My Trademe Tips for Low Stress Selling

Trademe poweruser I am not, but I definitely have seen a few auctions around that could do with a bit of a rewrite. For those who are not in the Land of the Long White Cloud, Trademe is the go-to place for auctions and classified sales as Ebay is for the US and many other countries.

In fact Trademe is streets ahead in terms of quality, setup and overall experience for buyers and sellers alike compared to any other Auction/Sales site I have seen. It pretty much holds a monopoly in NZ for product Auctions, and many have tried and failed to take it on (eg Weedle, Sella) with others still trying today.  There are other smaller sites around such as Listselltrade, Lixtor, Sellshed, and plenty more small sites have tried too… but even though Trademe really charges quite a bit for its sales cut, people still use it due to the experience, and overall userbase.

I started using Trademe in its first year 1999, when it was advertised as “NZ’s Free Auction site”, and I remember very well the backlash when they started to charge users in 2000.

This Tips summary is aimed at the average ‘list stuff occasionally’, not the people who run a business doing it. Like EBay, you can buy software to list & maintain 1000’s of products for you and deal with the Q&A etc.

Why would you bother with any of this? Well, if you are selling something you want the maximum number of people looking at your advert and wanting to buy your item. There is nothing more frustrating than selling something and having few people looking to buy it. If it takes you 10 minutes and you make another $20, is it worth it for you?

Tip 1: Write a decent ad and include lots of text.

Speaks for itself, make sure you write everything you can about the item so you avoid questions. Also, put everything into the ad from when you release it… don’t say ‘photos coming soon’ or try to add more text later. Usually you have one shot to make an impact, especially if you have a buy now. Sometime I wish trademe had a ‘draft’ ad feature as sometimes it takes me a while to complete and ad and trademe logs me out!
Subtip: Draft your ad first...

Tip 2: Include a summary of FAQs/Notes

A bit of a pain, but with a busy life you really want to answer everything ‘before’ people ask. People often skip past ads where they aren’t sure what the total cost is or if they have to wait for a question to be answered. People are much more likely to buy now or bid if they know the full story.  For pretty much every auction I run I have a standard set of notes at the end with some relevant details.
Here is my note summary. Feel free to copy and paste the relevant lines or use something similar

Tip 3: Fill up the Title

You have a bunch of characters (50 apparently) and you should use them all. This is what people see first. Don’t say “Cordless Phones”, say “3 set Panasonic DECT Cordless Ph, Near New $1 res”. Exclamation marks optional.

Tip 4. Photos, Photos, Photos.

As of late, Trademe now lets you add up to 20 photos for free. Never put up an advert without photos. Make them decent ones… show everything you can about the item (any damage, colour, different angles, a photo of the item being used, sit it beside a ruler or something so people know the size… oh yes, always put the size/measurements… or people will ask.)
Subtip: Photos with other items you are selling...

Tip 5: No reserve, Buy Now, or $1 reserve?

I like to list $1 reserve whenever possible, or at least Start=reserve.  Don’t bother with the extra 25c to add another reserve price.  As mentioned, Trademe have a near monopoly, so pretty much everyone in NZ who can bid will probably do so if they see your ad.  Therefore, whatever it goes for… is what its worth (as long as you list at the right time, with the right search parameters).
Subtip: Maybe start high then relist...

Tip 6: Always Set a Sensible Finishing Time.

List your ad to complete say… between 7 and 9pm on weekdays.  I suggest Tues to Thurs.  If you have to pay the 25c to do so, I recommend it.  The cheapest things I have obtained from Trademe are because the auction closed at 2am and I was the sole bidder.  I have no real thoughts on auction length, I usually run it for 5 or 7 days.
Why do I need a finishing time when people can just put an autobid in?

Tip 7: Add Post PLUS Packaging Costs

My life is busy, and if someone wants me to ship something, they can damn well pay for it.  I recommend that you put some form of packaging cost for your efforts and any bubble wrap etc you need.  This will depend on what you are selling obviously, you may not want someone to come to your house and/or organise a time for pick-ups.  Declare P&P when you first release the auction, otherwise people will complain that ‘shipping is too expensive’.
Actually, the main reason I really like to use P+P is...

Tip 8: Include Some Searchable Key words

Looks dodgy, but honestly it is useful for when people search for things, or even spell things wrongly. Also, not everything fits exactly in ONE Trademe category and Trademe does not allow you to choose multiple categories, so this greatly helps people who search. Put them at the very end of you ad. Some people even put key words to other things you are selling if you like. This will annoy some… but will drive more people to the ad. I even use the word ‘Keywords’ at the beginning so people know that’s exactly what they are.
An example of Keywords:

Tip 9: Feedback Only if Fed Back.

Once you have 50 or so Feedbacks (so you have some sort of reputation), NEVER give feedback to someone without them giving feedback first.  Why?  Well you only get 2 chances to give feedback… one to feedback, and another to change it if needed.  If someone gives you bad feedback, then you can reciprocate and at the same time suggest they remove their bad comments.  If someone gives you a neutral, you have the option of emailing them and suggesting they change it… or you can add bad feedback to theirs.

And lastly… I also don’t usually bother with those fancy or featured listings, most people would browse categories to find what the need.  I also don’t bother with subtitles (25c), ‘authenticated members only’ (you can delete bidders or claim money back if it goes sour), or safetrader.  You’ll find that by far the majority of people on Trademe are reputable and a pleasure to deal with.  If not, just add some bad feedback and get on with your life.