TM have made it very clear that they do not value in-trade sellers.

Although I prefer to use Ping when I am buying and selling, isn't is rather high-handed of Trade Me to stop bank transfers? For whatever reason, some traders prefer to use bank transfer and I don't think they're going to be totally happy with having to use Ping. There are also some sellers who do not offer Ping because of the associated costs. Trade Me will be rubbing their hands yet again as they charge commission on Ping transactions, so I guess we know who is getting the most benefit out of the changes.

Robert, it sure isn't as cost-effective as it once was! Buyers are not finding the site as easy to navigate as it was before the so-called improvements. There are a number of bugs - including bidders being unable to bid (that's diabolical for an auction site!). The speed at which these problems are being solved is appallingly slow. And there still isn't a decent search engine.  In-trade sellers are treated like the proverbial. Overseas sellers flood the site and are not subject to the same terms and conditions as we are. It's simply not a level playing field. This latest move by Trade Me ad...

It has always puzzled me - in-trade sellers are Trade Me's bread and butter so to speak, and casual sellers the cream on top. Yet we as in-trade sellers are having more and more costs put on us (and for the most part we seem to do little about it). We come a very distant third in the popularity stakes - behind overseas sellers (who have different goalposts entirely), casual sellers and then the lowly in-trade who are treated as cash cows in difficult economic times. Certainly wasn't intended to be this way when Trade Me was started and was in NZ hands. 

Having to use those quotation marks when searching is plain silly too!

Totally agree with Kate. This is the silliest move that Trade Me has made yet - and there has been more than a few lately! If I was slightly cynical I would suspect that Trade Me has introduced this system to ensnare fees from traders who state 'pick up only' in their postage options and in the auction description state that delivery can be arranged (thereby avoiding success fees on postage).  

Don't think that there is a way that you can search for members on the mobile site but if you are able to flick back to the desktop site you are still able to access them. And I agree this is a major stuff up!

You know Callum, that's exactly what Trade Me are doing. Taking the right away from the small/sole trader to earn an honest living - with all the fees that they have initiated, especially the success on postage - which only served to make 'in trade' sellers increase their prices, and now forcing Ping on in-trade sellers only. As well as a two-tier success fee structure. Add to that the frustration of a site that has become so much more user-unfriendly - even My Products doesn't function in a timely manner, although you continue to extol its virtues.  You seem to be Trade Me's chief cheerlea...

I talked to Trade Me about this very thing this morning - they told me that rural customers should be aware that they are rural and therefore not select the nationwide option - doh! I am getting sick of sending emails to explain that nationwide excludes rural.

It's actually a lot harder to use the site now than when it first appeared many moons ago. It was fairly basic and simple in those days and that's the way it needs to be. Things have to be easy to find otherwise people won't bother and that's bad for sellers and bad for Trade Me.