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TradeMe might account for NZ’s highest percentage of internet traffic, but in my opinion, Fairfax have no hope in hell of a reasonable return on their investment, if my experience is anything to go by.
My wife has used TradeMe, for a year or two, to sell things we’re not using any more (a lot of baby stuff as my daughter got older). We’ve basically had a lot of positive feedback, and no negative. The experience has, generally, been pretty good, although we have had a couple of bad experiences with less than honest traders.
Anyway, she hadn’t used it for a few months, then sold a couple of larger value items, and our account went into deficit (to the tune of a bit over $20, I think). She forgot to tell me, so we didn’t “charge-up” our balance, and another few months (possibly 3?) rolled by. Went to use the account again, a month or so ago, only to discover our membership is no longer enabled.
Here’s where the problem with the lack of customer service comes into play: there is no info in the online help that tells you what to do in these cases, the only option is to send a message online, or use their $1.99 per minute help line. Despite the fact that it’s our fault, I have no interest in paying 1.99 per minute just to talk with some monkey to explain what happened, that we want to pay and re-enable our account.
So I sent a message using their contact form.
No reply.
So I sent another message.
No reply again.
I’ve even tried dropping a suggestion in their online equivalent of a suggestion box.
No reply.
Which is crazy. Because, here’s the thing: I -want- to pay. I want to give them my money. Not just to get back the positive ‘kharma’ associated with our account, but also because it’s a valid debt and I believe I should pay it.
Is it logical to close the account of a customer who has used your system for a few years (without any problems I can recall), because they screwed up and owe you a small amount of money? Isn’t it more logical to keep the account open, but stop them from trading (bidding or selling) until they pay the balance? That seems like a far more intelligent and customer-centric approach — but what do I know? I haven’t built a company up from scratch and sold it for a few hundred million.
So… TradeMe doesn’t want my money, and I’ve seen enough anecdotal evidence (forum postings and other commentary… albeit a few years old) on the web to indicate other people have also had problems when dealing with them. If that’s anything like debugging software (i.e. the obvious stuff is just the tip of the iceberg), then it doesn’t bode well for TradeMe’s future, and for Fairfax’s investment.
UPDATE: Months after sending the original message on TradeMe’s contact form, we finally heard back. It appears we can pay our bill (only $6 rather than $20 as I originally thought) by just ringing the Wellington office direct and paying by credit card. Which is considerably better than calling an 0900 number. Unfortunately, the email arrived just as we were leaving to go to Thailand on holiday for 5 weeks. Obviously been back a month now, but haven’t yet had a chance to ring. I figure since they took a few months to get back to us, there’s no rush for me to rip out the credit card… but will do asap. Have a couple of things to sell, although Ben’s looks interesting…
18 Comments
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I aggree, trademe service is terrible. I recently had a bad trade where a buyer sold me sunglasses that wernt as described and he placed negative feedback on me in retaliation to the negative i left on him, as he wouldn’t give me a refund. I told trademe through the contact us. It seemed they sent me a default message, not addressing my issue at all, basically telling me to take it up with their disputes team, I cannot find anywhere to do this. So i sent them another mail through contact us containing the dillema about the feedback i received again and how to contact the disputes team. They sent me a reply just addressing the feedback by saying they won’t remove the feedback as it doesn’t fit into their “unreasonable feedback” which is basically only if it contains profanity or contact details. I still dont know where to contact the disputes team.
Traders can completely ruin your reputation even if you provided the best service under the sun and trademe wont do anything about it and if they rip you off expect a long gruelling process to attempt to get your money back.
Yes, be careful on trademe, they are very pro buyers. I am selling a LCD TV - this guy bought it with the “Buy Now’ option and Trademe charged me $75 for success fee. He failed to pick up the item, he sent me an email few days later to say that he can’t afford it anymore - so I placed a negative feed back on him. As retaliation to this, he told Trademe that I pulled out of the deal and now Trademe wouldn’t refund me the fee. So my point is - Don’t place negative feedback only if you really have to because there are many crooks out there.
i am totally dispointed with trade me at the moment. i registered one membership on trademe last month, after advertised for couple of weeks , trademe shut down my account saying that they inspend that i was using multiple accounts. i was really angry, becasue i was really having one account.i tried to explain to them, but no use, cause they withdrawn all of my items which are part of my income, it hurt me pretty much. and then , i found out that they shut down my flatmate’s account as well,he was selling his own stuffs, and we did not do something wrong. then i knew that trademe may doubt that we are some person who have the multiple account.
i am really upset about the action trademe did. it was very annoying.
Problem is, to trademe, you are appearing as a single IP address, I’m guessing. You and your flatmate are sharing the same internet connection, right?
Seems crazy to shutdown your accounts, if you’re both selling.
If one of you was bidding on the other’s auction, then obviously they would have good reason. But to shutdown 2 accounts without evidence of wrong-doing seems a bit arbitrary.
yes, we are shareing the same internet connection because we are living at the same house. but we never bid each other’s auction. anyway, thank you for your reply. but i promise that i was not doing some thing wrong totally, tradme, i am really dispointed with that.
and the other question i wanna ask, is it true i could not regrist antoher membership again?? because trademe told me not to regrist again, otherwise they will be forced to take the legal action.
i am really confusing about that…
No idea. You might want to send a written letter asserting that neither account had ever bid on the other’s auctions, and that cancelling both accounts was unnecessary. Include a photocopy of each of your IDs (like driver’s licenses) — even get the photocopies sighted & signed by a Justice-of-the-Peace — to prove that there are 2 people living at the flat.
Apart from that, I’m not sure what you could do.
i have faxed the letter and the sighted ID Copies by JP yesterday. and i received the email from trademe today. i really wanted to cry out when i got the email.they just said that i am still not allowed to open the new account, but did not state the reason. and appreciate for my fax of my ID.
hey, come on, they did not care my situation. and i have explained very carefully about that. what happened to them, is customer nothing to them? i am very upset about that , i don’t know what to do now……
Advise anyone?…I bought a pair of jeans last week on Trade Me, to my dismay the item was out of style and was worth less than what I paid for, it is what I called it the “Granny Jeans”(the pics were deceiving!).Of course, they had a terrible fit!My bad: I failed to ask questions!And her auction DID NOT HAVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS! I emailed the seller a few times about a refund, but she never emails me back. It seems to me shes being coward about resolving the unfair trade.I asked the Trade Me Staff thru email for help.
I’m still waiting for their reply.I honestly don’t know what to do….
I’m afraid you might have to write it off as experience. TradeMe probably won’t be able to provide any help, and if the seller has put misleading pictures against what they’re selling, they’re dodgy (so you’re unlikely to get any satisfaction there).
The only thing you can do is to give the seller a week to get back to you, and if they don’t, post negative feedback. With a comment about what happened. At least that way, you’re warning future buyers.
I have her physical address.I was wondering if it would be useful sending her a letter or just confronting her staight up about her wrong doings! This experience has upset so much,I resent her! I wanna sue her to be honest! People who maliciously take advantage of other people deserve to be punished!
I have no idea actually. Maybe the Citizens Advice Bureau could provide some help (check Yellow Pages)? From what I recall, they can provide basic legal advice.
Confrontation might not be that wise a course of action. You never know when someone might turn out to be a psycho…
i have just had a shocking experience with Trademe LOSING my payment for my account, they are incompetant idiots with stupid advise!! Does anyone have their fax number????, i stated to them i didnt see why I have to fax them when they are the ones who have stuffed up. Anyway i have a fractured knee and cant get out hence why i use trademe as its all on line. I suggested to them to look on the 2nd or 3rd as i paid on the 30th a friday. I put in my email address and my member number what else can i do from here??
Its impossible they can’t track the payment! How posible way could they have lost it??? To my knowledge, they accept payments thru credit cards and direct debit to their bank account.With technology nowadays everythings electronically recorded. Ask them again to search for your payment, it must be there somewhere. Maybe they’re just too lazy or slow in locating payments sometimes.
Go for free alternatives like Lixtor that doesn’t charge no success fee. Plus trademe is old technology.
We also obtained a deficiet on our account because they pulled my sons auction off because it was in the wrong category, kept the money he had paid, he relisted and then they wanted him to pay again!! Not in this lifetime. So now they have blocked our trading and they can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine and all associated with it. What an embarrassment for NZ. Owned now by Aussies who don’t get haemorrhoids as they are perfect a***holes.
I could not believed trademe worth 670 million NZD but their service is hopeless and the administration is lazy and unfair. Anyone know how to contact Fairfax or some power report media could I report to kick their ass hard. I am currently having problem with trademe administrator
1. They withdraw my listing while my uction have potential bidders was bidded to $5 more to my reserve meet. My listing is computer OEM hardware and they thought it was OEM software and blindly withdraw my listing first and sent me message saying i am violate their listing policy. I sent message to trademe administrator (Jenny customer service support)and tell them that they could not be so blindly to withdraw my listing as it is not restricted item for listing, the administrator Jenny send message back to me and says “It seems that we made mistake, sorry for inconvience, you can display your uction again”. I was get so frustrating as this is not the first time they have done it. At least they could put back my listing without ask me to relist it as there is bidder in my listing.
2. Trademe administrator limited my account and not allow me listing my uction or answer question to my buyer and excuse me that i have invalid name, and didn’t follow their policy. I have send email to explain that my identity display on the public and i want to keep it privacy so I dont want my boss or anyone at work see me selling on trademe, that is effect my carreer. The trademe administrator sent email back to me says my member info is not display in the public, and i went to prove them that if they going to my profile on trademe and the profile list my name and where i am located and after that they just ignore my proof and never response and my account still remain limited eventhough I have updated my full name and my account has credit in it. 2 days later i keep send email to them ask for release my account and the girl Jenny again want to call me on my lane line, i told them that they could call me on my mobile because i work away from home to receive their call, they claimed invalid phone number but my mum at home all the time never heard anyone call. They told me they must call my lane line and i have update my profile with lane line from where i work away from home and i keep waiting no one has call. I then send 5 messages back to them and no response and tried to call their 0900 TRADE number and the phone not even work.
I dont know what to do now, they have abuse my listing and give me wrong information and ignore my question and the stupid quick answer phone support not even work. It has been now 1 weeks I have my business to run on their website.
I have gave up as their administrators so hopeless and lazy. I just seek for some help from anyone know where could i report the way they abuse the member so the reportor or media can kick their ass hard. On my opinion if there is some trading website as popular with abit higher fee i will say good bye to them. Please anyone know how to kick their ass please show me.
the 0900 TRADE is just a joke, i call telecome asking for the 0900 TRADE number and they replied to me that is bad number. This is LOSER business, leave rubbish number for people to call eventhough they willing to pay for $1.99 per minutes