Trade Me or Marketplace – what’s the best way to sell your stuff online?

Pros of selling on Trade Me

Protection – The big pro for selling on Trade Me is the help you have on hand if things don’t go well. If the trade doesn’t go ahead, it’s easy to contact Trade Me for advice, and you can file a “dispute report” to request its help.

Do it all on the same website – Trade Me’s payment platform Ping makes it easy for buyers to pay you, with no need to swap bank account details. Its Book a Courier service also makes it easy to get your item out to the buyer with a few clicks.

Auction-style selling – Buyers bid for your items, so you don’t have to wade through offers to see which one is best. There's also the "buy now" option, if there's a selling price for the item you'd be happy to accept.

Cons of selling on Trade Me

Fees – The big con for selling on Trade Me is you’ll lose 7.9% of the selling price in fees. If you’re organised though, and not in a rush to sell, you can have all your photos taken and listings written, ready to take advantage of Trade Me’s occasional listing-fee-free days.

Pros of selling on Facebook Marketplace

No fees – There’s no cost to list an item and you don’t pay a sold fee either.

Can be very fast – Because you’re not running an auction with an end date, you can find the deal is done very fast. And because buyers can hone in on areas close to where they live, they can also be at your place to pick up the items they’ve bought quickly.

It’s not another app – You probably already have Facebook and using Marketplace is as easy as clicking on the little house icon. So, while you’re checking what your friends and family have been posting, you can also pop up a listing for that unwanted present.

Cons of selling on Facebook Marketplace

The hassle – Anyone who has used Marketplace will know the pain of being constantly asked if an item is still available, only to never hear from the person again after you reply “Yes”.

Haggling – Be prepared to also deal with people trying to beat down the price.

Lack of support and protection – When things go wrong on Marketplace you can feel like you’re on your own. And they often do go wrong. There are frequently stories in the news about people being scammed on Marketplace. Keep in mind you’re telling someone you don’t know that you’ve got something they might want, then letting them know your address.

Trade Me or Marketplace – which do we prefer to use?

We asked around the Consumer NZ office to see which platform our colleagues prefer to sell on. It was split pretty evenly. Here’s what they said.

Bryan Wall, product test writer

Marketplace is the first option, as there are no fees, but there seem to be more scammers and time wasters on there. If stuff doesn’t sell after a few weeks, then it’s on to Trade Me. There are also scammers on there, but more protection.

Jessica Walker, acting head of research and advocacy

I wouldn’t touch Marketplace with a bargepole. I would only list things on Facebook groups with stringent administrators; generally local community or interest groups.

Scott Moore, market research and insights manager

I prefer using Trade Me. I tried Marketplace but had more issues with time wasters – lowball offers or people who buy and then ghost you, never following through. For me, it's about trust and protection, both as a seller and a buyer.

Sahar Lone, communications and campaigns manager

I have occasionally used Marketplace when I have had furniture or other items to get rid of at low prices and need them collected urgently. Otherwise, I prefer Trade Me for larger ticket items because I don’t want to deal with tyre kickers.

Kate Harvey, digital journalist

Trade Me, even though you lose a chunk of your money to the selling fee. The cost seems worth it for the convenience. Out of hundreds of sales I've only had a couple of people let me down by not paying up.

Buyers rights when buying from these sites

When using both Marketplace and Trade Me, you’re only covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act if the seller is a professional trader.

Check out our article on online auctions for more help on your rights when things go wrong.