TradeMe.co.nz

Trade Me is the biggest website in New Zealand, it is New Zealand's Ebay. NewZealandAtoZ recommends that Trade Me is the first place to look for the price of goods in New Zealand.

You can get a good overview of the house, car and campervan markets. All our staff have TradeMe accounts and use the site to look for everyday items. Look to use traders with good feedback and you will find that your trade "should" go smoothly. Like any auction or purchase you are finally responsible for the goods you are buying and making sure you are happy with the description by asking questions. 

Becoming a member is free.You may only register as a member if you are resident in New Zealand or Australia and can form a legally binding contract that is enforceable against you. For example, you must be 18 years old. By registering as a member, you warrant that you can form a legally binding contract.
 

TradeMe Background

TradeMe is (as of 2007) the largest internet auction website operating in New Zealand, and is managed by the company Trade Me Ltd. New Zealand entrepreneur Sam Morgan founded the site in 1999, and after many years of rapid growth sold it to Fairfax in 2006 for NZ$700 million. Trade Me Ltd also operates several sister websites including Find Someone, Old Friends, Travelbug, Safe Trader and smaps.

Trade Me Ltd has become New Zealand's largest company of its type, and its flagship (http://trademe.co.nz) became the most popular website in the country in 2005. The group of sites collectively generate just over 50% of all web-page traffic originating from New Zealand-based servers. In a country with a population around 4,177,000, TradeMe currently has 1,578,717 active members, with approximately 60,000 people online and 800,000 auctions running during peak hours.

Participating traders can use New Zealand's banking system to settle payments. Many traders settle by bank transfer or by bank deposit, and Australian sellers must have a New Zealand bank account. Many buyers pay cash on pickup with larger items — probably partially due to the concentration of the New Zealand population in a small number of urban areas. TradeMe transactions do not require PayPal, as Australian buyers can pay with cheques, which many New Zealand banks will negotiate free of charge.

TradeMe shares many features with other online auction websites, such as the American auction site eBay. Some of these features include "Buy Now", "Auto bidding" and the Safe Trader escrow service. Members in New Zealand can become "Address Verified" by confirming their street address, and the site may block unverified members from bidding. Significantly, despite its global reach, eBay has failed to make a sizable penetration in the geographically isolated New Zealand market.

Trade Me full terms and conditions

www.trademe.co.nz

TradeMe Phone Number

For immediate assistance call 0900 TRADE (0900 87233). This number costs $1.99 + GST per minute.