I've paid and haven't received my goods or service

Trade Me involves buyers sending money to people they’ve never met, for goods they’ve never seen. So, there’s a huge element of trust that’s placed on members to ensure goods are delivered safe and sound.

If you’re having trouble with your trade

Once you have paid for the goods you should allow at least seven days for the goods to arrive before contacting us. We’ve found the vast majority of trades are resolved within this time frame.

Here are some steps you can take in the meantime:

1. Read the auction details carefully

There may be genuine reasons why the shipping is taking longer than you expect. Perhaps the item is being sent to a rural delivery address, or maybe you purchased a ‘made to order’ item that may take longer to produce for you.

2. Double-check the payment

It can be easy to make a mistake when entering bank account or reference details, when paying through internet banking. Check with your bank if you need help locating a payment. If you paid by credit card, perhaps it declined, or if you used Pay Now, we may be waiting for more information from you. Check your credit card statement and look out for any emails from Trade Me Support.

3. Email the seller

We find that having direct communication with the seller solves the majority of delivery problems.

To speed things up, provide the purchase reference number (it starts with a ‘P’), the date you made the payment and the reference you included. Ask the seller when they sent the goods and when you can expect delivery. The seller may be able to give you a tracking number.

4. Check your spam filters and junk mail box

Make sure the seller's emails aren't being blocked by your email provider, or that they are being directed to your junk mail box. Read more on spam filters.

5. Use feedback or Q&A to get in touch with the seller

We find that placing friendly feedback on the auction or asking a question on another of their listings can help to facilitate contact if there is trouble with emails being sent or received. Remember to keep your message polite and stay within our feedback policy requirements.

Filing a non-delivery report

Sometimes, for whatever reason, goods do not turn up. Trade Me is more than happy to assist you in such circumstances.

Let us know about the issue by filing a non-delivery report. This will get the ball rolling at our end. Our staff will investigate the situation and get in touch with the seller to hopefully get the issue resolved.

When you file your report you will need to include the purchase reference number and the amount you paid. If you’ve paid into a bank account, please provide us with this information, as well as any other details that you think will explain what the issue is.

If your complaint is truly urgent, you may call our Policing team on 0800 334 332. If it is not urgent, you will be asked to file a non-delivery report.