Trade Me offers refund policy

Kiwi online market place Trade Me has annnounced a new initiative called “Buyer Protection” which helps members get a refund when something they buy doesn’t turn up, or they receive something that was not as described.

Head of marketplace Stuart Mclean described the new programme as a “safety net” for Trade Me users.

“The Buyer Protection initiative is a free safety net, and another way for us to show our members that we’ve got their backs,” Mclean said.

The buyer protection will come into affect on February 21, appearing on roughly 80 per cent of listings. Mclean said the new initiative had potential to cover 98 per cent of all marketplace listings.

“Buyer protection will apply to new goods and used items too. This gives our buyers a great level of protection when choosing their next second-hand fridge, bike or trampoline.” Mclean said buyer protection would kick in after a purchaser contacts Trade Me about a bad trade and can ultimately have a refund, subject to some criteria.

“For example, the item needs to be bought via our card payment system so we can see the transaction from end-to-end. The maximum refund claim is $2,500 and it applies to our general items Marketplace — with a few exceptions like the pets and animals category,” he said.

“Only rogue sellers will have an issue with this — they’re the ones who will hear from us . . .”