revoke (not allow) eBays proposal. It's a long but interesting read if people want some ammo. eBay would have had a right of reply and appeal to the draft notice. They instead decided to voluntarily withdraw the paypal mandate.

For those wishing to make a complaint, adding a reference to this draft decision, even though it is in Australia, could go some way as it does show a precedent. 

Steve - there are people who have filed with the Commerce Commission and they acknowledge submissions. I don't know what their threshold is for opening an investigation, but I imagine the more people file, the more likely they will look into this.

It is not only in-trade sellers or TM members who can file with them - friends and family can too. With the way the message board is set up, this thread is no longer on the front page, I wonder if it would be helpful to open a regular new post with the link to this thread, so that it remains on the front page of the message board?

My original comment with the email address and template will potentially get lost with this number of posts - and there is no way for me to direct to a particular page where it is posted, so will add here:

------------------------------------------

How to file with the COMMERCE COMMISSION in less time than it takes to boil the kettle:

1. Click on my username 'Nancy'
2. Click on 'Comments'
3. Scroll to the 2nd or 3rd post from the bottom
4. Copy the template and the email address provided to send a submission to the Commerce Commission
5. Alternatively, email your own message to: PaymentsTeam@comcom.govt.nz

Note: You do not need to be a TM member, or an in-trade seller, to email concerns regarding this payment change to the Commerce Commission.

I have sent a message to comcom about this. Hopefully they can look into this. In the meantime, I note TradeMe is being very silent here. They have sent their one attempt to brush this off..but, you see TradeMe, this is a sticky subject.

HI Nancy. Sometimes Trade Me delete duplicate posts to keep the place tidy. So not sure if adding a new post will work. However, maybe they could be persuaded to make this a featured post so it's always at the top for a while. I'd be happy for it to replace my "scam" post that was added as a feature a couple of years ago. That particular type of scam has seemed to have died off. 

Also, if you sort by comments (top right of posts) then you'll see this one appear right at the top (right underneath their 2 sticky threads)  - 196 comments and counting. For some reason this post seems popular heehee

Hi Callum, that makes sense. It would be preferable for this thread to be pinned, or featured, rather than to create a new post each time it slides off the front page. As the original poster of the 'scam' post, is this something you are able to request of TM?

It would be very interesting if TM accepted this one to be featured. Somehow I think they wish this one would slide into oblivion, not be front page

Im super surprised the media hasnt got onto this

Kia Ora Callum,

Your Scam Post is very valuable being Pinned, it's encouraging Members to Report the latest ones they are experiencing onsite and attracts alot of foot traffic awareness. - Cheers.

Latest email sent today to non In Trade members encouraging them to use Ping. Guessing they are not backing down.

This is ridiculous, TradeMe.

I have been a loyal user for over 20 years and have had no issue with paying a success fee on auctions to fund TradeMe's operations, as obviously the business can't exist without covering costs, but forcing us to provide Ping, and even worse, banning bank transfers, is just bizarre, and screams of profiteering.

I understand the argument of making things safer for buyers, BUT this only makes sense if you still allow bank deposits, and the buyer can choose what they want to use. With bank deposits removed as an option, it really does make it look like TradeMe only cares about gathering the Ping surcharge, and not so much about buyers' safety.

I also question what protections TradeMe has for sellers, if forcing Ping on us, given there are known scams around buyers trying to claim refunds dubiously, especially on vehicles, and I imagine this could easily happen with other high value items. In fact, by forcing us to allow Ping, you're in some ways making it easier for scammers to rip off honest sellers with fake claims.

I do not support this change at all, and I don't think I will be selling on TradeMe anymore if I am forced to use Ping, which I do not want to do. I have made many, many trades, both as buyer and seller, via bank deposit or cash, without any significant issues. In fact I can count the number of trades which went badly and were not resolved, on the fingers of one hand. That's out of over 1500+ trades. It seems a non-issue to me.

I believe this is absolutely the wrong move, people are clearly NOT happy about this, and I will be taking the other posters' advice, reporting this to the commerce commission, as well as the media.

This is an absolute joke, TradeMe. You're an e-auction website, not a circus. Stop being clowns.

I am aware that the following news outlets have been contacted today:

• The Herald
• News Room
• RNZ
• The Post
• Stuff
• 1News

Given the close association of Trademe and Stuff with Trademe taking a 50% stake in Stuff it would basically be Trademe reporting on Trademe, wouldn’t it? …

As Greta T has discovered, threats to capitalism are not something the media likes to report on...

Nancy

I wonder if Paddy Gower is worth contacting - he wud have to do it fast though???If we have issues he has issues!

dont know if I shud be worried but I have some wallpaper listed and my trades are ALL start res - yes its upto  $141  BUT not met reserve???have Tme changed something here ??Never in my 20 yrs trading has this happened...

Jennifer, Paddy Gower has been contacted as well. For your listing issue, perhaps reach out to TM direct via their chat or start a new post on the message board.

cheers nancy!

I used have to Ping but about 6yrs I had woman buy a new Merino Top she wore over the weekend cut a small hole it but smaller than glitter glue she'd got on it. It stunk of perfume too. She taken photos of the small cut but in one photo it captured the glitter glue too. 

The male staff at Trust & Safety Pinged the payment back to her! I've never optionally used it since.

As both a buyer and a seller I think this is a step too far. Already the site is losing relevance hand over fist and this should finish it off. As a buyer who once bought nothing for the home or office without checking trademe I already noticed Temu and Ali-Express can supply smaller items often for less than the NZ Local postage costs alone. Whacking sellers (ergo buyers) with extra fees on top of what's already being asked is perhaps the last straw. 

As a seller of up to 100 specialist items of all types from $20 to $hundreds of Thousands at times there are so many things I already have to contend with that this makes me want to deactivate the lot and find another way or go back to print ads in industry magazines, or start boosting on socials. The owners of this site are obviously not happy with their return and the management are clueless as to how to generate more turnover. How about going back to what made this site great, low fees, dollar reserves, encourage the garage type sales again, quite worrying about deals being done outside the site and make the site hum again. Its a disaster as it is.   

Just to be clear, TradeMe are not gouging in trade sellers.

They are gouging NZ based in trade sellers.

The site is infested with thousands of overseas sellers, with terrible feedback, that have tens of thousands of items, often listed in the wrong categories and TradeMe does nothing to sort them out. They just turn the screws a bit harder on the NZ traders. I find it hard to believe that these overseas sellers are paying the sort of fee's the NZ based in trade sellers are forced to pay.

I will just put my prices up 5% and then offer a 5% discount on cash or bank deposit payments. 

Jennifer

On your listing, I would remove bids, leave an apology note at bottom for bidders as why bids were remove, please feel free to place your bids again, that you needed to edit listing to fix the Reserve price issue etc.

Interest watchers and bidders will come back, 

If you are unable to edit it and fix the issue, Bring the closing time forward to close it early, then relist with correct information,