TRADEME , CHRISTCHURCH AND THE MAD ROOTER

We have been a bit like a ram in a paddock of ewes in the past few days - rogering Trademe with undisguised gusto because we reckon that Trade Me was taking advantage of little traders and sucking them dry.

It had to do with listing a mad rooter ram we needed to get rid of - a ram we thought would only fetch about $60 - but it was going to cost us $30 bucks if we sold him. We need to get rid of him because we have replaced him with a Wiltshire studdly muffin called Nigel.

So we blogged, tweeted and facebooked our outrage.

Today we got an answer and hopefully a solution - a category for pets and single farm animals.

We think thats a good option and we hope that Trademe follows it up.

Hi Busted,

I couldn’t squeeze this into 140 characters so had to resort to old-fashioned email. Rest assured, we’ve still got our mojo and our soul here at Trade Me. More than 750,000 Kiwis visit Trade Me each day and more than 250,000 items sold last week – both of these numbers are up on a year ago and up heaps on a few years ago. We’ve also been putting our recent mojo towards building a free site for people affected by the Chch earthquake, iPhone whizz-bang stuff, and a just launched today group-buying site.

You’re right we did increase our success fees a while back. They went up from 6.9% to 7.5% so that meant that on the sale of something for 50 bucks there was a 30-cent increase (to $3.75). That was the first time we’d increased the success fee since September 2008 and we reckon we still offer great value for money to put your items, be they buttons or sheepskin rugs, in front of a massive Kiwi audience.

In terms of livestock (of which your mad rooter is a supreme example), there was no recent fee increase on that front. To list a sheep it’s 29 bucks to list it until it sells – that might take an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year. There is no success fee. The livestock fees haven’t moved since November 2008 (way back when John Key got the top job, and the mad rooter was only a lamb, maybe...)

The livestock category is mostly used by people selling a flock of woolly beasts rather than just one ram. On that front, if you were selling a flock of sheep then $29 to list all your stock is pretty cheap. There’s overs and unders and we acknowledge the model is not perfect so we’re sorry about that. Perhaps we need a “pet lambs and mad rooters” category?

Anyway, we reckon you should relist the Mad Rooter – he might go for heaps more than 60 bucks – remember somebody paid $60,000 for a boulder last week. If you do, make sure you nominate the fecund fellow for a Chch charity auction slot on the homepage – we reckon he’d probably make the cut.

Cheers

Paul

So we have listed the Mad Rooter and a ticket - to BustedBlondes Veuve Clicquot party on Trademe and the lions share of the proceeds will go to the Christchurch earthquake fund. Yes the mad bitch Busted is back.

Party - on. Details soon.

And yes the proceeds of the party will go to Christchurch as well. We grew up in Southland and to all Southlanders of our vintage, Christchurch was the glamorous and sophisticated metropolitan centre of the South Island. And so it will be again.

HAS TRADE ME LOST ITS SOUL?

Im an unabashed capitalist but we are starting to think that Trademe has lost its mojo.

It started off being a great way for Kiwis to buy and sell their stuff. It reached critical mass very fast and we were all pretty proud when Sam Morgan and his small band of backers sold it and made a lot of money.

It was a feel good success story. The sort of entrepreneurial effort that we want to see replicated. And like all good businesses it needs to do all it can to maximise returns to the shareholder. But all business growth needs to be sustainable - and to do that it either needs to grow its customer base or find new ways to make money.

It was good to see that year on year, Trademe expanded so that now there are few aspects of the business community that it does not touch.

And by and large they have done a good job of looking after the "littleguys" cheap stuff is cheapish to sell. Its success is very much based on a sense of community. Its customers are also its fans.

But not any more. Instead of being sharp and looking at innovative ways to expand Trade Me's applications the lazy bastards have gone back to their original client base - the average kiwi peeps and they have starting upping the prices. In some cases the increase cost of selling some goods is nothing less that price gouging.

We found out recently that to sell a sheep that would fetch about $60 the cost has literally gone from about $10 bucks to at least $30. If I was selling a book it would be about $6-$8 dollars. That is price gouging plain and simple. ( note the variance is in how much you want to "pimp" your sale or spend on promoting it.

Its shameful and shows that Trademe is not the cool , innovative, company it once was. The people of New Zealand who found a community that was a unique virtual kiwi village will decamp. They will look else where. We reckon that the time is ripe, for someone to start up something that is honest, profitable and innovative and fun again. Sella has started to show some promise and niche selling platforms like Lifestyleblock.co.nz are also doing ok.

This thread here shows how Trademe is starting to lose support for two reasons - its taking the easy way out and charging more rather than looking for innovative solutions for its customers and new markets and ideas to grow the business.

We think that by and large Trademe still does a good job but our experience in trying to sell a smelly old mad rooter lamb has left us wondering if Trademe has lost its soul.

It is extremely disengenous of Trademe to say that they now charge about $32 and $40 to sell a $60 ram " because its easier" for the customer.

The rationale behind setting a standard price on selling all sheep is to make this easier for our members.

If you wish to sell your ram you will need to ensure that he is listed in the correct category. You won't be able to list him the normal way with normal pricing.

I wish you the best of luck with your future trades, I hope everything goes well and you continue to enjoy using Trade Me.

There is nothing easy about paying more especially when there is no difference in the level of service.

The Trademe team need some guidance from its founder Sam Morgan to help it set its course for the future.

TRADE WITHDRAWS OFFER ON MAD ROOTER SALE

Well bugger me days. So on one hand Trademe gets all conciliatory over the pricing of a listing to sell the Mad Rooter - now it appears they have had second thoughts.

We just received this email.

Hi ,

Thanks for contacting us.

After discussing this with other members of the Trade Me team it seems that this is is something that we are unable to do.

Again this is due to the fact that our listing fees are set at a specific rate that doesn't take into account the age or final sale price of the animal being sold.

There have been many members that have paid listing fee in order to sell one animal and as I mentioned earlier as there is no other category in which to sell this ram the $29 fee is still payable.

I am sorry that we weren't able to reach any alternative agreements on this issue.

If you have further questions regarding this issue please reply and we will answer your email as soon as possible.

Regards,

Hashim

Trade Me Support
http://www.trademe.co.nz

**************************************************

Our conversation so far:

Hi thanks! I knew you guys would see sense (or maybe sniff trouble :-)

I just want what I think is fair. So happy to pay the $10 listing and would appreciate paying the normal success fee rate which if he sells for $60 would be $7.5%.

Is that okay?

Would appreciate a quick answer as The Mad rooter is terrorising the new ram. I am very worried that if he keeps it up the new ram wont be able to perform!

So it seems someone made an offer that they were not entitled to.

So Trade me are a pack of price gouging bastards after all!.

TRADE ME SNIFFS TROUBLE - GIVES WAY TO MAD ROOTER

Trade me , it appears is being concilitaory over the pricing of our Mad Rooter Ram - MR.

Currently you have to pay $10 to list a sheep and a $29 success fee if you sell him. All very well when its a valuable woolly stud muffin but when its a smell old rooter ram that is at best worth $60 - then the pricing is out of kilter.

So you can read the tail of the Mad Rooter here - but we are pleased to report that now it seems that Trademe is happy to consider a " one off " deal for our fine fecund fellow.

And Trade Me have also shown some degree of humour in their reply

Hi ,

Thanks for contacting us.

The pricing of our listing fees is not determined by the end sale price, age or smell of the animal.

We have a set category in which all animals must be sold in. I too can understand your view on this situation, however there is no other category in which you will be able to list your ram.

Where possible Trade Me is happy to make exceptions however in some cases it isn't always possible simply because of where an item needs to be listed.

Let me know much would you like to pay to list your ram and I will see what I can do for you.

Regards,

Hashim

Trade Me Support
http://www.trademe.co.nz

**************************************************

Our conversation so far:

Hi Look i can understand how this come about - there are people who sell flocks of sheep . I only want to sell one smelly old ram. Who will only fetch about $60.

But even you must agree $29 to sell something that is worth $60 is just wrong

I dont think that this was an intended consequence of the change to the prices and Trademe has a reputation for being fair. So can you tell me what you are doing to fix this situation?

cheers

So we will suggest that a price similar to the normal Trademe success fee cost of 7.5% ($4-50) would be fine.

To list Mad Rooter on Trademe will cost $10 so thats $14.50 total to sell something worth $60. So the total cost is around 24%

We will let you know how we get on.

MAD ROOTER HAS TO GO

In the third and fourth pics down is MR - the Mad Rooter ram who has been an excellent fecund fellow. He was put across a purebred dorper and two half dorpers all had twins. He is a big bugger - unsure of the breed but pretty well put together. And in the fourth photo you can see him with the head of the harem - ( full blood dorper) and his two progeny which are 6 months old. In fact we bowled over one last night and the meat looks fantastic as you can see.

We need to get rid of MR because we have bought a Wiltshire ram, the one in picture 2.

Wiltshires are a Jenny Craig nightmare - they look at food and they turn it into meat and they dont grow wool. So they are roasts on legs and easy to look after.

My uncle had one of the best flocks in the country down in Alexandra, but he got a bit crook so he sold them all bar a wee few. Luckily the old man bid and got a couple of the prize rams - one for me and one for a mate. so we aim to cross them with the Dorpers who are also wool shedders known for their meat.

However we are very angry with Trademe. They are now asking for a $29 success fee and $10 to list one bloody sheep. As MR is just a big mad rooting mongrel who will probably fetch $60 bucks tops and not some bloody upmarket wiltshire, like the one with the orange mark on his butt thats worth hundreds of dollars, it looks like price gouging.

We asked them what the story was and this is what they said:

Hi , can you tell me the rationale behind charging $29 to sell a sheep? My smelly old mad rooter ram is only worth about $60 bucks.! How can i list him the normal way with the normal pricing.

regards

TRADEME

Thanks for contacting us.

The rationale behind setting a standard price on selling all sheep is to make this easier for our members.

If you wish to sell your ram you will need to ensure that he is listed in the correct category. You won't be able to list him the normal way with normal pricing.

I wish you the best of luck with your future trades, I hope everything goes well and you continue to enjoy using Trade Me.

If you have further questions regarding this issue please reply and we will answer your email as soon as possible.

Have a great day! :)

Regards,

Hashim

Trade Me Support
http://www.trademe.co.nz

**************************************************

The reply from Trademe is pretty unsatisfactory - so if anyone in the Wairarapa wants him for $60 - give me a buzz bustedblonde@gmail.com

It is not easier! Its just more expensive!

PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES

Yip, the word over the wines at lunch time is that there are three serious players waiting to step in and rescue the Phoenix if Serepisos goes tits up for unpaid tax. Apparently no- one is willing to bail Serepisos out but some of the new moneyed boys are prepared to dig deep and rescue the team if things turn to custard. Names being bandied about include Infratil, Sam Morgan and some blokes we know who will remain nameless.

LISA LEWIS GETS ONE OVER KENNETH VERNON

Yip we predicted it. Lisa Lewis caught another aspiring politician vandalising her election sign. She complained to the police. Got it back and now its up on Trademe for sale.. Well done Lisa.. Vernon - you're the wanker of the week.

VROOM VROOM

Many in the Terrace public servant community have been all a twitter in the last week or so - It seems that Mrs Barry Soper, the lovely Heather du Plessis Allan has been driving a very nice big and very new silver BMW everywhere. So people were asking  - had Barry or his effervescent missus won Lotto. Had Barry bought his missus the car? 

We put that question to Barry today and he  informed  Roarprawn that  he's a Jag man thru and thru  (he has a spanky new S type one)  and the Beemer is a loan car.

Apparently Mrs Soper has her oldish VW Golf on Trademe. And by Mr Sopers reckoning it might fetch as much as a set of tires on the Jag. 

The rumours were much more interesting than the facts.

For the record  - we here at  Roaprawn  - like Mercedes and Volvos. 

USED UNDIES FLY HIGH FOR CHICKS WITH MANKY TITS

This is one of the most inspired ways to raise funds we have ever seen. The used pink undies of the chief corporate pilot for Air NZ are up for grabs on Trade me

Apparently they will be drycleaned although we think they would fetch more if they were they were au naturalle. Sort of an interesting twist on the Tom Jones Phenomenon of tired old tarts chucking their undies at the aging crooner.

So we wonder does this mean Rob Fyfe is a committed tit man?


We know the marketing manager of the BCF pretty well but we reckon this is one of her better efforts yet. She will be forever known as the women who managed to get Fyfe to drop his daks. We bow at your feet oh Mistress of Magnificent Marketing.

TELECONS

We blogged the other day about the demise of our blackberry trackball. It had a terminal fur ball.
Essentially Telecom's "authorised dealer" was going to charge us $250 to replace and fit a new roller ball. The phone is out of warranty but they refused to supply the drop and load trackball kit. and it would take a week.

We smelled a con. And we were right. We paid $20 including post and package from Arwel in Porirua on Trade Me.Turn around time to get the replacement parts - 48 hours.
Time to take out old bit and put in new bits - 45 seconds - yip you read it right - 45 seconds

It works a treat.

So we will be ringing Telecom tomorrow for some answers.

We will blog in due course.